Before embarking on any vacation, it is important to set expectations at a reasonable level. While places like Halifax and Portland (Maine) have a rich history and a seasonal beauty, the attractions couldn’t be expected to match some of Ray and Traci’s other cruise highlights such as touring ancient Rome, shopping at Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar, visiting the Summer Palace at St. Petersburg, or walking on the Great Wall of China.
The travelers left Seattle and flew to Newark before arriving at the Midtown Hilton in New York City. NYC was a toasty 90 degrees. On their pre-cruise day, Ray and Traci visited the Cloisters Museum followed by a return visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The Cloisters boasts an impressive collection of medieval
art and artifacts housed in a Gothic style building on the Hudson River
operated by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Ray and Traci decided to have lunch
at the Urbanspace Vanderbilt, a food hall located near Grand Central Station
where Ray and Traci had lobster macaroni and cheese. Due to the very hot
temperatures, Ray and Traci decided to take shelter in the air conditioned
Metropolitan Museum of Art - the Met is a very large and well known art
collection covering all ages and cultures. Like visiting Paris’ Louvre, a single
visit to the Met only provides a glimpse into the rich history inside.
On Saturday, the voyage began at the NYC Cruise Terminal. After an uneventful embarkation process, Ray and Traci enjoyed lunch and unpacked in their stateroom on the 14th deck.
While the Gem offered a very similar experience to sailings on the Jade, Pearl and Jewel, a few observations were made. The ship is well maintained and the crew among the friendliest the travelers have encountered. Dining, as with most ships, is hit or miss – highlights included Ray’s Rib Eye steak and Traci’s Sea Bass dinner at the Cagney’s steakhouse and a turkey dinner in the main dining room. The buffet had a rich variety of foods for all meals including custom stations for omelets, pasta, and crepes. Both hand scooped and soft serve ice cream was available along with some tasty desserts (something NCL has improved in over the years).
NCL offered a variety of high quality headliner shows including two musicals put on by their own production cast, as well as the Chicago comedy troop Second City. The ship’s production cast performed a show “Get Down Tonite” with a variety of 70s music and TV themes which brought passengers back to the past. Ray also found their guest hypnotist quite intriguing as the well traveled hypnosis queen almost managed to start a fistfight between two hypnotized audience members arguing over an imaginary sand castle. The final show featured the “Ineffable Two” Stefanie and Maksym put on a very appealing adagio act highlighting their artistic dance as well as their pure athletic ability on stage and in the air. Other ship entertainment (especially music) did seem to target an older audience which may have been intentional given the profile of passengers on these New England cruises occurring during the school year (i.e. many septua- and octo-generians). The cruise had about 2,300 passengers, with full double occupancy being about 2,400 although none of the complimentary dining venues were especially busy including the buffet. Certainly the gym and running track were underused during this sailing as most passengers seemed to have spent their time eating in the buffet rather than exercising.
Sailaway from New York was spectacular given the sunny weather and the great views of the new Freedom Tower at Ground Zero and the Statue of Liberty.
After a sea day, the first stop was at Halifax, Nova Scotia. Ray and Traci opted to forgo an organized tour (many of which visited a lighthouse over an hour away from the ship) and wandered around town. They first visited the Halifax Public Library which the travelers thought was the nicest public library they ever visited. After using some free wi-fi on a balcony that overlooked the city, Ray and Traci walked to the Halifax Public Garden which was a beautiful park free to the public with some amazing and beautiful displays.
Fall colors mixed with colorful flora to highlight nature. From the gardens, Ray and Traci walked up to the Citadel which was a Canadian fort first built in the American Revolutionary War days, and now a tourist attraction similar to England’s Tower of London.
While the Citadel has had many military purposes over the
years including housing World War I prisoners, it was never attacked but serves
as a fine museum for the Canadian military.
From Halifax, the NCL Gem sailed to Saint John in New Brunswick. Famous highlights included the natural Reversing Rapids created with the flow reversal of the St. John River caused by the tides of the Bay of Fundy along with the fishing village of St. Martins. Ray and Traci decided to forgo an organized tour given the length of the bus ride to the fishing village, and just wander around Saint John. They encountered a sculpture festival along the waterfront where artists from around the world have been working for weeks to create granite art pieces.
Ray and Traci also visited the Old City Market with its
collection of shops owned by local residents.
The next stop was Portland, Maine. After an onboard immigration check, Ray and Traci boarded a bus which toured the authentic New England town. The tour stopped at the historic Portland Head Light, the oldest commissioned lighthouse in the US and one of America’s most photographed.
After being dropped back at the Port, the travelers wandered
along the waterfront and enjoyed a potato based donut at the Holy Donut. Before
getting back on the NCL Gem, Ray and Traci enjoyed a cup of Maine Lobster Stew.
Newport, Rhode Island (full name State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantation) was the NCL Gem’s final stop – it actually did not dock and all passengers had to get on the lifeboats which were used to tender (or shuttle) people to shore. Ray and Traci took an early excursion to the Cliff Walk which is the coastline inhabited by giant mansions built during America’s “Guided Age.” Many of these homes with opulence rivaling the palaces found in Europe, fell into disrepair as heirs to great fortunes balked at funding these ultimate money pits.
One such mansion was the Breakers, a summer home built by
the Vanderbilt family and now turned over to a charitable organization set up
to preserve their historical value. Tours are now conducted at several famous
homes including the Breakers – which was part of Ray and Traci’s excursion.
Disembarkation in NYC was smooth - Ray started the day with a steak and eggs farewell breakfast and then both cruisers left the ship, picked up their luggage, and took a taxi to a nearby Hertz Car Rental.
Disembarkation in NYC was smooth - Ray started the day with a steak and eggs farewell breakfast and then both cruisers left the ship, picked up their luggage, and took a taxi to a nearby Hertz Car Rental.
Their next stop was Ground Zero where the 9/11 museum remembers
the 2001 tragedy. Over the years, the sacred ground was developed with North
America’s tallest skyscraper, twin fountains resting in the footprint of the
twin towers and most recently, the 9/11 Museum. This memorial for the incredible
terrorist attack artfully expresses the horror and violence of the criminal
act, celebrates the American heroes, and remembers the many lives lost.
Certainly one of the finest museums Ray and Traci have ever visited. Ray and Traci appreciated the excellent guided tour provided by their docent who brought inspirational stories and perspective to one of America’s darkest days.
After the visit to New York's sacred grounds, Ray and Traci drove to Newark, New Jersey and returned to Seattle after their New England Adventure.
