Bermuda Cruise 2024 #2 - Sea Day # 1 (10/28/24)

 

This was our first full sea day on the ship.  We were scheduled to meet our new friend after breakfast. But we didn't know whether she's want to lunch with us.  So, we went to the buffet for a light bite, then met our new friend at Starbucks before going to a more quiet location to chat.  After chatting for 90 minutes, we arranged to meet again.

 

Later on, we went for lunch in the main dining room.  Although the service was a little sloppy, the food was up to the standards we remembered on prior NCL sailings.  I found it funny to find a Bay Scallop appetizer being served in Escargot plates.   Afterwards, we went to our room to nap a little. 

After our nap, we debated getting dressed up for a nice picture.  However, I felt that people were dressing a little too casually for us to get dressed up for a photo.  So I said to dress casually for dinner, and we proceeded to the Churrascaria for Brazilian BBQ.  Surprisingly, neither of us gorged on food.  Nor, did i take any pictures of what was being brought to our table. We were still feeling full from breakfast and lunch.  But we enjoyed the food we did have.

I was feeling a little tired, while RQS wanted to see what they had in the stores.  While I was in the room, RQS stopped by the casino and won a few dollars.  Yay!  Now, we can afford the formal photographs we want taken on a future day on the ship.

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PS: The afternoon ship announcement mentioned that the ship had returned to NYC overnight, and was expected to reach Bermuda 2-3 hours late.  At least, we won't lose 2 days in port due to weather on this trip.

Bermuda Cruise 2024 #2 - Embarkation Day (10/27/24)

 

Today, RQS and I were to take our second Bermuda cruise.  And the day started off with us not getting enough sleep before starting to get ready for the day.

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Our alarms woke us up around 7:30 - 8:00, and we proceeded to get showered, dressed, and ready to go.  Both of us did some last minute packing before calling the cab that brought us to the train station.  When the cab arrived, there was an old lady in the car who was being taken to the local church.  Because of this detour, we missed the train we wanted to take, but barely had enough time to take the local to Grand Central.

Once at Grand Central, it was time for a bio break before taking a cab to the pier.  Traffic was fouled up more than usual for a Sunday, as the ex-president was going to have a Bund Rally at MSG later in the day. Yet, we made it to the pier by 1 pm, and were on the ship by 1:30.  After we dropped off our bags and checked in at the muster station, it was time for lunch in one of the main dining rooms.

After we had food in our stomachs, it was time for a nap. Now that we were rested, we relaxed in our room for a bit before going to the noodle bar for dinner.  Although the food was tasty, neither of us would make it a habit of going there when on the ship.  (As of 1/1/25, the restaurant will no longer be complimentary, thus creating another disincentive to go there.)  And then it was on to the main theater to see a comedy show.

In the past, I remember most NCL theater shows being 60+ minutes long. Tonight's comedy performance was only 45 minutes long, and I fell asleep during the show. All I could remember was one comedian talking about defecation (he used a more vulgar word) and being bored by his act.  While in the theater, RQS struck up a conversation with a solo traveler, and we proceeded to continue our chat after the show ended.

Both of us were getting tired, and we made arrangements to see our new friend again before parting.  Then, it was off to bed for the two of us.

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PS: There was a medical emergency that caused the ship to go back to NYC to get a passenger appropriate medical help.  This will affect the time that is needed for us to reach Bermuda.  Let's hope that it is only a short delay.

T minus One and counting

 

Saturday.  The last day I had to get ready for the upcoming cruise.  Was I ready?  No.  But some things have to be prioritized, and others have to be dropped from the schedule.  And yet, I had last minute complications....

When I woke up, I found that a file had gotten corrupted on my computer.  Unfortunately, this file made it possible for me to restart my email client.  After looking around on the internet for a solution, I was of the mind to delete everything in the "Program Files" folder related to Thunderbird, and reinstall from scratch.  One problem - some files just didn't want to be deleted, even with me in administrator mode.  So, I renamed the folder, and reinstalled everything.  After a couple of tries, I was able to restore the program and was lucky to have the bulk of my old emails.

RQS didn't get moving until 11 am or so.  (I had awakened earlier, and finished fixing my computer problem before going into the living room to chill.) Neither of us were in the mood to start getting ready to go out until 12:30, but this would mean that we wouldn't be going to the movies later on. By the time we got out the door, I ended up changing my dress because it was too warm to wear the heavy dress I had first put on.  (It would have been perfect after the sun had set, but this was yet the daytime.) And then we were off to the nail salon for our mani-pedis. 

Both of us were starting to get hungry, but our next stop was Micro Center.  I needed to buy a new cell phone charger and RQS needed to buy a cruise safe power outlet.  Sadly, RQS could not find what she wanted in Micro Center (or in Best Buy later on).  By the time we left Micro Center, we were both very hungry.  I was getting weak due to low sugar level (I had much less than usual to eat) and needed to eat something soon.  So off to the one Arby's I knew of in Westchester.

I'm not sure of how many of my readers have eaten at Arby's, but i remembered their Roast Beef as being very tasty.  Their Yonkers outlet was very small, and designed for take-out customers.  It took a few minutes for us to get our food, as only two people were manning the store - both doing food preparation duties when not at the cash register.  Although the sandwich was tasty, it did not fit my memories of the place.  Yet, I might go there again if I have a craving for a roast beef sandwich.

Once done with food, we returned home (with a stop for ice cream),  By the time we neared home, I was glad to be wearing leggings under my dress.  Hopefully, I won't return to weather colder than this when our ship comes back from Bermuda.

T minus Two and counting

 

As I write this, it's late Friday evening, and we still have some last minute tasks to take care of before our Bermuda cruise.  This time, I have to go through the headache of making sure that everything I need is packed and ready for the trip.  This includes going for a mani-pedi sometime in the afternoon, stopping by Micro Center to pick up some electronic doodads, and getting all my luggage ready to go before Sunday morning.

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I completed basic packing for the trip around noon today, stuffing dresses, lingerie, and other things into both of the suitcases coming along on this trip.  (No doubt that I'll check them against a list I made tomorrow afternoon.)  But I still wasn't ready for RQS to arrive - she was coming up 2 hours earlier than usual.

It was rush, rush, rush to be ready for RQS's train.  And even then, I barely got there when she arrived at the station.  From there, it was off to the bank and then to the pizzeria, as we were both hungry.  After a quick stop at the house, we left for the mall where I had a watch battery replaced.  Unfortunately, I didn't know it at the time, but the watch was broken.  So this was a wasted trip.

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By the time we got home, I could have used a nice nap.  But it wasn't even 7 pm yet.  I wonder how I'll feel after of 7 days on a ship....