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.

Eastern Caribbean Cruise - Debarkation Day (02/02/25)

 

Our ship was situated outside New York harbor until roughly 5 am, when the ship started to make port in Brooklyn and end our cruise. The above picture was taken from the ship's port side camera's TV feed.  It's far from the same view when taken from a balcony cabin.

- - - - - -

Neither RQS nor I got enough sleep overnight, and I was awake from 3 am onwards.  Around 7 am, we went to the main dining room for one last time for breakfast.  A lady at the table next to us was on the same cruise I was on for my first MSC cruise, and had similar opinions as I did regarding that cruise. Luckily for us, this cruise was much better all around - the food was better and the entertainment was better.  Yet, service was still hit or miss. Our conversation turned to the day's politics, and people at the table next to her joined in - none of us liked what the Orange Snowflake was doing in DC.

Once breakfast was over, we killed time waiting for our disembarkation group to be called.  Our number was called shortly before 9:30 am, and we proceeded to pick up our luggage and kill time inside the terminal, avoiding having to spend excess time in the cold waiting for a ferry that would take us to Atlantic avenue where we'd summon an Uber.  I noticed that staff was allowing handicapped people to take a shortcut and bypass the snaking line leading to the Customs/Immigration stations on our way out of the building.  So I told RQS to take out her cane, and we saved 15 minutes which we'd spend waiting for the ferry. The ferry came at 10:35, and we were at Atlantic avenue by 11 am, and the Uber got us back to RQS's place by 11:30 am.  However, I would still have to wait before I could go home - my brother couldn't pick me up until 4 pm.  So, I rested a while, and my brother arrived when expected.  

We were at the family homestead 30 minutes later, and we discussed what was needed to bring the house up to snuff for rental.  In addition to absolutely needed repairs, we may end up adding a half bath in the basement to increase the rent we can charge. Then, finally, I loaded my bags into my car and drove home.  With a stop for dinner and some food shopping factored in, it didn't take me long to get home.  Finally, I can sleep in my own bed again!

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.

- - - - - -

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....