That looks really cool!  I'll have to remember Island Falconry when we do a cruise that goes to PEI. 

I understand the OP completely.  I read the first Anne of Green Gables book as a child and didn't connect with her as a character so I also have no interest in anything Green Gable related on PEI. 

I bought this in Bar Harbor last year - Death in Acadia: And Other Misadventures in Maine's National Park by Randi Minetor. 

I bought this at the Maritime Museum in Halifax two years ago - Atlantic's Last Stop: Courage, Folly, and Lies in the White Star Line's Worst Disaster Before Titanic by Robert G. Chaulk. The Atlantic was en route to New York and diverted to Halifax to buy coal.  She struck rocks and sank off the coast. 

This is an unusual part of Boston's history - Dark Tide: The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919 by Stephen Puleo.  A tank of molasses collapsed on the waterfront and a wave of molasses destroyed everything in its path. 

For Massachusetts whaling history, I've read In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick and Leviathan: The History of Whaling in America by Eric Jay Dolin.  Also Moby Dick by Herman Melville. 

I have this on my Kindle but have not yet read it - A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American Experience by Emerson Baker. 

Two years ago I had a treatment which was a salt scrub, then you wash off the salt with a milk bath, and then receive a massage.  I purchased the Elemis salt scrub and milk bath, as I liked the scent of both.  I used both of them and have since bought more online. 

Back when the spa was Canyon Ranch, I bought Red Flower's neroli cypress bath soak.  I used that fairly quickly and bought more from Amazon several times.  The price was the same on Amazon as it had been on the ship. 

1 hour ago, tring said:

Are there any toilets near to the tender drop off point? 

Yes, there are restrooms at Perrotti Park. 

We were there last summer and I remember benches outside and there was a small cafe and a seating area there.  I looked back at my photos from that day to see if I had captured any benches or seats in them but, unfortunately, they were all of the animals, plants, and the water. 

If you Google images of the aquarium, I see some photos in the aquarium with benches and maybe someone else can confirm, if they were there recently. 

On 5/10/2024 at 2:57 PM, Bestofthe last said:

Just notified by Princess that the stop at Bar Harbor for the Enchanted Princess September 21, 2024 cruise will be changed to a sea day. A bummer. Do not want another sea day on a 7 day cruise to New England. Also, Bar Harbor was the reason we booked this cruise.   Have until June 23, 2024 to decide to continue or cancel.

You’ve likely already received the notification but if you haven’t seen it yet, Bar Harbor has been reinstated for this cruise and I now see the Enchanted Princess listed on the Maine port of call site for several other days.

We've completed 7 - two in 2021 (including the first cruise out of the US in June 2021); two in 2022; two in 2023, and one so far in 2024.  We have two more booked for 2024 and two booked, so far, for 2025. 

We did the amphibian boat tour.  There are tons of icebergs in the lagoon and you have spectacular views.  The tour was approximately 35 minutes long.

The Carnival Pride is currently on a Greenland/Canada Journeys cruise. She sailed out of Baltimore on the 26th.  Someone on this trip might be willing to provide the Fun Times if you post in their roll call. 

I bought this book for my father last year in one of the shops at the Dockyard but you can get it on Amazon or in a bookstore - The Billionaire and the Mechanic: How Larry Ellison and a Car Mechanic Teamed up to Win Sailing's Greatest Race, the Americas Cup, Twice by Julian Guthrie.  He really enjoyed it.  Bermuda was the venue for the America's Cup in 2017 and there is a great exhibit at the BUEI (Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute) in Hamilton.

The BUEI also has an exhibit about the Bermuda Triangle.  I added these to my Kindle wishlist after seeing that exhibit - Into the Bermuda Triangle: Pursuing the Truth Behind the World's Greatest Mystery by Gian Quasar and Beyond the Bermuda Triangle: True Encounters with Electronic Fog, Missing Aircraft, and Time Warps by Bruce Gernon.  I don't believe there's anything out of the ordinary in the area known as the Bermuda Triangle but these might be fun to read in a sci-fi kind of way. 

The Deep by Peter Benchley is a novel set in Bermuda.  There is a 1977 film version with Robert Shaw, Nick Nolte, Jacqueline Bisset, and Louis Gosset, Jr. 

I also have these on my Kindle wishlist - Discovering Somers Isles: A Guide to Bermuda's History 1500-1615 by John M. Archer and Rare Birds: The Extraordinary Tale of the Bermuda Petrel and the Man Who Brought It Back from Extinction by Elizabeth Gehrman. 

We did the Pirate cruise last summer, while on Celebrity Summit.  You are taken to the Vixen shipwreck for the glassbottom portion.  It's a nice ride out and once you arrive, there are good views of the wreck and the fish which inhabit the reef. 

The captain of the boat, and his crew, were very friendly.  The captain talked a lot about the wreck, and about life in Bermuda in general. 

We thought the excursion was fun and we would do it again. 

On 4/29/2024 at 2:37 PM, Tom and Ingrid said:

Our first cruise was on the Celebrity Century in 2004.  Century was a sister ship to the Galaxy, and we loved that "little" ship, seemingly like you loved the Galaxy. 

We were in port with the Marella Explorer 2 in Limon in January, which used to be the Celebrity Century.  She still looked beautiful. 

Princess does regular 7 night Canada/New England sailing from Brooklyn.  They start in late August and go to late October.  Last October we did their 7 night Canada/New England cruise on the Emerald Princess.  We chose this one for its:

• Convenience - It was round trip from Brooklyn and we can get a ride to the port. 
• Itinerary - It had 5 port stops

We really enjoyed it and we're doing this same cruise again this September, except this year it's on the Enchanted Princess. 

10 hours ago, ericosmith said:

I'm confused by this.  According to Google the Lagoon is over 9 hours round trip without stops.  It must be an awfully long tour.  

It's about a 14 hour tour from Reykjavik.  The most recent one we did was in August 2022 through Gray Line and, if I recall correctly, these were the stops:

• A cafe for a snack/restroom break
• Skogafass (waterfall)
• Vik for an extended break
• Jokulsarlon glacial lagoon
• The diamond beach
• Vik for another extended break
• Seljalandsfoss (waterfall)

On 4/21/2024 at 9:28 PM, Tbird1969 said:

With my one full day in Reykjavik pre-cruise, I've booked a South Coast tour. Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon and Diamond Beach look more dramatic (and maybe less touristy?) to me than the Golden Circle stops, but now I'm second-guessing. Will I be missing out on the best/most iconic sights by forgoing the Golden Circle? Planning to do Blue Lagoon and explore Reykjavik the day before.

The glacier lagoon is amazing, especially if you take the boat ride, as you are able to be very close to the icebergs.  The south coast tour will likely also include time at the two waterfalls, Skogafass and Seljalandsfoss, and time in Vik.  The south coast has beautiful black sand beaches.  Sometimes you can see seals right by the shore. 

5 hours ago, 80sGal said:

Reviving this thread!  Although I know there are no guarantees of weather -- is it still generally warm enough to do the long walk to the mansions in mid-October or has it become chilly and unpleasant by then?  (Temp tolerance varies based on what one is accustomed to ...  Kentucky gal here).   TIA!

We were there last year on 10/8.  The early morning was chilly due to the wind.  We did a sightseeing tour which started with a boat ride and that's where the wind was most noticeable.  But it warmed up significantly by lunch and it was great weather for walking around.  I'd also recommend layers. 

2 hours ago, 80sGal said:

We are booked for the week of the 12th of October.  Stops are Newport, Bar Harbor, Portland, St. John and Halifax.   Rethinking that I need to change to the week of the 5th. Thoughts on the timing of fall colors at those ports?   This is likely a one-time cruise to these ports as DH prefers warmer climates.   

It really depends on weather.  Last year we sailed 10/7 and had a similar itinerary (Newport, Boston, Bar Harbor, St. John and Halifax) and in some places the leaves were just starting to change so the cruises after us would have seen better color. 

It's still a really beautiful cruise, peak foliage or not.  We're doing it again this September.  I hope you enjoy!

It was very well attended on the recent Journeys cruise we were on.  That was our first with Carnival but we were definitely in the minority there. 

On 4/8/2024 at 3:30 PM, Megan_Strick said:

I usually stay on the ship but can anyone recommend an excursion that would be safe for a solo female cruiser? Bonus points if I can book through carnival.

Any of the ones through Carnival should be safe, as you won't really be alone.  There will be other passengers from your ship on them. 

17 hours ago, beshears said:

Thank you for your postings. I'm still in the debate area about Jamaica. The reason I say this, there will be 7 or 8 adults, and I really don't see how we would have big issues with the locals, with us all together.

You'll be fine. 

I would take the T to Salem.  It takes about 30 minutes from North Station to Salem.  When you get closer to your trip, you can take a look at the schedule https://www.mbta.com/schedules/CR-Newburyport/timetable

1 hour ago, starstruck05 said:

Yes there is shopping but you can't use your S & S card. Cash or Credit/Debit. HMC system isn't coded for Carnival Cruise Lines to charge to onboard accounts. That's also why you can't use the drink packages in port.

You can use your sign & sail card in the indoor gift shops and at the bars but not at the straw market.  We were there in January and I used my sign & sail at a gift shop and to buy drinks and paid cash at the straw market. 

Carnival did have the payment information listed in the Fun Times for HMC so that was helpful to know to bring cash for the straw market.

Really it's just going to be your preference.  We did the tour and that does include a guide so, like stated above, if you prefer to have someone giving the historical information at the cemetery, you may wish to do the tour.  On the tour you are also taken by the two other cemeteries in which there are graves. 

We were in Ocho Rios in January on the Legend.  We did a sightseeing tour w/lunch which was booked through the ship.  The mini-bus was clean, comfortable and air conditioned and the driver and guide were both great.  Others we got to know on our ship rode ATV's and horses, and went to the falls and the beaches.  Everyone we spoke with had a good time.

I don't think it's weird at all.  Virgin even recognizes that not everyone drinks alcohol and promotes their mocktails - https://www.virginvoyages.com/ahoy/stories/non-alcoholic-drinks-for-sober-cruises

I don't see mocktails listed as part of the free beverages under the FAQ's so wouldn't you use your bar tab to pay for them?  Not to mention specialty coffees.