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LIVE! Dragon OfTheSeas and the Snowbird Migration from Quebec to FLL Oct 7-20, 2019


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We are in Saint John New Brunswick today. The ship was supposed to arrive this morning at 5:30am.  However, around 3:30 I woke up to the light from a lighthouse coming in the curtain.  So, I think we arrived VERY early.  It is all about the times of the tides.  

 

Saint John is on the Bay of Fundy--which has some of the highest tides in the world.  We are leaving at 3:40 this afternoon for the same reason.  It is a short port day.  A couple of ship tours left this morning at 7am. That is just too early for us to be up, dressed, breakfast and ready to go.  Also, we have been to this port before. 

 

We saw the reversing rapids on that trip.  We would do it again, but you really need to visit the viewing site twice.  Once when the tide is in and once when it starts to reverse to see the difference. . . . and it is 15-20 from port.  

 

Here are a few pictures from that trip. Since this is the most frequently visited location I thought you might like to see this even if it is old. [the view is the same]  

 

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You can see how far the tide went out while we were there.  

 

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Edited by DragonOfTheSeas
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I apologize if this was asked earlier but I'd like to know which side of the ship (or aft) is preferred for a balcony cabin for views? We'll be waiting for the snowbird migration in 2021 to appear to snag our cabin! Thanks so much and we are thoroughly enjoying your review and pics! We've been up into Alaska and Canada on the west coast but have never been up that far on the east coast (except for Niagara) and it really looks beautiful!

 

It looks like choice of clothing has varied from shorts to long pants and jackets, so we will be sure to pack for both chilly and warm temps! Also, if you think of it, let us know where you are when the temps rise quite a bit!

 

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2 hours ago, SilkySal said:

I apologize if this was asked earlier but I'd like to know which side of the ship (or aft) is preferred for a balcony cabin for views? We'll be waiting for the snowbird migration in 2021 to appear to snag our cabin! 

 

It looks like choice of clothing has varied from shorts to long pants and jackets, so we will be sure to pack for both chilly and warm temps! Also, if you think of it, let us know where you are when the temps rise quite a bit!

 

I wish I could tell you what side is which.  We are on the left side of the ship ig you are facing forward.  So far we have not had the view of the city.  . . . However, I am not sure that does not change for one cruise to the other.  

 

I have worn long pants so far.  Today is as nice as we have had.  I still have on a fleece jacket over my shirt. Sone people are wearing shorts and jackets.  There is a HUGE group of people from Florida on the ship.  I think they were shorts all the time.  :classic_wacko:

 

We have seen maybe 2 people in the hot tubs on the pool deck.  Maybe the Solarium hot tubs are more protected and are getting better use. 

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We had not pre-purchased any tours for today.  I had a plan A through D that depended on the weather.  

 

We ended up taking a tour on the City bus.  They do a 2 hour tour with 2 stops. [City Market and Reversing Falls]  Our driver gave us an extra stop.  They decide how many tours to do by the number of ships in port.  

 

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We toured the city and saw some interesting architecture.  Most of the city burned at one time.  So, it was replaced by sandstone, brick, etc. 

 

You can see it is a typical transit bus. It is a good way for the city to get money and cheaper than other tours.  

 

 

Very old. . . 

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. . . and modern buildings.

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The first stop was the city market. It was built by ship builders.  You can tell by the ceiling.

 

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Then we went to the Reversing Falls.  There is a 28 foot tide in Saint John.  At low tide the harbor is 14 feet below the river and the river flows to the bay.  At high tide it is 14 feet higher than the river and the water flows back into the river.  Our guide said for 80 miles. 

 

We had a really nice day.  We are here at high tide and the rapids are in reverse.  It is hard to see in a picture. 20191015_123135.thumb.jpg.6189a31873c268614b96c6c4a0f1c7b4.jpg

 

 

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5 minutes ago, cruise wizard said:

Did you get to the Holy Donut??? Some friends of our that are on the cruise stopped by and sent me this picture..........MMMmmmmm!!!!! They did say that there was a long line both before and after the feast.

 

GetAttachmentThumbnail?id=AQMkADAwATYwMAItODNmNy01MmUyLTAwAi0wMAoARgAAA63Qe8tPz2xCi86rEfR6%2FpMHAKm1WxtPf0tBn7CiZV42flQAAAIBDAAAAKm1WxtPf0tBn7CiZV42flQAAxF4oIwAAAABEgAQAORTrThrfLVLpVWwulBhAJA%3D&thumbnailType=2&owa=outlook.live.com&scriptVer=2019100701.10&isc=1&X-OWA-CANARY=-BYqFqpgtUeyBFq0_hVzG0D9f22ZUdcY_iDTZ4TWVA0z4sfvqOAhBhRnxbfprb0QxoM53iOBslE.&token=eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIsImtpZCI6IjA2MDBGOUY2NzQ2MjA3MzdFNzM0MDRFMjg3QzQ1QTgxOENCN0NFQjgiLCJ4NXQiOiJCZ0Q1OW5SaUJ6Zm5OQVRpaDhSYWdZeTN6cmciLCJ0eXAiOiJKV1QifQ.eyJvcmlnaW4iOiJodHRwczovL291dGxvb2subGl2ZS5jb20iLCJ2ZXIiOiJFeGNoYW5nZS5DYWxsYmFjay5WMSIsImFwcGN0eHNlbmRlciI6Ik93YURvd25sb2FkQDg0ZGY5ZTdmLWU5ZjYtNDBhZi1iNDM1LWFhYWFhYWFhYWFhYSIsImlzc3JpbmciOiJXVyIsImFwcGN0eCI6IntcIm1zZXhjaHByb3RcIjpcIm93YVwiLFwicHJpbWFyeXNpZFwiOlwiUy0xLTI4MjctMzkzMjE2LTIyMTQwMjM5MDZcIixcInB1aWRcIjpcIjE2ODg4NTIwNzQyODc4NDJcIixcIm9pZFwiOlwiMDAwNjAwMDAtODNmNy01MmUyLTAwMDAtMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwXCIsXCJzY29wZVwiOlwiT3dhRG93bmxvYWRcIn0iLCJuYmYiOjE1NzExNjIyNTcsImV4cCI6MTU3MTE2Mjg1NywiaXNzIjoiMDAwMDAwMDItMDAwMC0wZmYxLWNlMDAtMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwQDg0ZGY5ZTdmLWU5ZjYtNDBhZi1iNDM1LWFhYWFhYWFhYWFhYSIsImF1ZCI6IjAwMDAwMDAyLTAwMDAtMGZmMS1jZTAwLTAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMC9hdHRhY2htZW50Lm91dGxvb2subGl2ZS5uZXRAODRkZjllN2YtZTlmNi00MGFmLWI0MzUtYWFhYWFhYWFhYWFhIn0.mQ62V4qpio6l5ItH2WM9ZrKsp_HsnR8PMdVprEwi4oA09bx878lYkpWiiPT5zsvRPiG82KXGXbPkaAGWAmSqDZlrGt23OxSZ65F9ZEx-g80zFr7bYlk3ExFcKCPpKkoFsdVF6-K0SHo5uDO5qVh60fgzDT11qg0Q-5WC6Acd-ksOX2vbSbZB5YNtpfosW6NpJ_BJXzT_iZ8mZ6yCZgemxAnvCfhv1Z4a7f82CW12NIDYGVfe9tGnOdrOcrLm09nRUPhPHf5XGZ2Ssten8a83l_CwxoHBAoaeRgFp3mo9ukfjWb0MnABNKSMW_rNGjI_QotPmDTRMjoLvqHHqK65VeQ&animation=true

 

No we did not.  That looks delicious.  We were really tired after our mailboat tour.  We were out on the water and wind.  We took a nap. LOL . . . something for the list of things to do next time. 

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Saint John is very tourist friendly.  This map shows the area of the city that has free wifi and the red line is an inside pedestrian walkway in case the weather is poor. 

 

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This map shows the harbor passage.  Our guide called it the cranberry trail.  It is about 3k from the dock to the reversing rapids. [red dotted lone]

 

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Our last stop was a park overlooking the river. It was full of carved statues. 

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Then it was time to get back to the ship. 

 

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5 hours ago, SilkySal said:

I'd like to know which side of the ship (or aft) is preferred for a balcony cabin for views?

 

3 hours ago, DragonOfTheSeas said:

I wish I could tell you what side is which.  We are on the left side of the ship ig you are facing forward.  So far we have not had the view of the city.  . . . However, I am not sure that does not change for one cruise to the other.  

 

Like Dragon, I was on the port side and I feel I had inferior views compared to starboard throughout my Southern route cruise 2 weeks prior, whether sailing or docked. I would pick starboard side for the Southern route (ie. next year's snowbird cruise), conversely port side for northern.

 

Next year's Snowbird is on Vision ... aft would be #1 choice as Vision aft balconies are awesome and unobstructed.

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19 hours ago, cruise wizard said:

A suggestion of a good restaurant in Halifax that has fantastic lobster rolls. It is the Bicycle Thief..........a short walk from the port.

 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g154976-d682446-Reviews-The_Bicycle_Thief-Halifax_Halifax_Regional_Municipality_Nova_Scotia.html

 

This will have to be for future cruisers.  We missed our port day in Halifax due to weather. 

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On of my favorite things to watch is the harbor pilot jumping back onto the pilot boat from the cruise ship while they are both moving. The little boat has to match the speed of the big ship.  

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Then someone comes out on the pilot boat to help if needed. 

 

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Then the pilot starts out of the hatch.

 

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He jumps down onto the pilot boat and waves to the crowd as they pull away.  

 

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Our cabin was just above the hatch.  

 

 

Edited by DragonOfTheSeas
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Today we took a ship tour --Shuttle and Harbor Cruise.  I bought this several months ago when they had a 20% off sale.  I kept watch to see if the prices ever came down.  They never did. 

 

The shuttle [a Greyhound bus] dropped us off at Long Wharf.  That was where the cruise started and it is only 1 block from the Quincy Market and Faneuil Hall. The location was good.  I am glad we did this.  The traffic today was very heavy.  20191016_105438.thumb.jpg.f7d8842b6d113b56aa1866a70e34dc18.jpg

 

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The harbor views were great. 

 

 

The Mystic River bridge is in the background.

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This morning we had bright sunshine and a breeze. There were several sailboats out today. 

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Edited by DragonOfTheSeas
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It was a 45 minute narrated cruise of the Boston inner harbor.  The boat had tables and big windows and almost everyone sat inside.  If you do this excursion sit on the starboard side. That is where all of the attractions are located. 

 

We only made one stop. . . at the National Park.  We could have gotten off here to view the park and take the next boat. [in an hour]  We have toured the 2 ships so we stayed onboard. 

 

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This is the USS Constitution.  It is still an active ship in the US Navy.  It sails one mile each year on July 1st. 

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When it returns to the dock it pulls in the other side to the dock.  This is so the hull weathers at the same rate. 20191016_120210.thumb.jpg.be925315256d8d546c922fafa64051be.jpg

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After the harbor cruise we walked over to the Quincy market.  I had two goals.  I did a little shopping. . . . and we wanted lunch at Cheers. 

 

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There was a huge crowd today.  I would blame it on the 3 cruise ships in the harbor, but there were hundreds of high school age kids there. 

 

I can't tell you why this fox was there.  I looked at the front and there wasn't a college t-shirt.  So this will just remain a mystery.  But he was getting lots of attention. 

 

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12 minutes ago, YlangYlangF9PB3E said:

I love your ALL of your pictures, but especially the pictures of Boston.  Such a fun, interesting thread -- thank you!!! Enjoy your upcoming sea days.  If you have a chance, let us know how the captain does maneuvering around the rain...I'm sure he'll do fine.

 

 

Thank you.

 

I will let you know how we do with the weather.  We are leaving early from Boston to try to get ahead of the storm.  However, I have looked at the radar and it looks like it is impacting all of New England and Mid Atlantic tonight.  So, I am sure we will have to head through it at one point.

 

The Adventure of the Seas did well coming through the last storm.  There was not much movement at all.  We have our fingers crossed. 

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1 hour ago, DragonOfTheSeas said:

 

 

Thank you.

 

I will let you know how we do with the weather.  We are leaving early from Boston to try to get ahead of the storm.  However, I have looked at the radar and it looks like it is impacting all of New England and Mid Atlantic tonight.  So, I am sure we will have to head through it at one point.

 

The Adventure of the Seas did well coming through the last storm.  There was not much movement at all.  We have our fingers crossed. 

Thanks!!!  Looks like the worst of it will be north of you once it gets cranked up. My friend is on your cruise and said the last storm wasn't bad at all. Those Captains know what they're doing! Have fun. I love this thread!  

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13 hours ago, YlangYlangF9PB3E said:

Thanks!!!  Looks like the worst of it will be north of you once it gets cranked up. My friend is on your cruise and said the last storm wasn't bad at all. Those Captains know what they're doing! Have fun. I love this thread!  

 

The storm is really cranked up.  Yesterday the captain told us he would go around the storm on the west. Our original course called for us to go in a mostly straight line after we got around Cape Cod.  But, we are going around the Cape and hugging the coast. [a tight triangle along the coast] 

 

Just like in a hurricane, that is the least severe side.  They put out the bags and tied down the furniture. [but, that is standard in any rough weather]

 

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We knew it was going to be a big deal because they started running a loop on the TV with the Royal Caribbean meteorologist, James Van Fleet.

 

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He showed the new route on the map and had a graphic of the winds and waves. Then he told us it would be 82 in Port Canaveral and 85 in Fort Lauderdale.    Ha Ha Ha!

 

 

Here are a few shots of the waves from above.  Van Fleet told us that we would have winds of 25 mph and waves around 15-16 feet.  I took these from the Diamond lounge from the 14 deck.  So, they do not look very high. . . . and a 2-dimensional picture does not show the rolling of the waves.  I know the quality of the pictures is poor.  It is hard to get a picture through the glass windows. I don't think I will go outside right now. 

 

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3 minutes ago, DragonOfTheSeas said:

So, they do not look very high. . . . and a 2-dimensional picture does not show the rolling of the waves.  I know the quality of the pictures is poor.  It is hard to get a picture through the glass windows. I don't think I will go outside right now. 

You need to take a pic out a deck 2 or 3 window.

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