Jan115

Regal Princess, 5-Night Cruise from New York City. It was our first time on a Royal Class, and this was the perfect opportunity to try a great newer Princess ship in the off season with lower pricing and without taking a lot of time off from work. Plus, we got to experience Halloween at sea! 
Awesome cruise and gorgeous ship! More photos of Halifax, NS and Saint John, NB are in my photo albums of the same name. 
Read the review: Regal Princess 10/27/18

Regal Princess, 5-Night Canadian Maritimes 10/27/18.  The next day’s port stop was  Halifax, Nova Scotia . The last time I was here, we had torrential rain, and with the early forecasts sounding just as gloomy, I wasn’t sure how much we’d enjoy it. However, the day turned out pretty nice, ranging from some sun to gray skies, but still remaining dry. Same for the previous day in Saint John. Since the four of us decided to see the famous  Peggy’s Cove,  we decided to do a private tour through  Go North Tours , and it was the best decision we could have made. Fortunately, we were the only ship in port. On the average day in summer through fall, though, there could be up to five ships in port. So, if you want to splurge on a small group or private tour, this is a good place to do it. Our driver/guide, Laila, met us at the pier, and she was excellent and was so knowledgeable about the area. She kept the drive interesting with lots of stories, details and trivia along the way. As stated earlier, I do look for places off the beaten path. What some people don’t know is that before  Titanic , there was the  S.S. Atlantic , which went down off the coast of Nova Scotia in 1873. Like  Titanic , it was a White Star Line ship. Unlike  Titanic , White Star Line did absolutely nothing to remember the estimated 560 souls on board who perished, and because there were no Astors, Browns or Guggenheim types on board, the wreck got little press. So we found it only fitting to visit the  S.S. Atlantic Heritage Park and Interpretive Center,  which sits in a peaceful, gorgeous location overlooking the ocean. I highly recommend the  SS Atlantic  site if you’ve had your fill of  Titanic  stories. Next stop on the tour was  Peggy’s Cove , which was much prettier and pleasant than I had expected. A few gift shops and cafes line the winding hill to the lighthouse, which sits in a spectacular and picturesque rocky setting. My husband and I shared a lobster roll and got some amazing photos. The last stop on the tour was the  Hydrostone neighborhood of Halifax . The name comes from the type of stone used to replace wooden homes of the families displaced by the tragic Halifax explosion of 1917 and is now a National Historic Site. Except for a brief stop in a residential area to learn more about the explosion and get a closer look at the architecture, this was a drive-by. With more time, I would love to return and walk the streets of the area. 

Regal Princess, 5-Night Canadian Maritimes 10/27/18 .  Our first  stop was Saint John, New Brunswick. Not being particularly fond of big bus tours, but being fans of photography, we spotted a Bay of Fundy small group photo tour on the list of Princess shore excursion offerings. I had previously been here before and done a small group tour, but I found this 4-hour ship tour interesting, as it featured some off-the-beaten path locations. The mini-bus tour was lead by a professional photographer, and I quickly discovered this to be a great tour, not only for avid amateur photographers with serious cameras, but also for the everyday iPhone user. In fact, I found the iPhone tips by our guide to be the best take-away from this tour. Who knew there was a way to click on your subject and change the lighting before you take the shot! Okay, probably a lot of people - but not me. I also have a 35 mm camera which I had yet to figure out some of the settings. With help from our guide, it was like opening a new window to the world when I was shown a few ways to get the light and exposure right. Anyway, we got some great info on how to take some great photo shots at beautiful places like LePreau Falls, Dipper Harbor, Bay of Fundy Beach , and the reversing rapids . The tour did involve a bit of hiking down a couple of short incline trails, but the bus driver was perfectly happy to accommodate those less ambulatory people but shuttling them back up the hill. It was a great way to spend the day in Saint John, and I highly recommend it for those looking for a smaller group, want to go off the beaten path a bit, and have an interest in learning some photography tips. 
 

These were taken on a road trip through Northern New England, but these photos will give you an idea of what you can see if your ship includes a stop in beautiful Bar Harbor, Maine!

Cannes, France, was a stop on our recent 7-day Mediterranean cruise, round trip from Barcelona, aboard the Norwegian Epic. Known for it's famous annual film festival attracting Hollywood stars and the rich & famous from all over the world, Cannes is a beautiful and very walkable port, as long as you don't mind a little uphill climbing. I first got my bearings and an overview by riding "Le Petit Train" around the port and nearby area, taking riders by many of the famous historic hotels and up through the narrow streets of Old Town. Discovering that Old Town was a place I wanted to see more of and was not very far from the port, once returning to the port, I hiked the hills through the quaint cobblestone, cafe-lined streets to Eglise Notre Dame de L'esperance , a beautiful 14th century church, for an amazing view. I made my way down and returned to the ship, but not  before  admiring the million dollar yachts lining the dock.

Norwegian Epic 6/3/18. Barcelona was our pre and post-cruise port city. We spent one night on each end of the cruise. We didn't see a lot, but what we did experience, was great!