vitacura

My TA has been unable to get pricing on the replacement sailings yet. They were supposed to be released on Tuesday and I've been interested in the Lisbon-NY sailing as well. After reading ILoveMyDogs post, I'm not holding my breath for decent pricing, even with the 30% off.

I was also booked on the cancelled MIA-NY sailing on the Mariner. Yesterday my TA put an option booking on the Grandeur March sailing and the fare is 40% higher in an F1 suite than the Concierge suite we had booked on the Mariner. It would have been nice to join this cruise, but our schedule doesn't allow for it. I was really looking forward to the cruise but think we will just wait on the sidelines until our next one late this year. Can't wait to see the Grandeur in person, but it will have to wait a bit longer.

Menus are not printed on the Daily Passages. Instead, menus are available to peruse on your TVs on demand system. I noticed the Compass Rose menu was updated daily before lunch.

A beautiful sail in last night to our Pier. Sorry, not the best at capturing night time shots. 😬 We ended up at Pier 90, next to the Escape. Disembarkation was straightforward, albeit time consuming. First time this trip we queued for long periods of time. First to get off the ship, then another hour to get through passport control. Total time from getting our luggage tags called until we walked out of the terminal was in the 75-90 minute mark. They only had four CBP officers to clear us. A bit if grumbling amongst passengers while in line, hope they don’t let it spoil their view of the absolutely fantastic service we had on board! From the beginning of our journey, not knowing if we would be able to make the trip due to Hurricane Idalia affecting us in FL, to Lee affecting our stop in Bermuda, it has been quite an adventure! Thank you all for following along, I truly appreciate all the kind words and encouragement along the way. I’m happy to hear so many enjoyed my posts and pictures. Until next time.. I’m signing off. 😊

We are on the move, working our way up toward the island of Manhattan! This morning in both the Horizon and Observation Lounges we had a Taste of New York: Bagels & Smear offered. Ships officers and senior staff were found mingling with guests and posing for photos! In the afternoon we had Terry Bishop back for a fun, laid back time in Stuff and Nonsense, tubes of a troubadour! Lunch feature in the Pool Grill was Burger Heaven. I was surprised to find suitcases out and ready to go by early afternoon. I’ve barely opened my suitcase by the time I’m getting ready for dinner! Afternoon Tea today featured a variety of yummy Donuts! Pre dinner show was the put on by the Mariner Production Company: Broadway in Concert! A journey through Broadway’s past and present. The final meal for this cruise was in Compass Rose and it had to end with the usual, two desserts. Disembarkation early tomorrow for guests, then Coast Guard inspection and drills for the ship and crew!

Thanks everyone, but I’m not quite done yet! 😉 I did see that the Boutique and Casino are open today and tomorrow. In fact, the casino is hosting its usual tournaments on both days! Terry Bishop gave us another wonderful talk: The New World. The discovery, occupation and populating of North America. 0-350 million in 17,000 years! In the afternoon, Dr. Douglas Nelson spoke to us about Newport: Home of America’s One Percent. Spent some time on the balcony when I noticed we had a visitor! Later I noticed that the Norwegian Escape behind us were also refueling. Afternoon Tea Time today featured Waffles with many toppings! As we near the end of our cruise, prior to dinner, we had the Captain’s Farewell Reception & Krew Kapers. What a fun show the crew puts on, and it’s quite different than the ones from years ago with new songs and dances. Only a couple repeats. (No people like cruise people, YMCA and Impossible Dream). It was a packed house in the Constellation Theater! The show tonight is the return of Michelle Montuori for Songs & Smiles. Tomorrow is sea day #8 in a row! 😂

I’m happy to hear you have benefited from my posts. The ship and crew have been phenomenal and I hope you have a fantastic cruise coming up! 😄

Land ho! We are now anchored just inside the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge and we do have quite a bit of marine traffic passing by. We have a neighbor anchored off our starboard side, the Norwegian Escape! Windy morning in the low 60’s, quite a departure from what we’ve enjoyed the last week, but the sun is shining, the bar is open and we have quite the view!

Today was our first wet Sea Day. Woke up to a wet balcony and found dark clouds in the distance. Those would arrive around lunch time, bringing with rain showers that would clear the pool deck. The pool was drained and being touched up by maintenance. The sun did make a few appearances in the afternoon. Morning lecture by Terry Bishop today was: Ocean Survivors. Accidents, adventure and misadventures. -how long could you survive in the open oceans? Quite staggering what some of the survivors had to endure during their time drifting the oceans. There is concern on our cruise.. Terry is a hoot! Pool Grill Lunch today featured Fish Al Fresco. Afternoon Tea was paired with Pies! Checking in on our position, we have slowed down to about 12-13 knots this afternoon. Updated itinerary sent to our suites. I guess this means we will technically be at sea for 8 continuous days. Passages indicate the Casino and Boutiques are to be open tomorrow. Afternoon lecture by Dr. Nelson was Digging for History - a personal journey to archaeology. The evening show today was Tuxedo, offering songs from the ‘Rat Pack’, Tony Bennet, Frank Sinatra and Natalie Cole. This show was a pre-dinner event, starting at 6pm. Dinner afterwards was back in Compass Rose. What’s this? Have I rubbed off on the Mrs? We had a dessert buffet this evening! Currently sailing into the sunset, we have company with other cruise ships off in the distance. Horizon Lounge will host Dance, Romance & Desserts in the Horizon this evening. A dancing ball for sweethearts with sweet treats, oh my! Tomorrow is bonus sea day number two! At least we, hopefully, have quite the view of NYC for the next two days. Thanks again for following our adventures. 😀

I never mentioned Covid, so curious as to why you would? I just made an observation that someone actively coughing and admitting to being ill was at the lunch buffet. If I was as ill as she sounded, I would order room service, but that’s just me.

Just adding to Curler Robs post, we will be anchoring tomorrow at about 8 am and remaining there, if the weather allows, until we head to the pier for our original arrival time on Sunday. We will remain on board for the next two days with no tenders to take us ashore, due to a combination of weather and customs rules. Does that count as two more sea days? 😜

Nothing has been shared with us in regards to our arrival into NY, although I have yet to ask today. Soon, I will wander a bit and ask, hopefully someone with knowledge takes pity on me and shares what they know.

Woke up this morning to slight rocking and pitching motion as well as some clouds. Captain did announce we had about 2 meter swells and the stabilizers were deployed. As we continue our course to NY, let’s see what’s available for us today. This morning there is a Merengue Dance Class if anyone wants to get their Dominican moves on! Terry Bishop enthralls us with his lecture: The Bermuda Triangle -Mystery and myth, fact or fiction? You decide! It was quite well done and we love his humor. Poor guy insists that’s where his luggage went to.. Beginner’s Bridge, Intermediate Bridge or Bingo Bonanza are also offered. The ever fun Photo Scavenger Hunt, Dutch shuffleboard or Bocce ball are on for today! Lunch feature today is Sandwich & Salad Bar. Build your own! In the afternoon, we have Dr. Nelson back to discuss with us: Bermuda. From Shipwreck to Insurance Capital. Explore the amazing transformation of Bermuda since the 17th century. I love the fact that they replay the lectures in your cabin for viewing later if you are unable to make it in person. Maintenance continues to be hard at work, today they were welding out by the funnel and working on someone’s suite inside. Afternoon Tea today featured the ever yummy Cupcakes! We cannot forget to get something off the trolley first! 😉 Today we were given information on accessing the digital guest survey to be completed prior to disembarkation. I have noticed more coughing and sniffling amongst guests, at lunch the guest at the table behind me was coughing a bit and openly told friends passing by that she had a cold. Yet, there she was eating and drinking at the Pool Grill lunch buffet. 😠 Off to Compass Rose for dinner tonight! Started with the always available Beef Carpaccio, then I decided to make my own surf and turf. Ribeye and Lobster tail. At this point, my dessert choices are no surprise to anyone. Chocolate Mousse with Mango sauce and Grand Marnier Soufflé. After dinner, I hiked all the way up to the top deck. (I only take the stairs while cruising, it makes my two dessert regime seem justified somehow) 😁 I love seeing the stars, but noticed tonight was really cloudy. Looks like we are starting to feel the effects of Lee? Do they tie up the furniture every night on the pool deck? With the cloudy skies, I guess I started looking down more and noticed that. Are we expecting some rough seas? This evenings entertainment was Steve Stevens, his second show on our cruise named: Around the World and Back Again! Karaoke round 2 was also offered, but I was in bed long before it started. Tomorrow is our bonus sea day! Thanks for following!

Afternoon Tea Time is at the Horizon Lounge from 4-5pm, while Trivia is held at 4:30pm in the Observation Lounge. So yes, there is quite the overlap for those who want to do both. ☹️ Some arrive about 10-15 minutes early to the Horizon Lounge, are served tea, scones, sandwiches or sweets and head up to the Observation Lounge 30 minutes later for Trivia. So while possible, you have to be quick and it may not be very relaxing.

Today is sea day number five in a row and I’m loving it! So much so that I booked another transatlantic cruise for next year. Weather is as beautiful and sunny as it’s been all cruise. The Pool deck is always a popular hotspot, but there are almost always tables and loungers to be found. The crew had another drill this morning, a fire drill up in La Veranda. There were no announcements, I just happened to pass by at the right time to catch it and saw the supply closet being used. In case there were any interested ones, there was an early Country Line Dance class offered. If not, Terry Bishop continues his fascinating lectures this morning with “Wither The Fates Carry Us” -A brief history of Bermuda. Pigs, Shakespeare and conflicts of conscience. Just thereafter, in the Constellation Theater, Executive Chef John Pugh puts on a culinary cooking demonstration! Beetroot Gravlax and Pad Thai, both of which would be offered in Compass Rose this evening. After that lovely demonstration, our appetites grew and we headed to the Pool Grill for todays lunch featuring Tex-Mex BBQ! It has been the most popular lunch feature this cruise as the Pool Grill was absolutely packed! Lots of delicious choices such as Enchiladas, Nachos, Chili con Carne, Guacamole and more. We also had the Two of Us duo back to serenade us during lunch! Todays entertainment team events included Crazy Golf, High Roller (Officer Challenge), Baggo and Shuffle Golf! The Casino hosting their usual three tournaments today as well. Today was also the second Connoisseur Wine lunch being offered on this cruise in Chartreuse. My wife was back at the Spa making her (I hope) final donation during this cruise. 😉 In the meantime, I went for my caffeine and sugar fix in the Coffee Connection. Dr. Douglas Nelson was back on stage this afternoon enriching us with knowledge on Transatlantic Ocean Liners. There we gained a greater appreciation of today’s cruise ships compared with early trans-Atlantic crossings. The Horizon Lounge also hosted Knitting corner and Needlepoint Nook, both well attended. My highlight for the Horizon Lounge today was in Tea Time. Today was French Tea, Oui! What a view to relax with.. Trolley with sandwiches visiting regularly! An amazing spread of sweets to be found today. Basque Cheesecake, Macaroons, Fruit tartlets and more, Oh my! And to think.. Dinner is in less than two hours! That’s ok, there’s always room for one more sweet bite. 😋 Back to the cabin for a brief rest, before heading to Compass Rose for dinner. The usual two dessert regime continues. I don’t know how my pants still fit me. One thing I forgot to mention about Compass Rose, is that on day two or three, I did see a guest being turned away as they were wearing shorts and sandals. I applaud the staff for enforcing the dress code, despite the guests complaints. Evening entertainment featured a Big Screen Popcorn movie in the Constellation Theater or a Dance Party. The Horizon Lounge hosted a ‘Mamma Mia! What a Dance Party!’ this evening. Sadly, we did not attend. Instead we went back to our suites to be in a short, overnight food coma. Clocks went back one hour, so we are now only one hour ahead of our next port of call, NY. No word on our exact arrival yet, just that we should be there Friday, continuing our smooth sailing at 18.6 knots. Thanks again for following along!