Life's a Stitch

We’ve had a week off grid because there is NO way I was going to pay cruise ship prices for unreliable internet. That appeals to the practical part of my nature, just as I’m not spending extra for on-board specialty restaurants for food that comes out of the same kitchen. Bah humbug.

We left Southampton, England in the rain, which followed us across the North Atlantic. Only one day where the seas were 4 meters high and the barf bags appeared in the hallways. I’m ok dosed with Gravol (Dramamine). But it was cool and grey so our time was mostly spent indoors. No suffering there as Celebrity does a good job of keeping guests occupied. My week was spent at shipboard choir practice, enrichment lectures by a broadway historian and LA prosecutor, watercolour class and trivia, in between eating.

We arrived in the pouring rain at Pier 88 in New York.

Seven days on a cruise ship was incentive to don the waterproof hiking boots and walk for miles, starting with the Highline Park, built on the old elevated freight rails of my nearby NY childhood.

Being experienced cruisers we are used to the vicissitudes of scheduling due to variables such as weather, port issues, and mechanical difficulties. Our original itinerary called for a day in Boston followed by two in New York. It was changed to one in NY, a day at sea traveling to Boston, then on to Bermuda.

Reality: 1.5 days in NY due to high winds, which then damaged the gangway, leaving us literally stuck to the dock. Take off another half day for the customs and immigration process. But the time spent waiting on-board for the repairs was relaxing and the weather glorious.

More later. Wanted to let you know we made it across the ocean.