This trip was just for me & Andrew and it was a double celebration; for me having taken early retirement from the Pru', and for Andrew, also having given up his job but about to start
a new career studying to be a nurse. It was a shame we never got to Ireland (because of the weather) but we had a great time and met
some lovely people on our table, Harry & Cathy, who have since become "our American Cousins" in Florida.
Friday 5th September Le Havre, France
Our first stop was in Le Havre and Andrew decided to stay and enjoy the ship while I took the day-tour to Mont Saint
Michel, the bigger version of our own St Michael's Mount in Cornwall.
Mont Saint Michel the approach across treacherous marshes
The trek to the top
Initially famous for being cut-off twice a day by the tide, this fortress/sanctuary is now connected to the land by a causeway.
Dating from 708AD, pilgrims would visit the holy relics of the Archangel St Michael. Today, the Abbey Church and the surrounding
hill-top town are heavily commercialised but it's a fascinating place and, as always, my tour didn't allow enough time to explore it
properly.
The view from the top!
The Abbey Church of St Michael The first monastic settlement was in the 8th century AD
Tourist alleyways
Saturday 6th September
Plymouth, UK
Anchoring in the bay off Plymouth and tendering ashore on another glorious day, I took the tour to the quaint Cornish fishing
village of Polperro.
The Buccaneer harbour restaurant
The picturesque harbour of Polperro
The South West Coast Path
Polperro is a bit of a tourist-trap but the whole village is pedestrianised, which makes it easy to wander and enjoy its
picture-postcard views. Climbing out of the village, you're on the spectacular South West Coast Path which runs 630 miles from Minehead in North Devon to Poole in Dorset.
Ireland is "Blown Away"
Our next stop was supposed to be Cobh in Ireland but shortly after the Captain's Cocktail Party that night, he announced that there was a severe weather-front south of Ireland
and because of the strong winds, the ship could not safely navigate the harbour entrance! (Hmm!) Consequently, he had decided to commence our Transatlantic crossing a day early.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Fabian had just hit Bermuda with 140-mph winds and was now heading into the Atlantic. It was going to be "a bit rough" tonight!
Sunday 7th - Thursday 11th September
Transatlantic Crossing - 5 Days at Sea
The weather on the crossing certainly began grey and choppy but it settled again later and by taking a course well south of the bad weather, the Captain gave us
quite a pleasant crossing. However, Andrew suffered an asthma attack one night and had to go to the hospital. He then spent the next few days walking about the ship
with a bandaged arm where his drip had been!
A deceptively calm crossing
The view from the Windjammer Cafe
Cabin 2136
View astern
One of the good things about crossing the Atlantic east-to-west is that you get an extra hour in bed every night, as the clocks go back 5 hours! And while some may
find crossings a bit boring, we had a lovely time "chilling-out" for 5 days. Mind you, we couldn't avoid all of the attempts by the ship's
company to divert our attention; one evening, the dining-room waiters all did the "Macarena" with flaming cakes on their heads!
Whatever will they think of next?
Friday 12th September Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
The Boardwalk
The Old Town Clock symbol of Halifax
St Paul's Church
The Citadel
As a recompense for our loss of Cobh, we were given an extra half-day stop in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where we had time to walk along the "Boardwalk" seafront and
up through the town to the Citadel, a restored British fort (Fort George) dating from 1828 and home to the 78th Highland Regiment.
One Drummer Drumming
Two Gunners Firing
Three Pipers Piping
Changing the Guard
Here, in addition to exploring a National Historic Site, you can celebrate the deep Scottish tradition of this part of Canada and enjoy the
daily ceremonial firing of the "Noon-day Gun".
Saturday 13th September
Portland, Maine, USA
From Portland, we visited the lighthouse at Portland Head, as well as the quaint seaside town of Kennebunkport, once home
to the "Summer White House" and close to the Bush family estate.
Steam Railway
Portland Head Light
Quaint waterfront at Kennebunkport
Victorian mansions in Kennebunkport
Sunday 14th September
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Unfortunately, we got off to a bad start upon disembarkation, as Royal Caribbean had messed-up our transfer arrangements and we spent an hour in arguments on the dockside, before
we were eventually taken to our Hotel, where we had a room for the day.
Having been in Boston just 3 months ago, Andrew was content to stay at the hotel while I braved the antiquated Subway to do some shopping and sightseeing near Boston Common
and the Public Garden, before returning to take the hotel shuttle to the airport for our overnight flight home.
The State House
Houses on Boston Common
The Public Garden
Make Way for Ducklings! by Nancy Schon
All told, this proved to be a well-earned and restful holiday, which we both needed. And by comparison to our trip on
near-sister ship Splendour of the Seas in 1996, our impression was quite different -
and most favourable. Unfortunately, Royal Carribbean proved inefficient in the booking process, messing-up
a number of times, and their ground-handling arrangements in Boston let us down too. Royal Caribbean also owns
Celebrity, of course, and it was rather reminiscent of our 1995 Horizon shambles; they don't seem to have learned
much in 8 years!
Nevertheless, the ship did impress us and Andrew & I both agreed that she would be ideal for one of our larger groups;
click the link at the bottom of this page for more about Grandeur of the Seas.
= ports at anchor
