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Adventure OTS Day 12 At Sea - Golf and Flowrider

Nice day on the decks. Partly cloudy, 24C (72F) with 8 ft seas, 23 mph winds. We had to make some last minute changes to our rental car in Port Canaveral the next day because RCL decided everyone disembarking had to do it by 9am. We were getting off the ship a day early in Port Canaveral, rather than going on to Ft Lauderdale to save ourselves from a 5 hour drive home on Sunday.


After making arrangements we decided to head up to the sports deck and join the mini golf tournament. I didn't do so well, but with practice became better. Scott got a hole in one.

After the mini golf we watched people on the Flowrider, a simulated surf. Mark decided he would try after watching some others, and figuring he might not get another chance. The flowriders are only on bigger ships, and there were no kids on this cruise so it was a good choice.

Mark, Scott & Marie watching the flowrider

Mark getting ready to try it again

Mark really made it look hard

Here's a live video of his first effort

Later in the day we met up with Wes & Karen from Victoria, BC in the Blue Moon during the happy hour.

The concierge had a special performance in the Diamond Lounge of juggling bartenders and special martini drinks. They also had the izumi chefs there to present platters of sushi and special appetizers.

Ended the day at the Quest game held in Studio B.

Well, that's it for our repositioning cruise. We settled up our account, paid our tips in cash to the staff who took care of us and packed up our stuff. We'll be back on another short Thanksgiving cruise for our 26th anniversary at the end of the month.

Adventure OTS Day 11 _ At Sea Skating

Woke up to an overcast day, partly cloudy with chance of showers with cool temps 16C (61F) with winds 35 mph, seas at 8ft.  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.  


Breakfast in the windjammer, one of the servers Funjei.

We were invited to a backstage tour of the skating Studio B. It was pretty unorganized but what else did we have to do? Packing? We did get to see the mini Zamboni they use to prepare the ice.

The skaters have to buy their own skates at $1200 for the boots, and the blades are another $300.

We decided to try our own ice skating and managed to have fun and not kill ourselves, Scott and I didn't even fall. We pretty much had the rink to ourselves. Mark on the other hand was another story.

Dinner again, we had such a great time with these people.

Production Showtime was "Can't Stop the Rock" staring the singers and dancers.

 
Distance traveled 2,446 nm

Adventure OTS cruise, Boston, Massachusetts Day 10

Today our port of call was Boston, MA from 7am to 4:30 pm. It was mostly sunny, 14C (57F) with 25 mph winds. We were biking to Quincy Market area and going on a duck boat tour of the city. The duck boat cost $40 each.

 The Cheers bar in the TV show.

 A government building

 They asked if anyone wanted to drive the duck boat in the Charles River and of course Scott did.

 I decided I should drive too, when would I ever get the chance again?

A really old church. We toured all over the city for an hour - Beacon Hill, the Aquarium, Quincy Market, Granary Burying Ground, Boston Common, MIT, MOSI, and more.

Kilted Colin was a street performer in Quincy Market, he juggled and rode the unicycle while playing the bagpipes. Right at noon he wrapped up and another performer moved in. It is expensive to get permits to perform there, but they must do alright with the tips.

The Granary Burying Ground where many historical figures are buried including Sam Adams. Boston has many historical sites they have preserved in the city, they can be toured on foot by following the Freedom Trail.

 The city of Boston has great roads for bikers with marked lanes on the inside of parked cars. They were painting the bike lane green they day we were there. The drivers in the city are mean though. Boston does have a share bike program called Blue Bikes, they are $10 for unlimited 24 hour use for 2 hour periods. Use the app to check in and out. We'll do that next time.

After biking on our way back to the ship, we ran into our friends Mark and Jan on their way to have lunch. We stopped to join them at Legal Seafood on the water near the ship. They had spent the day with friends who live in Boston.

 Sailaway was interesting because we were tucked in a port and needed to back out quite a distance. It was definitely one of the trickier moves by the Captain. Approaching rain showers in the distance.

 Mark and Marie watching sail away from the Diamond Lounge

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

 Kevin Johnson, ventriloquist with Clyde and Matilda was the headliner show for the evening. We remembered him from Summer Nights at Busch Gardens in 2008 and were excited to see him again. We skipped dinner in the MDR so we could see both shows at 7pm and 9pm. We ate in the windjammer which was the only night we did that, but it was really good. Our dinner friends were more fun though.  Anyway, Kevin Johnson did not disappoint.

 There was another event later in the evening, the Love and Marriage Show. It was funny on this cruise, there were no newlyweds, the newest married couple to be found was married 6 years.

This was our last port, so we could pack up our folding bikes now. Still two more days of the cruise.

Adventure OTS cruise, Portland, Maine Day 9

Our port of call today was Portland, Maine from 7am to 5:30 pm, a full day. The weather was mainly sunny 11C (52F) with winds up to 35 mph. We planned on biking the bike trails around the city. Its still very cold and windy, but the sunshine was a nice mood lifter.

Pano of Fort Allen Park lookout

Tug Boats in the Harbor off Commercial Street

Here's our progress so far, we're in the home stretch, one more port tomorrow then two days at sea to arrive in Port Canaveral, FL.

Selfie at Fort Allen Park in Portland, ME

When we were back in our room in late afternoon, parents were 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.

After biking around the Eastern Promenade, East End Beach, Bayside Trail, Back Cove Park, Fort Allen Park, Casco Bay Bridge we met our friends for a beer at RiRa Irish Pub.

 After a dip in the hottub we went up to the Diamond Lounge for sailaway, and of course our favorite server Beverly was there. She sure worked the ship, she went to every venue whenever there was an event - Schooner Bar for trivias, Casino in between, Diamond Lounge for happy hour, the Imperial Lounge or Lyric Theatre for shows. Nice gal.

 The Norwegian Gem was in port with us today, and sailed away just before us.

No shows tonight since we've seen the ice skating show already, just dinner at the MDR.

Boston is tomorrow.



Adventure OTS cruise - Bar Harbor, Maine Day 8

Arrival in port at 7am however we have to be processed by U.S. Customs and Immigration and this is a tender port. We anchored near 7am but a letter dropped in our cabin stated to be in the MDR on deck 5 at 7:45am based on our deck.  Non-U.S. Citizens were instructed to go to the Imperial Lounge for processing.  Permanent residents were to go to the MDR with U.S. Citizens


Today was a long day in port, form 7am to 6:30 pm at 13C (55F), with winds up to 29mph. It was partly cloudy in the morning, and rain showers moving in around 2 pm.




We had to tender by using local boats to get to Bar Harbor. Here is the first one bringing the ramps.

Sunrise in Bar Harbor, ME

 We brought our bikes to shore and it was simple on the tender boat, they let us hang in back with the bikes, first one and first off.

Once on land again we had intended to get an Uber to the top of Cadillac mountain and ride our bikes down. But there were no Uber drivers and the taxis wanted tour groups not to give one way rides to the top of the mountain. So we opted to lock up the bikes and took an hour tour on Ollie's Trolleys for $25 each. They drove us up to the top of  Cadillac mountain and told us the history of the area.

1763 French Indian war, in 1688 Antionne Cadillac was an original landowner in New France. Bar Harbor is a 108 sq mile island, second largest in area behind Long Island.



 Acadia National Park, home of Cadillac Mountain

 View of RCL Adventure of the Seas just off of Bar Harbor, from Cadillac Mountain

 Scott, Mark, Kathy, Marie, Chrissy at the top of Cadillac Mountain

 On the Top of Cadillac Mountain - Mark, Kathy, Marie, Chrissy, Joel

 

 Our full dinner group - Mark, Chrissy, Joel, Jan, Scott, Mark, Kathy, Marie

 
 The bar in Bar Harbor, its a sand bar

 A nice Halloween decoration

 Pano on the top of Cadillac mountain

 Biking on the Shore Path along coast, Grant Park and Agamont Park.

 A lobster roll from the Deli, only $16.95

 This Pedego shop rents our electric bikes which could make it up the mountain on the carriage roads, only $59 for 4 hours. They have a tandem to rent too! 

 We stopped at the Stadium Pub for a $6 draft of Blueberry Maine craft beer. Yum!

We got back on the ship before the rain picked up and enjoyed another evening in the Diamond Lounge. We talked Arnold and his friend Barbara, they hail from Toronto on their way to Marco Island for the winter. He was 91 years old and quite the character, offered us a ride in his Bentley which is being shipped to Florida.

 The Motown show was our evening entertainment "Marcus Terrell & the Serenades".