December 1st - Wishing

Hard to believe it is already December first.  Where has the year gone?

We have been home for just over a week and I have already started glancing at warm weather destinations for the new year.  Hey I can dream!

Since home we have been busy getting ready for Christmas.  Decorations are up and tree has been tagged at the tree farm to be cut later, closer to Christmas. 

I have also been busy updating my South American port lectures for Celebrity.  Celebrity  has a set style for PowerPoint which looks lovely.  Also need to switch out some pictures to reflect the cruise line.   Have also started getting my pictures together for the Canada New England ports too.

We are really enjoying being home again.  No snow here, but it has been cold, rainy, and very very windy.  I am anxiously awaiting the snow!  I know, I know....  ask me again in February how I feel about the snow. 

Accepted a Canada New England Lecture Position

I am so excited that Celebrity Cruises has once again contracted me to work on two Canada New England Cruises.

It will be on board the Celebrity Summit. 

Both are round trip out of Boston, which is a city we love.  So we will be sure to head there a day or two early.

I am so pumped to be talking about this beautiful area.  Having just come off a Canada New England Itinerary where there was no port lecturer at all it was really missed by many.  There is so much history here.  So much culture, so many interesting stories and facts.

Plus we will get to stop in our hometown of Sydney again and then get to sail to my old home Province for an overnight in Quebec City.  

So if you are interested come and join me.

Halloween in Boston

We are tied up at 8 am and the clearance to go ashore comes soon after.  Today we are in Boston.  We have been here twice before, but both times on ship and we both agree we really want to come here for a longer vacation.

Today is Halloween!  As I stroll around the Caribbean Princess I have to say that this ship has the BEST decorations I have ever seen for Halloween.  

Every floor in the Atrium has a unique display.  The Purser's desk is all done up.  There are scary bits on the stairs.  

Then of course every bar and dining venue has their own displays.  And like usual the large carved pumpkin set up by the International Cafe.

The Patter is packed with lots of fun things to do for Halloween.  I love that all the bands have been given a spooky name.  David Moore is now David "Morbid" Moore, Vincent Smith is Vincent "Vampire" Smith, the band is "The Witch" Project 5.

The Entertainment Team has lots of spooky movies playing in your cabin.  Also Halloween Game Show I'll Take Spooky Trivia for 100, Miracle Lyrical Game Show:  Halloween Edition.  Which we played and laughed our head at.  Then the big Halloween Haunted Mansion Spooktacular Party and then the Costume Parade.

But back to this morning.  We wander off around 11 am and we walk towards town.  The cruise line was offering a shuttle service for a fee, but we are good with walking and not so much with a big bus.

It takes about a half hour to walk to Quincy Market from the ship.  And along the way we stopped and window shop, admire the decorations.  Also it gives me a chance to take a lot of pictures for future lectures.

This morning before we disembarked we decided to go online and check out tours with Viator.com  We have used this service numerous times and love the freedom of choosing last minute and a large variety.  Also the prices are good.

The tour we booked was thru the company called Urban Adventures who have tours all over the world.  We booked a walking tour  and you can find the tour here.

We are a little early for the tour so we walk all around Quincy Market and the Market Hall which is well worth checking out on your own.

The tour starts at 1 pm and it is raining, off and on, which is more of a nuisance.  But it is warm.  In fact I end up taking my pull over off and just going around with my t-shirt and coat.  But I am finding it muggy.

The tour went all over!  And we learned some new things.  Bob our guide was very knowledgeable and he loved to talk!  Which is a good thing.  His stories and jokes kept us laughing.

We even had a stop at a Speak Easy called Carrie Nation for a complimentary alcoholic beverage.

We continue on the tour and even got to go into the legislature and tour around.  

Then ended up in Beacon Hill to see the stunning houses and the decorations and boy do they go all out!

The tour was suppose to be two hours, but ended up being 3.5 hours!  And only $46 dollars each.  Amazing deal and tour.  Much better for us, than being stuck on a bus with 50 other people.  But you really have to be able to walk long distances.

We Uber it back to the ship and head to the cabin to clean up and dress up.  Yup we dressed up for Halloween.

We were a hippie couple.  A lot of people dressed up, some totally in costume and some with just some fun Halloween additions.

Most of the crew seemed to be dressed up and some really outdid themselves. I was quite impressed.

Our first order of business was to hand out Halloween candy.  We purchased 200 chocolate bars while in Sydney and we handed all them out to the crew.  I really tried to get the crew that not everyone sees either, like the cooks in the Horizon Court, and cleaners, and cabin stewards.

Today's drink of the day is the Black Cat for $9.25.  It is Grey Goose, Blue Curacao, Amaretto, and Cranberry juice.  I had one - made my tongue blue - and it was okay.  A bit too sweet for me, and I hardly tasted any alcohol.  But it looked cool.

Dinner was at our regular table in the dining room.  It is busy here tonight and with that means our poor servers are run off their feet again.  We arrived at 7:15 but did not get our starter until 7:45.  Entree came at 8:10.  We had to skip dessert as we wanted to go to the trivia at 8:30.  It is not that our servers are poor, they are some of the best.  However they have a table for 8, and a bunch of tables for 2 and they are slammed.  At one point we did see some other waiters come over to help from sections that were not busy.

Also we still have yet to see a supervisor in the dining room come around to see how things are.  So far I am not impressed at all at the dining room, and Bernie and I chat and agree that we will probably give up on the dining room for the rest of the voyage.

We want to go to Crown Grill and maybe another specialty restaurant again.  Plus we really like the Horizon Court (darn it is the World Fresh Marketplace on this ship).

Again we are in port overnight - read more about why in my previous blog.  It seems strange to see the city lights in the distance.  Remember you will pay local tax if you buy drinks while in port.  It shows up on your bill as a separate item.

It has been a long day.  We logged over 23,000 steps.  Our legs feel like jello and this is when I really wish we had a bathtub to soak in.  If I had the energy we would be up and soaking in the hot tub.

Night everyone

Itinerary Change

Tonight we head up to Skywalkers to enjoy a drink at the Platinum Elite Lounge.  This is the first time we have been up here this cruise.  It is rather busy but with the added half hour (4:30 to 7:00) helps keep the crowds flowing.  Sometimes there was few spots to sit, but there always seemed to be people coming and going.

While enjoying time with our friends Barb and Craig and a few Floridoras (note we had to pay tax as we were still anchored off Bar Harbor) the Captain came on the speaker with an important announcement.  You always know it is something big when this happens and it is his second one this voyage.

Apparently there is bad weather that could affect our travel to Rhode Island.  For the safety of the ship and the comfort of the passengers the powers that be have decided that it would be better for us to take shelter and overnight in Boston tomorrow.  Note the Captain is not the only person who makes this decision - the bridge staff and head office all have input, and I have to respect that.

So we will arrive in Boston tomorrow morning as scheduled and we will be there overnight.  We will depart Friday and skip Rhode Island and sail as schedule to New York for Saturday.  I am not sure what time all aboard is quite yet for Boston but the Captain promises to update us when needed.

We are dining at our table tonight and our waiters are happy to see us.  Again the food was very good and service was back to top notch.  Sadly again there was no sign of a head waiter/supervisor coming around to say hi and how are things.  Normally we tip the supervisor but obviously that is unlikely this time as I don't even know who that would be. 

There is a One Hits Wonder trivia happening in Explorers (it is packed) and we just catch the back half of it. 

We meander to the Princess theater where Nathaan Phan is performing Comedy Singing Magic - he is multi talented.  This show is a little dry compared to the last one although we love his singing and his magic is phenomenal this show seems to be a lot slower moving compared to the other night where it was joke after joke and a lot of magic.

Again it is a relatively early night - I am actually shocked at how early we have been going to bed.  We have been in bed every night by 11 pm which is a rarity for us, even at home.  But we have been enjoying watching movies and reading and just relaxing.

As I write this in the morning that we have docked in Boston, the Captain has just come on in the cabin and announced that all aboard is 5:30 am tomorrow.  

So we get an overnight in Boston and those party people can stay out all night as long as they are back on board for 5:30.  They are calling for rain and gusts of 40 and 50 knots tonight so I glad he made the decision to stay safe. 

Bar Harbor, Maine

Today is the day we all have to clear immigration first thing.  I know it started very early.  I also know they had quite a few locations for people to go to.  However I don't know how they broke it down.  

We were assigned to Club Fusion.  There was a short queue, but that was for Americans.  We were directed to the right and there was no one.  The agent checked our passports and asked us when we would be leaving the US and we were good to go.  Then a crew member put a small yellow sticker on our medallion to identify that we had gone thru immigration.

Later those stickers would come in handy as crew walked around the ship and if they saw no sticker they asked to make sure you had cleared it already. 

Later in the day when there were a few outstanding that had not cleared there were paged.  And where the medallion comes in handy is they were able to track the few who had not gone thru immigration.  I know the couple I had seen that were approached by a crew member did not speak English but the crew member who did approach them spoke their language and they went right away. 

Thankfully they were able to send people ashore even though not everyone was cleared.

This ship is also using this new tender process that you go and get your tender ticket and then you can wait out in any of the public areas until your number is called.  They call out tender number over the PA system to all public areas.  After a while it gets annoying.   We are sitting in our cabin and every few minutes this is what you hear. 

Note if you are elite or in a suite you are informed to go to Wheelhouse Bar where you are directed to the very next tender.  Although they now call them water shuttles.

We are not going ashore today.  I really hated tendering, and we have been here a few times and I really need a rest day.  Plus Bernie and I are thinking of coming down this way for a visit as a road trip in the near future.

We sit in the International Cafe enjoying our coffees (love that they have almond milk).  We are sitting at a table for four and we have a few people join us as we sit.  Including Susan who we have sailed with before and comes by and says hi and we have a great conversation.

One thing we have noticed is about half the people we meet on board really lack in conversational skills.  A couple joined us and I must of spoke to them for over a half hour.  Boy oh boy.... I learned almost everything about them.  And it all started when I said good morning and where are you from?  But they did not even ask me one question!  Not one!  Not even where are you from! 

And this is not the first time this has happened.  It does not matter the age, the sex, or their nationality.  People seem to not understand that a proper conversation should be a back and forth.  Not you constantly talking while one listens.  And I am just so darn polite, I just nod.  I swear one time I am going to say something like "is there anything you would like to know about me?"

Does this happen to you too?

So as soon as I could tear myself away from them I did and went upstairs to take some pictures of the beautiful scenery.

Bernie decided he wanted to do a load of wash.  I am not going to say anything.  If he wants to go for it, more power to him.  He states he has pants that he needs to wash and that can not wait for the two day turn around. But this is his thing.  He seems to get an itch whenever he sees dirty clothes.  An itch to wash them.  Hey it comes in handy sometimes.

Laundries are very busy and he manages to secure one, but after it is done he needs to rewash it because the detergent has not dissolved completely, even though it has done a full cycle.  He even was able to get a dryer!  Time to go buy a lottery ticket.

Tonight there is the production show Broadway Ballroom at 6:30 - it was performed yesterday at 7:15 and 9:30.  Smart of them to do three shows and also to state when it will be replayed.

The comedian Scott Wyler performed three shows last night too.

Tonight is Branden and James with a show called "At The Corner of Symphony and Soul" at 7:00, 8:45 and 9:45.  Also Comedy Magic with Nathan Phan is in Princess theater at 8:30 and 9:45 for tonight only as he leaves tomorrow in Boston.

The movie Yesterday was shown on MUTS last night and in the Princess Theater this afternoon.  Bernie is talking about going to it. 

Saint John, New Brunswick

Happy to report that the Captain put the peddle to the metal and we arrived on time into Saint John.  However there was some issue with docking that delayed us and I saw why when I finally got up and saw where we were docked.  We are docked at a pier I have never seen them use (well I know they use it, but I have never docked here).  So I am sure it took a bit more time to secure the ship and to put out the gangways.

Actually glad we are at this spot as there is Anthem of the Seas and the Regal at the "regular" piers and those are large ships with a lot more people.  And when we did finally head along Water Street where the throngs of passengers were heading into town it was like us being salmon swimming up stream.  

With three ships in town this town is inundated with people.  I think the population doubled for the city!

Now we have been here numerous times and even stopped here on our drive across the country so we had no set plans today.  I knew I had to go off and get some pictures.

We also arranged to meet up with Paula who is sailing on the Regal currently.  It was nice to catch up with her as it has been a few years since we met and sailed together.  

After lunch we did go to many of the sites in the downtown area to snap some pictures.  I especially love the market here and if you want a lobster roll I would head here. Although it is less expensive, it is not ideal if you want to sit down and enjoy it.  You may want to find a sit down restaurant for that.  There are some great restaurants all around town.  Go one or two streets uphill from the water to find a better, less crowded spot.

We made the mistake of hitting a spot that I thought would be good but ended up being very poor.  Sadly they had only one person working the entire spot.  She was hostess, server, bus person and cashier and needless to say it meant poor service and the food was not all that great.  So I will not be mentioning it here as I can not recommend it.

The day's weather is outstanding and the colours are not too bad.  They seem to be a little behind Cape Breton Nova Scotia (which was at it's peak about ten days ago).  Glad that guests are getting to see the colours.

After logging 1400 steps we are back on board.  But not after we had a long queue to get back on board.  It did end up moving relatively quickly - maybe 10 minutes.  Here they are asking for picture id to match your medallion at security on land (not ship).  Then the ship's crew are double checking that you are in fact with Caribbean Princess and not Regal Princess. 

Once back on board we feel a nap coming on and we fall asleep quite quickly. 

wedge salad

This evening our friends Barb and Craig suggest Planks.  We love Planks and are quick to agree.  For the nominal fee of $12 it is a great deal and the food is very good.  Also because we have a late departure from Saint John we have a lovely view too.

key lime pie - which is off the steamers menu but you can get if at Planks

Oh I tried to order a drink thru the app tonight.  Remember everyone you get a free drink at first to try out the app.  So I thought I would try it out.  

I was up right beside the Calypso Bar right at Mutts.  I was literally sitting on the stool at the bar.  I opened the app and clicked on order a drink and my location showed me at Tradewinds bar.  I corrected it and stated Calypso Bar and chose my drink.  The bartender asked if I wanted a drink and I informed him I had ordered one thru the app.  

But he did not have the order.  And nothing seemed to be happening with the drink I had ordered as you can actually see the progress.  So thankfully I was able to cancel the order and I ordered it again and this time it went thru.  

But it is another strike for the App.  Again this new app appears to have some glitches.  

I did go visit the Medallion hosts and they agreed that there are issues and asked me to make sure the app was updated (which it is).  That is all that can be done.  But still can not see excursion, order future cruise deposits, play games with app as screen comes up blank with a notice to see help desk.  I know others have the same problem and others have not issue - and it appears to not be because of the type of phone as I met someone today with an Android phone that has not problems at all.

So I just go to my browser and access it the old way.

Miscellaneous things:

- The demographics of this voyage seems to be around our age.  Mostly people still working, but a lot of retired too.  A good mix.  Lots of Canadians too.  Not many kids (not surprised) but there is a nice family from Britain with two daughters that we keep running into.  The kids are on break right now.
- We were told on embarkation that laundry could take up to 72 hours but we have put two bags in and both have come back after 48 hours.  We are kind of use to this now as almost every cruise has so many elites that it never is 24 hour turnaround anymore.
- Bernie had no luck getting a firmer pillow so today we went out to Giant Tiger store and bought a cheap pillow that will work fine ($10) and our steward put a pillow case on it and we will just leave it when we leave.
- Love WorldFresh Marketplace (Horizon Court) on this class of ship.  If I can't have the huge buffet layout of the Royal Class this is the next best thing.  So much better than what we experienced on the Star.  Lots of options and love that the outer area of the buffet is easily accessible with desserts, sandwiches etc.  In the morning they serve these great fresh juices.

Halifax

We arrive into Halifax at 9 am and boy is it ever a full house here!  Four ships -- us, a Silversea ship, and Aida ship and our sister the Regal Princess.  But because of this crowding we are relegated to a berth further away (I believe it is pier 31).  This is part of an industrial area and a shuttle bus is required to take us to the main port area where the other three ships are.

Today I quickly get ready as I am heading off on my own at first to meet up with Janice David a friend I first met on my page when we did our first Canada New England Cruise.  Since then our friendship has solidified and we have met up with her and her husband Jim a few times and we certainly keep in touch on line.

We meet at a really cute coffee shop close to the ship called the Wired Monk.  The time flies by as we catch up and talk about a lot - but mainly travel and cruising.  A like minded addicted cruise soul!

We walk back together to the pier where I meet up with Bernie and as I am standing there I see a familiar face.  Well a familiar face to me, but he doesn't really know me.  Eric Ripper - John Ripper's son.  I know John through my page as well and we have talked on line for a long time (another travel addict - see a theme).  

I think Eric was in shock that I recognized him but when I told him who I was and he definitely knows my cruise page.  I filled him in that we were the couple that your parents knew on the Royal when they went to see him (as he was suppose to be on the Royal but got shipped to another ship).

Bernie and I then headed off in search of a Thai Restaurant we had heard about.  You see in Cape Breton it is not that easy to get different ethnic restaurants - the population base just does not warrant it.  So we take off inland (about a half hour walk) to the restaurant and boy was it ever good.  Nothing fancy but it hit the spot.

With tummies filled we wander back to the boardwalk and I am back taking a lot of pictures.  I am hoping to get a contract next season for port lecturing for Canada New England and so I busy taking pictures that would be needed for my presentations from a cruise passengers interest.

My real goal today was to get to Pier 21 to go through it again as it is one of my favorite museums.  It is the gateway to Canada where immigrants arriving by ship went through.  Basically Canada's version of the US Ellis Island.  The museum is right beside the port.  In fact you can walk right through the shops at the pier to the end and the museum is right there.

But I was so tired!  I got maybe three hours sleep last night and I knew I needed to have a nap.  So once back on board I crawled into bed and banished Bernie from the cabin (are we the only couple that does that?) as it is not big enough for him to be in and be quiet and for me to get some much needed sleep.  I sometimes wonder how crew do it, especially if they are on different schedules.

After a two hour nap we both get ready for the evening activities.  It starts with the Captain Circle Party (note there will be 3 parties this voyage).  

It was nice to enjoy a drink and see some friends.  There was someone recognized for their 500th day Milestone.  None of the top three were in attendance at this party.  And what I thought was odd was that they did not even mention the top three and their days so I can not report on that.  I know that we are number 6 and 7 most travelled passengers (I am the 6th as I have one extra cruise than Bernie).  

After the party we head down to Explorers where I enjoy one of my new favorite drinks the Aviation made by Johanthan from Peru who was on her last Summer.

Dinner was very yummy tasting and we finished off our wine.  Again no supervisor came around to the tables in our section.  I know we saw others walking around nearby sections but none to ours.  Our waiters seem off their game tonight.  Their section is full and unfortunately is has meant that so has the service.  Last night was phenominal but tonight we ended up leaving the table before even our dinner plates were cleared as we were tired of sitting and didn't want dessert.

Explorer's Lounge is hosting 70s night and we dance up a storm, so much so we need to cool off with a cocktail.  We love the Explorer's bar and wish the newer ships had it.  It is big enough to accommodate a lot of people and the bar is large and then throw in music, dancing or a game show and it is perfect for us.

We attended the show called Comedy Magic of Naathan Phan in the Princess theater.  Again the show was packed.  

Naathan was very very good.  Great singer, quite funny and his magic blew us away.

DuVal the Cruise Director came out at the end to thank everyone and he did announce that they know about the crowding issue in the show and they have listened and they are now going to have three shows whenever they can.  But even better they will not be the shortened versions but the full show but the three shows will be over two nights!  Yeah!  Great work you guys - big should out to Entertainment Director too.

Oh I forgot to mention that the Captain did come on to announce that we would be leaving Halifax late because of the traffic which also meant they couldn't get a pilot at the time we needed so we are leaving an hour late.  This will then mean we may be late tomorrow into St. John.  But he hopes to make up time.

Sydney Sail Away

For sailaway we headed to our friend's cabin and brought a bit of Cape Breton with us.

Of course some Cape Breton music.

We enjoyed a drink and some snacks and pointed out our home as we sailed past.

Tonight we are heading to the dining room for supper.  We rarely choose traditional dining but for this voyage we wanted to have a set table and with second seating being at 7:15 it seemed like a good idea.

Normally we don't like having a set schedule and trust me even 7:15 is hard for us to get to on time and there are often events we want to attend but because of the set dining time we can not be as fluid as we would like.

We have a lovely table for two in the Palm Dining room.  Our waiters seemed shocked to see us.  We explain how we were too tired the first night, then it was Sabatinis, then it was Planks.  But we are here now.

Food was very good.  I had the Thai soup to start, then the scallops for my entree.  All washed down with a delicious bottle of wine.  Well not all of the bottle, we corked the rest for another night.

Was surprised that not a single Supervisor came to visit our table, or any table for that matter in our section.

After dinner we rushed to Explorer's Lounge to attend the Yes No Game Show.  Yeah I love that game.  I did put my name in and I got chosen.  The bigger issue was trying to find a seat.  The place is very busy.  And this seems to be a problem on board this sailing -- very difficult to find seats at any venue.  People here are really getting out and enjoying everything.  Mind you the weather is too cold to go out and enjoy Mutts or anything outside.

As we were standing near the back searching for something a couple at a table for four removed their items from the extra chairs and said we could join them.  How nice.  Seems they were saving them for their friends who they then checked the app to see that their friends were in the Princess Theater.  So the app was a real positive and helped us get seats in the lounge.

DuVal the cruise director was the one who quizzed me.  And I won!  I lasted past three minutes.  I took the champagne and gave it to the couple who gave us the seats.  I always say you should pay it forward.

Back to the cabin and rest.

Sydney, Nova Scotia

Wow is it ever weird sailing past your home.  Sure we have sailed in and out of Vancouver but we lived a distance inland.  We literally sailed by our home.  We could faintly make out the 2nd floor.  

We docked at 9 am but we are not in a rush to get off.

A coffee is in order.  Bernie grabs some breakfast and we wander off around 11 am.

We did have an issue with our safe.  It stated the battery was low.  We called the front desk and someone from housekeeping came to change but it ended up the batteries were just a little loose.  

What was funny is Captain was walking by when I opened the door (his cabin is nearby) and he said "Vickie what did you break"  I said my safe but you can charge my Medallion for the repair!   Love Captain Marco, so friendly and approachable, and he is always making his presence known.  He is not competing with the cruise director like some Captains, he is professional and serious but still fun.

Once ashore we met up with our nephew who came to bring us two things we forgot.  Bernie's IPod and earphones and my gloves.  Then he drove us to Sobeys so we could pick up some Halloween candy for the crew.

Watch your step from that second floor

We walked back and i was busy taking pictures that could be used in future Port Lectures from a passengers point of view. 

You know.   Walkway to town, shops, Tim Hortons, Casino, statues, etc.  I have recently applied for some Canada New England Destination Expert jobs on a few cruise lines and I want to be prepared.   

There is no port lecturer on this voyage and I really think it is a loss because there is so much interesting history, culture and sites to see that many have no idea.  

While walking around we were searching for Remembrance Day poppies to bring for those on board. We saw a woman with one and asked if she had seen anyone selling them. She had not and as she walked away she ran back and gave us hers to give out onboard. Now that is what is amazing about the people here. Best people. Proud to call myself a Caper.

After about three hours we were back on board.

It was hard to hear guest complaining that there was not much here.  I got a defensive feeling and want to be protective but I know their comments are because of lack on knowledge.

There is so much to see here but you need to be informed and plan accordingly.  If you just get off and walk around you are not seeing much.  And the fact we are here on a Sunday and many shops downtown are closed.  

So if you are ever planning a visit to Sydney make sure to explore.  Visit the Cabot Trail, Baddeck, tour our Coal Mines, enjoy our musical talents, enjoy a craft brew.  Check out our local crafts and amazing seafood.  

Back on board we stopped in to see Simone Smith the assistant Hotel General Manager.  We brought her some All Dressed potato chips and she is now supplied with storm chips.  Yup storm chips.  People here stock up on chips when there is a storm in the forecast.  You hunker down with your storm chips and a cold beer or wine and you are all set.  So hey live like the locals I always say.

We are back on board and Bernie is reading and I am catching up on things.

I need to move as I am in Explorers and trivia is starting in a half hour and they are flocking in and they are eyeing my table with desperation.  So off I go so they can have a comfy couch and table.  

Loving ships!