Tag: cruise

Towel Animal Photos!

“I have a question,” I said to Ailene our cabin steward from the Philippines. “My wife wants to know if there are there towel animals?”

On some cruise lines there is a nighttime tradition. When you get back to your cabin after dinner your bed has been turned down, fresh towels delivered, the next day’s schedule placed so it’s sure to be noticed, chocolate on the pillow (or nearby) and a towel animal.

“I have a question,” I said to Ailene our cabin steward from the Philippines. “My wife wants to know if there are towel animals?” It was my question, but made my wife the heavy. I can sometimes be a jerk.

Ailene frowned… then quickly smiled. As we would learn through our five days Ailene was the total package and always in a good mood so towel animals was a no brainer!

Though the cruise lines sell books there are instructions to roll your own all over YouTube.

This will be a popular post.

Stuff We Learned On The Cruise: The Cormorant

In coordinated air raids they sit on a rocky outcropping and one-by-one fly upriver. When their hunting is done they let the river current take them back to their starting point. They float facing backward!

If you go to new places you will see new things. I am exceptionally curious. A trip like our recent cruise is always a learning experience.

Saint John, New Brunswick was full of cormorants. It’s a bird I’d never knowingly seen.

The photo on the left shows a cormorant flying low over the Saint John River near the Irving Paper Mill. The river looked dark and murky. The bird too!

Wikipedia says, “They are coastal rather than oceanic birds, and some have colonized inland waters.” That fits this salty river location.

In coordinated air raids they sit on a rocky outcropping and one-by-one fly upriver. When their hunting is done they let the river current take them back to their starting point. They float facing backward!

The cormorants fly low–just a few inches above the water’s surface. If they see fish they dive in and instantly disappear from sight! A few times I tried to catch them floating to the surface, but knowing the point of entry was little help!

Coming back from the beach our photo guide Lance saw a cormorant sitting on a rock staring at the shore. He stopped the bus. I got out and starting popping away circling the bird as my shutter clicked. He didn’t flinch and I didn’t move any closer.

Floating Up The Hudson: Video

This is a perspective of the river I hadn’t seen before. The Sun was just beginning to clear the towers of Manhattan. The skyline was backlit

Cruise ships ‘reload’ for their next trip in just a few hours. To facilitate that everything is perfectly choreographed. We knew from our visit with the captain we’d be at the Pilot Station before 5:00 AM and berthed by 7:00.

I was out of bed by 6:45 AM. We were just passing The Battery in Lower Manhattan. That gave me enough time to shoot around 250 pictures&#185. By this time my iPhone was back in local service and I pulled it out to shoot a few stills–quickly posted on Facebook–and a little video.

This is a perspective of the river I hadn’t seen before. The Sun was just beginning to clear the towers of Manhattan. The skyline was backlit. The Sun’s low angle caused noticeable shadows to be cast from one cloud to another.

This video was shot and edited on the iPhone with ReelDirector.

&#185 – Not quite as bad as it sounds because some where in series and meant to be used as pieces in a panorama or HDR image.

Waiting To Disembark

After we docked the Norwegian Jewel pulled up alongside us. We’re waiting permission to disembark.

After we docked the Norwegian Jewel pulled up alongside us. We’re waiting permission to disembark.

Docked

Just a moment ago coming up the Hudson River.

Just a moment ago coming up the Hudson River.

Cruising Toward Home

If you’ve never been on a cruise let me clue you in to one thing that’s constantly going on–they’re selling stuff! If it’s not drinks it’s photos. If it’s not photos it’s artwork of questionable value.

The Atlantic’s smooth again and passing beneath my balcony on the Carnival Glory. The sun is out too after a zero visibility start. Life is good today. Reality arrives tommorrow. We’ll be docked by 7:00 AM and off the ship by 9:30! Vacation cruises end quickly.

If you’ve never been on a cruise let me clue you in to one thing that’s constantly going on–they’re selling stuff! If it’s not drinks it’s photos. If it’s not photos it’s artwork of questionable value. They’re always hustling to make another buck. And, of course, they run a casino in a world where conventional regulation doesn’t really exist.

Speaking of the casino, thank you fellow poker players. I either played well, was lucky, or played with people who aren’t very good at the game. Maybe all three. Does it matter?

Our contribution to this secondary Carnival business model (maybe their primary business model) was buying two tours. In Saint John we went with photographer Lance Timmons and had a great time. Today we accompanied Sophie (though it’s really Zsofia from Hungary) on the “Behind the Fun Tour.” We went ‘backstage’ on the ship.

Pretty clever these cruise operators. They’ve taken something that costs them approximately zero and sold it as a high ticket item. It was worth the price!

We met in the Black and White Library on Deck 4 at 9:00 AM. Sophie brief us before we were wanded by a security guard who’d be nearby through the high security zones.

Clicky was specifically excluded! I wish I could have taken my camera but for ‘security reasons’ none were allowed and this rule (and no cell phones) was strictly enforced.

We criss crossed the entire ship going backstage in the theater then down to the lower decks where passengers aren’t normally welcome. Below Deck 1 is Deck 0–on the water line. Below it were Decks A & B. We went there.

We visited kitchens and storeroom, chillers and freezers. The officer in charge of the laundry showed us the machine that automatically folded towels, sheets and the linen napkins used in every restaurant. There were dining rooms for staff and crew and officers… and higher officers… and the captain.

In each kitchen we were met by a chef who took time to explain what was going on and what went on. This was not a Disneyfied tour. This was for people who were curious.

Let me stop here and let you know this tour was very reassuring. The ship is spotless. Everything is in its place. The crew was scurrying hurriedly but organized and orderly.

We headed to engine control room (the engine room itself is off limits) where the Chief Engineer waited and spoke to us. This was like being in the Pentagon. We waited to be buzzed in through an interlocked door. The security guard nervously counted heads.

The Chief Engineer stood before a wall covered with digital schematics of all the ship’s systems. He is in charge of power. It’s power to go, but also power to light and convert salt water to drinking water. This is a complex system of systems many intertwined and interdependent.

Later we headed to the bridge–much larger than you’d expect. It’s an expansive area on Deck 8 actually wider than the ship! Though junior officers were supervising and the ship was moving under automated control the captain was there. It was he who spoke to us and answered our questions. Like the chief engineer the captain gave well thought out and detailed answers.

Just in case you’re curious (and one person on the tour was) it would taken 5:56 in calm seas for the ship to stop moving if the power failed at top speed! That means coasting around two miles. Even if thrown into full reverse the ship would need seven full lengths (over a mile) to come to a halt. This is a behemoth on the water.

We enjoyed the tour. Like I said it wasn’t cheap, but the cruise line didn’t hold back. Fair bargain.

We got a hat, an intricately carved bar of soap (we’d seen one of the chefs carving it) and a few other tschokes. Oh–and photos taken by the ship’s photographer.

There was a chocolate buffet this afternoon. We went. Please? Access to food has never been a cruise concern and it certainly wasn’t this time.

This will be my last post before Connecticut. Over the next few days I’ll be adding more photos. If you have any questions please feel free to ask.

They’re Washing The Deck

As I opened the door all I could see was the wet deck and water running down the sides of the lifeboats hanging above it.

There are funny stories that husbands and wives share. Such is the tale of our first cruise around 25 years ago.

I was trying to be romantic (in the small way I’m capable of being romantic) so I asked Helaine to take a late night stroll around the ship. As I opened the door all I could see was the wet deck and water running down the sides of the lifeboats hanging above it.

“They’re washing down the deck,” I said.

No. Actually it was pouring! That piece of romance was put on hold. We laugh about it today.

The story comes to mind today because we were docked in Halifax, Nova Scotia. I woke up, walked to the curtains, pulled them aside and opened the door to our balcony.

“They’re washing the deck,” I shouted back at Helaine. She knew what I meant.

It was rainy and chilly in Halifax today. That didn’t keep us in. At one point we’d toyed with booking a tour to the iconic lighthouse at Peggy’s Cove. That would have been money down the drain today!

We waited for a rainfree moment to head for land, but that was short lived. I asked Helaine if she wanted her raincoat? Back I went.

I’m not mentioning the raincoat to sound chivalrous. The story’s here to let me talk about walking the stairs on a ship.

Except for our first moments on the Glory when we had three bags to move we’ve taken the elevator once. Every other time we’ve moved from deck-to-deck we’ve used the stairs.

Getting the raincoats today meant eight decks up and eight down plus whatever elevation the gangway from the second deck to the dock added… and this was my second trip in that hour!

Stairs are our shipboad tradition. There are plenty of elevators and they seem to be the favored mode of transportation by everyone else. We just use the stairs. It’s now an obsession.

Oh Canada, you are neat and polite and we’re glad to be visiting you–even in the rain.

Halifax is a lovely little city with new construction that shows a great appreciation for the waterfront. As we walked the boardwalk there were boats and the harbor on one side with office buildings and condos on the other.

You’ll havev to wait for my pictures to be posted but many of the buildings in Halifax, especially the older ones, are built of stone. This isn’t a screwin’ around fifteen minute city. These folks are hearty and here to stay. Stone construction is a statement.

Even with intermittent sprinkles our walk was nice. Shades of Disney, on the way back you have to walk through a craft market to get to the gangway. We did some damage with t-shirts and maple syrup.

It’s past dinner now. We are headed south toward New York City. We’ll be there Saturday morning.

Outside the rain has turned to fog–pea soup thick! This part of the Atlantic is known for that.

Every minute the ship’s fog horn lets loose for five seconds. It will probably be that way through the night. Oh, and the captain’s driving with his low beams.

We expected a different cruise than what you’d find heading into the Caribbean and we’ve gotten it. We’re having a great time.

Note: Because of the poor Internet onboard I’ve hardly answered any email or looked at Facebook. I’ll catch up over the weekend.

Poor and expensive Internet is also the reason so many typos have snuck into the blog the past few days. My error checking is usally done online which isn’t possible right now.

In Port–We’re In New Brunswick

Saint John is on the Bay of Fundy known for its tides–biggest in the world! Some parts of the Bay see a fifty foot difference between high and low tide.

I’m just looking at the clock. This should have been written hours ago. We’ve been busy. It’s been a full day since I checked my email. When was the last time that happened?

We are currently bobbing our way through the Atlantic on our way to Halifax , Nova Scotia. The sky is clear. The moon is close to full. The wind is blowing. It’s July but it’s chilly in the North Atlantic.

Earlier this evening the movie “It’s Complicated” was shown on a big screen above the pool. People were wearing jackets or wrapped in blankets. This is not a Caribbean cruise!

By the time we woke up today we were docked in Saint John, New Brunswick. The city is built near the water and we were downtown.

We had plans. Weeks ago Helaine bought tickets for a photo tour of the area with local photographer Lance Timmons.

Saint John is on the Bay of Fundy known for its tides–biggest in the world! Some parts of the Bay see a fifty foot difference between high and low tide. It made no difference to us as high tide was centered on our tour.

Oh well. It was still worthwhile.

We headed first to the Reversing Falls. Today it was just a rapidly running river with a very ugly paper mill filling the background. We were victims of the tide.

Next we headed to a beautiful stepped waterfall. Access was good. The surroundings were pretty.

We headed from the falls to a fishing village, Dipper Harbour. Working boats and small platforms loaded with lobster traps lined the harbor. It reminded me of the area near Bar Harbor, ME. Again, really pretty.

Finally we headed to the beach. The water in the Bay is in the mid-50°s this time of year. There was no one in the water save a few young kids. The beach was flanked by rock outcroppings which made for good picture taking.

I’m a little upset because I can tell you about these shots, but I can’t post them. The onboard Internet access is horrendous! I’ll throw my best shots online when we return to Connecticut.

We were back on the ship around 3:00 PM. Departure was scheduled for 3:30 PM.

Around 3:20 they started paging three people to call and check in. A few minutes later it was down to two–a husband and wife. They were aged at least three times and I assume we sailed without them!

Yeah, they do that.

As we left Saint John we were followed by the harbor pilot’s boat. It’s only when you see a small boat cutting through the swells that you realize a large ship like this makes fast look slow!

We had an early dinner then headed to a show in the theater. It was an over-the-top illusionist with throbbing music and eight dancers. These were all tricks I’d seen before… and I still don’t know how they’re done.

After the show I spent a few hours in the casino playing poker. I won another $20. I’d been up more but gave some back

Hey, up is better than down.