The Atlantic

We have really been blessed b good weather on this cruise. Meaghan did not visit much during the summer because the temperature was often in the 40s. Three days after hitting Rome, they had a storm that closed down the seaport and did some damage to large boats, but our day there was ideal. Our first night on the open Atlantic was fairly rough, but it has settled down since then. Since then, the wind has been behind us most of the time, making for very smooth sailing. The past two days have been gorgeous, with good hot sunshine beating down on the pool deck for about 8 hours a day in air temp in the low 20s. Some clouds and rain squalls have blocked the sun at times, but generally much better than we expected. We sailed close to land as we passed through the Azores on Monday, but other than that, the scenery is a whole lot of nothing. Very beautiful and mesmerizing to watch the waves. Most days have had waves about 10-12 feet high, but they do not bother the ship much at all. From the higher decks it looks pretty tame, but they are more impressive closer to the waterline.

This is our last day at sea before docking in New York. There is one lady on board who has taken 65 cruises with NCL, and has planned her next one already. I can see why – let me count the reasons… And there is a celebrity on board – the man who played the Phantom for several years in the Broadway production. He is roughing it in the Garden Villa – a huge penthouse suite which measures 4500 square feet. That’s four times the area of our patio home in Nanaimo.

It will be tough getting off the ship in the morning. We have spent a lot of time with a super bunch of cruise staff members and have seen dazzling entertainment every day around the ship. Yes, I can see why Silvie has taken 65 trips on Norwegian ships. This final day is packed with activities, including packing our suitcases in preparation for the cold hard facts of New York City. I hear it is not much above freezing there. That will make Nanaimo seem warm. Meanwhile, we will spend 2 nights taking a very quick look at the Big Apple.