Brilliance OTS Oct 5th- Canada & New England Review (Lengthy & Photo Filled)

We just got back home from our cruise on the Brilliance of the Seas, October 5th-12th, 2014. Canada & New England (Halifax, Saint John, Bar Harbor, and Portland). Beautiful scenery!

WARNING: This review may take a while as I want to be detailed and highlight a number of things. I plan to include a lot of photos as well. I will only be able to write up info and post while my son is napping and after he has gone to bed!

BACKGROUND INFO: We're in our very early 30s with a 19 month old toddler. Yes, he came with us on this trip, which made it VERY interesting! This was my 12th Royal Caribbean cruise and 21st cruise overall. So I'm not new to this game. My son, the 19 month old, made this his 4th cruise. Lucky little kid he is! We're from South Florida, so the weather was pretty darn cold for us on this trip. I spent months researching and planning every aspect of the trip. I am happy the way it turned out but we did have a large number of hiccups along the way (some attributed to my son, others were outside factors).

Feel free to ask me questions along the way and I will answer what I can.

Looking forward to your review as we sail next Sunday on same ship and same itinerary!

We have a little one on the way and are looking forward to taking him in 2016 after he turns 1 so it will be helpful to hear of your experiences with a young child.

The morning of the trip started very early in our house. We originally had planned to wake up around 5am and get to the airport at 6am for our 8am flight. Coincidentally, my husband and I woke up at 2am and neither one of us could get back to sleep. So both of us got up and got busy around the house. I emptied the dishwasher and ran a load of laundry, he spent time on the computer obsessing about something he ordered and was going to be delivered while we were away. Oh the horror!

My father in law arrived at about 5am and we loaded up his car with 3 large suitcases, a car seat, a stroller, a diaper bag, and two backpacks. I didn’t think it would fit, but we managed to squeeze it all in! On the ride to Ft Lauderdale airport, approx 30-40 mins from our house, I was checking the weather. Friday (arrival day) looked like cool-dry weather. Saturday (the next day) was supposed to rain all day. I had planned for us to walk to Freedom Trail that day. I was getting worried that it would dampen (hehe) our plans!

Airport check-in was uneventful. We were the first to our gate and waited patiently while chasing our son. The flight crew arrived early and so they let the passengers board a little early as well. We were flying JetBlue direct from Fort Lauderdale to Boston. My son has flown three times previously- Southwest, United, and American. I would rate JetBlue as being equally child friendly to Southwest and WAY more adult friendly than any other line (I love what they INCLUDE!!) If you’re unaware of what comes with JetBlue flight, they allow one free bag per person, by January all of their planes will have free wi-fi, more leg room than other airlines, Dunkin Donuts Coffee, and a variety of decent snacks! Let me explain why I say that JetBlue is child friendly. They allow families to board before general boarding. This gives me the time to get my son’s car seat installed. Two other airlines I have traveled on would not allow this and I struggled to carry a car seat down an aisle without hitting other passengers. On JetBlue I was able to install the carseat without being in a rush. This means my son was safer on this trip because the airline gave me the chance to get everything situated. The extra legroom also helps prevent the car seat from pushing up against the person in front of him. There was a man sitting in front of my son's seat. The flight attendant found him a new seat (no he did not complain) but she offered him an empty seat elsewhere on the plane because the car seat was preventing his seat from fully reclining. I thought that was very nice of the FA to accommodate someone who hadn't even complained. I guess everyone is on edge over reclining their airplane seats! The guy actually declined the seat change until she insisted that he be more comfortable elsewhere. Now my son is hit or miss on airplanes. This leg he cried, not terribly, but he wanted out of his seat. I was not going to let that happen because the next thing would have been him running up and down the aisles! I gave him a snack and he fell asleep for about half the flight. When he was awake we played Sesame Street on my iPad. It didn't do much to calm him as my son does not watch TV or play with electronics (he's too young in my opinion). We survived, thankfully!

We landed at 11am. We hopped in a taxi that was nice enough to allow me to install my son’s car seat. We did have a mini-van taxi and that resulted in an additional $6 charge for the ride. I wasn’t sure we’d fit in a regular taxi. I had planned for us to go to our hotel, have them hold our bags while we explored, and come back later to check in. We booked the Hyatt Regency Boston. I still can’t figure out if we were in the Theater District, Financial District, or Chinatown, lol. Making a right out of the hotel led to theaters, a left led to financial/business buildings, and another direction was Chinatown. Regardless of that, it was a nice location for us based on what we had planned to do while in town. So we arrived at the hotel and I asked them to hold our bags, but the receptionist told me our room was ready, woohoo! So we were able to drop our bags and spend a few minutes getting situated. We had a room on the 15th floor with a nice view! They came quickly with a pack n play for my son and even added a nice padded mattress to the bottom. The room was spacious and just what we needed. Good location, clean, and a great deal (Boston can be just as expensive as New York sometimes).

Once we dropped our bags in the room and took a moment to relax, we set out for the day. There was to be no wasting of time on this trip. We needed to get some lunch in our bellies but didn’t want to take up too much time. There was a Chipotle less than 5 minutes walk from the hotel. When we arrived the line was down the steps and out the door. It was lunch hour. We contemplated what to do and decided to just stay in line. 95% of the people in line were getting it to-go and the seating area was empty! After a 20 minute wait we got our food, chowed down. The kid meals are served on cardboard trays. This reminds me of school lunch. As a former teacher I recognize these trays anywhere. I thought it was funny to see Chipotle using them for the kids’ meals!

After our quick lunch we headed over to the Downtown Crossing T Station. Thank goodness for Google maps on my phone with walking directions! It wasn't far, but a bit tricky because the roads are all curvy! As we got down stairs via a maze of elevators and halls, we had to figure out how it all works. There was a lady at a booth who explained it to us. She was very nice, friendly, and helpful. She gave us a Charlie Card and instructed us to put $2.10 per person per trip (not including our son). So we added $8.40 to the card and off we went! This was my son's 1st Subway ride.

We took the Red Line T to the JFK /UMass stop. We got off and walked over to the sign that gave instructions for the Kennedy Library. It runs on Route 2. The bus came after about 10 minutes of waiting. It takes you through UMass campus and drops you off right in front of the Library (2nd stop). It was a free bus. I have previously visited two other Presidential Libraries: George W Bush (Dallas) and Jimmy Carter (Atlanta) so I was a bit let down by this one. I felt like it was smaller and provided less information than the other two. It’s not terrible by any means, but I think I had expected more of it because of JFK’s whole legacy with being assassinated and all. When you enter there is a 15 minute movie in a theater that you watch and then head downstairs to see the exhibits. My son fell asleep during the movie (which we were thankful for because this was normally nap time for him.) We walked through the exhibit section somewhat quickly. The building was very neat looking. I loved that it was on the water. Unfortunately it was a chilly and cloudy day so I didn’t get any great shots of the building or view. My son and husband had fun plane spotting, as the flight path toward Boston Logan was right overhead. We took the bus/ T combo back to the hotel and the whole family took a nice warm nap!

You're off to a great start. What a beautiful family you have. Such a sweet little boy. Can't wait to follow along. We did the Canada/New England in August-Sept. on the Explorer. Always nice to get a different perspective on that itinerary.

Take your time. I have a little over 2 wks. till I am on my next cruise. If I don't finish it before, I will catch up when I return.

Thanks......

Gwen :)

I am looking forward to following along. We are going on a similar cruise next year.

We're going next year. Can't wait. Love the review!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

We have a little one on the way and are looking forward to taking him in 2016 after he turns 1 so it will be helpful to hear of your experiences with a young child.

If you look at my signature you can view some of my past reviews that include traveling with the little guy. Carnival Glory, Carnival Breeze, and Enchantment of the Seas. I give a lot of tips for people traveling with kids. It will also help you decide if cruising with a baby/young toddler is something you're up to doing!

You're off to a great start. What a beautiful family you have. Such a sweet little boy. Can't wait to follow along. We did the Canada/New England in August-Sept. on the Explorer. Always nice to get a different perspective on that itinerary.

 

Take your time. I have a little over 2 wks. till I am on my next cruise. If I don't finish it before, I will catch up when I return.

 

Thanks......

 

 

Gwen :)

I should be finished by then. We have another cruise at the beginning of November with family on the Liberty. My goal is to finish before that trip :)

What a beautiful family!! I really like your writing style, and looking forward to reading about the cruise. We did a similar itinerary (same cruise as Gwen) in August and loved it. Can't wait to read the rest!

What a beautiful family!! I really like your writing style, and looking forward to reading about the cruise. We did a similar itinerary (same cruise as Gwen) in August and loved it. Can't wait to read the rest!

Thank you. Not all of my reviews are written like this :)

I am doing a more detailed job on this because it was new and different for us. I feel like I have a lot of information to share. Usually my reviews are shorter and all over the place!

Once we woke up from a nap, around 5pm, we headed off to our next adventure. The Boston Children’s Museum. Target sponsors a program on Friday nights where it costs $1 to get in! I found this lovely tidbit of information a couple months before our trip and made it a point to visit. I wanted something for my son to enjoy and this really seemed to fit the bill nicely. So we set out toward the museum on foot. It was a 20 minute walk for us. Not too bad. The weather was nice (for us) so we didn’t mind it. I don’t think I’d ever walk that far at home with the heat and humidity we have in south Florida. It was a nice leisurely walk that gave us the opportunity to see the city. It had started to “mist.” I don’t know the correct term for it, it wasn’t quite rain, but it was misty out! My son loved it. We arrived around 6pm, grabbed a quick dinner at Au Bon Pain? (There aren’t any of those near us back home, but it was like Panera). It was located in the lobby area of the museum. Sorry if anyone expected us to be showing up at fine dining establishments in Boston. The 19 month old would never allow for that on this trip!

So we went in to the museum after soup and sandwiches . There are multiple floors with a variety of exhibits. We went to the toddler area on the 2nd floor. We spent the next two hours there. My son was fighting us when we decided it was time to go. There were so many sensory, play, and exploration style things for him to do in the toddler area. I highly recommend this museum for anyone with children or grandchildren that may live around or visit Boston!

My original plan was to take a taxi back to the hotel. My husband and I were not tired, so we decided we’d brave the streets of Boston at 8/9pm. Some people think I am nuts, but I’m pretty brave when it comes to exploring on my own. I once walked from Vondel Park to Dam Square/ Royal Palace of Amsterdam, with just my friend and my mom, at night. Call me silly, call me stupid, but I’m pretty good with directions and keep quite aware of my surroundings. I stay in well lit places and on main streets. The walk from the Children’s Museum back to our hotel was nice. We got to see the city a little less busy. The big buildings were all lit up, the mist made it look mysterious! Upon arrival back at the hotel we gave our son a bath and put him to bed for the evening. Hubby and I watched a little TV and crashed soon after. Remember, our day had started at 2am!

We woke up somewhat early. I wanted to start the day as soon as I could because I had very ambitious plans for the day. We asked the concierge for something family friendly for breakfast. He explained that because it was a Saturday in the financial district not much was open. He recommended Elephant & Castle or a small diner down the road. We started our walk and came upon the small diner-style place. I don’t even know it’s name, but I think it was on Arch Street just past Downtown Crossing. We had scrambled eggs, potatoes, and toast. Not the greatest food I’ve ever eaten, but it gave us something to go on for the morning. From there we headed back toward Boston Common and began the Freedom Trail. Just as we approached the park it began to drizzle. I came prepared though. Before the trip I bought a rain-proof cover for my son’s stroller. This turned out to be a life-saver for this day. We kept it on him all day. There were vented sides so he could get fresh air, yet protected him from the rain.

I won’t bore you with the details of how the Freedom Trail went for us. No, I don’t think it was boring, but we didn’t do anything spectacular. We basically walked the trail. Stopped at a few of the landmarks for pictures and to explore. The rain somewhat limited how many place we went in to because we’d have to take off our rain jackets, stroller cover, etc. We did spend the most time in the Granary graveyard. We searched for all the “famous” names buried there. We found them all except Paul Revere. We really wanted to find him because he was the one to alert the minutemen of the coming troops. My husband owns a franchise location of Minuteman Press, so we always get a kick out of minuteman related things. Will include some of the pictures from our walk for you to enjoy.

Ok I have to ask, what is the little paper man/boy that is held in pictures? Cute but I am sure there is a reason. :)

Connie

Ok I have to ask, what is the little paper man/boy that is held in pictures? Cute but I am sure there is a reason. :)

 

Connie

Flat Stanley. A friend of mine has a daughter in 1st grade and they are supposed to send this little guy to a family member in another state or country and take pictures. It's a geography project that elementary school kids do. Since they didn't have family to send him to, she asked if I could take him on our trip with us!

What a great thing to do for them. I look forward to seeing him in a lot more pics.

Great pics

We walked over the bridge and made it to the USS Constitution. I had originally planned to go on it, but the line was very long. My son was getting antsy. It started to rain a little heavier at this point. So we opted to get in a taxi and head over to Cambridge at this point.

I’m a pretty crazy about car seat safety on a normal day. As I am sure you noticed my son was in his car seat, rear facing, even on the airplane. We could have taken him on the flight for free as a lap infant (under 2) but that’s not safe in the event of turbulence. So we opted to buy him a seat and lug the car seat. Thankfully we could afford to pay that money, I understand that some people don’t. We also strapped him in when traveling from the airport to hotel. So this next part scared me. I was not comfortable with having him ride in the taxi with us loose. We did it for the sake of time and convenience. Of course my little stinker loved being loose in the back seat!

We arrived at Harvard Square in about 10 minutes. We got out and wandered around for a bit. We went in to the Harvard Coop (That's cooperative, not coop like a chicken's house) and bought some souvenir t-shirts. I was disappointed in their kid selection. There was a HUGE area, but nothing to fit my son. They had baby onsies that went up to size 12 months and then t-shirts started at 2T. Well my son is on the small side and still wearing 12 month shirts even though he's 19 months. he doesn't wear onsies anymore. So he didn't get a souvenir. Then we set out for the main yard. Unfortunately they were doing construction in and around the gates so it didn’t make for pretty pictures. Once we went through the gates we were able to get some beautiful shots of the yard with fall colors. Once we were done touring Harvard, we decided to grab some lunch. We were very hungry at this point and just wanted something kid friendly. There is a theme here…. We only eat in kid friendly places unless we are out without JR.

I promise I will get to the review of the Brilliance and all else cruise shortly. I'm just sharing some of the things to do pre-cruise!