Arriving in New York

Here are some pictures from the last day of the cruise when we docked in New Jersey with a fantastic view of New York City.

From the cruise ship, we took a Uber car to the Courtyard where we had left the car.

Then it was a 14 hour drive to home which went well with both of us sharing the driving time.

What a great cruise - seeing our old friends Vera & Jeff from New York and Barb & Tim from Washington - we had a blast with them.

It was also great seeing old friends in the casino and making new friends - this was just a fun trip and thanks to all who made it happen.

Thanks for following our journey.

Lady Liberty and the World Trade Center

We went under this bridge!

Leaving for home

Videos from the July 4, 2016 Celebrity Summit Trip to Bermuda

At the Church Of The Most Holy Trinity in St. George, Bermuda

A show on the Celebrity Summit

More from the Celebrity Summit

Leaving New York

July 4 – 2016 – Day 9

It was nice waking up with an extra hour of sleep and without worrying about anything except just getting some deck chairs where we always sit.

This is our last day of the cruise and it is wonderful as it was a relaxing one with great weather to start.

Ed was up at 8:00am and all of the chairs by the pool in the lower level were already taken; but, where we like to sit was vacant so he grabbed them and then had breakfast.

Barb followed and we sat in the sun until 10:30am as we had received an invitation to tour the bridge so we decided to go see it as we had not been there for several years.   It was fun hearing and seeing what they do on the bridge.  There were only about 20 people and the actual Captain of the ship spent about ½ hour giving us a great presentation.

By then it was Noon so we this time went to the Aqua Spa and had lunch there, splitting a grilled salmon dish.  Why go inside and eat in the dining room when the weather is so nice; however, when we finished lunch, the clouds were blocking out the sun.  This is probably the least amount of time we have been in the sun on a cruise – just an hour!!

So we went to the cabin and did some packing to save time later.

During the week, if you had a blackjack they gave you a ticket for a drawing.  That drawing was at 2:00pm so we went to the casino and with the dozens of tickets that all three couples had, none of us won.

Then at 2:30pm there was a blackjack tournament and Ed came in second by 1 chip.  Still, it was a $130 win.

Since we were already in the casino, we all played a session where both Barb and Ed won nicely.

After that we played a session in the casino where both Ed and Barb won, making it a great afternoon.

The show tonight was a production number by the cast and it was not the best cast show, but we enjoyed it.

Then we had another really good dinner in the dining room and of course went to the casino.

For our last night in the casino, Barb was down just a little and Ed broke even so we called it a night making it one of the better cruises in the casino.

Tomorrow we will leave the ship, probably by 8am, take a Uber car to the Marriott and try to drive straight home – a 15 hour trip with a 1 hour time change.

This is our last blog for this trip – it has been a fun trip with good friends.

Night and thanks for reading and next I will post some videos of the trip.

Going out for our last night on the ship

The Captain

Dwayne, Casino Supervisor on the left and Craig, Casino Manger on the right

Our long-time wonderful, wonderful friend Carla (one of the great Celebrity employees) on the left
and new friend Silvia our Host who was one of the best on the right

July 4 – 2016 – Day 8

Our last day in Bermuda was again a beautiful day – 85 degrees and very hot but of course we enjoyed the weather.

We left the ship a little after nine and took a historical walking tour of the Dockyard area.  This is the area where the ship is docked and it is the former British Navy base and has been developed into a great destination harbor area.

The tour was all about the settlement of the British and how they protected the island during the 1800’s and it was fun as they had different people at different locations who were dressed in period costumes.

After the tour we shopped until 1:00pm when we met Carla and Silvia, the casino supervisor and our casino host for lunch.  We had a very enjoyable lunch talking about families, travel and just family thinks.

After 2 hours it was time for all of us to get back to the ship which was about a 10 minute walk away.

Of course when we came on board, we headed up to the buffet area and brought snacks back to our cabin to eat and watched the ship sail out of the harbor.

The show was a new comedian and he was very, very funny.  His name is Al Ducharme and he also is in the next round of America’s Got Talent so it will be fun following him in the television show.

Then it was on to dinner where we were joined by the casino manager, Craig and our Host Silvia or a wonderful meal

Of course our next stop was the casino where Ed was up nicely and Barb was even – so we are happy at this point.

As we had a good run, we left the casino after only playing 45 minutes to protect our winnings and are going to be early tonight and also we set the clocks back giving us another hour of sleep tonight.

Heading to New York and tomorrow is our last day of a delightful cruise.

Night

Part of the tour of the British Dockyard

L-R, Silvia, our Host, Carla, Casino Supervisor, Ed & Barb

Three fun ladies, Carla, Barb & Silivia

On our way back to the ship

July 4 – 2016 – Day 7

It was a beautiful day when we woke up again in Bermuda to start our second day here – perfectly clear sky, no wind and about 80 degrees!

Bermuda is a country of 67,000, all living within 20.75 square miles.  This makes it the fifth smallest country in the world. 

As Tim, Jeff and Vera are playing golf today; Barbara is joining us for a water ferry ride to the town of St. George.  St. George is the former capital of Bermuda and a World Heritage Site consisting of small alleys and it is a great place for the walking tour that we took.

We started the morning walking to the ferry which was just on the other side of the dock area, a 10 minuite walk.

To take a local bus to the old capital was about 1 ½ hours but to take the water ferry it was only 45 minutes and only cost $4.50 each so we took the ferry and relaxed inside in the air-conditioned comfort of the boat.

After we arrived we walked to the Information Center in the middle of the city and found the tour that we were looking for and spent the next hour walking around the old city and seeing the sites and hearing about the many contributions to the world Bermuda has made over the past centuries.   It was a very major trading stop in its early years and also was involved in helping the US in a number of wars.  The country has a fascinating history.

After the tour we had lunch at a great local restaurant and stuffed ourselves with a wonderful fish dish that is pictured below.

Then we took a little locomotive tram for a 45 minute tour of the city and the forts and beaches outside the city – it was fun.

After that tour, we took the ferry back to the ship and it was time for a snack before getting ready for the evenings activities.

Our deck was right in the sun so we ate inside our room and then got ready to go out for the evening.

As everyone who reads this knows, the evening is usually always the same and that is:

1.       Go to the show

2.       Have dinner with friends

3.       Go to the casino

Tonight the show was three female singers who were pretty good.  The meal was wonderful and both Barb & Ed lost in the casino.  The good news is that we are still up for the cruise.

Tomorrow is our last day in Bermuda and we plan to make it a fun day.

Night for now.

The oldest church from the 1600's

Lunch menu

Lunch - the Bermuda Triangle

The tour train - little toot!

One of their famous beaches - in a pretty cove

July 4 – 2016 – Day 6

Finally we woke up to land as we have arrived at King’s Warf, Bermuda and is it ever hot and humid!!

Where we are docked is a former British Navy base that has been turned into a dock for the public, including the ability to dock 2 cruise ships at the same time.

The island of Bermuda is 21 miles long by 2 miles wide, at its widest.  There are 3 main areas, the dock area where we are, then in the middle of the island the town of Hamilton, the capital and at the end St. George, the old capital.

Tim and Barb went with us as we were picked up by a private guide in his van for a 4 hour tour of the island.  Basically, there are some amazing houses at very expensive prices, a number of golf courses and not much else.  The main industry is banking and the influx of people in this profession has caused the housing prices to rise.  We saw a lot along the road in a residential area without a view that was ¼ of an acre for $750,000!!  There are a lot of wealthy people who have homes here, including Michael Douglas.

Everything that they consume is transported in.  A ½ gallon of milk is almost $8.00 and a gallon of gas is $9!!

When we got to St. George, we ate at a locally owned restaurant and Barb and Ed split a lobster salad sandwich which was very good.

Amazingly they have very few beaches and the ones they do are famous for their pink sand.  The water is also an aqua color, instead of the deep blue that we have seen in the Caribbean.

The tour was interesting and at the end of the tour our guide dropped us off in the town of Hamilton where we wandered around and then took the ferry back to the dockyards where our ship is docked for the next three days.

Then we went to dinner and of course it was great – great food, great service and good friends.  Ed had Tuna as an appetizer and then Sea Bass for the main course.  Barb had 3 appetizers, tuna, crab cakes and pea pod salad for her entire meal.

We finally got to the casino at 11:00 and it was jammed; however, we had a table and after only an hour, Barb was up and Ed was up the best of the trip so far, including having 3 blackjacks in a row on a $100 bet! 

The casino is probably the best we have ever had.  The Casino Manager, Greg is always on the floor.  Our Host, Silvia is always cheerful and there when we need her and Carla, the Casino Supervisor has been on a number of ships with us and she is also wonderful.  Then we have several dealers who we have been with and also Roger our bar server who had been on a couple of ships with us – a great staff.

After that good run, we left early to protect our winnings even though it was fun table.

Night from Bermuda and we will be in port for two more days.

Ready to go out for the day

The Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity

Lunch

The view from our deck

Our Ship - the Summit

July 4 – 2016 – Day 5

Again we slept in as we were in the casino late and we also had to set the clocks ahead by 1 hour.  We didn’t miss any sun because when we woke up it was very overcast.  Ed went to the gym and while there it even started to rain and rained for about an hour.

By 11am it was starting to look better but still was not good enough to sit in the sun.  Two days without – that wasn’t in our plans!!

Anyway, we left the cabin and wandered around the ship finally ending up in the dining room with our friends for lunch which was relaxing and fun.

We also talked about a future October 2017 cruise leaving from Southampton, England and traveling to Portugal, the Canary Islands and Spain and it looks like everyone can go so we booked it.

We had our usual great lunch and then went to the casino.

After lunch we went to the casino where Ed was down just a little and Barb was even.

The shows have now changed to 7:00pm for people who are eating late so that is great as we can go to the show, eat and then get to the casino at about 10:30pm. 

The casino has designated one table as a $50.00 table and when we have gotten there each night, no one is playing so they change it to a $25 minimum bet to accommodate us and we have 5 players so we keep the table to ourselves the rest of the evening. 

Today was a good day for the casino and we both ended up for the and almost as important, we put in more than the required hours which helps us maintain our casino comps

It was a great anniversary day as we celebrated 20 years of marriage and are still best friends.

Tomorrow (actually in a few hours) we finally get to Bermuda and it will tonight the sky is clear and it is hot and humid so we are hopeful that tomorrow will be a fun day in Bermuda.

Night from the Atlantic.

Strawberries and a little bubbly delivered to our cabin from the casino

Going out for the evening

Our Anniversary Cake!

July 4 – 2016 – Day 4

We slept in late and Ed went to exercise while Barb got ready.

It was mostly cloudy but nice; however, we there wasn’t enough sun to sit out so we wandered around the ship looking and doing a little shopping.

We met our friends in the suite dining room for lunch at 1pm.  Barb had a Lamb Burger and Ed had grilled Tuna and both meals were excellent.

Starting at 11am until 2pm they held their $25,000 slot tournament qualifying rounds.  We were in the last round at 2pm.  The entry fee was $150; however, they had given each of us a free entry.  They will take the top eight who score the highest.  None of the six of us qualified for the final round.

Then we all played a secession of blackjack where Ed gave back what he had won last night and Barb was ahead. 

The show was a big cast production number called iHollywood and it was very good.

Dinner was again in the suite dining room with our friends and it was outstanding – great food and great service.  As this was Barbara Freeman’s birthday tomorrow, as our Barb’s request, the staff served us desert first as Barbara likes deserts – following is a picture of the desert cart and it was wonderful.

As they don’t care how much you eat most of us order multiple appetizers and pictured are the three appetizers that Ed had!!

This is probably the best dining experience and food that we have ever had on a cruise ship.  If we had to pay for it, it would have cost us approximately $2,000 additional to book a suite – thanks goodness for the casino host who arranged it for us.

Then it was on to the casino to go to work where Barb was up a little and Ed lost a little and as we left the casino at 1:00am, it is time to go to bed as we set the clocks ahead for tomorrow.

Night from somewhere in the Atlantic.

Desert Cart

Shrimp Cocktail

Lobster Salad

Beef Tartar

July 4 - 2016 - Days 1-3

July 4 – Day 1, 2 & 3

Day 1 – We left our house at 7:00am and headed for Harrisburg, PA a 13 hour trip.   Everything when well and we switched drivers every couple of hours.  When Barb was driving on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, all of a sudden we came to a complete stop.  We found out from the Waze app that there was a major roll-over 9 miles from us.  We waited an hour before finally moving again.  From what we read, the cars at the head of the line waited for 2 ½ hours!!

After we finally started moving, it was after 8pm so we stopped at the first tollway rest stop for a bathroom break and something to eat – big mistake on eating.  We ate at Burger King and the food was terrible – but we ate most of it.

We then got back on the turnpike and had an uneventful final part of the drive and checked into a TownPlace Suites in Harrisburg and crashed for the night.

Day 2 – It was a beautiful day when we left the motel and went to Hershey, PA to the Hershey Chocolate Company.  Barb had been there before, a long time ago, but Ed had not.  We arrived just before the main building opened and so were able to park close and get in before the crowds got there.

We started out with a free 30 minute simulated factory tour which was really very good and the best tour that we took all morning.

We also had a tasting “class” which was fun and a tour of the town of Hershey which not very good!  It was a fun ½ day and then it was time to head for New Jersey.

We arrived at our hotel in time to check-in and then we went to Liberty Park to took a boat to Ellis Island – wow – what an interesting site to see.  We only had a little time but we were glad that we went. 

Then we took the ferry back and drove to mid-town Manhattan and went to Jeff and Vera’s new apartment which was only a couple of blocks from the UN on the East River.  It was a beautiful place and they had totally gutted the apartment that they purchased and made a beautiful, very modern apartment – which they own.  Tim and Barbara from Virginia were also there as they had come in the day before and were staying at Jeff and Barb’s.

We followed them in our car to an Italian Restaurant and were joined by our friends David and Barbara, also from Long Island.  We had a very good meal and then said good night to everyone.

Day 3 – We slept in a little and took a Uber car to the port arriving at 10:30am and were in our cabin by 11:00am.  After leaving our bags on the bed as they still had some cleaning to do, we walked around a little and then met everyone for lunch on the back of the ship.  After lunch we went to our room and unpacked and then met everyone again on the top back deck to watch the ship leave the New York harbor.  Jeff and Vera were pointing out all of the sites as we left.  Then ship just cleared the bridge and then we were out into the Atlantic heading for Bermuda.

The show was a comedian who was pretty good. 

Jeff and Vera and Tim and Barbara had purchased suites and there is a special restaurant for just people who are staying in suites; however, the casino upgraded us to allow us to eat in the suite dining room so we could eat with the other two couples and the food was outstanding.

Then it was on to the casino where we found out that we knew a number of the staff so it was fun talking to all of them again.

We had a great night in the casino and both Barb and Ed won.

Tomorrow is the first of two sea days before we get to Bermuda so it will be fun and relaxing.

Night – sweet dreams!!

Outside the main entrance to Hershey World

On the top deck leaving New York

A beautiful lady!!

Leaving New York behind us

Very close going under the bridge