Sunday 27 October 2024
In March of last year while aboard Royal Caribbean’s Jewel of the Seas we booked a pair of back to back cruises out of Amsterdam aboard the same ship not realizing we were starting a tradition. Through the process we’ve learned a few things about ourselves. We like the smaller ships for they attract passengers who are more interested in the destinations rather than the ships features. We’re learning that maybe we are truly travelers for we usually refer to our current location as “Home” even we are not at our legal address in Ohio. We’re learning that the benefits of cruising include increasing comfort with various cultures in places where we’re not able to speak the primary language and we’ve become more open to pushing beyond our comfort zone. Turns out that we really enjoy this ship and have gotten to know some of the crew so while we were aboard in early June of this year we booked a Seven Night Canada Cruise out of Boston and when we mentioned our plans to our dear friend Sally, she got extremely interested and quickly called Arleene, our travel agent to book the cruise, transportation, and the hotel in Boston. Sally flew in to Logan airport and used the hotel’s complementary shuttle. We on the other hand opted for an alternate form of transportation from our son’s house in western Massachusetts. We took a Flix Bus to Boston’s South Station then the Silver Line on the Boston “T” to the hotel to rendezvouz with Sally. From there the three of us walked out to Chelsea Station for a delightful dinner and conversation. Next morning we had a bit of excitement prior to boarding ship but soon were aboard with Sally off to a special luncheon. At that point the two of us headed off in search of crew member friends. Soon we were enthusiastically greeted by Esteban and before long had tracked down Chris and Milan. We settled easily into our stateroom before seeking some of our favorite nooks on the ship and making new friends. On Tuesday after a day at sea, our first port of call was our northernmost destination, Sydney, Nova Scotia on Cape Breton. On two different shore excursions we did our best to immerse ourselves in the history and culture of this place where Mi’kmaq, French, and Scottish cultures come together. Our first stop was at the Baile nan Gàidheal | Highland Village where we were able to wander among multiple buildings illustrating the history of the Nova Scotia Gaels from the 1700’s forward. And to heighten the experience we were able to chat with costumed interpreters about various aspects of life and industry and even practice a few words in Gaelic as well as sample some traditional oatcake cookies. Soon we were off to the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site where we again interacted with costumed interpreters, learned about life in 18th Century French Canada from the view point of a household servant while sipping on hot cocoa prepared from a period recipe and of an enlisted soldier. As a finale to this tour we visited a reconstruction of the oldest lighthouse in Canada. Then on Thursday after another day at sea that included a backstage tour of the Coral Theater on Jewel of the Seas, we were off the ship and joining our tour guide Harold Cassidy dressed as a 18th Century Loyalist complete with tricorn hat for a Best of St John, New Brunswick tour including shopping at City Market, getting a look at the Reversing Rapids of the Bay of Fundy, lunch at the Sea Side Restaurant on the north shore of the Bay of Fundy and a walk along the rocky beach next to the Sea Caves before a return to the Reversing Rapids. Friday we’d scheduled another shore excursion without the foreknowledge that Tropical Storm Oscar would bring 50 mpg winds of the water to complement 50°F temperatures on an overcast day. As it turns out at our destination we were among at least 600 tourists trying to enjoy scenic Peggy’s Cove, a beautifully scenic seaside community with a permanent population of about 33 residents. We stood in an outdoor queue for at least twenty minutes to use the public washroom then spent a similar amount of time trying to drink in the beauty of the landscape and the lighthouse in the cold wind before crying “uncle” and returning early to the warmth of our waiting tour bus. Saturday was the day we’d planned to explore Portland, Maine with Sally. We’d worked up a plan for where to get a lobster meal before walking to a historic house then stopping for a drink on our way back to the ship but ended up scrapping that agenda and following up on a recommendation of another traveler to check out J’s Lobster Bar for lunch, the Holy Donut for dessert, and Edgecomb Pottery for a piece of wall art. In between the shoreside adventures we enjoyed the ship, the attentions of Esteban, Milan, Chris, and Neonila some crew member friends who we expect to see on the future cruises we booked while aboard. And it was delightful to check in with Sally every so often as she gloried in her own adventure since her purpose in traveling more or less with us was to prove to herself that she could travel solo and enjoy the experience. We’re looking forward to hear tales of her further adventures! Now we’re back aboard the Flix Bus heading back to western Mass and fun with family. Soon enough we’ll be settling in for fun in Medina for a bit before embarking on another travel adventure in about ten weeks!
0 Comments