Day 6 - New York City - 07/04/2009

Last day . We were scheduled to disembark at 8:00 AM and we had already decided to self-assist, so we were all packed the night before. We woke up a little before 5:00 and could see land on the horizon. Couldn't tell what it was though, perhaps Long Island or possibly Connecticut. Finally had a clear enough sky that we could see a sunrise.

There's land out there on the horizon if you look really closely

Sunrise over some unidentifiable land

A sailboat welcomes us back to NYC

After some coffee from the Lido deck and showers it was light enough outside that we could make out landmarks, including the Manhattan skyline in the distance. We went outside on the forward Panorama deck to pass under the Verrazano Narrows Bridge and I do have to say that it's much more impressive from the deck than from the balcony. Back down to the balcony to watch us pull into Pier 90. This time we were on the city side, so we saw the Intrepid and the Concorde, both of which are at the next pier.

Manhattan skyline

Approaching the Verrazano Narrows Bridge

Phew! Just cleared it!

Concorde

A tall ship at Pier 92

Almost home

This gangway does not inspire confidence!

The ship was in on time and tied at the pier. They did VIP disembarkation and then started self-assist right around 8:00 I believe. They do this by deck and started with Riviera (Deck

1). We were Panorama (Deck 10), so we figured we had a little while to wait. 10 minutes later, they called Main (Deck 2) and another 10 minutes after that Upper (Deck 6). Then it stopped. Nothing for about 30 minutes.

We had been asked to vacate the staterooms by 8:30 so that they could start turning them over for the next cruise, so we had gathered all our bags and gone out to the area right outside the Panorama doors to the Lido deck (at the end of our hallway). We grabbed a couple seats by the forward pool and watched a couple minutes of CNN (still All Michael Jackson, All the Time). After 5 minutes or so, a couple of maintenance workers came up and started putting up caution tape and preparing power sanders to sand the benches surrounding the pool right in front of our seats. Knowing that this was going to create a bunch of dust we decided to head down to the lobby and find a place to wait.

We got off the elevators and the line for Deck 6 was still twisting through the Lobby. We saw the "special assistance" people still waiting in the Rome Lounge, so we just kind of hung out by the door to the lounge. One of the Fun Patrol members was in there with them and was asking how many of them had all their luggage and were doing self-assist. He told them that once the line started moving he would let them disembark. We decided that we would sneak off with them.

The line finally started moving again after about 15 minutes and we just jumped in line. Got to the gangway and walked right off. No one checking to make sure your deck had been cleared.

Headed to the customs area and got in line. A long line, but moving very quickly...never stood still, just kept walking through the que. A customs agent was yelling for people to make sure that they had their "decoration forms" completed and their passports out. The group of Asian people in front of us were resident aliens and when they got to the front of the line, the customs agent directing people to windows noticed that they had resident alien cards, not passports and had to move them to another line. They spoke very limited English it seems and had a hard time understanding why they had to move to another line after waiting in this one. Still, it only delayed us by about 90 seconds. Because the federal government doesn't recognize same sex couples as families, we had to go to separate agents as two distinct households. We were each asked if we were bringing any food or alcohol with us. Responded in the negative and received an official "Welcome Home" from the US Government.

Took the elevator up to the parking level on the roof, put the bags in the car and were home by noon.

All in all, it was a great vacation. I'm still waiting for someone to make my bed while I'm at breakfast in the morning, for someone to cook my meals and clean up after them, for someone to entertain me at night just a few hundred yards from my door and to wake up in a different city each morning, but I think I'll have to wait for the next cruise for this to happen.

I hear that Canadian cruises are a bit more quiet than Carribean cruises and I would agree, but sometimes quiet is what you want. For us it was relaxing. Neither of us are beach people and we enjoy traveling to cooler locations in the summer and warmer locations in the winter. I think Carnival met our expectations in all areas. The food was always at least good, sometimes great, the room was lovely and larger than expected, the entertainment was entertaining (if not Broadway), the crew was pleasant and helpful and the ship was in great shape for being 10 years old. Halifax was a great city. I'd book an excursion in Saint John for next year since it won't be Canada Day and it might be a little too quiet otherwise.

We'll be booking the same cruise next year in a few weeks for mom's 70th birthday with all her brothers and sisters and their spouses and a couple of her friends from the senior center.

The End.

Day Five Capers

Day Five - At Sea - 07/03/2009

The sugar coma from the cake and hot chocolate Thursday evening allowed us to sleep late. Well, late for us. We woke up about 6 AM. Again, it was very foggy outside when we looked out on the balcony. Showered and dressed, we headed to the Paris Dining Room for breakfast. Jeff had poached eggs and corned beef hash. The eggs were nicely done, but the hash, while tasty, could have been a bit crisper. I had the eggs benedict. Definitely the best breakfast I had on board. Had I known, we would have been at the dining room every morning.

We decided to go to Win A Cruise bingo before the debarkation talk. There were some problems with the bingo machine but they eventually got it working and Natalia, the Asst Cruise Director, got down to business. Her personality was a bit abrasive and 10:15 AM was probably a bit early in the morning for most people to deal with her trying to get them revved up and participating, but we played along. Didn't win although Jeff came close.

The debarkation talk with Jorge (the Cruise Director) was standard stuff, but since we hadn't cruised before, it was new to us. They really pushed self-debarkation as the fastest and easiest way off the ship. I had heard on Cruise Critic that this run on the Triumph really did get self-assist off pretty quickly so we had already decided to go this way. Some people weren't crazy about Jorge, but we found him to be a riot. He went through his "Top 10 Questions Cruise Staff Get Asked" which included jems such as "Jorge, does this staircase go up or down?" "Does the Waitstaff live onboard" (A: No, we page them and they come in on jet skis every day) and "Does this ship generate it's own electricity?" (A: No, there's a really long extension cord running back to New York). He also urged us to tip the maitre' de who was responsible for making sure the dining room ran smoothly, but more importantly for training the staff to sing "Happy Birthday to Jew" and "Happy 'Versary to Jew".

After the talk we walked around and took photos of the ship, played a bit in the casino (I lost $50 on video poker, Jeff won $80 on the nickel slots!) then headed back to the room. The lunch menu in the dining room didn't appeal to us that day so we just ordered room service. Jeff had a roast beef and brie sandwich and I had the tuna on an english muffin. Both very good. We washed them down with cheesecake.

Lido Buffet

"Secret" seating area above Lido buffet

Pizzaria

Coney Island Grill (Burgers & Hot Dogs)

24 hour drinks & soft serve ice cream

Aft pool & hot tubs (hot tubs were adults only)

Mini Golf

Lido deck with Giant TV, mid ship pool, foreward pool

Forward Pool & Hot tubs

Funnel

Spa & Gym Entrance

We did a bit of shopping at the Triumph stores and after a short nap, we went in search of our last drink-of-the-day. It had warmed up quite a bit and the outdoor decks were hopping. We found seats on the sides of the Panorama/Lido area and flagged down a cocktail server. Jeff wanted a "Fun Ship Funnel" souvenier cup, so he ordered one for each of us. I'm not even sure what the drink was inside it, but it was strong and tasty. A fellow passenger walking by offered to take our picture.




We headed back to the room to pack and found our disembarkation info and luggage tags (we would be group 18 if we decided to let them take our baggage for us). We packed, sat on the balcony and read for a while and then dressed for our final dinner.




There was a table of 10 or so in the back of the second floor of Paris Dining Room around the corner from us. We referred to them as "the loud table" They looked to be 50's to early 60's. If you're from the Philly area you'll know what I mean when I say they looked like "Main Line Ladies Who Lunch" They certainly were having a good time every night we dined in the dining room. Lots of wine, lots of loud laughter. Nothing obnoxious and their waiter didn't seem too overworked by them. (In fact, they always left the dining room and went (I imagine) to the Oxford bar to refill their drinks themselves rather than wait for the waitstaff.)

The "loud table" decided to make a grand entrance that evening in full July 4th regalia, complete with a 6 foot + Uncle Sam with a good 12" tall top hat that had to duck so that his hat would clear the low ceiling on the second floor of the dining room. They entered after everyone else had been seated and marched up the stairs in their red white and blue finery waving the stars and strips and singing "You're A Grand Old Flag".

DINNER:

Appetizers:
Navy Bean Soup (good)
Crabcake (great)
Lobster Bisque (just OK)
Fattoush Salad (looked like a regular spring mix salad with about 6 little pieces of feta in it instead of romaine, cucumber, mint and feta, but tasty)

Main Course:
Cornish Hen (Jeff enjoyed. I don't do cornish hen, so I'll take his word for it)
Chicken Breast over Fettucini with Mushroom Cream Sauce (nice)

Desert:
Grand Marnier Souffle with Vanilla Sauce (best desert the whole cruise)
Cappuchino Pie (ok, but kinda boring)

The waitstaff did their farewell performance of "I'm Leaving On A Fun Ship" (to the tune of "Leaving On A Jet Plane". The "loud" party joined the waiters on the steps which seemed to thrown them a little bit but gave the rest of the dining room something to laugh at!

We were going to hit the "Big Easy" show that evening, but were both still a bit tired from the alcohol in the Funnel sippy cups and tomorrow we expected to be off the ship and driving home fairly early, so we headed to bed.

Towel Animal #5 - Seal

Day Four Capers

Day Four - Halifax - 07/02/2009

OK, sorry for the delay but had a busy day today and then couldn't find my notes! After a thorough search they have been located and the review can be continued (insert applause here)

Still hadn't mastered the art of sleeping in by Thursday, so we were up again around 5 AM. It was VERY foggy outside. Couldn't see much past the railing on this balcony when we opened the curtains. Cool outside, around 60 or so when we got up. I went to get coffee and bring it back to the room. The Lido deck was empty except for a ship's officer having a cigarette and a couple of crew cleaning up to prepare for the breakfast onslaught. About halfway across the deck and the foghorn sounded. I knew it would - it had been sounding all night probably and certainly since we woke up - but I still jumped when I heard it from right under it on deck. Got the coffee and managed not to spill too much of it when the horn sounded again as I walked back to the room.

Breakfast was at the buffet again. This time we had the french toast (yum!).

We were scheduled to disembark at 9:00 but there was an announcement about 8 or so that because of the fog, our arrival would be delayed about 30 minutes and our departure that evening would be pushed back 30 minutes as well. So Jeff went out on the balcony to watch (or try to watch) as we entered Halifax harbor. The fog was so thick that condensation was forming on the railings above our deck and dripping in like rain. Had to put slickers on and hoods up just to stand on the balcony. (Probably should have gone up to the Lido or the "secret" forward deck where there's nothing overhead, but it was too early to think of that.)

We passed McNab Island and could barely see the lighthouse. George's Island isn't too much further into the harbor, but by the time we got to it, the fog had cleared greatly. The pier was on the port side of the ship in Halifax, so we didn't know we were docked at first and thought we had just stopped across from the island. Figured it out fairly quickly and headed down to the gangway to disembark, taking our rain slickers with us since it looked like it might shower.

No excursions planned. We had read that the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic was a short walk up the waterfront and that the Citadel was a short walk from there along with the Historic Properties shopping area. These were the three main things we wanted to see in Halifax. So we walked through the terminal and outside to all the buses waiting to take the excursion people to their destinations. The Halifax terminal is in a very industrial section of the waterfront, near the rail yards and commercial container docks. There are a couple of old industrial buildings being gut rehabbed and construction everywhere. The two or so blocks to the entrance to Harbor Walk (the boardwalk along the harbor) were pretty desolate, but you could see the entrance to Harbor Walk so it wasn't bad.

Halifax from the docked ship

Russ in front of statue of Samuel Cunard (shipbuilder and famous Haligonian)

The distance to the museum seemed much longer than the 1/2 mile we had heard. Perhaps as the crow flies it's a half mile, but the Walk isn't exactly a straight line and follows the various piers. But we got there without any problem and it was a pleasant walk, even if a bit long. Jeff is a big ship/sailing/maritime history buff, so this was a highlight of his trip. It costs about $7.50 or so (US$) for an adult, so the Carnival excursion is really overpriced (although it does get you a bus ride there). The museum has a lot of exhibits about different kinds of ships, but the parts that I remember were the exhibits on the great Halifax explosion (two war ships - one carrying explosives - colliding in the harbor and setting a good portion of the town on fire), an exhibit on Sable Island (of The Perfect Storm fame) and the Titanic exhibit. Even if you're not a maritime junkie, it's an interesting museum. We spent a bit more time there than I would have on my own, but that's what we do for the ones we love :)

Part of the museum is the CSS Acadia, a 1913 steam ship used to chart the Canadian Atlantic coast. It's docked directly outside the museum and you can tour it as part of your museum admission. Only the main deck was open and it was a self-guided tour, but it was interesting to see the wireless operator's cabin, the chart room and the other open parts of the ship.

By this time it was time for lunch and there was a little "shack" along the pier selling lobster rolls. We do love a little lobster with lettuce and tomato on a hot dog bun. This was acutally a really good one too (and it ought to be for $9 including fries). Instead of the lobster/mayo salad you get in most New England lobster rolls, this was a lightly mayo'd bun, lettuce, tomato and lots of fresh lobster meat. Hit the spot just right.

SeaTiger - tour boat near the lobster roll shack

After the LONG hike to the museum and spending 2+ hours walking around the museum and the Acadia, we decided to forego the Citadel because we were lazy and didn't want to walk the mile or so up the steep hill to get to it. We opted instead to head directly to the Historic Properties to do a little shopping. Found a little drawing of Halifax, some dog toys, a Christmas gift for a family member (can't tell you who - it's a secret) and a Christmas ornament for ourselves. The retailers in Halifax were very happy to accept US dollars on an even trade basis, just like Saint John. Probably had something to do with the fact that they made out a few cents ahead that way. Unlike Saint John, they gave change in Canadian money.

It was around 2:00 when we started heading back to the ship and had a $5 Canadian bill and a "toonie" ($2 Canadian coin). We passed an older man on a scooter with an easel propped in front of him with colored pencil drawings of various Halifax area scenes and a big sign saying they were $5 each. We found one that we liked and spent our $5 bill. Gave the toonie to a street musician playing bagpipes near the Acadia.

The Halifax cruise ship terminal also had a large section of craft vendors and we browsed for quite a while, but didn't purchase anything. Back onboard, we watched tall ships sailing past George's Island outside our room then collapsed and had a little nap before dinner.

We decided on our way to dinner to skip desert in the main dining room that evening and try the rather tasty looking cakes at the Coffee Shop on the Promenade deck.

DINNER:

Appetizers - all very good

Asparagus Vichyssoise

Wild Mushroom Soup

Fried Shrimp

Sliced Tomatoes & Mozzarella - tomatoes were hot house, not vine-ripened as "advertised"

Main Courses

Veal Parm - OK, but first mouthful was a large piece of gristle which kinda ruined the rest of it for me

Red Snapper - Jeff enjoyed and fish isn't my thing, so I'll take his word for it

Desert (from coffee shop)

Carrot Cake

Chocolate Cake

notice the size of these things. At $2.25 per slice they could feed a family of four for a whole winter. Those are dinner plates they're sitting on! And of course, we decided we needed a drink to wash them down and the coffee shop didn't sell glasses of milk, so we got hot chocolate - gourmet hot chocolate that was Ghiradelli syrup and steamed milk. We're probably diabetic now, but it was worth it!

Towel animal that evening was a bat hanging from the ceiling. I found it a bit disturbing when I turned on the light and saw it hanging in front of me and made Jeff take it down :)