We have always wanted to go to Bermuda and finally decided to take a cruise there. We have read and heard that it can be quite pricey to stay on the island, and staying on a cruise ship provides some protection from that. Leaving from Boston meant there would be no airfare and packing would be much simpler. There would be five of us, Deb and I, Deb's sister, Shelley  and her husband, Ray and their daughter, Jamie. When we thought about getting to and from Boston, driving two cars and paying parking for a week,  we chose to take a limo and share the cost. We had not requested anything special for beverages on the limo ride, but Deb had done some research on Trip Advisor and we both purchased 30 oz YETI thermal drink cups for the trip. When we got the word that the first passengers had been picked up, I quickly set about fixing them up with Absolut Bloody Marys, so when the limo was ready for us, we were ready for it. Here he is backing into the driveway.

 

We arrived at Boston's Black Falcon Cruise Terminal and were quickly unloaded.  

 

Deb and I had chosen a penthouse suite on deck 9, at the bow of the ship. We have stayed in this same suite twice before on the same ship, heading to different destinations. The balcony is huge, and we love it.

 

The balcony overlooks the crew's pool and lounge deck.

 

 

A combination of being frequent cruisers and the fact that we booked a suite, gave us several complimentary dining options, and we tried to explore them all. Escargot is an all time favorite for  us, and we wasted no time on the first evening seeking them out. These were at Le Bistro.

 

 

Crab meat steamed in a lettuce pouch.

 

 

Fresh Fruit and berries

 

 

Poached eggs on toast with sausage and potatoes. I like Crystal hot sauce, but had to settle for Tabasco. This being a "sea day", I quickly decided to add a Bloody Mary.

 

 

Doing a bit more exploration on the menu, I quickly found a solution to the lack of my favorite hot sauce. Poached eggs on toast with lobster hollandaise, I'm pretty sure that'll work!

 

 

It was on a cruise ship that I first learned to really like cream cheese smeared on a little roll, covered with smoked salmon, capers and red onion and that is usually one of my first stops.

 

 

And, of course, add a Bloody Mary, if it's a "sea day".

 

 

Pan seared diver scallops on a bed of grits.

 

 

Nachos with salsa (my salsa is way better, in my opinion).

 

 

Nicoise salad with pan seared Ahi tuna. 

 

 

Caesar salad with chicken.

 

 

 

Veal stuffed eggplant.

 

 

Self serve, soft serve with a splash of chocolate.

 

 

 

We ordered these little flatbreads a few times, and we both enjoyed them immensely. They had mozzarella cheese, flakes of parmesan cheese, serrano ham, arugula, and sautéed peppers. We hit them with a drizzle of good olive oil, a splash of balsamic vinegar, and they were gone in two bites! I have never made flatbread, but something tells me that will change soon.   

 

  

 

 

 

Our motley crew.

 

 

One of the first beaches we went to was a short walk from the ship. We later learned that there is a free little trolley shaped like a small train that makes many popular stops that includes the ship pier and the beach. This first beach is called Snorkel Beach. Deb took swimming lessons late in life and that in combination with getting a prescription lens face mask has brought a whole new perspective her way. One in which I had been the only participant in the past, snorkeling. Snorkel Bay is in the shadow of an old fort that had been a prison at one time. The beach itself is nice enough, but not amazingly so.

 

 

Here is Deb taking a dip on the first day.

 

  

 We learned some years ago, that simply taking a few small boxes of cheerios from breakfast to the beach can make a world of difference in what you see snorkeling. Toss a few here and there and suddenly the whole neighborhood comes alive.

 

 

We took this picture of our ship (NCL Dawn) at the pier from the trolley, once we learned to use it.

 

  

The other beach we went to (Horseshoe Bay) was a 25 minute van ride from the ship (@ $6 each, each way) and is worlds apart from Snorkel Beach. The sand is said to be pink from the pink corral that it is composed of, but it did not look the least bit pink to either one of us that day. It was beautiful, nonetheless.

 

 

We did see a few jellyfish washed up on the beach in this area and later learned that the beach had to be closed shortly after we left due to stinging Portuguese Man of War jellies that showed up in force.

 

We were in Bermuda for three days and never ate off the ship, but to put some price perspective into play, I bought a total of 4 cocktails ashore, 2 rum things at Snorkel Beach and a craft beer and rum swizzle at the Frog and Onion, nearby. Those came to a total of over $50 before tip. The craft beer (an amber ale) was good, but the extravagance ended shortly thereafter.

 

  

Here are a few examples of towel art. The room steward was not totally ambitious, but sometimes it's nice just to be left alone on a cruise. He was courteous and friendly, and seemed, at times, to have eyes in the back of his head. We would walk by a cabin he was working in and hear "good morning Mr. Chris and Miss Debbie!" from the depths of the cabin, even though we could not see him.

 

  

Before we knew it, it was time to leave the ship. Our last breakfast on board was steak and eggs!

 

 

We climbed into the waiting limo like the shameless Celebs we are, and headed for Connecticut.

 

  

It was good to get back home and I was happy to see the garden still doing well. I had had a dream that the deer had completely destroyed it in our absence.

 

 

We have already planned another cruise out of New Orleans (during crawfish season, of course) and have started making plans for that as well. We will stay a total of 4 days in the Big Easy for that one.