What a trip! With relatives from around the world, we took a
road trip from Edmonton to Vancouver (I skipped out on this part), went on a week long
cruise to Bermuda/Bahamas, embarked on a 3 day
tour to Niagara Falls and Toronto, as well as
toured New York. And after three weeks of intense vacationing, I'm finally back with a few extra pounds and a few hundred photos.
My favorite part of the entire trip? Definitely the cruise! There is no better way to go on a vacation than to have your every need catered to the point that you could literally shut down half your brain. You go where you're told to go. You eat when you're being fed. And after a full day of events, you retire to your tidied up room. Movies, musical and theatrical shows, mahjong, swimming, tv - it's all there! And to compliment the onboard activities, there were also a wide range of shore excursions to choose from with a good balance of sightseeing and physical activity. From musuems, aquariums and beaches to bike and segway tours, I've enjoyed each one just as much! The only excursion I wanted to do but was unfortuantely cancelled due to wind conditions was parasailing.
I'm completely satisfied with the services of
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) and highly recommend them if you ever decide to take a cruise. I've also learned some interesting statistics regarding the cruise that are somewhat mind-blowing:
- The cruise weighs 90,000 tons, has 14 decks and consistently travels at 25 knots (47 km/h).
- The cruise travelled 2,600 miles in a round-trip from New York to Bermuda/Bahamas consuming 400,000 gallons of fuel.
- The cruise houses over 3000 passengers and 1100+ staff members.
- Each week, the cruise loads up 60,000 eggs, 11,000+ pounds of beef and similar figures for seafood, vegetable, and flour.
- All the bread, pastries, and desserts are always made fresh (the same day).
- The signature NCL Chocoholic buffet featuring ice sculptures and large chocolate models are designed and sculpted by the onboard chefs. They have to start preparation two days before the event.
- Have you ever seen one of those uranium-enrichment tanks? That's what the ship's washing machine looks like. They also have a similar device that folds towels!
Indeed, what a glorified fishbowl!
That's not to say the rest of my trip wasn't memorable but it was definitely a little rushed. Even more so, the tours of New York and Toronto were the exact same tours I've been on years earlier but I decided to go just to accompany my relatives. However, there are a few new places I've never been before. In New York, I visited Ground-Zero, the Intrepid Aircraft Carrier musuem, and the 24/7 Apple flagship store that opened this past May. And although it was my third time to Niagara Falls, it never gets old and I'm already itching to go back!
For me, this trip wasn't just about having fun but rather to be part of this once in a life-time trip. I don't think we will ever be able to bring so many relatives together (over 50 in New York with dinner reservations on the cruise always at 27) and even more impossible for a now 102 year old grandmother (she celebrated her birthday on the cruise) to make a trip across the world. For these reasons alone, the trip is already one worth remembering.
Check out my 400+ photos in 4 different sets:
My Flickr PageBermuda/Bahamas CruiseToronto/Niagara Falls TourNew YorkVancouver Road Tripvacation cruise new york toronto fun