Bermuda Cruise 2024 #2 - Disembarkation Day (11/03/24)

 

(A blurry view of the Statue of Liberty at 4:30 am)

We had a busy morning.  Both of us woke up around 4 am, just after the ship passed under the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge.  This was fortunate, as RQS wanted to try and get a shot of the statue from our balcony.  However, the above photo was the best shot from both of our phones, as our phones were not equipped to capture low light images from a moving ship.

When we reached the pier, we got ready to leave the cabin for the last time - we showered, dressed, packed our carry-on bags, and checked the room for forgotten things before going to breakfast.  Breakfast was the worst meal we had on the ship, as both service was very slow and the quality of the eggs were bad enough for us to order freshly fried eggs.  Just before our replacement eggs were delivered, our luggage tag color was called, and we proceeded off the ship.

Using a cane off the ship had an advantage for us, as we were routed to a priority path to reach our luggage. Once in the luggage pick up area, we were directed to the small area where both our bags were stored.  And then, it was a short trip through the customs stations then to the cabs waiting across from the cruise terminal.

We were at Grand Central in less than 15 minutes, and home by 10:15 am.  Finally, our Bermuda trip was at an end.  Both of us are now ready to take another cruise - and we just got off the ship!  Now back to our regularly scheduled lives.

Bermuda Cruise 2024 #2 - Sea Day # 3 (11/02/24)

 

It's fitting that the day started with overcast skies.  Tomorrow, we'd be heading home from the cruise terminal, and dealing with traffic issues triggered by the NYC Marathon.  To most, it's a symbol of New York supporting athletics.  To people in transit to other places, it's a pain in the *** that can't be avoided.

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The day started with us waking up early to have one last relaxed breakfast in the main dining room.  Although the quality of food was as good as usual, the service was sloppy at best.  This might have been triggered by too many people trying to eat at Taste or Savor at the same time, or it might have been caused by bad management of these dining areas.  I won't bother to take a guess about which scenario is true. 

Once done with breakfast, it was off to the photo gallery to select one photo of the two of us that we could frame in each of our apartments.  We selected a nice photo, and then went to the duty free liquor store, where I burnt off the rest of my non-refundable cruise credits (along with a few extra dollars) on a bottle of Amaretto.  And, finally, it was back to our cabin to finish packing, accommodating our late dinner at Le Bistro (a specialty restaurant).

One of the benefits I have with my Platinum loyalty status is to get luggage tags that give me a priority in leaving the ship on disembarkation day. We went to Guest Services and got bad information from one of the crew manning the area.  After a wasted trip to our cabin, we ended up going to Guest Services again and asking for our yellow luggage tags - which we got without anyone checking our status.  Now, I know what I have to do on future NCL cruises to get priority disembarkation.

Around 8 pm, we pushed our bags into the hall for delivery to the pier, and then proceeded to the ship's French restaurant for dinner. We ordered wine with our dinner, and never had to show our cruise card for it. Could the staff be using some system to remember that we had the drink package on a prior visit to the restaurant?  Or, did they stop giving a damn about checking for drink package cruisers?  Given the behavior of other bar crew personnel on this cruise for soda and alcohol orders, I'm not sure of what is going on. RQSr and I started with the Mushroom soup, and I followed that with some more Escargot.  RQS had the Dover Sole, while I had the Beef Tenderloin.  Both were yummy.  And then both of us finished with the Strawberries and Cream over Sponge Cake.  This was pleasant, but I'd rather have had a simple Napoleon to finish off the meal.

When we were done with dinner, it was back to the cabin to try and sleep, as tomorrow would be a busy day.

Bermuda Cruise 2024 #2 - Sea Day # 2 (11/01/24)

 

 

2:00 am - All Aboard!

 

7:30 am - Already at Sea!

Technically, the ship was in port until 7 am this morning. However, all aboard time was 2 am, meaning that for all practical purposes, this was a sea day.

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RQS and I got up late enough to miss all vestiges of breakfast.  I took my time in getting moving, and we decided to go to one of the ship's casual dining venues, the American Diner, around 11:45 am.  When we got there, there were 20 people in line ahead of us.  While waiting, we bumped into our newfound friend and chatted for a while.  Luckily, the line started to move at noon (when service started), and we were politely able to end our conversation without further commitments to meet again.

This dining venue is in a sheltered area above the lido deck, but it still outdoor dining.  Given how busy the place is, we were glad to get there to be seated promptly.  But then we had to wait for service.  Eventually, someone took our beverage order, and then our food order.  Both beverages and food took a relatively long time to come to the table.  RQS and I had different opinions on our salads, as I had the Caesar Salad and she had the Greek Salad. I enjoyed the Chicken Chili, and she enjoyed her Nachos.  Eventually, the main course came - a Cheeseburger for me and Pulled Pork Sliders for her.  Even if the burgers were the same as from O'Sheehans downstairs, it tasted better for some reason.  As for the pork sliders, RQS enjoyed them, but couldn't eat all of them.  I tasted the one she didn't eat and i wasn't impressed - I guess I wasn't in the mood for any meat drenched in BBQ sauce.

After lunch we took our time in getting back to our rooms to take a nap.  I needed it, for again, I woke up early and couldn't get back to sleep again.  On our way back to the room, we noticed that a larger than normal number of people (for this cruise) were outside sunning themselves by the pool area.  This would be the last warm day we'd likely have before reaching port, and I might have been soaking myself in the hot tubs had I brought my swimsuit and other falsies.

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After our nap, it was time to go to the photo gallery and look at the pictures taken of us dressed to the nines.  Most were OK, but I wish we had been on MSC for this cruise, as formal nights were truly formal nights.  On NCL, they only have "Glow" nights, where people may opt to dress nicer than usual.  Yet, we got a few nice pictures taken of us,   On the way there, we met a couple dressed to the nines - the gentleman was in his Marine Corps finest, while his wife was decked out in a beautiful gown.  I'd have loved to have seen their photo shoot!

Next stop was another one of the complimentary main dining rooms, the Manhattan room.  This restaurant is similar to the other 2 complimentary restaurants (Taste and Savor), save that it is larger and has space for people to dance if the background music causes a couple to leave their table to dance a bit.

Dancing wasn't in the cards for us this night, as we were both hungry and interested in what was on the menu.  I started with the Baked Brie Salad, followed by the Chicken & Shrimp Paella.  It was good, but not as good as I've had in a favorite Spanish restaurant that is long shuttered.  For dessert, it was a pair of eclairs.  They were tasty, but not exactly what I would have wanted to finish the meal.

At this point, we were getting tired, so we went back to the room and retired for the night.

 

 

Bermuda Cruise 2024 #2 - Port Day # 3 (10/31/24)

 

Halloween.  Our last day in port.  We decided to stay near the ship and do our exploring in the Royal Naval Dockyard area.  

The day started with us NOT meeting up with our new friend, and eating our breakfast in the main dining room.  This allowed us to enjoy our breakfast conversation and decide where we wanted to go without worrying how we might entertain someone attaching herself to us.

We left the ship after lunch, and proceeded to the Bermuda National Museum.  Most of the exhibits are in the former Commissioner's house.  The lower level of the house was dedicated to exhibits related to the defense of the island.  The main floor was dedicated to the settlement history of Bermuda, including its involvement in the slave trade.  The upper level of the building was dedicated to Bermuda's art, as well as a room dedicated to America's successful capture of a WW2 U-Boat.

By the time we finished with the museum, we were tired and ready to eat some lunch before resting.  So we trekked back to the ship and proceeded to the buffet for a late lunch.  Afterwards, we rested for a few hours before changing for dinner.  It's been a long time since I've put on a pair of stockings and tried to look my best.  But RQS said I looked good enough.  So we proceeded to the ship's French Restaurant, Le Bistro.

On the way to the restaurant, we lost track of each other.  Eventually, after playing IM Tag, we found each other and got the first set of pictures taken of us.  And then, it was time for dinner.  As expected, dinner was yummy. RQS had the Mushroom Soup, while I had the Onion Soup and Escargot for starters.  (I love French snails when properly cooked!)  For our main course, RQS had the Pork Chop, while I had the Coq au Vin. (French vittles are quite tasty when done right - and these were done right.)  We finished the bottle of wine from last night's dinner, and enjoyed food that neither of us would normally get at home.

Our next stop after dinner was to get another set of pictures taken of us.  While posing, a parade of costumed cruisers walked by, and neither of us could capture the parade with our cameras.  About the only shot I got that was worthwhile was of a person dressed in a dinosaur suit at the top of the stairs.  Afterwards, we listened to a couple of singers in the atrium area before going upstairs for the night.

On the whole, it was a nice day - especially now that we may have formal pictures of the two of us with me presenting as Marian. 

Bermuda Cruise 2024 #2 - Port Day # 2 (10/30/24)

 

This would turn out to be a nice day, in spite of our new friend accompanying us to breakfast, and then to St. George, Bermuda.  But first....

This would be my second day presenting as Marian on Bermuda.  The weather was a little windier and cooler than I originally planned for, so I knew that the dresses I wanted to wear on this trip might not cooperate with me while on the island.  Should I have brought a trouser like garment to wear on windy days?  As much as I'd have wanted one yesterday, I wouldn't need one by the end of the day - the winds died down quite a bit over the time we were there.

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Neither of us wanted to get up early.  Given that we had arranged to meet our new friend downstairs, we felt like we should keep our word and meet her.  However, this would prove to be a taxing decision, as our new friend is the type who latches onto people and expects them to do the work in a friendship.  For example, another friend of this lady said that she'd meet her at a bar near St. George.  However, she had no idea of how to get there.  Did this friend of ours do any research?  No.  It was if she expected everything to be handed to her.  Later, when we got on the ferry together, she could have asked the guides for help - but didn't.  RQS had gotten tired of this lady, and we were glad that she went out on her own after we got off the ferry.

Once on land, we saw the town crier as he announced that they would simulate the dunking of an old hag at 1:00 pm.  This sounded like too much fun to miss.  So we walked down to where the dunking was to be held, and we were not disappointed - it was fun to watch. (On the way there, we listened to a tour guide tell her group about Bermuda's connection to the American Revolution, and how it was treated before and during our war of independence - a truly friendly relationship.) But then, we wanted to get some food before going back to the ship.  So it was off to find a place where we could eat an affordable meal.

On the way back, we stumbled into a Bermuda museum dedicated mostly of Bermuda's connection to the American Civil War, and how many people in this neutral island profited off the war.  It's nice to know that this British possession had/has such a good relationship with the USA.  Although I didn't take many pictures there, it is a place well worth visiting when in St. George, Bermuda. After we found a place to eat, we went back to the ferry and took it back to our ship.  It was nice to be able to rest a bit before dinner.

 

 

 

Our next stop was the Italian restaurant onboard ship, La Cucina.  We weren't disappointed by this specialty restaurant's food.  However, we wouldn't make it a habit to eat here, as we can get good/great Italian food at many places int he NYC area. The house salad and the calamari were very good, and I couldn't finish the Osso Buco we each had as a main course.  The only disappointment, if we could have one was that we each had only one Cannoli without any espresso with Sambuca to finish off the meal properly/  Shortly after dinner, it was off to the main theater to see a show where 4 singers performed Broadway show tunes.  This was better than the usual fare on most ships, as both RQS and I were clapping by the end of the show....

Bermuda Cruise 2024 #2 - Port Day # 1 (10/29/24)

 

The day started out with having breakfast in the buffet with our new friend.  RQS mentioned that she is a relative newbie to cruising and travel, by the way she approaches things.  But I'll get into that later.

There was a part of me that was afraid to go onshore as Marian today.  Even though I asked the right questions of the right people, I am always concerned when I visit a new place as Marian.  So, when the ship pulled into port around 1:30 pm, I knew that I was going to confront my fear head on.  

While eating lunch, the ship made port and it took a while for Bermuda customs to give the ship clearance to discharge passengers.  Around 3:00 pm, we were off the ship and on our way to the Clocktower Mall to do some shopping.  And that's where I dropped $50 on a necklace and a bracelet that I could wear later on. However, the stores closed relatively early (in relation to the ship's arrival), and we ended up walking back to the ship around 5:30 pm.  

It was very windy, and my hair was all mussed up.  But I continued my walk to the pier knowing that I'd have to pull my passport out and possibly risk a confrontation.  Thankfully, my worries were all in vain.  Bermuda is now a port I can safely visit as Marian without worry.

 

Shortly after we got back on the ship, we decided to have dinner in one of the main dining rooms.  But first, we changed one of our French Restaurant reservations to the Italian restaurant onboard the ship.  Although it is one of the line's specialty restaurants, we are not impressed by Italian eateries, as they are a dime a dozen in the NYC area. 

I decided to have the Onion soup and the NY Strip steak.  Sadly, I was not impressed by the soup, as there wasn't enough cheese on top to balance out the flavor of the onions. However, the steak was as good as I remembered - not good enough for a place like Gallagher's in NYC, but good enough to enjoy on a cruise ship.  As we were about to finish our meal, we saw our friend again, and decided to meet up with her after she finished her dinner.

When we finally caught up with each other, we got a drink from the bar (a big mistake) and went to the buffet area where we could talk without shouting over the din of others yammering away.  Around 10 pm, we parted and agreed to meet tomorrow for another breakfast.

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.

- - - - - - 

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....

Odd Stuff Going On Here!

 

As I write this, it's 2  weeks before Election Day.  No matter what happens, I expect to see some serious problems resulting from the election.  Did the Orange Cry Baby Win?  Did the Orange Cry Baby Lose?  Right now, it looks like he's doing his best to undermine election results if he loses, and is trying to rally his cult members to do what they feel they have to in order to put their cult leader in charge of this country.

One of my Facebook Friends (a loose acquaintance at best) has drunk the MAGA Kool-Aid.   She loves to post anti-Democrat memes, even when objective evidence is all against her.  No amount of evidence can prove to a cult member that their view of the world is wrong - something from inside must trigger the self transformation.  The older one gets and the stronger a belief is held, the harder it is to see objective reality.

Why do I mention this?

In the case of the Orange Cry Baby, I worry that we'll see a repeat of the theme of January 6, 2021 - force the election to the house, and the GOP will put the Cry Baby in the White House.  I pray that this doesn't happen.

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Now that I've gotten my worries out of the way for now, I'd like to mention that I picked RQS's luggage up from her house, so that she need not schlep it on the subway and then onto Metro North to get here before our second Bermuda cruise together.  We had a nice meal together, and then it was time to leave.  Her neighbor was in the hall, and I was dressed as Marian, so I chose to wait a few minutes before leaving her apartment.

Just before leaving, DCD called - and I returned his call while on the road.  He's finally got my old car on the road, and it is enabling him to go to work.  No, he isn't earning that much.  But the car is doing what I wanted for it to do for him - have a way to get to work and start rebuilding his life.  We talked about a lot of things, and he was a little embarrassed about the mistakes he has made in his life.  I told him NOT to live in the past.  He can't change it, and dwelling there is not a good thing.  Instead, focus on today, and let tomorrow take care of itself.

When I got home, I found that I couldn't make reservations at the restaurant that RQS and I wanted to go to for Thanksgiving.  So I hunted around and found an acceptable place (a steakhouse) that is serving a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.  Hopefully, this place will be as nice as the place we wanted to go to.  And if a place opens up at Hudson House, we'll drop the old reservation and make a new one there.

A pleasant surprise from distant friends.

 

The 2023 Chicago Girls' Trip.  This is where RQS and I got the chance to meet our Texas friends in person.  We all agreed that we didn't spend enough time together on this trip.

But first....

It's been a year since we were all together, and we've hinted to our friends that we should get together again soon.  For the most part, it's gone over like a lead balloon, but that's OK.  We'd still be friends, and chalk up their reluctance to factors beyond our control.

Tonight's conversation took a different path than usual.  Usually, RQS gets on quickly.  But tonight, I had to try calling her - with no response.  I was concerned that something might have happened to her.  She does live in NYC after all.  But no, all was OK.  She took a nap, and didn't wake up when her Alexa's alarm went off.  She has gotten in the habit of telling her device to let her sleep for 15 minutes or so, and does this while semi-conscious. So, around 8:30 pm, she came into the chat, and she told the story about her doorway being replaced.

After RQS joined us, I showed off some pictures from our Bermuda cruise, and then the chat shifted towards other trips.  (I won't go into detail here, as it is not my story to tell.)  And then I was asked: "Why don't I come to Texas, when I'd go to New Orleans."  I mentioned that New Orleans was a LGBT friendly island in a deep red state, while Texas doesn't protect my rights.  However, I noted that Texas didn't make me going to the loo a criminal act as it would be in Florida.  So I might end up spending a day or two in Dallas one of these years.  But first, people like Ted Cruz and Greg Abbott must be voted out of office.  Who knows, there may be a New Orleans trip in the cards for us in 2025.

And then we all had to go.  But we made plans to have another Zoom call between Election Day and Thanksgiving.  Hopefully, we'll have good news to celebrate that week....

I wasn't sure of what I should write about today. (a short post)

 

 

 

Columbus Day.  It may not be politically correct to call it this anymore.  But I've never been politically correct - just honest.  We stole this land "Fair and Square" from the best of peoples and we can't afford to give it back. 

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Neither RQS nor I had much drive to go outside today.  So, it was a "Jammie Day" for us.  We did some planning for next year's Alaska cruise, as well as discussing what we will do on our next Bermuda cruise. As you can guess, the high points of our day were watching YouTube videos, and the 3 meals we would eat.

 

On other matters, my brother may not be doing Thanksgiving this year.  So RQS and I will likely eat somewhere nearby for the holiday.  Of course, I'll have to choose the restaurant, and I'll be looking for one that's not too expensive.

 

It's hard to believe that I've been participating in the study for almost 2 months now.  Soon, I'll be going in for my second MRI, and then interviewed to see how I feel my skills have been developed by the games I've been playing.  Hopefully, I'll get a chance to read the results of the study when it is complete.

 

Hopefully, I'll have enough time to pack for our upcoming cruise.  After our afternoon nap, I showed RQS some of the dresses I have to choose from for formal night. As much as I might want to take the dressy jumpsuit I wore on my first cruise with FCP, I'm leaning towards something less formal for an NCL cruise,  (I'd go more dressy for MSC, HAL and Princess.)  The gown I bought for FCP's son's wedding doesn't work for me any more, as I prefer stronger and darker colors these days.

By now, I figure that I did find enough to talk about today.  Hopefully, you found it of interest.

Bermuda Cruise 2024 #1 - Disembarkation Day (10/06/24)

 

This morning, we returned to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. Here's the best view I could get of the ship before we got on the ferry at Red Hook.  But first....

Begrudgingly, RQS and I got up at 5:30 am in order to be out of our cabin by 7:30 am.  So, both of us finished repacking our carry-on bags, got showered and dressed, then headed off to the main dining room for our last breakfast on the ship.  After 7 days, we finally have the knack of getting what we want from the ship, and we'll miss ship life for a while.  Once done with breakfast, it was time to wait for a while, as our disembarkation group was not scheduled to be called until 9:45 am or so.

Having cruised with MSC before, I knew that we could wait in the "handicapped waiting area" across from the main dining room.  RQS and I asked if we could wait there instead of going to the theater and dealing with stairs, and then going back to the other end of the ship to leave it for the last time.  We were told we were welcome to wait in this area, and RQS was able to catch up on her reading for an hour and a half. 

Finally, our boarding group was called and we proceeded into the cruise terminal.  Compared with the task of finding our bags in the Manhattan Cruise Terminal, doing this in Brooklyn was easy, as luggage is scattered over a larger area and is easier to find. Once I located our luggage, it was off to US Customs' stations to be processed, and then we were free to leave the terminal.

Once out of the terminal, we figured that we'd skip the headache of dealing with getting an Uber at the pier. Instead, we'd deal with the headache of cars getting in and out of the cruise terminal area by taking the ferry to the Atlantic Avenue/Brooklyn Bridge park (Pier 6) and getting our Uber outside of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal area.  After waiting 45 minutes for the ferry to come, we took the ferry to its next stop, got off, and summoned an Uber.  The car arrived just 5 minutes later - we likely saved the driver at least 15 minutes (each way) by picking us up a mile away from the pier, saving us $30 as well!

We arrived at RQS's place at 11:30 am, and it was time to call my brother to pick me up.  He arrived at 12:30 pm, and I was on my way home with a stop at my brother's house to have lunch.  Around 3:00 pm, I was on my way home, and got there in a little over an hour.  Once I brought my bags upstairs, it was time to fall out for a couple of hours, as I needed some well earned rest....

Bermuda Cruise 2024 #1 - Sea Day #5 (10/05/24)

 

RQS and I decided to get up late today, as this would be our last day on the ship. We didn't get moving until 10 am, and made it to the main dining room for brunch.  Instead of my usual breakfast, I decided to start with Buccatini with Clam Sauce.  As would be expected with an Italian cruise line, this dish was yummy!  If you cruise MSC in the future, try to have this dish at least once on your cruise, as you won't be disappointed.  However, if you are asked to share a table, think twice.  There are a large number of Asians who will keep to themselves if seated with Occidentals.

After brunch, it was back to the cabin to pack.  I put all my dirty clothes in my large suitcase, with the plan to unload everything into the washing machine once I get home.  RQS took a little more time, as she has yet to perfect a routine for dealing with end-of-cruise packing that can be used on 7-day cruises.  After a little rest, it was back to the buffet for one last lunch before going back to the cabin to finish packing. Once finished, it was time to rest again.  I don't know what caused us to be tired today, as we had more than enough sleep last night.  And then it was time for dinner.

It was our last trip to the main dining room, and it was Italian night.  The staff greeted the diners by singing some song as diners walked to their tables.  The tables were decked out in the colors of the Italian flag, while the wait staff wore vests and ties with the same colors.  All the highlighted foods would be found in a typical Italian restaurant, and I chose the Veal Osso Buco.  Yum!  I'll be sure to diet after the cruise ends - I feel bloated from all the tasty food we ate on board.

One thing of note: Our new table mates next to us noted that the NCL Joy made it to Bermuda the day we left, and was still in port as of Friday.  I wonder what changed with the weather forecast....?

Finally, it was time to go back to our cabin, and put our luggage outside. The next time we see these bags will be on the pier tomorrow morning.  I'll be glad to go home tomorrow, but also be sad to see this cruise end.