GoodSmith

Day 13 - Port Canaveral, continued...
Crew life raft drill in the pool this morning.  New crew and every two years crew are required to go through several safety drills and be certified.  In this case they were learning how to right an upside down life raft.  

My day started off slowly.  I relaxed and enjoyed a lighter ship with a few hundred guests having disembarked and many others on excursions.
I headed down to Grills bar for a beer and a bite to eat.

Grills is that patio you see right behind the ship for the many Royal ships that use this berth. 


I didn't have a plan really, I just walked around the port area.  Here is a fishing charter just back with the crew cutting up their catch for them.



Continuing the history theme experienced in previous ports, here is some history for Port Canaveral.


A view across to the Disney Fantasy and Carnival Breeze.  





Yep, we are not in Boston any more.


We used terminal 1 today, the same terminal that Oasis uses as her current home port terminal.

It was hot and humid and back on board it was time... Kraken Lavaflow.

In other news... I mentioned earlier that Kone contractors were on-board doing elevator upgrades.  For anyone familiar with Voyager and Freedom class ships there are four elevators that service the Viking Crown Lounge.  Two of the four elevators have been down for the entirety of this voyage as they are upgraded.  With over 1,200 diamond lounge eligible (plus suite guests) trying to reach deck 14 the two remaining in service elevators have been crazy busy. Finally, a sign of life as the displays are coming to life for the two being upgraded.  They aren't in service yet but it must be close.

At 4pm the slides and flowrider opened.  No pictures as I was in slide mode and managed several runs having them all to myself.  I was on Mariner a few weeks ago and tried those new slides.  I have to say Adventure's slides are faster.  These slides also have a distinct drop at the very end that dump you into the trough of the watery landing zone absent on Mariner.  Sorry Mariner, Adventure's slides are better.

Day 13 - Port Canaveral
I felt the subtle rumble of bow thrusters and ventured up to deck 12.


The familiar sight of a ship with a mouse problem.


The sun was thinking about rising.



Good morning Canaveral, we have arrived.
No plans today, I was just here for my Enchantment cruise and I'll be back after Thanksgiving for another cruise.
I'll probably head down to Grills for a beer in the afternoon.

Day 12 - Evening
Dinner menu

In the Viking Crown Lounge the food and beverage team was doing a presentation for us.

Dinner in the Windjammer.

Main theater entertainment wasn't working for me.
To the pub!

Dancing in Boleros.

At 10:30pm the Quest was on...

No words.

As the saying goes... "What happens at the Quest, ends up on the internet"

Late night music.

Finally, in the realm of unicorns and pink elephants, the diamond lounge was empty.

Interesting enrichment talk the morning of our last sea day.  "How it Works, The Story of Royal Caribbean Voyager Class of Ships" presented by Bill, our Hotel Director.
This is the stuff that @Matt trivia is made of...
Adventure has an "air draft" of 208' depending on loading.  Antennas exceed that a few feet.  Depth numbers are painted on the side of the ship and every day in port a junior officer must record them in a log to indicate how deep the ship is sitting in the water.
Adventure gained ~3 1/2 tons with her make overs.  Originally ~135,000 GT she is now 138,279 GT.   The new cabins on deck 12 and slides have dramatically impacted her top speed.  The original deployment plan for Voyager class in Canada/NE was planned 5 years ago taking into account the top speed of 23- 24 knots.  With the change in aerodynamics they discovered this summer that isn't possible anymore, now she tops out around 20-21 knots.  
There are a number of guest capacity figures.  Max double occupancy is often quoted but Adventure's "SOLAS" capacity is actually 4,000 exactly.  That's the certified capacity based on Safety Of Life At Sea regulations.  Twice this summer she reached that number.  Her double occupancy number is 3,348.  This voyage has 3,280.  This is voyage 888 as indicated on the card provided with the sparkling wine in my cabin.
With 5 diesel generators (DG) or what most folks call "engines" they normally cruise on 3 or 4 DGs.  One DG typically is used for hotel operations or guests purposes versus propelling the ship in the water.  When top speed is needed they kick in the 5th DG.  Depending on conditions that typically gains them an extra 1 to 2 knots of speed but with a 20% increase in fuel consumption.  
The bow thrusters are the same on all Voyager and Freedom class ships.  During the scheduled 5 year dry dock rotation the propellers of some of those are removed and replaced with extra one on hand.  They are sent out for refurbishing and then installed in the next Voyager/Freedom class ship that dry docks.  This cycle continues endlessly ship after ship swapping blades.
The tenders in Bar Harbor cost them around $10k each for the day.  
Lifeboats must be exercised monthly and they do crew life boats drills every 90 days where they must fill a life boat to its capacity in 10 minutes, 147 on this ship, 370 on Oasis.  When Oasis originally came over on it's transatlantic a life boat was damaged.  They had to remove 370 guests from the next few sailings until that life boat was fixed.
Original project name for Voyager class was Project Eagle.  Radiance was Project Radiance,  Oasis was Project Genesis.  Quantum was Project Sunshine.   
When Portofino was added as a specialty restaurant years ago, they neglected to include a galley for it.  They later consumed the nearby flower shop to create a galley for Portofino.  
Back when Johnny Rockets was free they would do 1,700 guests at lunch with a 2 hour wait.  That led to a charge being imposed to manage crowds.  The original charge was $3.25.  
The Verrazano-Narrows bridge sags in the summer due to heat.  In the winter there is an extra few feet of clearance.  Adventure clears with around 14' of clearance.  In theory Oasis could fit under the Verrazano-Narrows bridge if they lowered the stacks for each passing.  Since deployment, the stacks on Oasis have permanent equipment installed at the top of the stacks and they are no longer retractable without removing the permanent equipment used for scrubbing. 
While most ships in the fleet are registered in the Bahamas, Brilliance sails under a UK flag so that they can operate the fleet in the EU and that one ship changes the taxation for all sailings.  One ship is flagged in Malta.
Over the last couple of years Canada has created a whale zone that is 200 miles long.  If a whale is spotted and the whale zone is declared "occupied"  the ship must reduce speed to 10 knots.  This impacts arrival times at ports of calls.
New GPS technology on board has improved accuracy from a meter to mere millimeters.
We lucked out in Bar Harbor.  Recall the weather worsened that day.  The next day Serenade couldn't tender in Bar Harbor but still had to clear U.S. Customs.  Everyone had to get up and be processed by CBP officials who rode out on the pilot boat.
In the rumor department, Super Oasis is in the works, an improved version much like Quantum Ultra.
When in Europe, ships are still reloaded out of Florida.  It's a 6 week order cycle when operating in Europe compared to a 2 or 3 week ordering cycle to supply a ship based in Florida.

Day 12 - Sigh Day... I mean Sea Day
I'm getting really tired of taking sunrise and sunset photos.  Seriously.   
Sunrise this morning.

Coming back from lunch I spotted some people getting ready to do some scuba instruction with the on-board PADI 5 star dive shop.  It's beginning to look like a normal cruise again!  7am and people are sitting on loungers by the pool!

By noon it was full cruise mode with people in shorts and bathing suits, swimming, sunning, having fun.

This may seem all right and normal to anyone reading this but after 12 days of cool weather with no one outside day after day, this is very different!  It's a cruise!

People were lined up for the flowrider.  People, plural.  More than one.

Not quite sure what move this is but I took this just before...

Looking at our progress it just now dawns on me how much of the U.S. East coast we have covered.

Pretty much all of it by the time we finish.

Just about at the FL/GA border.

I hear rumors that several hundred are disembarking in Port Canaveral tomorrow. 
Could it be true?  Might I have a chance at a seat in the Diamond lounge after all?  Only time will tell...

I just follow my feet.  Subtle clues lead my way.  When arriving into a port I try to be on deck observing.  Population tends to be denser in areas of interest.  Towns grow into cities around waterfront.  On a Canada/New England cruise like this it's easy.  The same patterns don't exist at all ports such as Florida or the Caribbean.  

With your educated knowledge of each port, I highly doubt you arrived here by accident

Day 11 - Sea Day
I woke to an overcast day.  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.  
The outer decks were not calling my name so it was an inside day.  The Captain had hugged the coast throughout the night to avoid some rougher stuff farther off-shore.  
Weather improved throughout the day and I've stopped wearing a jacket if outside briefly just to take pictures and look around.  Tomorrow should be even better.

Day 11 Dinner Menu
Formal Night, lobster night.

Pretty sunset tonight.





Our progress so far...

We are in Grandeur waters.
Distance traveled 2,446 nm.  

Ask and you shall receive...  Boston in pictures.
Exiting the ship there is a moving walkway down to ground level.

A shuttle is available to a popular tourist area approximately 2 miles away.

I chose to walk...

Our cruise terminal on this day.

I followed the signs towards the Liberty Wharf and wouldn't you know it... a brewery!

Yes indeed.  Too early to get distracted I kept going...

Boston is clearly the biggest city on this cruise but very walkable.

Pretty soon a harborwalk started and much of my day was spent exploring it. 

Fall colors also ramping up here in Boston.


Boston has a series of piers and each is named.  This is the fish pier.

Aptly named and clearly a source of fresh seafood.


Continuing along...


You do get a sense of the history of Boston when you see things like where the edge of the pier was in 1876.







I had a barking squirrel in a previous port so The Barking Crab seemed to fit this journey.

Too early to stop I continued along the harborwalk.

Underneath the bridge was the Boston Rowing Club.


Around the corner I saw some people throwing stuff into the water.



Fed up with taxation the local population was doing something about it!






The Boston Aquarium.





I was getting thirsty from all this walking.  This looked as good a place as any.

Harpoon IPA.

Refreshed and recharged I ambled on.



I needed to head back to the ship for a conference call so I hailed a taxi.

A water taxi that is.





Up until this point my day had cost me the price of a beer so I treated the water taxi like an excursion.  A water tour of the Boston shoreline.



It was a quick and easy way to get back closer to the ship at a reasonable price.

Approaching the last stop on the route I could see the top of the ship over the buildings.

A very enjoyable and quick ride back.

The cruise terminal and area is named after a previous mayor.

As it turns out the ride back was was faster than I anticipated so I had some time to kill.


Enough time for a flight of beers at the Harpoon Brewery.



With that complete I did the final 10 minute walk back to the ship.
Security was quick and easy, typical cruise terminal experience.

Then up the gangway towards the ship.

It was a beautiful and sunny day in Boston and I got to explore a harbor front and part of Boston that I never have when flying here for business. 

Day 10 - Boston, MA
I woke at 5am and ventured outside.  The helipad was open so I headed there.  This is where I noticed a limitation of this point and shoot camera.  On my A7III this picture would have been much clearer.  In fairness, it's pitch black out so the little camera did pretty good.

As I endured the strong breeze and wind chill of the helipad a sunrise was starting behind us.

The lights of Boston had slowly been growing as we navigated through a myriad of boat traffic on our approach.


Eventually the crew came out to raise the Royal Caribbean flag on the bow.


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

Logan airport was on our right and I had been watching a steady stream of airplanes taking off.


As we inched closer I could see two ships in port already.

Aircraft coming in for a landing in the sky at Logan.

It appeared we would be docking in front of the AIDA ship.

Tight fit in this channel.



Time to slide the ship towards the pier. 

With that I can add another port I've been to (by cruise ship) on my list.

Day 10 Dinner Menu

I ate in the Windjammer having missed my MTD reservation (again).  International Night.
Crepes for dessert!

Our progress so far...

Boston Sail Away
I ventured up after I did some work and discovered we were backing down out the channel we had sailed into upon arrival.  The wind was up and rain had moved through.  It was cold and nasty.  Yet our Captain did an amazing job backing the ship down the channel past the AIDA ship that was still docked in place.


It was so windy this arriving Air France 777 had to abort it's landing approach at Logan and perform a go-around.

Fort Independence in better light.

The sky was very dramatic tonight.

The Silverseas Silver Wind that we started this cruise with in Quebec City was arriving.  At a distance I thought I saw her towing a yacht behind her when I realized it was a pilot boat.  It was so windy the pilot boat took shelter behind her and stayed in her wake.  

Being a 'company' ship (now owned by RCCL) the ships did a horn salute to each other as they passed.

The pilot boat then turned in behind us to pick up our pilot.

The sky ripped open above Boston and it looked like a scene from a sci-fi movie where the whole city was about to be engulfed.  

Instead a plane flew into this tear in the space-time continuum... wait, that's a different sci-fi movie. 

The only gem I see here is in the foreground

With your educated knowledge of each port, I highly doubt you arrived here by accident

One thing I forgot to mention, you seem to do your research very well before each port while preparing this blog. It's very informative and truly feels like a free virtual shore excursion ?

Portland Sail Away.

The local island ferry.

Portland basking in the sunset.


On schedule at 5:30pm we cast lines and began pulling away from the pier.  



This was part of the Fort that defended Portland.








One last look as we sail away from Portland.

A short 147 nm to Boston tomorrow at a speed of 8 knots.

The only gem I see here is in the foreground

After I walked along the shore near the cruise terminal.

Hallelujah!  I finally found the place where ships go to get fixed up!

Like our previous ports Portland contains interesting architecture.


This place seemed popular.


Since I'm not that much into seafood, I jumped in a Lyft ride to the Bissell Brothers Brewery.


The Substance Ale

Followed by Nothing Gold.


Beer can art.

With that consumed it was time to head back.  An Uber ride cab to the port was $8.  Both drivers commented how business was up substantially because the cruise ships were in town.  The NCL Gem followed us into port and the combined numbers really drove business.  Both drivers said the ships were a huge boost to tourism and businesses.
I stopped at a local bakery for a bite to eat.

That's the Gem in the background.

Tide was rising, the deer's legs had grown shorter.

Not quire ready to re-board I walked up the shore a bit.

There is a narrow gauge railroad museum here.





Finally it was time to head back.

While I was near the railroad museum I saw parents 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.


Since I was in the area I dropped into the Viking Crown Lounge a few minutes before Diamond happy hour began.  They were already lining up while they continued to set up the bar.  Not a seat to be had with another hour until all aboard time.

With your educated knowledge of each port, I highly doubt you arrived here by accident

Portland Maine, continued...
I worked for a few hours in the morning.  A client reached out and it never hurts to help pay off the next cruise, so...
Around 11:30am I ventured off the ship.
There is more than one cruise terminal in Portland but this one involved a decent walk from the ship to the terminal.


It's a small terminal, no shops inside.  A much smaller ship was embarking today and there were some boarding crowds queuing up for it.

The grounds are very nice in the area.

An old tugboat propellor with local history was on display.

Local art included two deer placed on stilts on old posts left over from days gone by.


Walking uphill with no particular destination in mind...

What do you know, I came across a brewery.

They had a tasting bar with $6 flights.


Winning numbers in today's beer lottery... 4,5,7 and 14.

Yum.

Day 9 - Portland, Maine
I woke early and headed top side having seen the lights of a city on the horizon.

Behind us was the makings of a glorious sunrise.

Looks like an old fort or something in the harbor, will have to look into that.

Portland was growing larger as we approached the pier.





We began making a 180° turn.

The sun was starting to rise above some clouds on the horizon.



With the city started to be bathed in sunlight I could pick out some interesting architecture.





Our progress so far...

One thing I forgot to mention, you seem to do your research very well before each port while preparing this blog. It's very informative and truly feels like a free virtual shore excursion ?

I'm cruising with a new camera this trip.  It's a Sony RX100M6, the latest version in the RX100 series of cameras.
Every picture in this blog was taken by this point and shoot camera except the very first bagel picture I took with my phone.
Here is my set up:

The tripod helped me take the night shots around Quebec City and it's small enough to carry in a pocket.  
As point and shoot cameras go, this is an expensive camera.  However it allows me to shoot in the RAW format and that is the biggest factor in making pictures that much better plus it has a 24-200mm zoom lens that I've really appreciated on this cruise.
I brought my "big" camera but I really wanted to test if I could blog an entire cruise with something more travel friendly and so my big camera has yet to be used on this trip, it's locked in the safe.
The saying goes "the best camera is the one you have with you" but I was disappointed in my iPhone camera when I tried to use it exclusively on my last Adventure cruise in May.   This camera fits in my pocket.  
To be fair, shooting in RAW and using Lightroom makes a big difference.  It's clearly not as good as my Sony A7III but I can take it with me everywhere.  It just slips in my pocket and it isn't the albatross around my neck that my big camera turns into on a 7 or 8 mile walk around a city.

The Captain had predicted rain and he was right!


No MDR menu in the D lounge tonight so no menu picture.  
Caribbean night in the Windjammer.  Jerk Chicken Pizza!  Yum!

Our progress to date...