Friday, July 19, 2013

July Updates

I'm feeling a bit antsy lately because I don't have too much to plan.  I've been trying to work in some day trips on the weekend, but they have been so full of house hunting, I haven't had the chance to go anywhere!  I am dedicated to taking a trip down the Cape and another up to the White Mountains this summer!  

As far as upcoming trips, all I have booked right now is an extended weekend down in Tennessee with my friend to take a road trip between Nashville and Memphis.  We may even stop over in Arkansas so I can check off another state from my list!  I am really looking forward to this trip, I can't wait to do some line dancing and visit Graceland!

I'm also in the research phase for early fall trips, focuses mostly on long weekends in August, September, and October.  Anyone have suggestions as to where I should go?  I'd love to hear them!

Happy Travels!

Thursday, July 11, 2013

All Aboard the Carnival Glory!

Carnival Glory Docked in Halifax
A last minute decision had me boarding the Carnival Glory last Thursday, July 4th.  Because I did not know if I was going to have time off over the holiday, I did not spend too much time searching for an Independence Day getaway.  Only a few weeks before the sailing date, I got the boss’s OK and decided to book the cruise!  I have been on two cruises with Carnival in the past and have enjoyed myself immensely.  In fact, one of my first blog posts was from a quick cruise to the Bahamas.  The idea of going on a vacation without having to spend time in an airport flying somewhere was appealing because I only had a few days over the long weekend. 

I left my apartment around 3pm and made my way to the Black Falcon terminal in the Boston seaport district.  To my surprise, there was no line outside and barely anyone waiting around inside.  I tagged my bags and passed them to a porter before continuing up to the check-in desk.   If you have never cruised before, this is an important thing to note: fill out all of your information online, including your passport info and your credit card for room charges/billing.  Since I had everything ready to go, I spent less than 5 minutes at the desk getting my Sign and Sail card.  Some people (especially those traveling in large parties) took way more time than necessary getting checked in.  I made my way up the gangway and into the lobby on the 3rd floor.
 
Reversing Falls in Saint John, NB
In my opinion, the Carnival Glory looked like every other Carnival ship I’ve been on.  Lobby on the 3rd floor, photos on the 4th, and casino/shops/bars on the 5th.  The dining rooms and show rooms are always toward the ends, and rooms are everywhere else.  Pool and spa are up top.  This doesn’t mean I didn’t get lost.  I have a poor sense of direction and found myself turning one way when I was supposed to go the other.  Fortunately, you can only go so far before you realize you made a mistake.  Also, there are maps in every elevator bank.  I stayed in a balcony room on the 8th floor.  It was quiet for the most part, and though the balcony was small, it was nice to sit out there and read.  The deck up on lido got a little loud at times with all the kids and music.  Even the serenity area wasn’t very relaxing.  I’m fine with noise when I want to drink and dance, but not when I want to read or nap.  One of the reasons I enjoy cruising is that all of the employees take careful consideration in learning your name.  From our wait staff at dinner to our room steward, I was called Tina all the time. It actually made me feel a little bad because I could barely pronounce some of their names.  The staff comes from all over the world and works for 6 month contracts. 
 
The best part of a cruise is (and should be!) the food!  I had delicious meals every day including mouthwatering tacos at Blue Iguana Cantina, fresh caught lobster tails, and a 14 oz cheesecake in the Emerald Steakhouse!   By the time I got home, I couldn’t even think of food.  As with most restaurants on land, the best deal for drinks is buying wine by the bottle.  They have a decent selection for people on a budget.  You can also bring two bottles with you when you board to drink outside the dining room.  If you want to drink your own wine with your dinner, you are charged a small corkage fee ($10 in the main dining room, $14 in the steakhouse), but they will hold the bottle for you in the dining room if you don’t finish it in one sitting.  


Lobsters in Halifax
Slightly more disappointing was the entertainment.  The performers at the nightly show were sub-par.  I actually walked out at one point because my ears couldn’t take it anymore.  I spent more time entertaining myself at the casino playing roulette and craps than at the shows and comedy clubs.  I found the bands playing on deck 5 near the casino and in the lounges to be better than anyone in the choreographed shows.
 
The ship had two stops in Canada – one in Saint John, New Brunswick, and another in Halifax, Nova Scotia.  On past cruises, I have both opted in and opted out of excursions.  Based on my research online and from what I found browsing the Carnival site, I decided to opt out and walk the cities on my own.  I went in expecting Saint John to be a bit of a bore, and it was.  They have a wonderful greeting staff passing out roses to women and maps and flyers, but that’s where it stopped.  One of the pre-booked excursions was to go to the Reversing Falls.  I read online that you can walk there yourself along the harbor walk, and so I did.  The walkway was really run down and a little scary.  At times, I had to walk along the main highway! 
 
About 45 minutes later, I arrived at the falls.  I’m not sure if I didn’t time it right, but there was not too much to see.  I did not go on a boat ride, but it looked like the jet boats that were speeding around in the rapids would have been fun.  It was a hot day, so I wouldn’t have minded getting splashed!  The people working in the gift shop were not very welcoming or nice and gave me a hard time about getting change for the bus ride back, even though I purchased something.  After standing around for an hour staring blankly at the falls, I made my way back to the seaport on a bus and had some drinks and a lobster roll at Steamers Lobster Co.  The food was good, and the entertainment was better.  Out on the deck, a singer was performing lots of music (mostly from the 50’s and 60’s).  He was better than the performers on the boat and all he had was a small karaoke machine and a dancing lobster mascot. 
 
We made our way back to the Glory well before the ship left Saint John early that afternoon.
The next morning, we docked in Halifax.  Right away, I noticed a difference in the attitude of this city.  There were a lot of shops, restaurants, and things to do nearby.  I walked down the pier and then up towards The Citadel.  After lots of walking, a much needed pit stop at Starbucks for a coffee and souvenir mug, and even more walking, I stopped for lunch at Cora’s.  Cora’s was explained to me as the Canadian iHop, and there was a big all-day breakfast menu.  I decided to have an apple and cheddar crepe before continuing along to more shops. 
Score!
As I was strolling down the road, I began to notice people carrying bright red shopping bags.  Upon closer inspection, I realized they were Roots bags!  I love Roots!  I’ve had an unnatural fascination with the store since they sponsored the Olympics back in Salt Lake City.  I found the store a few minutes later and proceeded to try everything on.  I walked out with a lovely grey sweatshirt with a Canadian flag on it.  I can’t wait to wear it! Good thing I live somewhere with a long winter; I will get to wear it a lot!  We can back to the boat for a few hours before venturing out again for a few drinks.  Originally I wanted to get some poutine as a snack before dinner, but it was too hot to justify eating fries, so I never got them.
The weather finally broke the last day at sea as massive fog rolled over the ocean.  It was so thick the fog horn was going off every 10 minutes and I couldn’t even see the water from my balcony!  I managed to spend my last day shopping in the Fun Shops and attending an art auction.  I also got some good reading in before my 8 PM reservation at the Emerald Steakhouse, the fancy restaurant onboard.  There is a $35 fee per person to go to this restaurant, but I had a good time.  I cracked upon the bottle of champagne I brought with me and chugged it back with my surf and turf.  Dinner ended with a ginormous 14 oz cheesecake!  I made it about 1/5 of the way through before giving up.  It was yummy though!
Leaving Halifax
Tuesday morning started early for me as I was summoned to go through US Customs before getting off the ship.  Typically only Non-US Citizens have to do this, but there is a lottery of US Citizens who also get picked, and I won.  I sat in the auditorium for about an hour before they briefly looked at my customs form and waved me away.  After a quick breakfast on the Lido Deck, I grabbed my bags and walked off the ship.  It was all very painless and I was back at work by 8:30 AM.  Adios vacation… Until next time!