Summit "Live" 9/21/13 Havana Daydreamin in a Northern Latitude

[uktog]

I am following every inch of your excellent posts - we will be on the 21 Sept 2014 version of your trip on Summit and guess what in 1138 - these aft cabins rock

 

I see Doug Cameron is on board, he is such a great guy, we have exchanged emails about a youth orchestra in a deprived area that I like to champion and he has shown kind professional interest in how music is calming out of control kids and instilling a sense of community in a deprived area. This is something he is passionate about, too often we see shipboard entertainers as walk on walk off self interested - this guy is not, he is a gem

[Havana Daydreamin]

Dinner last evening was fun. The menu from Blu will be included in the post with the MDR menus.

 

After my boo boo with posting on the Roll Call list rather than the “Live” thread, the evening got much smoother.

 

We arranged for the Connoisseur Wine dinner for our evening after leaving Portland. It will be a 5 course meal with wine pairings for each course.

 

But on to dinner last night! Barbara had the chilled main lobster salad as an entree and it tasted as good as it looked. She ordered the broiled dourade while I stepped out and ordered squab. It is just a BIG dove which I find quite tasty anyway. It was nice although a bit tougher than I would have expected. For dessert, I had the lava cake.

 

After dinner, it was time to turn in as I was up VERY early checking out the ship and gathering photographs to include at another time.

 

Up next is the food porn from last evening.

 

 

 

 

 

[Havana Daydreamin]

The sun was preparing to give us a very nice good morning greeting with this pre-dawn view.

 

 

With the overcast horizon, I missed the sun peeking out as we ventured out to breakfast.

 

But here are the morning shots that I have uploaded while enjoying coffee and wifi at Starbucks!

 

A lighthouse in the channel.

 

 

A lighthouse on the shoreline.

 

 

Boats waiting for their owners to come and enjoy as day breaks!

[Havana Daydreamin]

In order Blu and then MDR

 

 

 

 

[C 2 C]

Thank you for posting the staffing breakdown "In the Spotlight" and the dailies.

 

Your menu and food pictures are not helping my pre-cruise diet at all.;)

[akowilm]

This is too wild--my husband and I will be in cabin 1138 when we sail oct 5! We had the same problem with the veranda door when we were on the Millenium in cabin 1133 last year. The dowel is a great idea!

 

 

Pack a bungee cord; you will find a place to hook it and the door will not keep slamming. It is an easy fix! We will be in 1138 for 2 Summit trips and 1 Constellation, so we have some tricks up our sleeves!

[MEcruzr]

You take great pictures!

 

The first lighthouse is Ram Island lighthouse and the second one is Portland Headlight.

[Havana Daydreamin]

Thanks MEcruiser. I learned about the headlight which I kind of wondered from what I had read but was not certain!

 

Thanks all around!

[ChazR]

Thank you for this great review, very well done and fantastic pictures all around.

 

We loved the pictures of Boston. My wife has lived here all her life and myself since 1997. We are sad as we are leaving next week for the next phase of our life in South Carolina. I got a bit sad when I viewed your pics at the prospect of leaving this very great town.

 

Did you get a chance to walk thru the Holocaust Memorial? I only ask because it is right across the street from the Union Oyster House and is a quick walk thru with kind of an outdoor venue. Very moving.

 

Also glad you had a chance to visit Legal Seafood. My wife worked for them the last 6 years and just left. Good food and good people. You are correct, a bit pricey but I can vouch for the quality and freshness of the food; my wife witnessed it every day. She was sad to leave.

 

Keep up the good work!

 

 

Good luck in South Carolina.

We have lived now, for the past 11 year's in the Phoenix area after living on Long Island and love it. Before retiring I spent many days, weeks and months in the Boston area and to this day it is my favorite city in the country. I'm sure you will miss it....enjoy where you are.

 

Charles

[ChazR]

Thanks MEcruiser. I learned about the headlight which I kind of wondered from what I had read but was not certain!

 

Thanks all around!

 

 

John, we will be on next year's cruise but I thoroughly enjoy your pictures and comments.....keep them coming they are great.

 

Charles

[Havana Daydreamin]

We leisurely exited the ship on the long walk to the terminal in Portland. It was quite enjoyable enjoying the walk along old pilings from previous piers of the past. One could view the low tide as the pilings stood tall above the water.

 

 

 

We paid $5 each for the actual Hop On/Hop Off bus otherwise known as the Metro. It was a very good purchase as we road it almost the whole circuit around Old Port. We got off at stop #10 and walked a brief distance through Old Port until getting to Starbucks to enjoy a bit of coffee and, of course, free wifi. I uploaded a bunch of pictures of the interior of Summit that I need to consider how to share.

 

From there we did a bit of exploration of shops and enjoyed many items of Maine craftsmanship!

 

We then decided we would wait for a bit to take the #1 bus/Munjoy Hill to the Observatory. This was definitely an enjoyable decision as it was a bit of a walk and a pretty good hill. I wish that I would have had more time to explore the Civil War cemetery that we drove past, but that will have to wait for another time.

 

But, I digress. We arrived at the Observatory that we soon learned is the last one standing in the United States for certain, and I believe the tour guide said the world...but I cannot verify that from memory now.

 

This observatory was built by Lemuel Moody upon his return from captivity from piracy off of South America. He used it as an observation tower of the port to signal shipping owners of the ships coming into Port so that the workers could unload/load the commodities. Of course, this was at a fee. It is 85 feet with 103 steps up to the top. But you stop at several levels for history in between each level. It was at a cost of $9 per person and well worth it today.

 

 

 

 

 

We could see the White Mountains of New Hampshire and Mount Washington, some 60 miles away as we were told. We could also see mountains that we were told were in Vermont. I have to take the narrators word for it!

 

 

The views were magnificent of Portland and the surrounding area, also that of the Celebrity Summit.

 

 

After that we took the bus back into Old Port to purchase some Columbia fleece jackets at Reny’s as we were thinking this might be useful in the days to come. It was right at 40 degrees this morning and we expect a bit cooler in the days ahead. We enjoyed the fleece on the way back.

 

We stopped at Boone’s Restaurant that recently reopened on recommendation

[Havana Daydreamin]

We stopped at Boone’s Restaurant that recently reopened on recommendation of a customer walking out of the Harbor Fish Market. It was a refreshing repast of more oysters and a lobster roll. We dined on Wellfleet, Wild Dam, and Wild Balon oysters. WOWIE!!!!! Of course, we enjoyed some cold beverage.

 

 

 

From there it was a short walk back to the Summit and an enjoyable time on the Sunset Deck bar with a Jaime Garcia and MacCellan Scotch.

 

 

The sun came out and it was perfect for some sail-away pictures for many people.

 

Some random shots....

 

 

 

 

[Havana Daydreamin]

Last evening, we went to enjoy the connoisseur dinner.

 

It was a very nice experience as we dined with two other couples: Everett & Penny and Jerry & Jan.

 

The food and conversation took us will into the night as we returned at 11:20 PM.

 

Hence no posting last evening or the scanning of the Celebrity Today for this day.

 

We have arrived at Bar Harbor and it is overcast with the forecast being to give way gradually to sunshine through the afternoon.

 

Thanks for the continued kindness of the readers and your comments!

 

Enjoy!

 

[Scpddp]

Thanks--will do!

[Havana Daydreamin]

The dinner was in Normandie.

 

We were to have received the menus. However, as late as it got, I believe they forgot to give them to us and we also forgot. I am going to go back later today to inquire about them so that I can have the wine that was paired with each course. I will endeavor to include that picture at a later time.

 

Anyway, here is the “food porn” of the Connoisseur Dinner last evening.

 

Appetizers

 

I had goat cheese souffle.

 

 

Barbara had the lobster bisque. She would have to describe what it was all poured over, but it was beautiful and then on came the bisque.

 

 

 

We both had the pork belly.

 

 

She had salad and I had a risotto. The risotto was very earthy, but I picked it because of the wine it was with which was a Pinot Noir.

 

 

[Havana Daydreamin]

Then came a champagne sorbet cleanser for the palate before the main course.

 

 

Sea bass.

 

 

Filet Mignon

 

 

 

 

 

Desserts were chocolate and grand marnier souffle with Port. I remember that one!!!!

 

 

I chose not to use flash so as to not ruin the ambience of the venue. So the pictures are not quite as crisp as I would like, but I am sure the other diners appreciated the absence of flash.

[Havana Daydreamin]

 

 

 

 

[emcee207]

Good luck in South Carolina.

We have lived now, for the past 11 year's in the Phoenix area after living on Long Island and love it. Before retiring I spent many days, weeks and months in the Boston area and to this day it is my favorite city in the country. I'm sure you will miss it....enjoy where you are.

 

Charles

 

Charles! What nice sentiments! Thank you so much for posting this. We have lots of mixed emotions about this relocation and leaving Boston. Each day we get closer the emotions get more powerful.

Thank you again.

Sorry to get off topic; loved the pics from Portland and anxiously awaiting Bar Harbor, another one of our favorite places.

[mommo6]

Thanks MEcruiser. I learned about the headlight which I kind of wondered from what I had read but was not certain!

 

Thanks all around!

We are enjoying all of your postings. Your pictures, comments and advice are all terrific! We are looking forward to retracing your steps on the October 5 cruise (except for not being in Aqua Class). We will have to try that some time on a future cruise. We wish you safe travels. Judy & Bill

[MEcruzr]

I'm watching a local weather report. They're saying 61F and partly cloudy in Bar Harbor today. You're lucky... you're following about a day behind a storm system. It's moving across the Maritimes today. Hopefully you continue to follow the sun!

 

Love your pictures and description of Portland... it's always interesting to see your home through the eyes of a visitor.

[NJ Gal]

Havana Daydreamin--your posts are terrific. Like Judy & Bill, we will be on the Oct. 5 sailing of the Summit. Now I wish we were in an Aqua cabin. Blu food looks so delicious. Thanks for all of the valuable information.

[lcmslady]

This is a great thread!

 

I had never considered doing the New England cruise but I think I'm now going to be adding it to my cruising bucket list!

[denims]

Thanks' for taking the to post your experiences....and GREAT pictures!!!!:)

[ny cruisequeen]

Thank you for taking the time to share! I am loving each comment and photo. What kind if camera are you using? You're commentaries are wonderful.

[Seattle@heart]

This is a great thread!

 

I had never considered doing the New England cruise but I think I'm now going to be adding it to my cruising bucket list!

 

Exactly what I was thinking! Thanks for your postings and the beautiful pics.