Cruise - 2010

QUEBEC -- October 24 & 25

We are in Quebec waiting for the cruise ship to depart. We had somewhat of a problem-free adventure until we reached Quebec airport. For those that have or haven’t flied international, the tension level at the airport is high because of the many languages, high volume, small space, and miscommunication. We had the agent at Delta Airlines at DIA talk us into sending my mother’s walker through with the luggage. So with the tension already at the Quebec airport and trying to get through security with all our remaining luggage, and the walker not coming through with the rest of the luggage, we forgot to get the walker before we left the airport. We had asked our limo driver (it’s 20 miles from airport to cruise ship) if he could turn around and we would pay him an added charge. Instead, he called someone and they told him we should have the cruise lines notify the airport to make arrangements to get it brought to the ship. Well, from there we filled a claim form at ‘guest services’ and then kept waiting to hear back from them.

We are now 2 hours from cruise time, and I finally got a hold of someone from TSA-Quebec, after multiple links with the Delta website and help line and talked to a representative at the airport. The walker was sitting in Customs waiting for a claim form. I was then told that they could fax a form to the ship for me to complete; then after receiving it back, they would send the walker to the ship. Was then informed that the ship’s fax was broken. Through a quivering voice, I was able to convince the gal at Guest Services to call the gal at TSA. They agreed that since the walker didn’t have anything in it, they would clear it from Customs and send it to the ship. If we are lucky we will have 45 minutes to spare before departure.

Lessons learned –
1) Remember what your brother had told you about taking the walker on the last cruise and it being delivered separate from the luggage
2) Take a deep breath, slow down, and block out the noise and tension at the airport long enough to think everything thru
3) If you are going to be taking a cruise where the ship holds 2,680 passengers, plan to get to the airport earlier than the other planes arriving from Europe and elsewhere in the States. We had a connection in Detroit – now, thinking about it, we probably should have flown to Detroit the night before, so we would have arrived in Quebec earlier on the day we were to check in. (The airport was as bad as Cancun where all the other planes arrived at the same time.)

a. Costa Cruise Lines is an Italian ship that sails to the US largely for the benefit of the Italians. I would guess that the ship is 80% Italian between the passengers and the crew.
b. Was expecting problems with communication in Quebec because of it being primarily French; but wasn’t thinking about learning Italian.
c. For every announcement, it is made 5 different times for the different languages spoken on the ship: Italian, Spanish, French, German and English
d. There is a French film company on board; they are filming in various areas on the ship. Who knows, we might be in the movies.
4) When you don’t get results – take things into your own hands (long distance calls, websites, etc.) until you can find a phone number where someone can tell you what is really going on.

We did stay on the ship last night and were able to find food. And, we found ‘happy hour’.

Little did we know that the tour would begin early the first morning. After two hour time change, trying to unwind, and a few drinks, we finally made it to bed. Then the cruise ship did a phone check about midnight (I wasn’t very pleasant on the phone then).

The tour was a ‘bus’ ride through Quebec and then to Montmorency Falls. The bus ride went about 6 blocks to begin with and then we were told that the bus was too large to fit in the streets of Old Quebec City. The tour guide took us on a walking tour of the area. He had a lot of interesting information about the city and its history. We probably only walked about 8 blocks, but it took over an hour because of the many narratives he gave throughout the walk. Unfortunately, the weather had turned cold and rainy.

Quebec is known as the oldest European city in North America. The architecture is beautiful. If you are ever planning on visiting this city, I would recommend that you read about the history. Also, you might want to view some of the recommended walking tours (many online guidebooks give you background of the area). We thought we might return after our tour and visit further – there is a funicular that takes you up the cliff to the upper city.

There are several buildings throughout Quebec that have mosaics on their side. This one is in Old Quebec and represents the history of the area. The center represents the four seasons.

Back to the tour – after walking through the city, we boarded the bus and took a tour of the upper city. When the French occupied the city, they had built a fortress around the city, and the main part of the town was moved from the shoreline to the fortress. The British invaded, and took over the occupancy. Although Canada is considered British, Quebec maintains its French ancestry and culture. The city is 96% French.

Known as the Price Building, this was built at the same time as the Empire State Building.  The deck on the top was built with the intension of having a docking station for airships and to support travel between New York and Quebec.

We stopped at the Chateau Frontenac for a view overlooking the St Lawrence River. With the rain, wind and construction, we weren’t able to get a very good panoramic view from there. We did, however, travel through the Abraham Park (which is a national park that commemorates the battle between the British and the French).

Some interesting tidbits:
 Quebec is an Indian name meaning ‘narrow bend in the river’
 The river goes from Lake Superior to the Atlantic Ocean
 At the mouth of the river, it is 48 miles wide
 Smaller cruise ships are able to sail as far as Montreal; from there the river goes through over 100 locks before reaching Lake Superior
 The border with Maine is 100 miles away; Boston is approximately 600 miles

After the park, we went to see Montmorency Falls. They are not as wide as Niagara Falls, but they are taller. Quite impressive!!

We had originally planned on taking a walking tour back through Old Quebec this afternoon; but, with the rain and wind, we tho’t it best to stay on the ship. So after lunch, we have retreated to our rooms for a nap and relaxation time.


Then we are going to the diningroom (instead of the buffet) for dinner. We found out that since we are still heading east, we will have one more time change before we come back to the states. We will be “at sea” tomorrow sailing down the St Lawrence River to its mouth and then south to Prince Edward Island.

As a quick update – we were called at 4:45 that the walker had arrived – we were sailing at 5:00

As the ship was departing Quebec, we headed to the the emergency life jacket drill. (Everyone needs to bring their Emergency Cards from the room to prove that they attended.)  As mentioned, there are 5 languages spoken with each announcement; so we learned how to put on our jackets correctly 5 times. Hopefully, we will do the right thing if we actually need to use them.

 

Next was dinner – too much, but delicious. The diningroom takes up two floors in the front of the ship. I guess it has to be big with 1300 sittings at one time. Appetizers, salads, soups, pasta, main course, cheese, and then dessert.

  Since Mom’s 90th birthday is coming up, I tho’t it might be a good surprise to have them sing “Happy Birthday”. It was scheduled for later in the cruise, but they surprised us with it the first night. It was a good size chocolate cake layered with a sweet jam. Before we knew of the surprise, we had also ordered an additional dessert – so needless to say, we got our “sugar fix” for the night.

From there we tried a little gambling, which didn’t pay too well, and then headed back to the room for a good night’s sleep.

OCTOBER 26 & 27-- AT SEA

Mom and Bonnie ordered breakfast in the room for the next morning, but forgot about the time change, so the waiter had to wake them up to make his delivery. I couldn’t sleep in, so was up in the buffet area getting coffee while the wait staff was setting up for the morning buffet.

We were fortunate that our room assignments had us situated on the ship where they were.  We were on the 5th floor, and only needed to step out into the hallway and go up to the 9th floor for the buffet (which made it nice for early morning coffee).  The diningroom was located to the left on 2nd floor; and our happy hour bar was located to the right. 

We attended an orientation on Prince Edward, Bar Harbor and Boston. We had no more than finished the presentation, when the staff member at Guest Services told us that due to weather conditions, we would not be stopping at Prince Edward, but would be traveling on to Halifax. It appears that they need to “tender”/shuttle passengers and the water would be too choppy for the tender boats.

It seems like all we do is eat – but, it is again time for lunch. At dinner we have an assigned table and dinner time. The rest of the meals are basically free-for-all – you get your food from the buffet and then hope to find a seat. Of course, you never know who you will be sitting with.

Mom was able to find a table where several were leaving, and the remaining couple moved over so we could squeeze in. This couple was from Germany. They had flown from Frankfurt to Montreal and then took a bus ride from Montreal to Quebec. The plane ride was 7.5 hours and then 3 hours on the bus. Her English was quite good; I don’t believe her husband spoke English, so she would interpret everything we said.

Another single lady sat at the other end of the table. She said she had been born in Italy and considered herself Italian; but, since her husband had died, she was living in Switzerland with her two children. She said she usually traveled with friends; but no one was interested in taking this trip at this time – so she flew from Geneva on her own. I would say that is quite adventuresome. Her English was broken; but, she was also able to speak French and some German. I think I might be able to get by with “hello” and good-bye” in another language. Although I’ve taken foreign languages in school; I was never able to comprehend and retain any of them. I marvel at people that can travel and speak with individuals in their native languages.

 We came back to the room for relaxation. Ed went to the hot tub. There are 4 hot tubs on board. He tried the one outside by the pool first, but the breeze was cooling down the water. So he headed inside to the one by the gym.

Tonight was Gala Night – which means everyone is supposed to dress ‘formal’. They had a captain’s cocktail party first in the Theater. They bring you into the entry, introduce you to the captain, take a quick picture and then shuffle you into the theater. To me the captain was quite rude; but, I guess you have to give him credit – he has to greet 2600 people about every two weeks. They provided cocktails and then introduced the ship officers.


Now back to dinner – one does not realize how long the ship is until they have to walk it several times a day. We had been at the theater earlier for the presentation and now again for this. The ship is 912 feet in length and we are about 2/3rd of the way back. The theater is in the front. Needless to say, there are a lot of steps between.

We proceeded back to the diningroom. There are several courses\items to choose from. It all looks so good – but more filling than you think when you are placing the order.

This time we met our table neighbors. They are from Calgary. His father had originally lived in Iowa and then moved to Canada for the farming. Like other Canadians, they spend several months of the winter in Phoenix. Another wonderful meal – again probably too much.

One thing that has been nice about the ship is they do offer ‘two-for-one happy hour’. I think they have the prices high, so they can do this. We stopped for after dinner drinks and then headed to the theater. The show tonight was called the “Circles of Life.” It was a musical and they performed songs (sang and danced) related to the following circles: Carousel, circus, clock, bubbles, balloons, hula hoops, records, roulette, bins, wheels, Zodiac and Olympics. The bins were represented by trash cans – so they used those for drums and dance with push brooms.

Did I forget to mention that the show was in the theater. Yep, that’s the 3rd time today that we got to walk the length of the ship. Both Mom and Bonnie were good troopers about it; bet they will sleep tonight.

 This picture shows the island that separates the ocean and Prince Edward Island. You can see how stormy it is in the area where we were supposed to visit.

The time on the ship went quickly. We had a late breakfast and then headed to the theatre again for a presentation regarding Halifax and New York. Then the afternoon was spent at leisure. We stopped in the bar for Happy Hour, and then to the diningroom for dinner. We are learning that we don’t need to order from each course in the menu.


Bonnie was given a surprise when her linguini came with open seafood shells on top. The rest of us tried the escargot. It was prime rib night and they knew how to cook it properly.

Our neighbors from Calgary have now adopted us, so were wanting to know all about us. It appears that they have been able to travel quite extensively; including boat trips to Vietnam, floating on the Nile and around Turkey.

Our waiter at happy hour was telling us about himself – he is from Peru and this is his second voyage. He will return home after this trip until springtime. He lives with his mother and grandmother and is savings money for school. He told us he started learning English from American music; his mother particularly enjoyed disco. His name is John, being named after John F. Kennedy, John Travolta, and John Wayne.

Romance on the high seas -- We have two waiters that take care of our service at dinner – one is Marco and the other Jose. They are also from Peru. Marco has been working on 3 Costa ships. On the second one he met his fiancé. They are both now working in the diningroom.

We came back to the room after dinner for drinks and a couple of games of Cribbage. Looks like luck was with Mom and me this time.

OCTOBER 28 - HALIFAX

The ship newspaper said that the pilot boat would accompany the ship into Halifax, Nova Scotia beginning 6:45 AM. It was still dark at that time, but was able to see Halifax about 7:30. The ship was blowing its fog horn throughout the entire night.

We arrived at the pier. The ship needs to move sideways to get it close enough to the pier so passengers can disembark.

Bonnie, Ed and I took off early and headed down the boardwalk. Halifax is a major maritime area with quite a history. This was the closest port to get the signal when the Titantic sent its distress signal. Halifax also has one of the deepest waterways, which doesn’t freeze. The port was used as a staging area for ships heading to Europe during World War II.

Along the boardwalk is the Canadian Maritime Museum. It shows the history of all kinds of maritime vehicles including full-size canoes and dinghys; and replicas of steamships, cruise ships and military vessels. Samuel Cunard is from this area. Although the majority of the artifacts from the Titantic are in the United States; Halifax residents were the first to reach the ship. There is a section of the museum dedicated to the stories and items that were retrieved at that time. One of the morticians set up the process of numbering the bodies and then assigning that number to any personal effects found with that body. It helped in identifying the bodies at a later time.

This same process was used 5 years later when the city was struck with another disaster. An ammunition boat hit a freighter, causing an explosion that killed many along the waterfront.

The British built a citadel in the city; but, it was never used during wartime. When in operation, the commandant was tired of the excuses given for soldiers being late, so he built the clock tower outside of the citadel. This is now the known landmark for Halifax.

Mom decided not to go with us when we decided to take the boardwalk because when we left we weren’t certain what the weather was going to be like. We did, however, talk her into stepping foot out of the ship so she could say she had officially been in Halifax.

While Bonnie and Mom went back to the ship, Ed and I took a roundabout way to the grocery store (had to pass through the Westin Hotel). The hotel is connected to the Halifax train station.

We sat out on the balcony and watched the fog roll in before our scheduled time to depart. Our side of the ship faced a small island (with lighthouse) in the cove. On the other side of the cove is another area where freighters take their cargo to be transported inland. Another cruise ship had arrived not long before our departure. It surprised us to see two sailboats sailing around the bay – especially when a cruise ship the size of ours getting ready to leave.

OCTOBER 29 - BAR HARBOR

We arrived at Bar Harbor at 7:00 AM; and excursions were scheduled to begin at 8:15. However, since we were arriving from Canada, ship passengers were required to go through immigration check. They had set up US citizens to be checked at 7:30, but since we weren’t taking an excursion here, we decided to sleep longer and take our chances later in the morning.


We proceeded to the theater (yep, front of the ship) and thanks to the infamous walker, we were whisked through quite quickly. First, they had us use the ramp; then when they found out we were Americans, they took us to the front of the line. He looked at our passports, gave Bonnie a bad time about living in Wyoming, and put an orange sticky on our ship ID card and we were through.

We had a quick breakfast, and then Ed, Bonnie and I headed into Bar Harbor. Mom thought she was catching a cold; so since she had seen Bar Harbor, she decided to stay on board. We had to take the tender boats from the ship to shore. We lucked out, and there was one waiting for us. It was about a ten minute ride.

This area is known for lobster fishing. Our neighbor’s daughter and her family live on one of the islands south of here and they are in the lobster business. There were several dinghys tied up in the bay. We were assuming that the lobster boats were out looking at their catch.

We walked through town and did some shopping. The town became popular when two artists had come to this area in the early part of this century. They had drawn\painted landscapes, and when they returned to New York and Boston, people were captivated by the area. Rockefellers and other millionaires came to the area and built their spacious ‘cottages’ as summer homes. Acadia National Park is the first National Park established on the east coast.  The fall colors were still prevalent.

Notice the eclectic group of shops in the picture. There is the moose on top of the roof; and, there is a whale, lobster, and fisherman in several signs. This is a true representation of the area around Bar Harbor.

After touring the city and shopping (Ed said we will need to throw away some clothes to make room in the suitcase), we went for a lobster dinner. When the waiter came to our table, he was pleased to have someone that spoke English. There were only six lobsters left when we placed our order—he said that would be it for the season. He was kind enough to show Bonnie how to crack open the lobster; and, Ed and I followed along as well. It tasted wonderful.


After our lobster lunch we headed back to the ship. The ship left right after sunset, so there wasn't a lot to see. Mom was still feeling under the weather, so we decided to have dinner at the buffet. Everyone was tired, so called it an early night.

OCTOBER 30 - BOSTON

  We sailed through the night and arrived in Boston just before 8:00 am. Ed and I went to the front, top deck and watched as we sailed into port. It is quite breezy from that viewpoint; and then the weather was in the high 40s. We came in parallel to Logan Airport and could watch the planes taking off and landing. When we got to the Seaport we were parked across the bay from the end of the runway.

Our tour was scheduled for the afternoon, so Bonnie, Ed and I took the shuttle to Quincy Market. This area is about half way through the Freedom Trail. There is a lot of history in the Boston area. We saw the Old State House and where the Boston Massacre took place. Faneuil Hall is located just in front of Quincy Market. It had been used for earlier meetings of the colonists before they declared their independence. Quincy Market is now three long buildings with numerous restaurants (including a replica of the Cheers set) and stores.

We walked along the oldest street in Boston; which includes the oldest tavern and restaurant. We stopped in at the Ye Ol’ Oyster House for a lunch of fried oysters. This is the oldest continuous-operating restaurant in the United States. There isn’t a word to describe how good their fried oysters are.

The Oyster House is located on one of the oldest streets in the United States.

Walking back to the shuttle stop, we stopped in to take a peek at the new Hard Rock - Boston.  Outside, we came across this dog.  We were told that Quincy Center was having a Halloween contest; and pets were included.

We went back to the ship to eat and then Mom joined us for an afternoon bus ride around the city. We were told of the history of many of the areas related to the last century. We were very disappointed that there wasn’t much more about the founding fathers and the Freedom Trail. They also took us for a Duck Boat Tour along the St Charles River to give us a panoramic view of Boston and Cambridge. The Duck Boats are amphibian made so they can drive on land and also float in the water. The driver told us that these boats played a major part when they invaded Normandy during WW II.

Back to the ship to watch the departure from Boston. This was gala night on board; so we all had to dress up again. I had previously ordered a surprise birthday cake for Bonnie and Ed’s birthday; and it was delivered to them tonight.

After dinner they had an area of the ship set aside for those that wanted to make Halloween costumes. We grabbed some drinks and watched as various costumes were created. The crew had brought some of their own; and the children on the ship paraded through with their new dress.

OCTOBER 31 - NOVEMBER 1 -- NEW YORK

Since we were to arrive in New York in the afternoon, we thought we would have a morning to sleep in. However, when we got back to our rooms; the daily paper informed us that we would have another life jacket drill the next morning.

We had a rougher night at sea than I thought we would. The wind was blowing crossways across the ship, so there was more rocking than expected. The wonders of Dramamine and sleeping pills

Because this was our second week of sailing we were required to attend another life jacket drill.  When it was over, we arranged to meet in the restaurant area so we could watch the arrival into New York. We ventured outside several times, but the wind was blowing and quite cold.

Ed and I did end up on the top deck when we arrived at the Verrazzano Bridge. It was built with the intention of having cruise ships pass underneath; but, you can tell from that the picture, that this was quite close.

After passing under the bridge, we are now floating on the Hudson River. Before the bridge we were sailing along the cost of Connecticut. Now the Hudson River shares shorelines with Manhattan and New Jersey.

Farther up the River you get your first view of the Statue of Liberty. What was enjoyable to see was several of the wait staff had come up on top to see it. Their excitement about being here was quite contagious. Ed and I wandered all over the ship getting pictures of the area. Since it was cold, Mom and Bonnie had stayed inside; but, were still able to get good views of the Statue and Ellis Island.

When we pulled into the Cruise Line Terminal, we were parked next to the NCL cruise lines. They, however, departed later in the afternoon giving us a beautiful view to the south and one could see the Statue in the distance.

We had purchased theatre tickets, so we needed to eat a late lunch because we would be leaving the ship before dinner was served. We took a bus ride from the terminal to 50th and Broadway. This is one block north of Times Square. We took a walk down Broadway towards the center of Times Square. It is amazing how so many lights can be lit up at the same time. We then walked back to the Ambassador Theater (which was on 49th, just off of Broadway) to see the musical “Chicago.” The lead had received several Tony nominations for other performances she had done on Broadway. To me, the play was better than the movie.

After the play, we were driven back to the ship. Everyone seemed to have some extra energy; so we had a pajama party in our cabin and toasted New York.

When researching places to visit, I was told to get to the Empire State Building as early as possible. So we got up and had an early breakfast and then caught a taxi outside the terminal. I’m not sure what nationality the driver was; but, he stayed on his cell phone while maneuvering through traffic.

Our first view of the Empire State Building was from the street straight up. There were a lot of floors from the street to the top. We made it through the lines quite quickly. Mom was using the walker, so in some places we were whisked ahead by using an elevator or different entrance. You first take an elevator ride to the 80th floor; then take a second elevator to the 86th. You have a full circular view of Manhattan from here; which includes an outside walkway around the entire perimeter. The temp was about 46 degrees and breezy; so the walk around the perimeter went quickly. We also purchased tickets to the 102nd floor. This has another separate elevator. This floor is totally enclosed and also allows you to walk around the perimeter. That day, there was a 25-mile view so we saw all of Manhattan, as well as into New Jersey and Connecticut. The helpful guide pointed out the Giants Football Stadium (which is really in Jersey) and the Yankees Baseball Stadium. Everyone was surprised to see the many gardens and trees being grown on the roofs of several buildings. When we exited the building, we were thankful that we had arrived early; as the lines were accumulating quickly.

We stopped for some quick shopping and a drink. We concluded that the taxi ride was easier than expected (and wasn’t all that expensive); so we decided to forego the subway and take a taxi to Ground Zero. Our taxi driver was from Pakistan and had been in New York about 12 years. He was asking about the cruise and said he would like to take his family on one when they arrived in the states. He took us to Ground Zero from the ESB. We headed ‘cross’ town to the east and then took the highway to the southern tip of Manhattan. (When crossing from west-to-east or east-to-west it is called ‘cross town’; and ‘uptown’ when going north; and ‘downtown’ when heading south. This is very important to know when using the subway or bus system.) The driver explained that it was better to take the highway alongside Manhattan than to deal with 20 stop lights going down Broadway. We saw the Williamsburg, Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges, as well as the Staten Island Ferry terminal and Battery Park before arriving at Ground Zero.

Currently there is a lot of new construction going on where the original towers stood. The address used for the sight is the location of the World Trade Center Memorial Museum that is located next door to the fire station that had received the first call and from where many had perished. There is a mosaic memorial on the side of the fire station. The actual observation point for viewing was located on the other side of the site and would have been too difficult to walk to in the cold air.

We hailed another taxi to head uptown again. Our third taxi driver was from San Salvador and had been in New York about 25 years. He goes back to his homeland for 6 month periods. He said he did stay in New York throughout the winter; and had learned to adjust to the cold and snow. Like the other driver, he was helpful in pointing out different landmarks along the way. We drove past the United Nations complex.

The taxi driver dropped us off at Times Square. It was quite different in the daylight; and showed the day-to-day hustle and bustle of New Yorkers. We stopped in the Hard Rock Café for a beer and then headed next door to Bubba Gumps for the best garlic shrimp. We were on the second floor, and Bonnie was amazed to see the number of taxi cabs stopped for each light. There were also 6 New York Police cars stopped in front of the building. At one time there were the police cars and 13 taxi cabs all in one photographic moment. We even caught a picture when a fire truck passed by.

From here we crossed the street to see the ferris wheel that is located in the Toys R Us store. It is a regular size ferris wheel; and, the seats are designed as different fairy tale or cartoon characters or vehicles. From here we caught a taxi cab back to the ship.

Our final taxi driver was from Bangladash and had been here 30 years. He asked how are visit had been; and tho’t it quite funny when I responded that “we had met the nicest taxi cab drivers.” He told me no one would believe me; and, I told him that their reputation would now be tainted.

We opted again for the alternative dinner so we could sit on the deck and watch the departure from New York. Ed was like a small child running all over to get the best view point. I believe he also climbed to the top of the waterslide to see how close the top of the ship came to the bottom of the bridge. We had some drinks to toast New York and then to bed for a long needed rest (no life jacket drills, immigration checks, or early excursions tomorrow – so maybe we can sleep in.)

NOVEMBER 2, 3 & 4 -- AT SEA & BERMUDA

We now have a day at sea.  There will be another time change as we head further east to Bermuda.   We decided to try the diningroom for lunch.

When we boarded the ship, the tour company had sent us a complimentary bottle of champagne.  We made mimosas and relaxed until time for dinner.

Tonight was another Gala night.  So before heading to the nightly show, we had the ship photographer take our picture   The show that night was called Solid Gold; and the performances were done to various types of gold record recordings.

The following morning we arrived in Bermuda.  Bermuda is a collection of islands basically in the middle of the ocean.  The main islands have been connected with causeways or bridges.  The cruise ship docked at the Royal Navy Dockyard at the western side of the islands. 

Bermuda was discovered when a British ship was sent with supplies to the colonies in America.  They were shipwrecked here; throughout the following year they repaired the vessel; but, several opted to remain when the vessel again set said for America.

The Royal Navy Dockyard was built by the British to defend the British possessions in the area.  Bermuda is the oldest, British-controlled country.

After passing customs, we opted to take the ferry to the other side of the islands to St George Parish and then work our way back to the ship.  St George Parish is the oldest city on the islands.  Once there, we took a train ride which was both entertaining and educational regarding the history and culture of Bermuda.  We stopped for lunch at a local pub, which included a Bermuda onion, before catching the bus to Hamilton.

Hamilton is the capital city of Bermuda.  We were able to see a good part of the city during the bus ride.  We opted not to stay in Hamilton, so we changed buses, and headed to the beach.  We noticed that the beaches were surrounded by hills, so Ed discussed with the bus driver the best option for getting Mom there.  The bus driver suggested he drop us off at one of the resort hotels, and we could then use their shuttle to the beach.  When we asked about a charge, a lady on the bus laughed and said to just act like patrons of the hotel.  So that's what we did and we had time to play in the sand, and Ed could take a dip in the water.

From the beach, we caught the local bus and headed back to the Dockyard.  Mom and Bonnie opted to dine on the ship, so Ed and I went out to explore the area.  The area is surrounded by a fortress.  Although not in operation now, the fortress has been maintained with stores and restaurants.  We stopped at a local pub to dine and listen to the local music.

 The next morning Ed went out to take a dip at the local beach before the ship departed for Florida.  Because of all the coral around the islands, it was necessary for the ship to circle around the entire country before sailing for Florida.  This gave us another opportunity to view the islands from the water.  We could see the beach area where we had been the previous day.

We read in one of the travel books that there had been over 400 recorded shipwrecks in the area.  We will now be sailing along the northwest line of the Bermuda triangle.    There was a hurricane directly to the south in Haiti and the ride to Florida was stormy because of the residual winds coming the storm to the south. 

Tonight at dinner the theme was Italian night and the wait staff would entertain us.  Some of the staff performed to the song Volare, where others danced with the travelers. 

NOVEMBER 5, 6, 7 & 8 -- FLORIDA & HOME

We were at sea the next day.  It was quite awesome as we approached Cape Canaveral the following morning.  There had been a launch scheduled for the morning before, but was delayed because of weather conditions.  As we sailed along the coastline you could see the launch pad and the vehicle assembly building.  We docked just outside the boundaries of the cape.  My cousin Scott and his wife Patsy have a sailboat that they keep in Florida.  They have been fortunate to park where our ship was and watch a launch.

Because of the scheduled launch, the tours in the area were restricted.  We opted to stay on the ship and relax.  Ed and I ventured out to the hot tub on the back deck.  The water felt wonderful, but there was quite a cool breeze when we had to get out.  Because of the weather, they were never able to open the water slide they had on board.  The theme for the night was TOGA.  There were not a lot of participants, but "when in Rome, do as the Romans do."

When we arrived in Fort Lauderdale, we found out that the car that we had rented had been wrecked the previous week.  We had rented through a small company that was based in the hotel where we were staying.  He was nice enough to arrange for a rental from Thrifty, but then there would be the hassle of getting it back in the morning.  With an early flight, it would have been nice just to leave the car at the hotel.

We had planned on taking Mom and Bonnie on an airboat ride, but because of the weather everyone was coming down with colds -- so we didn't think it was best to pursue.  So we stayed at the hotel for the remainder of the day, and then caught our final flight home the next morning.  We had three time changes over the last three days -- Time from Bermuda to Florida; daylight savings time; and then 2-hour difference between Florida and Home.  It took most of us a week to adjust to Mountain Standard Time.