Adventure OTS, 13 Night Snowbird Migration Quebec to Ft. Lauderdale Oct. 8, 2018

[twangster]

After I walked along the shore near the cruise terminal.

 

 

 I finally found the place where ships go to get fixed up!

 

 

Like our previous ports Portland contains interesting architecture.

 

 

This place seemed popular.

 

 

 

 

Since I'm not that much into seafood, I jumped in a Lyft ride to the Bissell Brothers Brewery.

 

 

 

The Substance Ale

 

 

Followed by Nothing Gold.

 

 

 

Beer can art.

 

 

With that consumed it was time to head back.  An Uber ride cab to the port was $8.  Both drivers commented how business was up substantially because the cruise ships were in town.  The NCL Gem followed us into port and the combined numbers really drove business.  Both drivers said the ships were a huge boost to tourism and businesses.

 

I stopped at a local bakery for a bite to eat.

 

 

That's the Gem in the background.

 

 

Tide was rising, the deer's legs had grown shorter.

 

 

Not quire ready to re-board I walked up the shore a bit.

 

 

There is a narrow gauge railroad museum here.

 

 

 

 

Finally it was time to head back.

 

 

While I was near the railroad museum I saw parents dropping off their kids for something.  Sailing club.  They were practicing maneuvering by following the leader in and around the many moored boats in the marina next to the ship.

 

 

Since I was in the area I dropped into the Viking Crown Lounge a few minutes before Diamond happy hour began.  They were already lining up while they continued to set up the bar.  Not a seat to be had with another hour until all aboard time.

 

Edited October 19, 2018 by twangster

[John&LaLa]

13 hours ago, twangster said:

 

 

I'll bet you're loving the new picture posting abilities of CC.

 

On second thought,  less is more.  To hard to read on a phone.  Takes to long.  I can watch my battery drain in front of me.

Edited October 19, 2018 by John&LaLa

[twangster]

Portland sail away.

 

 

The local island ferry.

 

 

 

Portland basking in the sunset.

 

 

 

On schedule at 5:30pm we cast lines and began pulling away from the pier.

 

 

 

This was part of the Fort defenses that protected Portland.

 

 

 

 

 

 

One last look as we sail away from Portland.

 

 

A short 147nm to Boston tomorrow at a speed of 8 knots.

[twangster]

Day 9 dinner menu

 

 

My dinner was in the Windjammer, China theme.

 

 

[twangster]

Day 10 - Boston

 

I woke early and headed to the helipad.  I wanted to take in our arrival and hoped to get some nighttime photos of Boston.

 

As I endured the strong breeze and wind chill of the helipad a sunrise was starting behind us.  It was pretty chilly out there.

 

 

The lights of Boston had slowly been growing as we navigated through a myriad of boat traffic on our approach.

 

 

 

Eventually a crew member came out to raise the Royal Caribbean flag on the bow.

 

 

 

Fort Independence on Castle Island, one of a number of forts that protected the city of Boston.

 

 

Logan airport was on our right and I had been watching a steady stream of airplanes taking off.

 

 

 

As we inched closer I could see two ships in port already.

 

 

Aircraft coming in for a landing in the sky at Logan.

 

 

It appeared we would be docking in front of the AIDA ship.

 

 

 

Tight fit in this channel.

 

 

 

 

Time to slide the ship towards the pier. 

 

 

I've visited Boston on business trips but this was my first stop here by cruise ship. 

 

[Sunny AZ Girl]

I am enjoying this review. We are looking forward to the same cruise next year. I haven't read it all yet, but you have already given me some great tips! 

Question is - where did you stay in Montreal? 

[twangster]

Boston in pictures.

 

Exiting the ship there is a moving walkway down to ground level.

 

 

A shuttle is available to a popular tourist area approximately 2 miles away.

 

 

I chose to walk...

 

 

Our cruise terminal on this day.

 

 

I followed the signs towards the Liberty Wharf and wouldn't you know it... a brewery!

 

 

Yes indeed.  Too early to get distracted I kept going...

 

 

Boston is clearly the biggest city on this cruise but very walkable.

 

 

Pretty soon a harborwalk started and much of my day was spent exploring it.

 

 

 

Fall colors also ramping up here in Boston.

 

 

 

The Boston waterfront has a series of piers connected by the harborwalk.  This is the fish pier.

 

 

Aptly named and clearly a source of fresh seafood.

 

 

 

Continuing along...

 

 

 

You do get a sense of the history of Boston when you see things like where the edge of the pier was in 1876.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had a Barking Squirrel in a previous port so The Barking Crab seemed to fit this journey.

 

 

Too early to stop I continued along the harborwalk.

 

 

Underneath the bridge was the Boston Rowing Center.

 

 

 

Around the corner I saw some people throwing stuff into the water.

 

 

 

Fed up with taxation the local population was doing something about it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Boston Aquarium.

 

 

 

 

I was getting thirsty from all this walking.  This looked as good a place as any.

 

 

Harpoon IPA.

 

 

Refreshed and recharged I ambled on.

 

 

 

 

I needed to head back to the ship for a conference call so I hailed a taxi.

 

 

A water taxi that is.

 

 

 

Up until this point my day had cost me the price of a beer so I treated the water taxi like an excursion.  A water tour of the Boston shoreline.

 

 

 

 

It was a quick and easy way to get back closer to the ship at a reasonable price.

 

 

Approaching the last stop on the route I could see the top of the ship over the buildings.

 

 

A very enjoyable and quick ride back.

 

 

The cruise terminal and area is named after a previous mayor.

 

 

As it turns out the ride back was was faster than I anticipated so I had some time to kill.

 

 

 

Enough time for a flight of beers at the Harpoon Brewery.

 

 

 

With that complete I did the final 10 minute walk back to the ship.

 

Security was quick and easy, typical cruise terminal experience.

 

 

Then up the gangway towards the ship.

 

 

It was a beautiful and sunny day in Boston and I got to explore a harbor front and part of Boston that I never have when flying here for business.

 

[twangster]

8 hours ago, Sunny AZ Girl said:

I am enjoying this review. We are looking forward to the same cruise next year. I haven't read it all yet, but you have already given me some great tips! 

Question is - where did you stay in Montreal? 

Thanks!

 

I didn't stay in Montreal.  Got in my rental car and after stopping for bagels I hit the road for Quebec City.  If you have time, Montreal has a great downtown area as well, like any big city, but Canadian style.

[shorti503]

loving your review this is on our bucket list of cruises to take. 

[Sunny AZ Girl]

1 hour ago, twangster said:

Thanks!

 

I didn't stay in Montreal.  Got in my rental car and after stopping for bagels I hit the road for Quebec City.  If you have time, Montreal has a great downtown area as well, like any big city, but Canadian style.

Thank you for the response. I thought that you had stayed overnight. We may be flying into Montreal, so looking at all of the possibilities. 

[twangster]

Our progress so far...

 

Boston Sail Away

I ventured up after I did some work and discovered we were backing down out the channel we had sailed into upon arrival.  The wind was up and rain had moved through.  It was windy and  cold.  Yet our Captain did an amazing job backing the ship down the channel past the AIDA ship that was still docked in place.

 

 

 

It was so windy this arriving Air France 777 had to abort it's landing approach at Logan and perform a go-around.

 

 

Fort Independence in better light.

 

 

The sky was very dramatic tonight.

 

 

The Silverseas Silver Wind that we started this cruise with in Quebec City was arriving.  At a distance I thought I saw her towing a yacht behind her when I realized it was a pilot boat.  It was so windy the pilot boat took shelter behind her and stayed in her wake. 

Being a 'company' ship (now majority owned by RCCL) the ships did a horn salute to each other as they passed with a series of short and long blasts echoing each other.

 

 

 

The pilot boat then turned in behind us to pick up our pilot.

 

 

The sky ripped open above Boston and it looked like a scene from a sci-fi movie where the whole city was about to be engulfed.

 

 

Instead a plane flew into this tear in the space-time continuum... wait, that's a different sci-fi movie.

 

 

 

[twangster]

Day 10 dinner menu

 

 

I ate in the Windjammer having missed my MTD reservation (again).  International Night.

 

Crepes for dessert!

 

 

[twangster]

Day 11 - Sea Day

 

I woke to an overcast day.  The ship had a small swagger to it, or maybe that just me walking the hallways as if I'd been drinking already.  Nothing too bad, just a subtle shimmy like riding on a train.  

 

The outer decks were not calling my name so it was an inside day.  The Captain had hugged the coast throughout the night to avoid some rougher stuff farther off-shore.  

 

Weather improved throughout the day and I've stopped wearing a jacket if outside briefly just to take pictures and look around.  Tomorrow should be even better.

 

 

Day 11 dinner menu

Formal Night, lobster night.

 

 

Pretty sunset tonight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our progress so far...

 

 

We are in Grandeur waters.

 

Distance traveled 2,446 nm.

[Biker19]

20 hours ago, twangster said:

The sole participant had brought a wet suit and was pretty good.  He had it to himself.

He must like Adventure - he was also on the repo after dry dock in Feb from FLL to San Juan.

[John&LaLa]

What are your plans for Port Canaveral?  Beach is a no go.  Red Tide creeping north.  

[A&L_Ont]

Twangster, great photos. 

[twangster]

21 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

What are your plans for Port Canaveral?  Beach is a no go.  Red Tide creeping north.  

 

No plans.  I might get a haircut.  I was there a couple weeks on Enchantment.

Edited October 19, 2018 by twangster

[John&LaLa]

8 minutes ago, twangster said:

 

No plans.  I might get a haircut.  I was there a couple weeks on Enchantment.

Loren's Barber Shop, 102 Columbia Drive, about a mile south of the port on A1A

Mary Radcliffe

321-720-0879

[boontj2003]

Fabulous pictures and narrative. Thank you!!!!

[twangster]

Day 12 - Sigh Day... I mean Sea Day

 

I'm getting really tired of taking sunrise and sunset photos.  Seriously.   

 

Sunrise this morning.

 

 

Coming back from breakfast I spotted some people getting ready to do some scuba instruction with the on-board PADI 5 star dive shop.  It's beginning to look like a normal cruise again!  7am and people are sitting on loungers by the pool!

 

 

By noon it was full cruise mode with people in shorts and bathing suits, swimming, sunning, having fun.

 

 

This may seem all right and normal to anyone reading this but after 12 days of cool weather with no one outside day after day, this is very different!  It's a cruise!

 

 

People were lined up for the flowrider.  People. Plural.  More than one.

 

 

Not quite sure what move this is but I took this picture just before...

 

 

Looking at our progress it just now dawns on me how much of the U.S. East coast we have covered.

 

 

Pretty much all of it by the time we finish.

 

 

Just about at the FL/GA border.

 

 

I hear rumors that several hundred are disembarking in Port Canaveral tomorrow. 

 

Could it be true?  Might I have a chance at a seat in the Diamond lounge after all?  Only time will tell...

Edited October 19, 2018 by twangster

[cft8]

Thanks for the great review. We did the New England/Canada round trip from Boston last year and even though it was tiring to be on such a port-intensive cruise, I loved every port and I feel nostalgic when I read reviews of the same port. As a huge Anne of Green Gables fan, I really want to do an itinerary that visits Prince Edward Island. 

[packercruising]

Following as we are doing this cruise next year. Thanks for the updates!

[bigeck]

15 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

What are your plans for Port Canaveral?  Beach is a no go.  Red Tide creeping north.  

Whats Red Tide John. I'm now on Navigator Ta instead of Symphony

[John&LaLa]

3 hours ago, bigeck said:

Whats Red Tide John. I'm now on Navigator Ta instead of Symphony

A toxic algae bloom. Thought to be brought to surface by big storms such as hurricanes.  More common on Gulf side. 

 

Our beach.😪

 

They cleaned it yesterday, but tide brings it back.  Will last a few days

Edited October 20, 2018 by John&LaLa

[georgiacat]

I am enjoying your review.  lovely pictures