Bermuda Cruise 2025 - Port Day #2 (04/30/25)

Today, we planned to take the ferry to St. George, a town on the other end of Bermuda.  To do this, we had to get out of the cabin early, eat breakfast, and show up at the ferry dock by 11:15 am.  And this meant interrupting our sleep to do so.

But first....

Often, we get into a routine on cruise ships where we are either late for breakfast, or proceed to an early lunch. We didn't have that luxury today, as there were only 2 ferries to St. George in the morning, and 1 returning ferry in the evening.  If we got stuck, we'd have to catch a bus to Hamilton, and then catch another bus to the Dockyards.  Instead of a 30-45 minute ride, the return trip could turn into a 2 hour journey.  So we made sure that we were early for both the outgoing ferry and for the return ferry.

Arriving at St. George, we found it emptier than the last time we were here.  It was much more mellow than the last time we were here.  Within the first hour of arriving in St. George, we had lunch at a local restaurant - across the water from where the town crier was "Dunking" a local "Hag" (both the crier and hag played their roles well) with the help from some bystanders.  Inside the restaurant, things were much more mellow.  A musician was playing soft rock standards while I ate my Fish and Chips and RQS ate her Fish sandwich.  When we were done, we went to look for a nearby perfume factory - which we never found.

On our way to the perfume factory, we stopped at a local museum.  RQS took the tour of the building, while I got into a conversation with a local.  Both of us had a good time there.  But Cinderella had lost her slipper, and she had to be home by midnight - the ferry was scheduled to leave at 4, and we didn't want to miss it.  Once at the ferry dock, I got into a conversation from someone who used to work at a building near my childhood church, and we continued for over 30 minutes, in direct sunlight before getting on line to take the ferry. Eventually, the ferry started taking passengers, and we got on for the ride home.  By now, my scalp had had more than a healthy share of sunlight, and I knew I'd have a nice sunburn when I got back on the ship. But it was worth the sunburn to have had the nice conversation I had.

We took a break for a little while before going to dinner.  Both of us were stuffed to the gills before the meal ended.  At least, service was on target today.  And if I had thought of it, I'd have asked for a dinner portion of the mussels with a side of mixed veggies - the mussels were that good.  Instead, I had the beef short ribs (which were ok) with pasta topped with Bolognese sauce on the side.  (I should have had more mussels!)  

It was a good day, and we hope to enjoy our remaining time in Bermuda tomorrow.

Bermuda Cruise 2025 - Port Day #1 (04/29/25)

 

Bermuda, at last!  It's been a while since we were here, and we haven't yet decided what to do.  So we ended up going ashore for a while, then taking it easy on the ship.

But first....

The weather in Bermuda is often warmer than it is in New York.  Today was an exception to the rule, as we needed our early spring clothes (long sleeved shirts, windbreaker and full length trousers) to go outside - something we found out right after breakfast.  To make sure we made it to the main dining room for breakfast, we woke up around 7 am and made it to the dining room just before 8:30.

Once we were seated, another couple sat down next to us, and cruising became the topic of conversation.  The couple had taken an MSC Mediterranean cruise, and it was very different in style and ambiance than MSC's American subsidiary.  They noted that people were coming onboard and leaving the ship at almost every port (no Jones Act / Passenger Vessel Services Act problems in Europe), and it felt strange in comparison to North American based cruises.  But the thing they noticed first and foremost was how many people smoked, and how much they smoked.  I don't think I'd want to be on a ship where I'd have to air out my clothing every day to avoid getting sick.

After breakfast, we took it easy for a while, then walked off the ship.  It took us a while, but we bought a 1-day Bermuda transit pass (bus and ferries) that we plan to use to reach the other side of Bermuda tomorrow.  And then, we browsed the Clocktower Mall before going back to the ship.  It was nice to be on land for a couple of hours, and it will be nicer to spend the whole day there tomorrow.

We rested when we returned to the ship, and then went to dinner at our new assigned table.  As usual, the food was good and filling.  But service wasn't that great - I had to ask our waiter a couple of times before my wine was brought to the table.  RQS had to request a second portion of ice cream, as they did not deliver the sugar-free variety they had the night before.

A little over an hour later, we went to the ship's theater to watch a comedian, Joe Materese, perform.  Strangely enough, he was able to tell Italian jokes without offending anyone.  But then, being Italian, he was able to poke a little fun at his background without getting anyone upset.  I had to leave the theater a little early, so that I could take a bio-break.  Yet, I saw enough of this act to make me want to see his 18+ show later on in the week.

PS: Universal Standard's Mystery Box sale ended today.  Instead of buying one of these boxes, I decided to buy a simple chambray dress with a 25% discount.   RQS said it was well worth the money.

Bermuda Cruise 2025 - Sea Day #1 / Gala Night (04/28/25)

Today, we were at sea, on our way to Bermuda.  And we knew we'd be dressing up for dinner tonight. But first, brunch....

We decided to get up late, and make it to the dining room for brunch at 11 am.  As expected, we had to wait for 15 minutes before being seated - and then, at a shared table.  Although the Bucatini Carbonara portion looked small, it was very filling.  Sadly, the noise level in the restaurant was so loud, that we couldn't enjoy a conversation with our table mates.  And, as expected, service quality left something to be desired.

We took a rest before dinner, and eventually changed for gala night.  RQS put on a nice dress and I reluctantly dressed in a men's suit before going to have our photos taken. While our photos were being taken, some woman in her own world decided to ignore what we were doing and I had to shout a little to get her off the stairs and get our pictures taken.

Once done with the photo shoot, we went to dinner.  Our friends from the night before were seated with their travel group across the room, and we were stuck with another group who sounded like they came from the "Brooklyn cast" of "My Cousin Vinny."  Everything you can say about loud, boorish people could be said about this group, as well as the friends who were sitting nearby.  When we were done with dinner, we asked to be moved to another table for the rest of the week, so that we would not be sitting near this boorish group.

Our request was accommodated, and we hoped that tomorrow we will have a better night's dining than we did tonight....

PS: One thing of note - RQS said that if we take the Atlantic Crossing together on the Queen Mary 2 (with me presenting as Marian), that she wants me to learn how to dance.  I readily accepted that offer.  One question though - who will lead on the dance floor?

Bermuda Cruise 2025 - Embarkation Day / Leaving New York (04/27/25)

 

The day got off to an inauspicious start.  We woke up early, got showered and dressed, and took an overpriced Uber to the pier.  (I shouldn't put it that way - we needed to get there on the day of the Brooklyn Half-Marathon, and the price is what the market would bear.)  We weren't surprised about the traffic jam leaving the terminal area.  But we were surprised to quickly make it from the Atlantic avenue exit on the BQE to the Brooklyn Cruise terminal.  

Arriving at the cruise terminal before noon can be a problem when a cruise is fully booked.  But with the ship having propulsion problems, people were arriving early, so that they would make it onto the ship before its planned early departure.  As for us, we were out of our Uber and through the terminal, finally reaching our cabin in less than 20 minutes.  This is a record for us boarding this MSC ship.

Once onboard, we tried to go to the one sit-down restaurant that was open for lunch - and were told that they were full, not accepting new diners.  (Why didn't they keep this restaurant open longer, or open up one of the other dining rooms?  They should know the general expectations of their cruisers by now.  But I digress.)  So, we ended up going to the buffet, where I ended up staining my shirt with pizza drippings and having an unsatisfying lunch.

After a rest, we went to dinner at the same place where we tried to have lunch - and met a nice couple from New Jersey.  We (mostly me) chatted with the couple, and I think they were entertained by the chat.  Hopefully, we'll see them tomorrow.  

Once dinner was over, we retreated to our room, and had a nice conversation with our room steward.  After the next cruise, he will be going home to the Philippines to surprise his wife and 2 children for his wife's birthday.  We chatted about things involving cruising, as well as some of the places we'd like to go.  As much as we could have talked longer, RQS reminded us that he had 3 other cabins to service, and that we needed some rest.

All in all, this was a good day.

 

I am finally cruising again! (a short post)

 

By the time you read this, RQS and I will have returned from our most recent Bermuda cruise on the MSC Meraviglia.  We have been haunted by a curse on most of our Bermuda cruises so far.  On our first cruise, someone fell into RQS's leg, and she was crippled for several weeks.  Our next cruise had its scheduled Bermuda port time shortened by 2 days, leaving us with a single port day on a 7-day cruise. Finally, on our 3rd cruise, we had 3 port days in Bermuda - and in all of them we had good weather.  This time, the ship has propulsion issues which is forcing us to arrive earlier at the pier - who knows whether our time in Bermuda will be shortened or not.  I don't.

This time, I am much more ambivalent about cruising than usual, given political events in this country.  Hopefully, nothing unexpected will happen.  But if it does, I will report it here if possible.  I figure that this trip will be a form of current litmus trip on how Customs and Border control will treat an American who despises the snowflake.  I expect things may get worse over time, as we move towards being an autocracy. As long as I am able to transit out of and in to this country without hassle, I will remain here.  But if things change, I will use my Letter of Transit to leave for Lisbon as soon as practical and make a new life somewhere else if needed.

But back to Bermuda....

Even when the weather is bad there, I always felt good about being in Bermuda.  The place is clean and safe, and well worth visiting at least once.  Given that I will have no video access to left or right leaning American video media, I will be able to disconnect for a while. This will be a blessing for me.  I'll be sure to relax, and I'll be sure to unwind.

I wonder what it will be like when we take our New England / Canada cruise? 

 

 

 

PS: I will post daily entries from our 6-day cruise when I get back home. 

 

 

 

 

 

It's not just me. People are truly scared of the Orange Snowflake.

 

Tonight was the last Game Night before I go away on a cruise to Bermuda.  Finally, I had the chance to speak with the hostess about current events (she has a F2M trans child), and she is both scared and angry.

But first....

Today would be my last day out and about as Marian for the better part of a week and a half.  And I spent most of the day inside the apartment taking care of last minute things such as paying bills and throwing out some trash.  Around 5 pm, I started getting ready to go out.  I didn't want to get too fancy, so I took out a simple denim mini dress, as it was 80° outside when I was getting dressed.

As usual, I got to game night around 7:45, and was the only (trans) female at the table. The hostess was with her son at a Chess match, and wouldn't be back until 9:30.  So, it was 5 of us playing games in the kitchen until the hostess came home.  Once she arrived, I made the effort to engage her in conversation, and she noted that in less than 100 days, we have turned into a nation with is a cross between "the Handmaiden's Tale" and "1984".  We have gone from zero to 1935 in 3 months!  She noted that she is taking almost every trace of social media off of her phone, and keeping it bare bones, in case she crosses a border.  I noted that I have a burner phone, and I may bring it on my upcoming cruise.  And then, she noted the lack of privacy in smart watches, as they now can track a woman's ovulation cycles. These are scary times, and she could only talk so much before she got overwhelmed by her feelings and had to change the subject. Meeting her again made me think - as soon as I get back from the cruise, I'd better start back on the paperwork needed for a second citizenship.  I want my letter of transit while planes are still flying to Lisbon. (See "Casablanca" for its MacGuffin, the letters of transit.)  

Right now, we are seeing the early stages of authoritarianism take place in the United States.  The people close to the president were chosen not on their competency for their positions.  Instead, they were chosen ONLY for their loyalty to the president.  They defend the undefendable, only to stay in good stead with their leader.  Political, social and human rights are being destroyed to please their leader.  Legal non-citizen residents are being imprisoned and deported simply because they exercised a 1st amendment right to say things that make the current administration unhappy.  To make things worse, the president has hinted at throwing American citizens into the same gulags now being used to hold non-citizens.  Due process no longer exists, save when the judicial branch of government can get involved.  And even then, many in the system pledge their loyalty to the president and not to the law.

When will this stop?

The other night, I was watching part of a CNN piece on support for the Orange Snowflake in a rural area in the Midwest.  Although many were very unhappy with how his tariffs were affecting their businesses, they were not ready to abandon him.  "Let's give him a chance" one person said, as if his personal sacrifice would be rewarded in the long term.  The problem is that the "little people" are of no worth to the snowflake.  They are only tools to be used when he needs to exercise his power.  This wouldn't be so bad if the snowflake wasn't a malignant, narcissistic grifter.  It's so sad to see people get hoodwinked, then double down on being hoodwinked instead of seeing the snowflake for what he is - one of the greatest grifters of all time.

There is an old joke in the wine industry:

Q: How do you make $10,000,000 making wine?. 
A: Start with investing $50,000,000.

Well, the snowflake has made his millions by telling people to invest their $50,000,000, and leaving them with only $10,000,000 after he has squandered much of their money.  He doesn't want to acknowledge that his casinos in Atlantic City went bankrupt - a business which is usually a "license to print money".  Most of his other businesses have been scams that provide little (or no) value for money spent, such as Trump Water, Trump Steaks, and Trump University.  (The latter a known fraud which resulted in a $25,000,000 settlement to his victims.)  Both big and small investors have been scammed by this person, and now he's made the United States his final target.

What does the snowflake want?  First, I think he's motivated by extracting as much money as he can out of America, whether it is a series of sweetheart deals that have foreign governments pay him bribes in all but name (does anyone remember the Trump hotel in Washington, DC?), or whether it is by insider trading of anything valuable in the American economy.  Second, I think that he's looking to become an all-powerful dictator who can accept no challenge to his idea of current reality.  He's a man without principle, and will sell anyone and everyone out for short term gain.  He craves public recognition, something which was denied him in the hometown that despises him - New York.

How much am I concerned? 

Well, I will send in paperwork for my second citizenship and passport when I return from the cruise I am taking next week.  More importantly, I am worried about what border control will look for on my phone when I return from my short cruise, assuming I am targeted for things I have posted online.  Right now, I still have a presumption of "Due Process" as an American citizen.  But how long will that last?  More importantly, can it last with all of the people who have sold their souls to support him?

Even in retirement, I am still busy.

 

I originally had a very busy day scheduled for today.  First, I had to pick up a suit from the cleaners.  Then, I had to drive to Long Island to let the contractors in to replace a chimney liner, After that, I was supposed to drive to RQS's place to drop off the suit I'd be wearing on our upcoming cruise.  And, finally, I'd be driving hope to participate in a co-op board meeting.  If it weren't for the folk dealing with the chimney liner, I'd have spent the day in Marian mode.  Instead, it felt strange to be wearing trousers and not carrying a handbag.

But first....

After getting dressed, my plans had me picking up my suit at the dry cleaners.  I was there by 9 am, but no one showed up before I had to leave at 9:20.  Leaving around 9:20 would leave me enough slack time to compensate for the expected traffic jams I'd encounter on the way to Long Island.  And I needed every minute, so that I could get to the family homestead by 11 am.

Normally, after 9 am, southbound route 9a moves smoothly through Ossining.  Recently, NYS DOT crimped a 2 lane road to 1 lane just after the top of a long hill, causing traffic to back up for a mile.  There was no way I was going to get stuck in this jam, so I took back roads to bypass 95% of the snarl, and saved 15 minutes in the process.  Next, I encountered another traffic jam in another area which never backs up.  So, again, I took another highway south, avoiding the worst of this jam.  Finally, I made it to an East River bridge with 40 minutes to complete a 25 minute drive.  With a stop to pick up the day's lunch, I made it to the homestead by 11, where I waited for the chimney people to come.

At 11:30, the chimney people arrived, and they were gone by 12:30.  Not having a suit to bring to RQS's place, I decided to drive home for my next appointment - the co-op board meeting.  But first, I had to pick up my suit.  When I got to the cleaners, the lady behind the counter gave a lame excuse - she had to pick up (or deliver) something.  I wasn't going to get into an argument with this irresponsible lady.  Instead, I picked up my suit and vowed never to do business with this place again.  Instead, I'll go to one of the two other established places in town and be sure that I can pick up my clothes when I want/need to do so.

With a couple hours rest, I initiated the co-op board's zoom meeting.  We had some problems at first, and the applicant we expected had a hard time connecting with Zoom.  But eventually, we accomplished what we needed to do, and discussed board business that I can't report here.  Finally, at 8:30 pm, my day ended, and I could finally rest.