Travel Log: October 2015

2015 Canadian Cruise - October 3, 2015 - The Beginning of This Adventure

After a year and a half waiting and weeks preparing, the day finally arrived (and I am sure will pass too quickly).

The drive through Pennsylvania and the Appalachian Mountains was spectacular! The trees were in their peak of yellows, reds, and oranges, shining through the gray, rainy day. The clouds hovered through valleys and on mountain tops, giving an almost mystical feel.

We were on the road by about 12:10 a.m. central time this morning. Traffic was extremely light which was a pleasant surprise, until we hit New Jersey. We arrived in Elizabeth, New Jersey at about 4:25 p.m. eastern time. We are staying in the Country Inn & Suites By Carlson, Newark Airport, NJ. They offer a Stay and Cruise package which in addition to a night at the hotel includes breakfast, transportation to and from the cruise port, and parking for the entire duration of the cruise. We weren’t the only ones taking advantage of this offer as two other couples were checking in right ahead of us who it sounds like will be on our cruise. We met two other groups in the elevator who had flown in and will be aboard our cruise, including a couple from Germany.

The hotel is conveniently right across the street from The Mills at Jersey Gardens so we headed over for supper at the food court. The mall was packed with shoppers who were carrying many purchases and others lugging around suitcases (perhaps whose flights were delayed due to weather - Hurricane Joaquin). Nevertheless, we found food and are now back at the hotel relaxing. We were upgraded to a suite and so have an in room whirlpool. Here is a photo:

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2015 Canadian Cruise - October 4, 2015 - Cape Liberty, NJ

My heart beats a little louder each time I see our ship for the first time and this trip was no exception. Today we set sail aboard the Celebrity Summit.

Despite delays with the shuttle and communication problems with the driver (at one point we weren’t sure where were being taken), we arrived at the port. With minimal lines, we basically walked right on the ship, were greeted with champagne, mimosas, or orange juice, and by 11:30 a.m. were exploring our new home away from home. Our first stop was to the Maitre’d to see if we had a table for two and discuss my diet restrictions.

As is always the case on the first day, everything is a little crazy onboard until the cabins are ready as everyone has to find a place in the public areas.

Rooms were ready a little after 1:00 p.m. We booked room 7197, Concierge Class, on deck 7, last balcony the port side. Here are some photos of the room:

The general emergency drill was held at 3:15 p.m. With each cruise over the years, this has become more and more informal. I remember our wedding cruise 10 years ago where we actually stood outside our life boat with our life jackets on. Now it is just packing everyone in the two largest lounges, taking roll call, and demonstrating how to put on a life jacket.

Then after waiting for the Carnival Splendor to get out of our way (and Captain Kate to remember what purse she put her keys in), we left the New York City Harbor. The views were spectacular especially since the rain and clouds had lifted. Here are some photos:

Here is a photo of a sculpture right at the dock. I understand it was a gift from Russia to memorialize the losses of 9/11. You can read more about it here.

Here is how the dock workers passed the time as we were all anxiously waiting departure from he dock:

Although the skies have cleared up and the weather is beautiful, Hurricane Joaquin gave us some rougher seas up to 16’ swells. So even without a drink, I was stumbling a bit walking down the aisles as I tried to acquire sea legs.

For dinner, we have table 112 at the 6:00 p.m. early seating in the Cosmopolitan Restaurant. We have a table right next to a large window which is incredible. Although our table technically is a table for two, another “table for two” is about 6 inches away.

The food was very good.

Here is a link to the dinner menu.

The night’s entertainment was Comedian Fred Klett with an opening aerobatic act with a woman hanging from rings who was incredible. The comedian was also very enjoyable.

Here is a link to the Celebrity Today activities guide.

Now for a little bit about our ship and cruise.

Length of Cruise: 14 days

Destination: Canada and New England round-trip out of Cape Liberty, Bayonne, NJ with stops in Boston, MA; Portland, ME; Bar Harbor, ME; Quebec City, Quebec; Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; Sydney, Nova Scotia; and Halifax, Nova Scotia

Here is a link with an overview of the cruise and another link with information about top members of the crew.

Nautical Miles Traveled: 3,050

Ship: Celebrity Summit

Double Occupancy: 2,034

Crew: 941

Length: 965 ft.

Beam: 105 ft.

Draught: 26 ft.

Gross Tonnage: 91,000

Cruising Speed: 24 knots

Captain: Kate McCue, first woman captain in the fleet, first American Woman captain in the industry - This is her second cruise as Captain.

2015 Canadian Cruise - October 5, 2015 - At Sea

Our first at sea day started a little earlier than normal. I signed up for a yoga class (my first yoga since my latest back problems!) which started at 8:00 a.m. so we set my husband’s cell phone alarm for 7:30 a.m. just so we wouldn’t oversleep. When that alarm went off, it was pitch black and impossible to pull ourselves from our sleep such that my husband said he wouldn’t be exercising with me. I had every intention of getting out of bed but fell asleep again quickly. We woke up at what we thought was 8:10 a.m. so I figured since the class had already started, I would go back to sleep. We then realized that the cell phone after going out of range, did not have the correct time and it was actually 5:00 a.m.! I understand it defaulted to Icelandic Time and we weren’t the only ones on the ship that ran into the same issue. Needless to say, we crawled back in bed and enjoyed a couple more hours of sleep.

I was one of two in the yoga class and at 8:00 a.m., there were plenty of treadmills and machines available, a testament to the age and athletic ability of the passengers. My husband said that it is nice to be the good looking, athletic one in the gym.

We enjoyed breakfast in our room. I added some protein powder to my oatmeal and we enjoyed fresh fruit. My husband said his bran muffin was one of the best he had. The eggs and hash browns were not as great as they were not very warm and quite greasy (probably not a good choice for room service food).

Here is the room service breakfast menu for Concierge Class.

The rest of the day was a good day to relax.

We took a tour of the Galley and met Executive Chef Paul Carroll, from Ireland, who has worked with Gordon Ramsey in the past (and yes, in case you are wondering, Gordon Ramsey swears as much as, if not more than, he swears on his TV shows). Here are some behind the scenes photos:

I took advantage of the martini tastings at the Martini Bar Crush. Besides interesting bar tenders, the bar is made of ice.

Dinner was again excellent. Here is a link to tonight’s menu.

At the end of each night, the Maitre’d brings me the next day’s menu to select my dinner for the next evening. This way the chef can prepare it in a way that accommodates my food sensitivities.

Here is a link to Celebrity Today.

Here are some photos from around the ship:
Decks 11 and 12