Cruising the East Coast

Een 21-daags avontuur van Betty Meer informatie

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Het begin van de reis
8 oktober 2019
Cruising the East Coast Reiziger
Quebec City I
8 oktober 2019, Canada ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
Our flight was delayed by an hour due to an early season snowstorm in Calgary. This actually turned out to be in our favour as the flight attendant came to our seat before landing in Toronto to notify us that we had missed our connecting flight but were now rebooked on a non-stop flight to Quebec. So we avoided a stop in Ottawa, our original flight plan. Another hour delay due to a door that wouldn’t close properly meant we didn’t arrive until 7 pm. Quebec Airport has a $35 fixed rate to downtown Quebec where we were able to check into the two-room suite we were sharing with Janet & Ed. Four cruise ships were in port so hotel rooms were scarce and priced accordingly. Surprisingly many restaurants closed at 9 so our choices were limited. We ended up having an average, overly priced pizza at an Irish themed blues bar. The music was good but certainly not the Québécois experience we were hoping for. Janet & Ed didn’t arrive until 1 a.m. and were exhausted. It was a night of duelling CPAPs!Meer informatie
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Cruising the East Coast Reiziger
Quebec City II
9 oktober 2019, Canada ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
We didn’t have to board the ship until 3 pm so we did a condensed walking tour of the highlights of Old Quebec. Again with all the cruise ships in port, the walled city was crowded with tourists but impressive nonetheless.Meer informatie
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Quebec City III
9 oktober 2019, Canada ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
Too much to see in such a short time.
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Cruising the East Coast Reiziger
Quebec City IV
9 oktober 2019, Canada ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
More to see in Lower Town. We made our last stop at the SAQ, the provincial liquor store, where we selected 10 bottles of wine for the cruise. Even with the $18 per bottle corkage fee it is still cheaper than paying a minimum of $35 for a mediocre bottle of wine on the cruise ship. Then it was time to taxi to the port for embarkation on the Holland America Zuiderdam.Meer informatie
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Cruising the East Coast Reiziger
A Day at Sea
10 oktober 2019, Gulf of Saint Lawrence ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C
The first day of our 11 day cruise allowed us time to acquaint ourselves with the 1960 passenger ship. Although the ship was 17 years old, the food, entertainment, itinerary and classic ship style is what draws us to the Holland America cruise line. You won’t find water slides, ice skating rinks or drunkenness on these ships, typical features of the mega ships. The average age of the passengers is probably 75 or older with many using walkers or electric scooters and most are well travelled. We’re fine with this as it makes us feel young! It’s also reassuring that there are travel options for the elderly and that they are treated so well by the staff. Today we saw a pod of right whales, which was exciting as they were quite close to the ship.Meer informatie
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Charlottetown I
11 oktober 2019, Canada ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C
We had a pleasant day at our first port. We did a leisurely self-guided historic walk of the downtown area, stopping at key sites. When we stopped at the Post Office to mail a postcard to AS2, the clerk recommended her favourite restaurant....Churchill Pub. It was quaint, the staff and other customers were friendly, and the food was good. AS2 would have enjoyed it :)Meer informatie
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Cruising the East Coast Reiziger
Charlottetown II
11 oktober 2019, Canada ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
A relaxing day!
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Cruising the East Coast Reiziger
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Sydney, Cape Breton Island
12 oktober 2019, Canada ⋅ 🌧 11 °C
It was a cool 9 degrees, windy and steady rain when we stepped ashore. But that wasn’t going to stop us as we did a very short historic self-guided walk. There wasn’t much to see. So we headed to a nearby pub that I had read about to dry off and to get warm.....the Governor’s Pub. We were able to get a table at the bar on the second floor despite it being packed with mostly tourists. We ordered regular poutine and lobster poutine since poutine is a traditional food here as well as in Quebec. The locally brewed beer and wine was also good. We really enjoyed the local musicians, a fiddler and guitarist, who played Celtic music. The guitarist and several locals got up and took turns jigging. Eventually we had to head back out into the pouring rain and back to the ship. Despite getting soaked through all our layers of clothing we had a very fun afternoon.Meer informatie
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Halifax
13 oktober 2019, Canada ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C
Grey, cloudy skies greeted us in Halifax but at least there was no rain. Our first stop was Pier 21, the Canadian Museum of Immigration. Here we read the stories of immigrants, troops and wartime evacuees that arrived from Europe by ship. When air travel became the main form of transportation Pier 21 was closed. There was a lot of reading involved and some repetition in exhibits so we weren’t overly impressed with this museum. From here John & Ed headed to the nearby Garrison Brewery and that was the last we saw of them. Janet & I carried on with a self-guided walking tour of the downtown area.Meer informatie
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Portland, Maine I
14 oktober 2019, Verenigde Staten ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C
As this was our first US port all passengers had to be cleared by US Customs & Border Protection. Although there were nearly 1800 passengers the process was well organized and went quickly. Once again we did a self-guided historical walk in the downtown area and along Commercial Street, the main tourist zone. We stopped for lunch at The Porthole Restaurant where we enjoyed what Maine is famous for....lobster, haddock fish & chips and fish tacos. The restaurant wasn’t fancy but the food was fresh and delicious. JS headed back to the ship; Ed wandered along the waterfront before going back to the ship; while Janet & I did a long walk along the Eastern Promenade that runs along Casco Bay. It was a very scenic area.Meer informatie
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Portland, Maine II
14 oktober 2019, Verenigde Staten ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
There was a lot of grumbling but we did manage to complete a short walking tour of the Old Port and Arts District areas.
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Portland, Maine III
14 oktober 2019, Verenigde Staten ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
Janet & I walk at the same pace so we were able to see much more of the city on foot without the old guys.
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Boston, Massachusetts I
15 oktober 2019, Verenigde Staten ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C
Janet & I had pre-purchased Hop-On Hop-Off tour tickets through a Groupon deal. Unfortunately the pick-up spot at the cruise port was cancelled as it was now off-season so we had to walk downtown to catch the tour bus. It was supposed to be a 20 minute walk but ended up taking us 80 minutes. Eventually we left JS & Ed sitting in a small urban park while Janet & I went to pick up our actual tickets. The bus driver was very entertaining and we did see a lot of the city. We only hopped-off once to stop for lunch at a very good Tex-Mex restaurant and didn’t get to see the Cheers bar where the TV show was filmed. The walk back proved to be too much for some so half-way there we got a taxi to the ship. Boston was an interesting city but not what I had expected as there was such a blend of old and new, not a designated historical area.Meer informatie
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Boston, Massachusetts II
15 oktober 2019, Verenigde Staten ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C
The Freedom Trail originated in 1951 and was created to help tourists find Boston’s historic sites. The trail is marked by a red brick line in the sidewalk. We only had time to walk a short distance on the trail.Meer informatie
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Boston, Massachusetts III
15 oktober 2019, Verenigde Staten ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
We visited Faneuil Hall that was built in 1742 and currently undergoing exterior renovations. The Hall had been used as a market and for town hall meetings. Today it is still actively used as a public space and home to an armoury museum.Meer informatie
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Newport, Rhode Island I
16 oktober 2019, Verenigde Staten ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
This was the only port that we had to use the tender boats to get to shore. There was a long delay for reasons unknown. The Captain hired an additional tour boat and we eventually got ashore around 1 pm. We walked a short distance to catch a public bus that took us to an area called the Cliff Walk. Not only was it a walk along the rocky shoreline but it also gave us a view of the majestic “summer cottages” from the Gilded Age. The largest, The Breakers, was built in 1893 for the Vanderbilts but there was a hefty admission fee of $26 to tour it so we just gawked from a distance. Some of the mansions are now part of a private Catholic university that receives very high rankings in the US. I spoke to one of the freshman and she was shocked when I told her the average tuition fees at the U of M. Her tuition was “way, way more”. The Cliff Walk was 3.5 miles long but it was super windy so we just did 1 mile of it on the easiest paved section. Janet & I also went on a short walk of the historic downtown area of this posh resort town. Ed relaxed with a coffee at a nearby restaurant. John opted to stay on board for the day.Meer informatie
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Newport, Rhode Island II
16 oktober 2019, Verenigde Staten ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
This was a very relaxing day with a slower pace than some of the other ports. It’s unfortunate the weather didn’t cooperate.
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New York, New York I
17 oktober 2019, Verenigde Staten ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C
Our final port of call and it was a doozie. Within one block JS was threatening to return to the ship but we soldiered on. One block later a strong gust of wind blew his Jets cap into traffic.....more grumbling. A kind young man who was walking his dog retrieved the cap for JS. After 5 very long blocks through the gentrified Hell’s Kitchen we arrived at Times Square. WOW!! So many people and flashy billboards. It was a much more compact area than I had envisioned. Next stop was Rockefeller Center with even more people mainly focused on taking selfies. The artificial ice rink was much smaller than it appears on TV. We passed NBC, CBS, ABC, and ESPN TV studios; Radio City famous for the Rockettes; and Broadway theatres.

Our next mission was to get to the 911 Museum in Lower Manhattan. It was extremely difficult to convince JS that I knew where I was going once we went underground to the massive and complex subway system. But we made it! And it was well worth the effort because the Museum was very well done.....disturbing and emotionally challenging.....but very tastefully done. I suggested we have a meeting place as we always get separated in museums but JS didn’t feel it was necessary. Within 5 minutes we had gone separate ways and weren’t to meet again for almost 3 hours. It was very crowded and I took my time with the elaborate displays. Unfortunately JS whizzed through the large museum and then sat at the exit for over an hour in panic mode because he couldn’t find me. He explained that there were too many “white haired women in black jackets” that he followed only to realize it wasn’t me. We retraced our steps and made it back to the ship with less than an hour to spare before the ship’s departure. Finally JS was able to catch his breath and proclaim that he had survived New York City!Meer informatie
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New York, New York II
17 oktober 2019, Verenigde Staten ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C
There were a lot of people everywhere we went but I was expecting it to be much worse.
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New York, New York III
17 oktober 2019, Verenigde Staten ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C
It was over 5 km from Midtown Manhattan where our ship was docked to Lower Manhattan where the 911 Museum was located. It took two subway trains to get there and the senior fare for a return ticket was only $2.75. Good deal. Parking in Manhattan was $10.00 for 1/2 an hour! I had hoped to try New York style pizza but there wasn’t time to eat.Meer informatie
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Two Days at Sea I
18 oktober 2019, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
We departed NYC at 6 pm and would now be cruising the Atlantic Ocean before arriving in Fort Lauderdale. During the day we kept busy with America Test Kitchen shows where we learned how to make everything from tomato soup to shu mai (Chinese dumplings). We also attended Microsoft computer labs where we were taught how to use the many features of Microsoft 10. I didn’t win Bingo this cruise and we didn’t go to the casino because it was cashless, which means you put your room key into the slot machine and then play away. That’s too dangerous as your gambling addiction will be billed to you at the end of the cruise! I attended the Captain’s lecture and slide show on his role and how the ship was managed (more interesting than it sounds). And of course we made time for 3 meals a day and had very few complaints about the food. We developed a routine almost from day one....dinner at 8; followed by the main stage show where we saw a comedian, dancers, and musicians (a multi-instrumentalist and a pianist who will be performing at Carnegie Hall next month); then we ended the evening with drinks at the piano lounge with dueling pianos which was always fun.Meer informatie
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Two Days at Sea II
19 oktober 2019, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ 🌧 23 °C
We only had two episodes of rough seas that lasted a few hours from late evening to early morning and were a result of tropical storms Melissa and Nestor. Returning to our cabin from the lounge was a challenge as the ship listed from side to side making it impossible to walk in a straight line, and this had nothing to do with the small amount of liquor consumed. According to the Captain the waves were only 12-14 feet but on the second rough night the winds were 90 knots per hour while a level 1 hurricane is only 64 knots! Overall we had lower than seasonal temperatures everywhere we went. In New York the wind speed was 48 kmh gusting to 75 kmh and the temperature was only 13 Celsius....much cooler and windier than normal. We’re blaming it on climate change just like the early October snowstorm that we missed at home.

We had a great cruise with interesting ports and were happy to have the company of Janet and Ed.Meer informatie
Thanks for sharing your cruise adventure blog. I learned something new every day! Enjoy your time in Fort Lauderdale. See you soon..kj
23-10-2019Reageren
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Cruising the East Coast Reiziger
Fort Lauderdale I
20 oktober 2019, Verenigde Staten ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C
We selected the latest time for disembarking the ship, 9 am, as this allowed us to have one last breakfast at the buffet. After a 15 minute taxi ride we were at our new home for the next week, Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort. We stayed here last year and enjoyed the location....one block to the beach, a 10 minute walk to Publix grocery store and the Galleria Mall. We have a large 2 bedroom/2 bathroom condo that only cost $415 USD for the week, obviously off-season rates. We arrived to a record breaking heat wave. The temperature is 32 (37 with the humidity factored in) and the sun is hot. The ocean temperature is 28. We’re all looking forward to a relaxing week.Meer informatie
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Fort Lauderdale II
21 oktober 2019, Verenigde Staten ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C
We walked to Hugh Taylor Birch State Park, a 5 minute walk from our condo. The plan was to do one of the hiking trails. JS picked a trail but soon discovered mosquitoes and a flooded trail. Three of us chose to turn back to the main road but JS foolishly carried on. A volunteer driving a golf cart picked the 3 of us up along the main road and gave us a guided tour of the park. Lucky us! We were back at the condo having lunch before JS showed up red-faced and dripping with sweat!Meer informatie
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Fort Lauderdale III
22 oktober 2019, Verenigde Staten ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C
It is another sunny, scorching hot day so we decided to enjoy the day on the Water Taxi. The dock was a 10 minute walk from our condo. It was still hot but there was a bit of a breeze on the boat. Fort Lauderdale is preparing for their annual boat show next week so the huge yachts are starting to arrive. We had lunch at the award winning burger restaurant called BSquare where the burgers were enormous and delicious. I had the vege burger of course. After a hot day spent on the waterway the old guys came back to the condo for a beer and rest while Janet & I went shopping at the Galleria Mall just down the street.Meer informatie
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