Embedded Files
27 August 2024 - Preparation
Tuesday: We are getting so accustomed to cruises, this one hardly raised our anxiety level. Been there. Done that. We did skip our weekly Square Dance club dance just so we wouldn’t get exposed to any bugs that might put a damper on the start of our trip.
This is our third Square Dance Cruise with Mike Sikorsky. The first two were the 2021 Caribbean and 2023 Alaska cruises. We enjoy his calling and humor.
This year, we decided to fly out of St George airport. It’s way more convenient than Las Vegas, although it is more expensive. Our 1st flight leaves at 6:10am, so we need to wake at 4am. That’s annoying. Now that we are part of the St George FamilySearch council, our absence is more noticeable. But the Directors are so glad we are part of the council, they have arranged coverage for our shifts.
We have everything packed except our phone and hearing aid chargers.
28 August 2024 - Travel
Wednesday: We woke up one minute before the alarm went off. At 4:30am the roads are pretty clear. At the St George Airport you can park virtually next to the entrance door.
There were a lot of young missionaries either going home or going out. The flight to SLC was uneventful except for the last 10 minutes, when the air turned bumpy.
We did not have Comfort+ seats on the long haul to Newark NJ. In fact, we were almost in the very last row on the plane. But it was fine enough. When we got to Newark airport, after claiming our luggage, we walked to the bus stop, to a bus, to the Airport tram, to a walk, to the Hotel Shuttle pickup location. On the half hour, our Hampton shuttle came and picked us up. We drove all around the entire airport, returning back to where we first started, where the shuttle picked up another passenger!
Anyway, we got to the hotel, and checked in. As we arrived, we noticed an IHOP next door, so that’s where we had breakfast for dinner. The hotel shuttle to the cruise dock was full, so tomorrow at breakfast we’ll see if we can find some other square dancers that need a taxi we can join up with.
Liberty of the Sea
29 August 2024 - All Aboard
Thursday: We used Uber to arrange a ride to the Cruise terminal to board the Royal Caribbean ship: Liberty of the Sea. It cost $58.09 for an Uber to the Cape Liberty Cruise terminal, but we were glad for it, cause the route to get there was New Jersey convoluted and our driver was quite nice. The on-boarding process was simple and quick.
We did some checking at the Guest Services desk and wandered upstairs to the WindJammer buffet area for Lunch. We ate from the Jade section, (international-style food) which was delicious. As we finished, they announced the rooms were available. After unpacking, we went down to the Promenade for the Anchors Aweigh Parade, featuring all the various performing groups dressed and dancing as Pirates, Arabian dancers, etc.
After that, it was time for dinner. The dinner was OK. Mark tried the Spinach and Artichoke dip. The chips were fair. Lynn enjoyed escargot. Her fish dinner was good and Mark's New York Strip steak was not.
The early evening performance was an Ice Show: Encore! An Ice Spectacular, which was very exciting. We enjoyed the skating and the music. There were two very good pair skaters who did numerous lifts. The cruise director herded us into the Platinum Theatre for the Welcome Aboard Showtime: Derrick Cameron. He is a stand-up comedian. His show was family friendly and really funny.
Before turning in, we went upstairs for a romantic walk around the outside, looking at the stars and sea as it passed by us.
30 August 2024 - Sailing
Friday: Today was a sailing day. Originally, Royal had only given us 3 hours of floor space for dancing. But after Mike talked with them, they gave us an additional 3 hours. So we danced from 9 to 4 (with an hour break for lunch). The last hour of each session was at the advanced level. Here's a Facebook video Janet took of the group dancing in the Olive & Twist bar on the 14th deck overlooking the water.
The evening dinner was the first (of two) formal nights, so we all dressed up nice.
After dinner, we went to the Platinum theater for Showcase Showtime: In Concert, with singing, dancing and the Liberty of the Sea Orchestra, who are really good.
Our cabin area
31 August 2024 - Boston
Saturday: We had to get up a little earlier today, so we could have breakfast before 8:30 am, the meeting time for our tour: The Roads of Revolution: In the Footsteps of Paul Revere.
Feel the history as you get a firsthand look at the Birthplace of the American Revolution. Your day-long tour includes highlights of Boston and a scenic drive to the battlefields of Lexington and Concord. At Lexington Green, see where Paul Revere concluded his famous midnight ride, where the skirmish between patriots and British troops kick-started the War of Independence. Travel to the nearby Concord and the Old North Bridge, getting a closer look at where Minutemen fired the first shot, the “shot heard round the world.”
Head back to Boston for lunch and time to explore on your own at the lively Faneuil Hall Marketplace, teeming with restaurants, cafes, shops and colorful street performers. Part of this complex is Quincy Market, a vast 19th-century hall. Be sure to visit Faneuil Hall itself, which some call the “Cradle of Liberty.” This was the site of several speeches by Samuel Adams and other revolutionaries encouraging independence from England.
Continue your tour to the North End where you will pass by the Old North Church, the place where two lanterns were held high on the steeple, signaling “two if by sea,” the direction from where the British were coming. Then enjoy a drive punctuated with historic sites as you make your way back to the pier.
Mark had an upset stomach, but “heroed” thru. After a light breakfast, we gathered in the Platinum Theater for our dismissal. Then, on to our tour bus.
We drove through what used to be called Harbor Area, but was renamed Seaport Area because they felt they could get higher rent from a more sophisticated name. They were right.
We drove to the area where the Italians settled [known as Little Italy] and walked to the Old North Church. On the way, our tour guide quizzed us on the name of Paul Revere's horse, while we were standing next to his statue. The answer is: None; he didn't own a horse and had to borrow one. It was apparently William Daus who was the first to get to Lexington with the news, but since Paul knew Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, he gets the credit. Around the corner was the home of Paul Revere.
Paul Revere on old What's His Name
We drove through Back Bay, which was a marshland, and Copley Bay. We also visited the waterway which harbors the USS Constitution (also called Old Ironside). The Tour Guide shared a story about how Queen Elizabeth came visiting a few years ago. Whenever a dignitary visits Boston, they bring out the USS Constitution, the oldest still-in-service battleship in the world. As the Britannica entered the inner harbor, Old Ironside began a 21-gun salute. The Britannica was being escorted by two British Destroyers, and the USS Constitution was almost sunk by Britain 200 years after they couldn't sink it the first time. A quick phone call by the British Admiral forestalled another British/American war.
We also saw (in the distance) the monument to Bunker Hill, which apparently happened (and is erected) on Breed's Hill.
We stopped by the Trinity church. It's across the street from the John Hancock building, and is reflected beautifully in the glass of that building.
For lunch, we visited Faneuil Hall and had a Grilled Chicken Greek salad dish (fair), two freshly squeezed lemonades (Great), and a Chocolate Therapy Hot Fudge Sunday (Beyond delicious!)
More driving took us past the Mother Church of the Christian Scientist religion. They have the largest pipe organ in the USA. We drove past the start and finish lines of the Boston Marathon.
Then, out to Lexington. The British soldiers had to march the 24 miles with Red Wool uniforms and 50 pound packs, and they were not happy. The British Officers traditionally rode horses. By the time they got to Lexington, they were miserable.
The 300 British soldiers were met on the Lexington Green by 70 minutemen. Immediately, half of the minutemen “noped” out, leaving just 30. A British soldier apparently tripped and his firearm went off. Everyone thought they were under attack, and the British fired into the Minutemen, killing 4. The local doctor came out (under the strong reservations of his wife), and while not near the minutemen, was still hit and died in his wife’s arms after he crawled to the steps of his house on the edge of the Green.
The British officers then made a mistake. They divided their force in two and sent half to Concord, another ten miles up the road. The regular soldiers were not happy.
At Concord, they came to the North Bridge. The British Officers on their horses told the 400 minutemen (who had by now heard what had happened in Lexington) to disperse. When they didn’t, the officers had the Regulars fire on the Minutemen (who were, at the time, British citizens), and the Minutemen fired at the Officers, killing all 4. The Regulars retreated to Boston, fired a few cannon shots at Boston, and they sailed home.
Back on the bus, we drove to Cambridge, where we visited Harvard. There was a great deal of activity as it was move-in weekend. Two movies have been shot at Harvard, including Legally Blond. The Harvard Library is reportedly the largest in this hemisphere. The Harvard Library is named the Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library. He died in the sinking of the Titanic, and his mother donated his books which started the library. She had a stipulation for the donation: There is a Harvard legend that every Harvard Graduate had to demonstrate proficiency in swimming (since her son had drowned in the sinking).
Back to the dock in time for dinner, which was fair. We went to the show: A Tribute to Adele by Amy Jo. Mark recognized a couple songs. Afterwards, we took a Square Dance group picture.
1 September 2024 - Portland Maine
Sunday: We had a 2 hour driving tour of the city: Portland by Land and Sea.
Bring the family together for a driving tour and sea cruise combined in one exciting excursion. First, journey through the historic and contemporary sights of Portland and along the beautiful, craggy coast to Fort Williams. You’ll have a chance to see Portland Head Light, Maine’s oldest lighthouse. This is the first lighthouse completed by the U.S. government and is the most visited, painted and photographed in New England.
Next, you'll board the Timberwind for a leisurely two-hour sail around picturesque Casco Bay. The Timberwind is a 96’ two-masted schooner built in 1931 by Victor Cole at Union Wharf in Portland, Maine. For nearly four decades, until 1969, the boat was named the Portland Pilot and was responsible for meeting incoming vessels outside the harbor and piloting them to their berths. Sit back, relax and take in the sights of Casco’s waters with an experienced crew who will share their knowledge of the sea and sailing. Listen for the barking of the harbor seals, and watch for an occasional eagle. And, if you want, join the crew and help hoist the sails.
We learned that the city was destroyed 4 times. By fire first in the War of 1812, another time in the French and Indian Wars, once by children playing with firecrackers.
We visited Fort Williams and saw the Head Light.
Portland has an Observatory which spotted ships 30 miles out. We saw some fortifications. Fort Gorges was built from 1858 to 1864, in the middle of the bay and was obsolete before it was even used. It was designed to sink enemy ships coming into the harbor, but they started building ships of metal which required larger canons than those that would fit through the fort openings. Since the fort was made from granite, you couldn't just use a Saws-all to cut larger openings. It was used to store ammunition in WWII.
We saw some lighthouses. Our bus met another city bus turning into our street. There was a firehouse across the street and the firemen seemed to be encouraging the city bus to back into the station but he wouldn't, even though they blocked the traffic. Someone moved their parked car so we could pull in between where it had been on the corner. The city bus driver wanted us to pull over to the curb which meant we would not be able to make the right turn into the intersection. We did but after he went on, we had to back up the hill between parked cars to be able to make our right turn. It took a bit of time.
The bus returned us to the dock and we boarded the Timberwind, a 113 year old sloop bearing 3 sails. This was a unique adventure as this wooden windjammer was built in Maine and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. We saw Fort Gorges up close. The fort is now a park, accessible only by boat.
We saw several lighthouses, one that looks like a buoy and is called “bug lighthouse”. Sailing was the perfect way to experience the beauty of the rugged coastline, complete with lighthouses, and seabirds. We enjoyed participating in the hoisting of the sails. “Heave-ho!”
We reboarded our cruise ship in time for the afternoon square dancing.
Dinner was again fair. There is a recurring theme for the food quality. The desserts have been amazing but the main courses just so-so.
We went to the evening Headliner Showtime: Jason Bishop - Illusionist. He was pretty good and funny. One of his jokes was “I haven't been this sweaty since I saw the captain in the gym working out on the rowing machine”.
2 September 2024 - St Johns & the Bay of Fundy
Monday: We docked at high tide. We danced from 9 to 10:45. We arrived as the tide was coming in. Our tour today is St. Martins and the Bay of Fundy.
Explore the fishing village of St. Martins, marvel at the incredible Reversing Rapids and meander sea caves tucked under cliffs. See where the Saint John River and Bay of Fundy converge, creating the Reversing Rapids, and visit sandstone sea caves carved by pounding tides. Plus enjoy seafood chowder and time to shop in Saint John’s Old City Market.
Our tour took us to the Reversing Falls Rapids area. The tide comes in one foot every five minutes. There is high tide, low tide, and slack tide which lasts 20 min twice each day. Boats can only navigate from river to ocean and ocean to river during slack tide. High tide pushes the river backwards 80 miles all of the way to the capital. The seals also come in with the tide. We saw one. Later in the afternoon we returned to the same location as the tide was going out. The river was flowing the correct direction. A young boy was kayaking. As the tide goes out there are rapids rated at class 5.
Our bus drove through Rockwood Park, the largest municipal park in Canada. It was originally a carnival/industrial area, but the city citizens wanted a more wilderness/hiking experience. Contains a wilderness area, hiking trails, an RV campsite and 10 lakes.
We rode out to St Martin's. There, we enjoyed the World Famous Cave Restaurant chowder, made from lobster, crab, scallops and haddock. The secret ingredient is dulce, a type of seaweed, which was pretty good.
There is a fun tradition in St Martins. If you find a stone with a granite streek that goes completely around the stone, it is a Wishing Rock. You make a wish, turn your back to the water, and toss it over your sholder. If the stone returns to the shore, when the next person finds it, your wish will be granted.
Our tour guide held a Canada Trivial contest on the way back. The board game Trivial Pursuit was invented in Canada. We returned to the Reversing Falls Rapids area as the water was racing out. There is a Pulp Plant factory just across the river, but no traditional pulp odor. They spent $200 million on filters.
Since they were delayed in checking the ship in, we were delayed getting off the ship and onto our tour. Consequently, we returned later than expected. We had to rush up to Giovanni for our specialty dining experience. We made it, barely. Surprisingly, the Filet Mignon at the Italian Restaurant was really good, and the spaghetti wasn’t.
After dinner, we walked around the converted container shopping experience just outside the Cruise ship gates. Then back on board for a soft-serve ice cream before turning in for the evening.
3 September 2040 - St Martins
Tuesday: We had a leisurely morning as our tour starts at 9:45am. We didn't read the fine print on the tours we selected for St Johns. The tour today: Lobsters, Covered Bridges and the Bay of Fundy took us back to St Martins, where we spent the second half of yesterday's tour.
Enjoy an illuminating overview of Saint John, the oldest incorporated city in Canada that received its royal charter during the reign of King George III, on the scenic drive to Saint Martins.
Continue to St. Martins, where the water in the Bay of Fundy rises 50 feet every day, the largest high tide in the world. The spectacular natural turn lets you, if you're visiting during low tide, walk on the ocean floor and explore unique sea caves carved over the centuries by the massive force of the tides.
Grab your phone or camera for a picture of Saint Martins' covered bridges before arriving at Spinney’s Seafood Market for a lunch featuring the family-owned restaurant's world-famous lobster roll on a toasted bun.
Janet waving to us as we leave for our tour
The good part was we had a new tour guide. The bad part is she was a talker. And the driver was a talker. They took turns listening to themselves talk, and impatiently waiting for the other to finish talking, so they could. We returned to St Martin's. Lynn has expressed interest in a local artist painting at the One of a Kind souvenir shop, so we went back and purchased it and two rock pendants.
We visited the beach again and then on to a local restaurant: Spinneys for a Lobster roll. The roll was great, but the lobster filling, while probably great lobster, was just filling to us.
We made it back in time for the 2-4 square dance for the day. Dinner was A Taste of Italy, and the Lasagna was good. We took in the evening Showtime: Dario el Goucho. He is a Brazilian performer who became an American Citizen. He performs with Bola balls, a guitar, and some rope magic tricks.
4 September 2024 - Sailing
Wednesday: Since we were at sea all day, we danced 9 - 11.We did pizza for lunch, which was more relaxed. They had up to 5 pepperonis on a whole pizza! But it was still good. Then, back upstairs for more dancing 2-4. The last half hour was advanced.
Today is our 44th Anniversary. We scheduled another specialty dinner at Chops, the Steak Restaurant.
They brought us a Red Velvet Cake (Delicious) with Happy Anniversary piped in chocolate. We were too late for the early show, so we went back to our cabin to watch a Hallmark movie. We then went to the Headliner Showtime: The Las Vegas Tenors, who sang some great tunes.
On the way back as we walked through the Promenade, Lynn purchased several inches of white gold chain for her new rock pendants.
5 September 2024 - Halifax
Thursday: Our tour today is Best of Halifax & Peggy Cove
Explore the quaint fishing village of Peggy’s Cove before enjoying a tasty lunch, and then see Halifax’s most notable historic landmarks and fascinating museum exhibits. Travel to tiny Peggy’s Cove, where you’ll view impressive rock formations and its famous lighthouse. Savor a fish and chips meal, dessert, and beverages before you delve into Halifax’s naval history at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic before viewing reenactments and the 215-year-old Town Clock atop Citadel Hill.
The tour started at 8:30am. That part went well. We had a great tour guide. She was very well informed about Halifax. She shared details of the city, the Halifax Explosion, and Titanic (Halifax was involved with processing the Dead). We visited Peggys Cove and had a GREAT Fish & Chips lunch. We visited a Pewter shop and got a couple Christmas Ornaments, and listened to a fair bagpiper playing by the lighthouse.
Next, we drove back to Halifax, past the cemetery where many of the Titanic were buried and visited the Citadel, then on to the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. At the museum they had an Amateur Radio station that was letting the visitors send Morse Code. When Mark introduced himself as a fellow Ham Radio enthusiast, they were very excited and gave him two QST cards (which are shared by amateurs when they make a radio contact).
We made it back just in time to miss the end of afternoon dancing.
The evening activity was supposed to be the Production Show: Saturday Night Fever, but two of the performers came down ill. So tomorrow's comedian performed today: Spencer James. He won the World series of Comedy in Las Vegas. He was funny and mostly family friendly.
Afterwards, we walked around outside on the deck for a romantic sunset stroll. The weather was slightly cool but not freezingly cold.
6 September 2024 - Sailing
Friday: The ship skirted a storm, so we experienced rocking and rolling. Which made dancing harder than Mainstream. It was Challenging. (That's a square dance joke). Lynn also had knee pain, so we rested every other tip. But we did have lots of visitors watching us dance.
We had 4 Swedish dancers in our group. They were very competent, and friendly too. They share a Swedish Word of the Day on the message white board. Since we both have 50% Swedish ancestry, we were really glad to learn a little Swedish.
The cast of Saturday Night Fever was ill, so they had a replacement act: two of the singers from the cast. They were both great individually, but their joint closing song got a little off when they forgot part of the verse.
7 September 2024 - Going home
Saturday: We retained our luggage so we could make a quick exit from the ship and took a taxi ($85!) to the airport. We were really early so it was an easy check in.
Our trip home was three flights, which was not as nice as the trip out. We were there so early, we leisurely explored the airport and purchased a Jersey Mike’s giant subway sandwich for our first and second lunches.
Our connections were short, but we easily made them (as did our luggage), and we arrived in St George no problem.
We decided we did not want to cook dinner, so we went to Culvers. While there, we met one of our friends from the Family History center. He was there with his Grandson and Granddaughter-in-law.
Then we stopped by the grocery store to buy some milk.
Finally home, we were glad for our new smart thermostat, which had kept the house on vacation mode (which used very little electricity), but turned the AC on in time so the house would be ready for us when we arrived.
Another successful international trip!
Google Sites
Report abuse