May 7, 2012

• Mid/end of April, I received an extra week off work. Not willing to spend my days milling around town, I decided to take my parents on a cruise. My dad mentioned there were cruises leaving out of the Baltimore port, which would be extremely convenient for them since they live minutes away. With my friend Kathy’s help, I booked 2 rooms on Royal Caribbean’s Enchantment of the Seas. Since James had to work and Zach had school, my travel companion and cabin mate was Calista. Our ports were Bermuda (2 days) and Boston, MA (1.5 days.) Without further ado, the highlights of our 8-day cruise:

  Bermuda: I originally thought we were stopping in the Bahamas, which I’ve visited before. So I did no research. The weekend before my trip, my friend Kathy caught my mistake and informed me I was actually heading to Bermuda. WHAT?! Well, she was right, and I was unprepared in terms of what to do. My parents and I perused the excursions but none of them seemed interesting. We decided to explore the island ourselves, taking the famous pink buses. We docked in King’s Wharf and rode a ferry to the capital, Hamilton. Then it was off to St. George’s via the pink buses! On the way, we passed by some very expensive homes, including one that used a real cave as a swim up bar. There were numerous golf courses and tennis courts. We also stopped for a tour at Crystal Caves … which for $20/person was a bit overpriced (Luray Caverns in Maryland is much more impressive.)

   

    

  We finally reached St. Georges and walked around town … saw St Peter’s church (oldest Anglican church in the Western hemisphere) and King’s Square. Had I done my research, I would have also wanted to see the Unfinished Cathedral, but we didn’t know about it.  

    

   

  The next day, we stayed in Hamilton and King’s Wharf, not wanting to stray too far from the ship the day of departure. We visited Bermuda Cathedral in Hamilton, walked down Front Street (famous for high end stores), and the Naval Dockyard (shopping, a small park, and a hidden cove!)

    

   

    

  The below photo of my mom walking with Calista (holding an ice cream) brought back memories of living in England. Sophie was about the same age as Calista is now.

    

  The cove was very empty, had shallow/calm waters, and so many shells - We wished we had more time to spend there!

   

    

  Bermuda was the highlight of our trip – what a great island with friendly people. Very much unlike the Bahamas, where we were constantly being harassed to buy stuff, get our hair braided, or take tours in questionable looking vans.

  Boston: Since we’ve all (minus Calie) been to Boston before, it didn’t make sense to take any tours. I lived there for 5 years after all. (Note: The T is now using electronic cards, they added a silver line, and rides are $2 … vs. 85 cents. Wow, I feel old!) We took the T from the ship dock to Kendall Square … walked through the Media Center and the Infinite Corridor.

     

  (Warning! Trip down memory lane: I remember how tough it was going from a straight-A student in high school to a struggling B student at MIT – I didn’t know it at the time, but not being an A student was one of life’s best lessons. It taught me how to prioritize and focus on the big picture, not stress or over think details. I remember my friend Natalie and I boosting our own crushed egos by reminding each other what great attributes we had beyond the score on our exams. Dr. Natalie and I are both doing pretty well, if I do say so myself! )

   

    

  Anyway, I digress. My parents, Calista, and I crossed Harvard Bridge for lunch (we were all craving Chinese food) on Beacon street.  After lunch, we got off at Downtown Crossing to check out deals but realized Filene’s Basement was closed. So we walked around Boston Commons instead before heading back to the ship.

  At sea days: The weather was cool and windy, so we didn’t get to use the pool. Calista and I did sit in a hot tub once by ourselves though. I made it to the top of the rock wall on the top deck … quite nerving looking down into the ocean from the top! There was no line, and I was told that a few weeks ago, the line wrapped around the deck; there were 800+ kids on the ship because of spring break vs only 50 on our week. Nice! I also wanted to try the bungee jumping, but it was always closed when I checked due to strong winds.

   

    

  Also at sea, we made jewelry sets … earrings, bracelets, and necklaces. They sold additional kits for $10, but we only made the complimentary ones. And of course, there was evening entertainment and a few deck parties. There was also a section of shops onboard with raffles – out of literally hundreds of people, Calie won 3 $10 items of her choice. She picked a red evening purse, a purple slap bracelet watch with rhinestones, and a tie for James.  Another indoor activity was perusing the walls of passenger photos and critiquing them. So judgmental! (And so fun … tee hee hee!) 

    

    

  And no post of mine would be complete without food. There was nothing super impressive, but everything was very good. My favorite meal was the made-to-order salad lunch at My Fair Lady – I love a fresh, substantial (read: not healthy) salad!

   

    

  (It seemed, every evening someone was celebrating a birthday or anniversary, so Calista asked if we could pretend it was her birthday. The waiters were happy to oblige, and it totally made her evening!)

   

  Overall, a good trip. The ship was a bit older/dated and the weather was not ideal, but the staff was very friendly. And of course you can’t beat spending quality time with your family (parents), not doing housework, and sleeping in. After all, that’s what vacation is about!

    

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