The Trip Begins!
September 8, 2024
This is a new adventure for us - a different cruise line and a trip that doesn't require a full day to get to Europe. No jet lag! Woo hoo!
We left the car in the yard at the Danbury Railway Museum and took the train to Grand Central. We had to change trains in South Norwalk, and although the train was a few minutes late, everything went smoothly.
 |
| Waiting for the Train in Danbury |
 |
| The Station in South Norwalk |
 |
| At last, the train to NYC |
The ride from South Norwalk to Grand Central was quick, and before we knew it, we were through the station and out to 45th Street. I ordered a Lyft to take us to Pier 90, where the check-in process was incredibly fast and easy—no lines at all! They took our luggage at the curb, and we walked down a hallway and onto the ship.
This is a shot of Insignia docked in NYC that I found online. Our ship was parked next to a ginormous Norwegian Cruiseliner called Breakaway, three or four times our size (it holds 6,000 passengers), with a huge water park on its top deck.
Anyway, when we boarded, we made our way up to the Terrace Cafe where we had a bite to eat and a glass of wine. We sat outside and enjoyed basking in the sun - even though it was quite windy.
At about 3 p.m. they announced that all staterooms were ready, so we headed down to our room to unpack and enjoy a nap before dinner.
 |
| Our Stateroom #3027 |
The room is quite lovely. The storage is not as good as it is on the Viking Ocean ships, so it will take us a few days to sort things out so that we can find everything. The bed is very comfortable, and the sitting space is adequate (not that we spend much time in the room).
Sail Away was at 5 p.m., so we headed up to the top deck to enjoy seeing New York City as we sailed away!
We loved the play of light on the water and the glint of the buildings. It was truly a sparkling kind of day!
 |
| Jeff enjoys a Bourbon Manhattan in Martinis before we go to dinner. |
I didn't take any photographs at dinner. We were seated at what is known as the "Captain's Table" in the very center of the Grand Dining Room. We had agreed to share a table, and this was a table for ten. It turns out it was a group of "solo travelers" - folks traveling alone. One of the entertainers was "in charge" of hosting the solo travelers as part of her duties. Anyway, we were welcomed with open arms. Jeff was in his jokester/punster glory.
Dinner was good. I had Jacques Pepin's beef bourguignon, and Jeff had a steak. I enjoyed a shrimp cocktail as my appetizer while Jeff had a salad. It was a fun evening! We headed to the Insignia Lounge (I think of it as a theater) to catch the tail end of the show. Evidently, there is a show each night at 9:30, and it runs for about 45 minutes.
All in all, it was a very wonderful first day!
A Day in Newport
September 9, 2024
This is the first of two stops in Newport. Our cruise combines two cruises, and all the folks we have met so far are just doing the seven-night NYC-Bermuda-NYC cruise. Anyway, the ship anchored off the coast of Newport, and we took the tender to Perotti Park.
 |
| Perrotti Park is where our tender dropped us off, and we have tickets for the Jamestown Newport Ferry |
We boarded the hop-on-hop-off ferry, staffed by our able Captain Brian (left) and first mate, John (right). We hopped off at the third stop - Rose Island, which has a wonderful lighthouse with an interesting history.
 |
| Rose Island Lighthouse from the seashore |
Rose Island is an 18.5-acre island in Narragansett Bay off Newport, Rhode Island It is allegedly named "Rose Island" because, at low tide, it appears to be shaped like a rose. The island is only accessible by boat, and the private, non-profit Rose Island Lighthouse Foundation runs both it and its lighthouse.
It has an interesting history. During the American Revolution, fortifications were constructed on the island, and in 1798, the U.S. government began constructing the never-completed Fort Hamilton there. Units of the U.S. Infantry were stationed there. The stone barracks from the fort still remain. The U.S. Navy used Rose Island to store explosives during World Wars I and II as part of the Naval Torpedo Station. The government stopped using the island after World War II (except for the lighthouse) and declared it government surplus. The abandoned fort was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001 as Fort Hamilton Historic District.
 |
| The pathway up to the lighthouse |
 |
| The gate to the lighthouse |
 |
| Insignia from the lighthouse window |
 |
| A glimpse of the somewhat primitive bathroom (commode to the left off photo) |
 |
| The music room |
 |
| Sweet peas in the garden |
A Day at Sea
September 10, 2024
We don't have too many "sea days" on this cruise. I don't mind them - it's kind of nice to have a day without an "agenda."
We slept in a bit and missed breakfast in the Grand Dining Room, so we headed to the Terrace Cafe. After breakfast we headed up to the Library, a beautiful and quiet spot on deck 9.
 |
| The Library |
It was lovely and quiet, but also freezing cold, so eventually, we left in search of a warmer spot, which we found in Barista's - a specialty coffee spot just outside the Grand Dining Room. Jeff did some reading while I worked on this blog - no easy task due to an impossibly slow internet on this ship - another negative in comparison to Viking.
We went for lunch in the Grand Dining room, enjoying soup (Jeff), salad (me), and a club sandwich, which neither of us cared much for -- it was too sloppy with far too much going on (pesto, guacamole, hard-boiled eggs, ham, roast beef, and what looked like egg salad). We each ate about half of our sandwiches and then left the rest.
Back to the room for an afternoon rest before we got ready for dinner in the first of two specialty restaurants - Polo Grill.
Comments
Post a Comment