Travel from SF to Montreal on RSSC Navigator with Bill & Mary Ann for 31 days 9/12/11

[WCB]

Report # 21 October 2, 2011 Sunday New York, New York Day One

The Navigator arrived to the harbor of New York early enough in the morning to get the sun rising behind a skyline of highrise buildings. Our cruise director, Ray, gave a commentary as we sailed by many icons, namely the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

We did not break our necks getting up really early, since we have sailed into this fabulous port twice before on other cruises. When we arrived to Pier 90 to dock, we found we were not alone. In fact, four other ships were already docked. They were the NCL Gem, Aida Luna, Aida Aura, and HAL's Veendam. The two Aida ships also overnighted their guests like us.

Since our tour was not leaving until 10am, we had plenty of time for a leisurely breakfast in the Compass Rose. We had the opportunity to talk to Mara, one of the dining room management staff. She is delightful and also a very good source of reliable information. We mentioned to her that we remembered the Prime 7 when it was an Italian restaurant. And we did believe the room was a bit larger back then, which Mara confirmed. Then she added that when the Navigator goes into drydock, the company intends to enlarge Prime 7, increasing the seating capacity for the guests. In addition, Mara said that La Veranda will remain a buffet for breakfast and lunch, but will become a full service Italian Restaurant at dinnertime. Both specialty restaurants will require reservations. We have never tried the buffet style dinner in La Veranda, so we cannot comment on how well most people like it. Honestly, with the location of La Veranda, we would not like to be walking around with plates of food when the ship is in full motion on high seas.

Our tour left the lounge at 10am for a coach ride down to Battery Park. But first, we were required to pass through a very thorough security check, similar to the airline security. Only we did not have to take off our shoes. Watches and belts did have to be removed however. It is a sober reminder how much the world has changed since that terrible day on 9-11-01. We can say for sure that the tourists have come back triple fold, and that's a good thing.

We boarded the 3 level ferry that carried at least 800 passengers. We made our way to the top for the all-around views of the city and surrounding harbor. We saw the Brooklyn Bridge, Staten Island, New Jersey, and the Manhattan skyline on our way to Liberty Island. Our guide gave us about one hour to explore around the base of the Statue of Liberty. Close up, the monument is massive. The height of the statue itself is over 151 feet, and when added to the base, it measures 305 feet. The thickness of the copper skin that creates the ody of the statue is the thickness of two pennies. Lady Liberty was dedicated in 1886, becoming the tallest structure in New York City, and the tallest structure in the world. And it's hard to describe the feeling of pride upon seeing this statue up close and personal.

After taking hundreds of photos, we lined up to re-board another ferry that took us to nearby Ellis Island. Twelve million immigrants came through this island upon arrival to America between 1892 to the 1920's. Immigrants from many countries were registered, given health check-ups, treated for diseases if necessary, then eventually were allowed access into the USA to seek jobs and freedom to live as they wished.

We only toured the main building, which has been turned into a museum under the National Park Service. Starting on the third floor, we worked our way down each level, seeing all of the exhibits. It was so nice outside, we wanted to take photos of the views of the city. So we worked our way around the back of the main building to find the backside of the small restaurant and patio out side. Row after row of the American Immigrant Wall of Honor was built near the water's edge, containing the names of over 600,000 immigrants that had been recognized by family members. For a small donation, the family member's name could be added to this monument. It was done alphabetically, so we looked at the B section. Since we are not sure if any of our ancestors came into America during this time period, we decided to check out some names. Lo and behold, we found a familiar name.....MINE, spelled exactly as I spell it. Of course, if that was really me, I would be dead. And being that the name was my married name, there is absolutely no relation to the immigrant.

Our time was up, and we all congregated at the ferry landing to return to Battery Park. It took a bit longer to drive back to the pier, because now the traffic was getting pretty congested. We passed by Wall Street, where a huge demonstration was being held by a group of over 1000 protestors. In fact, earlier this morning, 700 of these protestors were arrested as they attempted to block the Brooklyn Bridge. Never a dull moment in the city that never sleeps.

Around 5:30pm, the rain began to fall. We had been lucky to have had such a nice day, even though it had gotten cloudy, the rain held off until we were all back onboard. We chilled out in our room while watching the activity going on with the newly boarded guests on the Aida Luna, docked directly across from us. You would be surprised how many guests walk around their rooms, unpacking their luggage, in their underwear or even less. Do they think we are all blind over here?? Even our waitress at dinner tonight remarked on what she saw on that ship. She added that it wasn't always a pretty sight either.

We shared another fine dinner in Prime 7 with friends Don and Alene. This time we ordered a veal chop (excellent) and the New York steak again. The desserts of key lime pie and apple crisp were delicious. It has been really difficult to keep the calories down on this trip. Good thing we only have 11 days left.

Bill & Mary Ann

[OrpingtonT]

Good to read of your, an American's, eye of the East Coast. Unusual and interesting. Just stay clear of any helicopter rides!

[JACKHAWK]

Does the CR have selections from Prime 7 on their menu? If so, do the selections vary?

Thanks

[bamadad]

Jackhawk,

My wife and I just left the Navigator on Monday. The answer to your question is yes and yes.

[WCB]

Report # 22 October 3, 2011 Monday New York, New York Day Two

The end of this 21 day journey from San Francisco to New York was this morning, with the majority of the guests going home. Twenty-one of us are continuing onward to Montreal. And even though we had cleared customs and immigrations in Ft. Lauderdale, we were all required to do this again today. Why? No one, including the executive concierge expert, knew the answer. We do know that the powers to be on the ship had requested for the 21 of us passengers forego this procedure, but it was not to be.

So, at 9am, we had to go for a face to face check with our passports and customs forms to hand off. Every one f the 21 people were not happy campers about this inconvenience. We figured we could have done this yesterday. We had a 45 minute wait to re-board the ship, which really was not too long. The good thing was, we were able to secure two sets of washing machines in the laundry room on our deck (first time we were successful so far). Computing the laundry charges, we saved over $100. of our shipboard credit. Getting into the room at 7am, when the laundry room doors opened, was the secret. Both washers and dryers were quite efficient and the clothes were ready to retrieve before 9am. One job done.

Now came the stressful part of the day.....moving suites. When we booked this portion of our cruise, we had been wait-listed. We cleared in May of this year, but had no room assignment. That was given to us at the end of the summer, but we were unable to stay in the same suite. Moving our belongings, according to the Regent folks, was very easy. What they did not add, was it was not going to happen at our convenience.

Knowing there may delays, we tried to pave the way two days ago, working with the concierge fellow, who said the move would be simple. So, we waited and waited in our 867 room, and ran out of patience, since we did not want to lose our free day to explore NYC. We decided that we would begin moving some stuff a little at a time ourselves. So we went from deck 8 to deck 5, asked our new room steward, Lloyd, if we could bring our things inside. He said no problem, and we tried to stay out of his way as he continued to clean the room. Today, with new passengers boarding, a major turnover had to be completed before noon or so. Yes, the staff was busy, but nothing compared to what we saw on the world cruise earlier this year. "Chickens with their heads cut off "comes to mind.

By 11am, we had everything but the closet clothes, shoes, and closet drawers moved. As we were finishing up stashing the last of things, a steward arrived with our clothing still on hangars. He took care of everything on his rack, so we were ready to leave the ship shortly afterwards.

Our plan was to walk up 50th from pier 90, then up 6th Avenue (Avenue of the Americas) and up to Central Park. Here we strolled slowly through the lovely park with 843 acres of paths, lakes, ponds, and open meadows. No, we did NOT cover all those paths. It was not crowded at all, since today was a work day. Many horse-drawn carriages passed by with offers of a ride (50. for an hour). We passed the offer, but continued to the playground area and carousel in the park. Boy, did that bring back memories of growing up in SF and riding the merry-go-round at Playland at the Beach, long since razed for condos.

Our walk was slowed down, due to the fact that Mary Ann has been nursing a sore knee for the last month or so. With the suite move, and the walk here, it increasingly became worse. What we are missing from here on out, is that there are no more sea days in between ports, except for one day in the St. Laurence River. No time to rest for the wicked. Relaxing on the park's many benches did help somewhat. Icing the knee once back to the ship will help some more. Later on, a ittle help from Captain Morgan (rum), the knee should improve even more........

We headed back downhill on 5th Avenue, passing scores of highend stores, Rockefeller Plaza, and Times Square. At the Plaza, workers were readying the ice skating rink for the winter season. With the overcast and cool breezes, we could feel that winter was on the way. And lucky for us, it was not raining yet.

Stopping at the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square, we really enjoyed lunch again in the atmosphere of rock and roll. The best part was relaxing for an hour. The food and service were excellent as well.

On our way back to the ship, we located a tiny hardware store that a clerk at Radio Shack had directed us to. We needed a nut and bolt to fix our broken handle on our suitcase. We found just what we needed with the help of the store owner who climbed a ladder to access the parts.

Trying to get back into our room proved to be a problem....our keys did not work. It took three trips to the front desk gals, who re-programed the cards at their desk. Our room steward must have thought we were crazy, since he had to let us in every time. Lucky he was available to do this. Anyway, eventually, a security officer came with a hand-held computer and keyed in something to make it work for us. By then, we had missed the special gathering that was held in the Stars Lounge for the 21 of us continuing onward. Oh well.....

Dinnertime came quickly where we gladly enjoyed another excellent meal in Prime 7. We both had the grilled lamb chops, and they were finger-licking good. As we dined, we could watch the beginning of the evening sailaway from the harbor. Going out on deck 11, we continued to watch the brightly lighted skyline of the entire bay area. It was very cold by now, so we stayed until we passed the Statue of Liberty, then ducked in for the evening. It had been one heck of a LONG day!

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 23 October 4, 2011 Tuesday Newport, Rhode Island

 

This morning the Navigator dropped her anchor around 8am in the bay of Newport, Rhode Island. This is our first visit to this lovely area, and we're looking forward to our tour this morning. Even though the daily newsletter predicted rain, it sure looked like it would hold off until later. What we did notice was the fresh, crisp breeze and the clear skies here. No pollution at all.

 

We joined our bus that happened to have two very nice lady guides. We had a short drive from the tender pier at Perotti Park, right in the center of town, to an area called the Cliff Walk. This walkway extends from one end of the New England's rocky shoreline for a few miles, past several of the area's most extravagant mansions. There is one spot one this walkway where there are 40 steps down to the water's edge. Since there are no beaches here, access to the water was by these steps. Stories told about caves carved by the waves, hid pirates in the old days near these steps.

 

Our group was split into 2 smaller groups, with one guide taking 15 and the other 14. We were included in the group with a nice French guide, who was quite knowledgable about the America's Gilded Age. However, with the thunderous pounding of the nearby surf, we could not hear a single word she said. As hard as we tried, she could not project beyond the people who stood two feet from her. We were not alone. You know when something isn't working, and you may quietly make a comment to someone next to you? Well, we did, and they agreed with us, and we all got busted. Knowing that she was not loud enough for some folks, our guide did offer to repeat her stories from the past. But most everyone was ready to visit the mansion named the Breakers, so we continued onward.

 

This fabulous mansion was built by Cornelius Vanderbuilt, the second, Chairman and President of the New York Central Railway. This mansion was completed in 1895, built on the most beautiful 13 acres with a view of the rugged Atlantic coastline. The house has 70 rooms,all modeled after a 16th century Italian palace. Opulent would not begin to describe this home. So spacious, you could not call it cozy either. To us, it would be like living in a museum.

 

The best part of this tour was that it was self-guided. The annoying aspect of this tour, was that we could not take photos. That is usually the rule for most all old and ancient indoor sites around the world. We suspect the reasoning behind this rule has something to do with selling books full of photos at the end of the tour. Modern cameras can eliminate the flash, so that can't be a problem. Back to the self-guiding part. We were handed earphones with a computerized program. We could go from room to room, plugging in the number marked on each room, then getting the description. We were given almost an hour to explore two floors of the mansion, since the upper bedroom floors were occupied.

 

The nicest part we think were the gardens. They reportedly needed a team of 40 gardeners to maintain the massive grounds. Flowering shrubs of camelias, rhododendrums, and magnolia trees surrounded the property. You could imagine the fabulous parties that must have been held here back in the old days.

 

Once back in town, we walked all over the town, taking photos of the historical sites from the early 1700's. So much history here, but not enough time. We had worked up an appetite, so lunch was next on the agenda.

 

Close to the tender landing was a touristy place by the name of Bannister's Wharf. It reminded us of a small version of Pier 39 in San Francisco, filled with small shops and cafes. We ducked into a cafe named The Clarke Cooke House, and had really tasty cheeseburgers. We watched boats coming and going from the many slips at the wharf while we dined.

 

After lunch, we walked down the end of the wharf to find a large seahouse filled with the catch of the day. Lobsters were in tanks with their claws taped tightly, so they don't kill each other. One of the vendors took the largest lobster we have ever seen out of one tank. It weighed between 10 to 14 pounds, costing about $9.00 a pound. That would be a meal for 4.

 

On the way back to the ship, we must have walked through a dozen shops. But the best one was a place called Kilwin's. They made fudge here with many tempting treats inside the blocks of creamy chocolate. We had to have a little bit to take back to the ship with us. Actually, it was a pound of English walnut fudge. Never know when you might get the munchies during the night.

 

It was a long tiring day, so we asked for a quiet table for two in Compass Rose. Actually, we were lucky to be seated at 8:30pm, since another couple near us in the Stars Lounge was waiting to be summoned to their table for two. Tonight was the first evening everyone on the ship was here for dinner since we left NYC. As far as we know, this ship is full, every suite occupied. There are only a couple of 10 day cruises with this itinierary, and are obviously very popular.

 

 

Tomorrow, we shall be in Gloucester, Massachussets.

 

Mary Ann & BIll

[bamadad]

Bill and Mary Ann,

 

Thank you for your ongoing reports. It was difficult to leave the ship last Monday in NYC, but we are following your ongoing reports with great interest. Sounds like you have left the summer we enjoyed on the Canal cruise behind for fall in New England. Enjoy!!!

 

Tim and Lisa

[ChristyVoltron]

Have they fixed your ship?

[WCB]

Report # 24 October 5, 2011 Wednesday Gloucester, Massachussetts

 

We heard the anchor being dropped in Gloucester Harbor around 7am this morning. Our tour was scheduled for 1pm, so we figured that we could leave early to explore the charming town first. We did enjoy a hearty breakfast in Compass Rose, then went to join a tenderboat. We missed the boat by seconds, but expected another to come shortly. Well, that 5 minutes we were told to wait, turned into 1 hour. The crew told us the second tenderboat had to be re-fueled before we could leave. We never did figure out why another boat was not lowered to take the place of the second one. The 50 other waiting passengers wondered the same thing.

 

As it turned out, we only had one hour to walk the town. The good news was that the sun was out, which was great, even though the wind was chilly. Funny thing, we never thought it would cool off when we were on our way through the Panama Canal. The further north we have sailed, the cooler it has become. Good thing we brought the down jackets with us.

 

We found a shotglass to buy (we have a huge collection at home), then met up with friends Don & Alene for our 4 1/2 hour tour of the Hammond Castle and Rockport. Our first stop was at the Fisherman's Memorial, dedicated in 1925, to the thousands of fishermen that lost their lives while fishing at sea. One of the most recent accidents happened in October of 1991, when "The Perfect Storm" claimed the lives of those fishermen. The movie of the same title followed in 2000, and was also filmed here for the most part. Our guide said that the entire film crew and the actors were very friendly, especially George Clooney, who played basketball with the locals between shoots.

 

Now, on to the castle, a home built in the 1920's by Dr. John Hays Hammond. He was an eccentric, but brilliant inventor, second only to Thomas Edison in the number of patents received. Among his 800 inventions, one of the most widely used even today is the remote control. Where would the men be without that remote for the TV???

 

Hammond built this home for his bride, who was a famous portrait painter. She also collected beautiful antiques, which are on display throughout this home. Our excellent guide/part actor brought us through a winding staircase to the main hall. We felt like we had just entered a scene from Dungeons and Dragons with the vaulted ceilings, organ, huge fireplace, complete with ancient suits of armor, swords, weapons, and a grand piano. Cole Porter had been a frequent guest playing this very same piano. In fact, the Hammonds entertained many famous guests.... royalty and actors.

 

Up the staircase at the end of the great hall, was a central patio with an 8 foot deep pond for swimming. Two floors of bedrooms and working offices surrounded this pool garden. This part of the castle is now rented out for weddings and concerts.

 

Never having had any children, the Hammonds died in 1959 and 1965. For a change, we truly enjoyed this tour, mostly because the tour guide had a wicked sense of humor, although, he did not follow through with his threat to lock one of us in the dungeon. Unfortunately, we had run out of time, or he would have. And we were allowed to take photos for a change, even though the tour description said photos were prohibited.

 

Next, the driver took us on a scenic drive through Gloucester and her dozens of historical homes and buildings to nearby Rockport. This town is the home to artists, lighthouses, salty marshes, fishing shacks, shops and cafes. It was also extremely windy and very cold. We cannot imagine how frigid it gets in the winter.

 

We were given over an hour to explore, take photos, or grab a bite to eat in the many little coffee shops and cafes. We happened upon a tiny place called Top Dog, where we treated ourselves to hot dogs topped with mustard and relish. The cook was starting to clean up to close, but was gracious enough to put two dogs on the grill. They were so good, mainly because they were hot. Fortified, we continued onward to window shop mainly, since we were looking for another shotglass to buy. So we walked from one end of town to the other, seeing many beautiful churches and Victorian style homes. At the far end of town was a small beach,where an elderly fellow was actually swimming in the surf. Golly, that water has to be freezing.

 

We drove back to the pier to board one of the last tenderboats back home. When the time came to set sail, the Captain had trouble getting the anchor up. Turned out, we had hooked some lobster traps in the process. Ooops! No we did not have the fresh lobsters for dinner, although they may have thought about that for a second or two.

 

The seas became very rough once we left the harbor, and even rougher by the time we went for dinner in Prime 7 with Don and Alene. We had to hold on to chairs to enter the dining room. Ribeye steaks were our choice this evening and they were delicious as usual.

 

Tomorrow's port is Bar Harbor, Maine, our final US port of this cruise. Sure hope the seas calm down, since we have to use tenderboats again. Little did we know what an adventure that would be.........

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[neviboy]

As a former resident of magnificent Montreal, I am sure that you will be well treated. Ship docks at the oldest port in N. America. A fort was established in 1642 !!

If your excursions take you to the top of Mount Royal, in the centre of the island, you will have splendid views. The docks are at the bottom of the old part of Montreal with houses and warehouses built with 16" walls to withstand indian attacks. Even the smallest restaurants serve authentic French food, and Montreal is bilingual, although not as much English spoken in Quebec City.

Your reports are excellent, and humourous.

Expect 60's by day and 40's in the evening.

Enjoy the rest of your cruise.

[tombo]

Our paper says 75C high temp. in Montreal on Saturday 10/8! I hope it lasts until Thursday when we sail.

[RachelG]

Looking forward to your comments on the ports on this segment, as we are signed up for next year.

[WCB]

Report # 25 October 6, 2011 Thursday Bar Harbor, Maine

 

Once again, the Navigator anchored in the freezing bay outside of Bar Harbor, Maine. We were not alone, as the Aida Aura was also anchored near us. Our tour today was Acadia National Park and a lobster lunch.

 

We had a bumpy ride getting to the pier, because the winds were blowing strong today. But that turned out to be a good thing, since we were told that yesterday's weather was total fog, and the tours up the mountain were cancelled.

 

Even though we had boarded bus 6 ( our tickets were # 4 and 5), we were only half full. So we sat there for 20 minutes waiting for the rest of the group to come on the next tender. For some reason, the tour staff were not too coordinated this morning, sending partial groups on each boat. The problem was that we were only here from 8am to 1pm, so delays would mean short stops at each site. OK, short stops are better than no stops, right?

 

So far, we have had good guides and today was no exception. It took a while to completely understand our guide, Joyce's accent. Bar Harbor was really Ba Haba....no R's to be heard. She admitted that her accent would seem odd to us, but that was the way it is up in this part of the country. Our driver took us right through the charming town to Acadia national Park, and up to Cadillac Mountain, 1530 feet in elevation. It is the highest point on the North American Eastern seaboard. And it is practically solid granite, carved from receding glaciers ages ago. The view from the summit was spectacular, giving us the panorama of valleys, lakes, and tree-studded mountains. Animal life here includes whitetail deer, bear, and beavers to name a few. What they do not have on this island, are moose. If one happens to swim here from the mainland, it would have to be captured and relocated. They are far too dangerous to be that close to society and cars. Anyway, we had 10 minutes to take photos. Moving quickly was not hard, because the wind was just frigid up here.

 

The next brief stop was at Thunder Hole, a cliff where the ocean sends huge waves crashing in and around the granite rocks. There was no thunderous roar this morning, but then, we did not expect to hear or see it. It is more like the blowholes that are supposedly explosive, but are seldom seen. You know, the tides are out, the moon is full or not, etc.

 

We viewed Sandy Beach, a tiny cove of beach, about the only one in this area. There were nearby residents walking their dogs today. We can imagine in the summertime, that pretty spot is crowded. We were given 5 minutes here with an extra 5 to use the facilities, and check out the gift shop. Good luck. We moved quickly and found another shotglass to buy.

 

Another interesting site was that of a home named The High Seas Estate. According to our guide, this mansion was built by a wealthy man for his new wife. She was enroute to see her new dream home, except she never made it. She was a passenger on the ill-fated Titanic, and we all know how that ended.

 

We passed through the huge portion of Acadia National Park that had been donated by John D. Rockefeller. Since the main form of travel on the island back in those days was by horseback or horse-drawn carriage, he and his family had stone bridges and wide coach paths built. Today, we could see tourists enjoying coaches and horse riding on these same paths.

 

Our driver had taken us in a full 27 mile circle through the park. And now it was time for a "downeast" lobster bake back in town. Several years ago, we had been on a similar cruise as this one, and we had gone to the Jordan Pond House for a lobster lunch. We remembered the beautiful gardens, but even more, we remembered the blueberry pie. Succulent, juicy, and so sweet. Today we would be going to a restaurant by the tenderpier, which was wise since we had such a short stay in Bar Harbor. The venue for lunch was at the Bar Harbor Club, part of a resort complex built on Frenchmen Nay.

 

A buffet table was set in the center of a very large dining hall, and it appeared that we would be sharing the lunch with some of the Aida folks.That's always fun to compare ships with each other. They were already up to their elbows in lobster juice by the time we joined them. The buffet server offered corn on the cob, boiled red potatoes, a pile of mussels, and a 1.25 pound lobster (softshell). One of us had the BBQ steak, which was excellent. At the table, were packets of a lobster bib and fork, a shell cracker, and paper boats to put your opened shells in. It was interesting watching how thoroughly the people were able to clean out the sweet meat of the crustaceans, dipping it in drawn butter.

 

There was a table that also contained coffee, tea, and juice or water. You had to serve yourself, which was OK. At least it was there for the taking. A dessert of blueberry tarts with whipped cream and a strawberry were set near each plate. They disappeared rapidly once the entrees were finished. There is something about this brisk sea air that sharpens the appetite. We asked one of the waiters how many lobsters were served this afternoon, and his answer was 350. With a revolving crowd like that, they really did a fine job of it.

 

Wanting to see a bit of the town, we wandered down the street to a few more small cafes and a lobster tank. There was no time at all to walk through the many neat shops in town, since we had to leave promptly at 12:30pm. The bus brought us back to the pier where a waiting local whale-watching boat was ready to take our group back. This made little sense since three of our tenderboats were also there. Had we know what was in store for us, we would have waited.

 

Well, the only space left on this boat was the open back end, which was fine, even though it was colder than Antarctica. Something in the back of our minds told us we should not be sitting at the back near the engines, but it was too late. When we took off, the water that the engines stirred up rained over all of us in the back of the boat. That wasn't too bad, just a quick splash. However, when we got alongside the Navigator, the driver had a difficult time lining up the gangway. We were off by three feet, so he had no choice but to fire up the engines in reverse. You can guess what happened..........the wind blew a wave right over us, drowning several of us to the bone. It was shocking to say the least....gosh that water was cold. We sloshed our way to our room, quickly jumped in the shower, and changed to dry clothing. The first thing we did was call the front desk, and ask if our clothes could be laundered by tomorrow. We only had one pair of jeans, and nothing else would do. They were already aware of this accident, and they did send a room steward to collect our dripping jeans and jackets and underclothing, with the promise of an early morning delivery, all complimentary. We estimated the cleaning bill would have been $74. for the quick turnaround. On well, it was not our fault and they knew it.

 

We had received an invitation to dine with Captain Ubaldo Armellino tomorrow at 7pm. Not wanting to chance a long drawn out evening, we graciously declined. Besides, we never eat dinner that early, especially on a busy port day. Some other guests will surely be happy we passed the chance to them.

 

There was another block party for this cruise at 6pm. With glasses in hand, we went out to meet our neighbors, some of whom came from the other hallway. Nothing was happening over there, Jeri Sager, one of our entertainers, claimed. Our next door neighbors are from Australia and were very nice, as were the other occupants up the hall. It was a pleasure getting acquainted with Jeri, who unlike many other entertainers, was a regular person...not dolled up or hoity-toity. She had mentioned that she had toured with Bob Hope on his USO shows, but she was only 17 at the time. Too bad she leaves for home tomorrow...she was fun.

 

At 8:30pm, we went off to dinner, and got seated at a table for two at the window. When Rona, our favorite waitress, came to take our order, a huge wave crashed into the window, making Rona jump. The water circled like a spinning washing machine...with so much force, we thought it would come through. Guess we are in for one more rough night as we sail towards Canada, and our first port of Halifax. And since we were 2 hours late in leaving today, our arrival time will be delayed by a lot. Oh well, at least we have not missed a port on this cruise yet.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[rallydave]

Love your writeups but, calling that hill outside Bar Harbor the highest point on the Eastern Seaboard needs a comment. If they mean along the Ocean, that would be fine but, some of us consider eastern New Hampshire to be on the Eastorn Seaboard and it is only about 30 miles from Maine and over 6000 feet high. Looked up the definition of Eastern Seaboard and New Hampshire is included. Part of New Hampshire borders on the Atlantic, a small part at best but, your guide is a bit misguided as there are plenty of Mountains higher than the one you were on in states part of the Eastern Seaboard including New York, the Great Smokey Mtns. and others.

[rcandkc]

I am taking this cruise in a year so very interested. There has been no mention of fall colors. Is it too early or just not a good year?

[jhp]

Mary Ann and Bill, you two are real troopers of the best sort! I'll be boarding in Montreal with friends on Thursday. I've thoroughly enjoyed your commentary along the way!

 

Just one questions I know was asked, but I'm not sure answered. Did they do the "fix" on the engine?

[msmillie]

Thank you so much for your wonderful descriptions of your Bar Harbor adventure. We are sorry you will leave the ship before we board but we will make sure that we are not on the back of the whale boat. Angie

[WCB]

Report # 26 October 7, 2011 Thursday Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada

 

Boy, have we really gotten off the schedule. Yesterday, there were several delays and problems causing us to be 6 1/2 hours late in arriving to Halifax. The tour buses were late coming back, and there were problems taking up the tenderboats. What also contributed to the delay was a detour the ship was forced to take in order to empty the ballast tanks in international waters off the coast of Canada. It has something to do with entering the St. Lawrence River, and possibly carrying unwanted pests with us. No, not the guests, but sea creatures that don't belong in the river system.

 

As a result of the above info, the Navigator finally arrived to the port of Halifax by 2:30pm instead of 8am. This caused the all day tours to be cancelled , much to the disappointment of some passengers. One person was really upset. That was entertainer Jeri Sager, who missed her flight home. She told us she was booked for an appearance in Los Angeles this weekend, and was sure she was going to miss it. That can be career-breaking.

 

Our tour was still on time, so we lined up to be one of the first off the ship. Lucky for us, the Canadian officials cleared the ship within 5 minutes of docking. Lighthouses and Lobsters was the name of our 3 1/2 hour excursion. We were gathered by a couple of young sweet college girls, who ran the show.

 

Originally, our group numbered 89, but only half of that showed up. Oh well, more room for us on the boat, which was a short walk from the pier terminal. Once onboard the double decker vessel, the skipper headed off into the Great North Atlantic, the same way we had just sailed in. One of the girls gave a running commentary concerning the importance of the three lighthouses we passed. Oh yeah, hot chocolate and coffee was being served as we began our sailing.

 

Nearing the lobster trap that was marked by a colored buoy, the skipper slowed down, and one of the girls hooked the buoy with a long pole. She tried hauling up the heavy metal lobster trap, only to have it drift under the boat. The skipper came to her rescue and between the two of them, they hauled it onto the deck. Inside the trap was the skeletal remains of the bait fish, along with 2 crabs and one male lobster. And it was very smelly. Guess the bait has to be stinky or else the lobsters won't go in the trap for it. Once his claws were secured with thick rubber bands, our guide used him as a demo to describe the life cycle of these crustaceans. When the guide was done with her talk, she came to each of us to either take photos or even hold him. Photos were good enough for us. Then he was put in a holding tank on the boat.

 

On the way back to the pier, we had a tour of an inlet full of seaside cottages and a small yacht harbor. Back at the pier, we debarked and walked right into Murphy's Restaurant. This was the lobster lunch, no really dinner since it was 5pm. Today our meals were served by waiters. One of us had the bacon-wrapped chicken breast with rice and steamed veggies. The large lobster came with creamy potato salad and coleslaw. Everyone put on the plastic bibs and got busy with the cracking. Coffee and water was served along with a delicious apple crisp for dessert. Needing some exercise, most of us chose to walk back to the ship along the boardwalk. There were a few shops that were still open, but most of the souveniers were sold at the terminal building. Christmas ornaments are a big item right now. The bad thing is that the Canadian dollar is now worth more than the US dollar. And with a 14% added tax, things were expensive.

 

The Navigator sailed later than planned, due to tours getting back late. The 6pm Mariner Cocktail Party for gold, platinum, and titanium members had to be cancelled and moved to tomorrow. Even the Captain's dinner had to be cancelled, prompting another invite for us. We declined once again, since tomorrow's day in port will be a long one and 7pm is too early for us.

 

Our dinner in Prime 7 was a light one, since we had eaten lunch so late. The grilled lamb chops were cooked just right and delicious as usual. We kind of miss the sea days in between ports, like we had on the previous cruise. Every day, a different port is exhausting. It is not a surprise that many folks are cancelling out on some tours.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[TedC]

US dollar has been below Canada dollar, but currently US dollar is strengthening a bit and is now worth almost $1.04 Canada, according to XE.

[WCB]

Report # 27 October 8, 2011 Sydney, Nova Scotia Canada

 

The Navigator arrived late once again to the port of Sydney, Nova Scotia. We had been scheduled for an 8am arrival, but finally docked by 11:30am. Guess we are still fortunate,since other ships that were due for these ports had to cancel.

 

We have been to Sydney about five years ago, but everything about this terminal looked different. At that time, we had to tender ashore, yet today we docked in what we found out was a new terminal. As a special icon, the city decided on a gigantic violin to mark the pier landing. We were very happy not to tender this morning, since it eats up precious time onshore.

 

The kind officials cleared the ship in minutes, and we were off to join the bus waiting for our group. Our complimentary tour for today was The Alexander Graham Bell Museum and The Village of Baddeck. Mistakingly thinking we were going to visit Bell's mansion on the hillside overlooking the lake, we discovered that we would be taken to a museum instead. Pays to do some homework before leaving home. Museums are OK for us if the visit is short and sweet.

 

We did have a scenic one hour drive on this beautiful island called Cape Breton. The hillsides are studded with coniferous and deciduous trees bordering many rivers and lakes. Most of these waterways and lakes are connected to the ocean, making them brackish or salty. On the plus side, they are full of everything that lives in the ocean, seafood-wise. Wildlife includes moose, deer, black bear, coyotes, eagles, and beavers. Small animals living in these woods are lynx and minks. One animal that is NOT here is the skunk, lucky them.

 

At the museum, we were given one hour to explore the exhibits. In our opinion, the best feature was the 15 minute movie in the theater that covered the history of Alexander and his wife Mabel. It showed Bell's life work, which included the invention of the telephone. The success and fortune to follow allowed Bell to continue many more accomplishments in his leisure time. He earned patents on medicine, genetics, electricity, aeronautics, and marine engineering. What was more impressive was his work with sound and speech, mostly due to the fact that his wife was deaf. Bell was also the first scientist to discover the hydrofoil craft, which actually set a world speed record in 1919.

 

Finishing our self-guided tour, we self-guided ourselves outside to walk the green gardens surrounding the facility. It was such a beautiful day, we did not want to waste it being inside. Our guide had told us that last week, hurricane Ophelia came through this area, dumping lots of rain with destructive winds. Did we mention that we have not seen much of the fall colors yet? There has been a spattering of trees here and there, but nothing like we had hoped to see. Part of the problem was the hurricane, we understand. The wind burned the leaves and they literally fell off before they had a chance to turn. We began to see this same thing when we hit Newport, Rhode Island. Many trees looked like they had gone dormant for the winter, when actually, they were starting to push new growth, as if it was springtime. We still have high hopes that the further north we travel into Canada that we will see the brilliant colors. If not, we can always look forward to the impressive liquid amber trees that line a four-lane thoroughfare in Walnut Creek near to where we live. They never fail to amaze us each autumn, as do the two massive sugar maples planted in front of our home.

 

One drawback to tours is the fact that sometimes people do not adhere to the "be back to the bus on time" rule. You should have heard the comments from the warm people on the bus about the couple that decided to come back over 15 minutes late. They did not even apologize. At least they were not "boo'ed" as we have heard on previous occassions.

 

Anyway, that left us 20 minutes to tour the charming village of Baddeck, and their many small boutiques and cafes. This time all were promptly in their seats, like the good kids we are. The driver brought us back the same way, stopping at a few vista points on Bras d'Or Lake for photos. Five years ago, we had taken a wonderful sailing ship, the Amoeba, on this very lake. We had gotten as close to the Alexander Graham Bell mansion as we could get. It is set midway on the green hillside with a commanding view. We believe that some of the Bell family still live there.

 

We arrived with 15 minutes to spare before the crew heaved her ropes and we were on our way to the next port of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. We ordered a late lunch from room service, the first time on this 10 day leg of our trip. The service was once again quick and well done. Since we had such a long tour today, we turned down our second invite to the Captain's table for dinner this evening. We thought we would have a quiet table for two, like we do occassionally, but an adjacent table was being hosted by the cruise director, Ray. He is a very animated and funny fellow, who loves to tell stories. The more wine that was poured, the better the stories got. Not that we were deliberately listening, but Ray has a booming voice at times. And he made that perfectly clear, when he broke out in some operatic song at the end of his meal, drowning out our visit with Don and Alene, who came by for an update on today's tour. Like we said, he is one happy and funny guy.

 

We have 198 nautical miles to reach PEI on time we hope.......

 

Mary Ann & Bill

 

 

 

.

[Queasy Cruiser]

We thought we would have a quiet table for two, like we do occassionally, but an adjacent table was being hosted by the cruise director, Ray. He is a very animated and funny fellow, who loves to tell stories. The more wine that was poured, the better the stories got. Not that we were deliberately listening, but Ray has a booming voice at times. And he made that perfectly clear, when he broke out in some operatic song at the end of his meal, drowning out our visit with Don and Alene, who came by for an update on today's tour. Like we said, he is one happy and funny guy.

 

Thanks for your continued reports. We have been living vicariously through them since we debarked in NYC.

 

We witnessed a similar serenade one night in P7. Our waiter was lip-syncing Ray's opera -- clearly he had seen this act before. We were laughing and at the same time enjoying the main performance. A waitress nearby -- I think it may have been the Rona you've mentioned -- said in her beautiful but terse Romanian accent, with a slightly dismissive shrug: "He sings. Everywhere, all of the time. It's what he does." And she walked away. :D

 

Ahh, to hear Ray just one more time responding with "Rubbish!" to someone's wrong answer in trivia... ;)

[TheSeaAroundUs]

I've heard one of Ray's Compass Rose serenades. I _think_ that one was show tunes rather than opera, but can't say. He sure is a lot of fun!:)

[Island Cruiser]

Mary Ann, we have been savoring your every word since San Francisco. Thanks so much for making the time to take us along. I hope I have the pleasure of meeting you on a Regent ship sometime. Pat

[WCB]

Report # 28 October 10, 2011 Sunday Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island or PEI

 

 

We docked early this morning, and actually on time, in one of the prettiest places we have visited so far...Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island or PEI for short. On top of that, the sun was out, the skies were clear, and the temps must have been near 80 degrees. It was the perfect day to go on our tour, Anne of Green Gables and Island Drive.

 

Charlottetown is the site of the historic 1864 conference that created the confederation of Canada...precisely it is the birthplace of Canada. It is filled with old buildings from those historical days.

 

Joining our bus and excellent tour guide, we were driven by numerous churches, old brick warehouses, parks, and government buildings. Ther main industry here besides fishing, mussel farming, and shipbuilding, is the production of potatoes. The soil on this island is rich in iron, and consists of sandstone, perfect for growing 85 varieities of spuds. They are processed and exported mostly for french fries and potato chips.

 

Our guide told us an interesting story about the fact that the potatoes and golf courses do not mix. She said that seagulls have been seen plucking stray golf balls from the many golf courses, and dropping them at times in the growing fields. When the potatoes are dug up, the stray golf balls are covered with the same mud as the potatoes. When these potatoes go through the water blasting, which peels them, if the golf balls are not spotted, they look clean and white like the spuds. Now is when the danger happens. The next step is the cutting blades, and you can guess what happens to the equipment when a golf ball arrives to be cut up. Total shutdown of the process, equipment damage, and no future dealing with that particular farmer. So they wqtch very closely now.

 

Our first stop was at the PEI Preserve Company, a family-run business built on the Ebenezer and Wheatley Rivers. We had a taste of the unique jams and jellies. Some people had several tastings, so much so that you would think we never got fed on this ship. Duh...What makes these jams different is the fact some of them are mixed with liquors and wines.

 

The setting for this store/cafe was just beautiful, surrounded with acres of farmland with crops of soybean, corn, and oats. These are the rotation crops dictated by the government to alternate between potato plantings. It is necessary for the soil not to be depleted of nutrients by the same crop year and year. Berries of all types are grown as well. Most folks, including us, bought something sweet in the gift shop.

 

Continuing on, we were driven to PEI's National Park to photograph the expansive beach and eroding sandstone cliffs. Our guide mentioned that last week, Ophelia swept through here dumping 20 inches of rain and bringing snow two days ago. Did we get lucky or what? Since we still have not seen much of the autumn colors, we questioned our guide about that. She claimed that it takes at least three frosts before the leaves will change color. It had been too warm in the months of September and October, so therefore, no color yet.

 

Finally, we had an hour stop at a famous, but not original, farmstead that was the inspiration for writer Lucy Maud Montgomery's 1908 book of "Anne of Green Gables". Anne was the fictional red-haired orphan who was sent to live on PEI with her distant relatives. For some reason, neither of us had ever read these series of books, so the 10 minute movie linking this rural homestead to the young girl made more sense to us.

 

After the film, we toured the barn, granary, and the outside gardens surrounding the charming house. Even though this cozy home was never occupied, every room was furnished like Montgomery had described in her books. It was really charming, even though it was fictional.

 

The part we liked best was the Balsam Hollow trail, a 1/2 mile hike through native trees, ferns, and a winding creek. Few guests took advantage of this nice walk, since the signage said it took thirty minutes. We did it in 20 minutes, walking slowly and taking pictures. The only thing that ruined the serenity was the golf course next door to this property. We could hear balls being whacked and many golfers talking and laughing.

 

We returned to the pier just in time to duck into the dining room for our first Compass Rose lunch of this entire trip. We enjoyed a caesar salad and a very tasty veal cordon bleu. We still had about 3 hours left to walk off lunch and explore the town at our own pace. The city and harborfront are within close walking distance of the pier. With a good map in hand from the friendly terminal folks, we photographed the main sites, even though many shops and malls were closed. By the way, tomorrow is Canada's Thanksgiving Day, similar to ours, only earlier. Turkey will be on their plates too.

 

One very popular shop was called "Cows". Our guide said they sold the best ice cream ever. Of course, we had to try it. We ordered Moople Maple (maple flavored with walnuts) and a Cowie Wowie (vanilla with caramel, chocolate chips, and bits of peanut brittle). We were in ice cream heaven...almost as delicious as New Zealand's hokey pokey flavor.

 

We sailed on time at 5pm, still enjoying the balmy breezes and warm sun on the top deck. Knowing that tomorrow will be a lot cooler, we wanted to soak up every ray of sun we could get.

 

Dinnertime found us in Compass Rose with Don and Alene for another fun evening. The food, service, and company were the best. Around 7:30pm, the Navigator sailed under the newly-constructed Confederation Bridge. It links PEI with New Brunswick and reportedly charges about a $44. toll charge. Ouch!

 

Looking forward to tomorrow, a day off from touring as it will be a day at sea, so to speak.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[mrlevin]

Mary Ann, I would like to thank you for your wonderful reports. I get on in Montreal in a few days and it is great getting your reports on each of the ports (we have some of the same excursions). Also, I enjoyed your report on the Canal Trip as my mother was aboard; I was able to surprise her by knowing what was happening onboard.

 

Again, thanks,

 

marc