Bermuda birthdays

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Off to Bermuda



The day dawned rainy but by the time we were on the George Washington bridge the sun was shining. We are sailing with dear friends Anita and Don. Anita was my Matron of Honor and she graduated high school with Joe. She and Joe celebrate a special Birthday this year so we plan to celebrate all the way to Bermuda and back.



The embarkation process was a bit slow and I really didn't like the gauntlet of venders hawking their wares just before the gangway. It seemed a bit tacky to us. This is our first Celebrity cruise and I can't help but comparing it to the HAL experience. Our rooms were not ready so we headed to the buffet for lunch. It will take a bit of time to get familiar with the ship but I am used to going right to my stateroom and dropping off my carry on. The food was good and we waited there until the rooms were ready. Only then did we see the sign asking us to leave and let other diners have a chance. Oops , we bad.



The safety drill was conducted in a public room and that made the demonstration hard to see but we have seen it before so who cares. Our stateroom is roomy, the mirror wall extends the perception of space. The bathroom small with a shower and the balcony on the small side. The outside furniture is very, very nice. A selection of apples and a bottle of champagne were waiting for us and complementary canapés were delivered. On the other hand the prices of the mini bar are outrageous. A bottle of water $5.95 +18% service charge; Skyy vodka $9.50, tonic 3.50 and the additional 18%. A half bottle of Kendall Jackson chard $24.



Joe, Anita and Donny took a walkabout and enjoyed sail away up on deck while I went to lie down. Before I knew it we were sailing so I got out my trusty camera, sat on the balcony as the Captain sailed us up to the Statue of Liberty and then under the Varanzanno Narrows Bridge and out to sea. New York Harbor never looked better. An NCL ship was getting a fire boat send off and the Queen Mary Two was docked in Brooklyn. The Staten Island ferry passengers waved and there were barges and sailboats and even a couple of wave runners.



We unpacked and headed for a drink and then dinner. The dining room was packed but our wait was short and we had a lovely table away from the bustle and noise. The selection was quite good. We can have escargot every night if we want. Anita and Don had prime rib, I had a lovely pork chop and Joe enjoyed a chicken breast. We walked through the casino and the seats at the poker table were filling up. I, on the other hand, was winding down and opted for an early night. Coffee and juice at 6:30 am.

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