Adventure OTS cruise - Bar Harbor, Maine Day 8

Arrival in port at 7am however we have to be processed by U.S. Customs and Immigration and this is a tender port. We anchored near 7am but a letter dropped in our cabin stated to be in the MDR on deck 5 at 7:45am based on our deck.  Non-U.S. Citizens were instructed to go to the Imperial Lounge for processing.  Permanent residents were to go to the MDR with U.S. Citizens


Today was a long day in port, form 7am to 6:30 pm at 13C (55F), with winds up to 29mph. It was partly cloudy in the morning, and rain showers moving in around 2 pm.




We had to tender by using local boats to get to Bar Harbor. Here is the first one bringing the ramps.

Sunrise in Bar Harbor, ME

 We brought our bikes to shore and it was simple on the tender boat, they let us hang in back with the bikes, first one and first off.

Once on land again we had intended to get an Uber to the top of Cadillac mountain and ride our bikes down. But there were no Uber drivers and the taxis wanted tour groups not to give one way rides to the top of the mountain. So we opted to lock up the bikes and took an hour tour on Ollie's Trolleys for $25 each. They drove us up to the top of  Cadillac mountain and told us the history of the area.

1763 French Indian war, in 1688 Antionne Cadillac was an original landowner in New France. Bar Harbor is a 108 sq mile island, second largest in area behind Long Island.



 Acadia National Park, home of Cadillac Mountain

 View of RCL Adventure of the Seas just off of Bar Harbor, from Cadillac Mountain

 Scott, Mark, Kathy, Marie, Chrissy at the top of Cadillac Mountain

 On the Top of Cadillac Mountain - Mark, Kathy, Marie, Chrissy, Joel

 

 Our full dinner group - Mark, Chrissy, Joel, Jan, Scott, Mark, Kathy, Marie

 
 The bar in Bar Harbor, its a sand bar

 A nice Halloween decoration

 Pano on the top of Cadillac mountain

 Biking on the Shore Path along coast, Grant Park and Agamont Park.

 A lobster roll from the Deli, only $16.95

 This Pedego shop rents our electric bikes which could make it up the mountain on the carriage roads, only $59 for 4 hours. They have a tandem to rent too! 

 We stopped at the Stadium Pub for a $6 draft of Blueberry Maine craft beer. Yum!

We got back on the ship before the rain picked up and enjoyed another evening in the Diamond Lounge. We talked Arnold and his friend Barbara, they hail from Toronto on their way to Marco Island for the winter. He was 91 years old and quite the character, offered us a ride in his Bentley which is being shipped to Florida.

 The Motown show was our evening entertainment "Marcus Terrell & the Serenades".

Adventure OTS cruise, Saint John, New Brunswick Day 7

Windy today and all outer decks are closed.  Seas and ship are smooth, just windy. Mostly Sunny with 10C (50F). Saint John arrival was around 1:30pm.  All aboard time will remain as scheduled at 6:30pm since the area is tidal and we must time our departure to avoid low tide.

 This path is part of The Great Trail, also known as the Trans Canada Trail that reaches from coast to coast and is some 24,000 km long (15,000 miles).

 The Bay of Fundy has the greatest tidal changes of anywhere in the world.

 The current in the river, still flowing the wrong way, was very strong and distinct.  Small whirlpools formed and disappeared.  It was very mesmerizing to watch.

 The Captain and crew having lunch now that we're in port.

Lunch in the windjammer before heading out to Reversing Falls

 A beer at Rocky's watching the Steelers win.

 Sunset from the diamond lounge

The entertainment tonight was the worlds only legal pickpocket, Bob Arno. It was amazing to watch him pickpocket people and take off their ties or belts and they didn't even realize he was doing it. He showed a short video from Barcelona, Spain to illustrate the tricks the thieves over there use; beware of lost tourists with maps, girls with scarves, groups of girls, and mothers with fake babies in a fake arm.


Total cruise distance so far,  1,527 Nautical Miles.

Adventure OTS cruise - Halifax, Nova Scotia Day 6

Today was a Saturday in Halifax and there was a nice sunrise at 7:27am. We were in port today from 7am to 3:30pm and it would be a mostly cloudy day with temps of 11C (52F) with winds at 17 mph. One of our better days

 

 Halifax is another old Canadian city with lots of history.  It was the birth place of Samuel Cunard whose parents immigrated here in 1783.  As a businessman he formed a steamship line that would later be known as the Cunard Line sailing from Liverpool, England.

Our plan was to ride bikes to the ferry and cross the river to Dartmouth, and then ride the trans Canada trail to Fishermans Cove. It was a long and hilly ride, with us clocking in over 15 miles for the day on our one speed folding bikes. My chain came off on the way up a hill because I hadn't tightened my back wheel enough. Good planning meant we had the tools to fix and get going right away.

 On the ferry to Dartmouth across the river from Halifax. Only $2.50 to cross round trip.

 

 

The Silver Sea arrived in port after us, another RCL ship.

 The port in Dartmouth where lots of automobiles are shipped into.

 A mural along the trans Canada trail depicting Nova Scotia sports

 Fishermans Cove was quaint and quiet, mostly shut down for the season.

 End of season sales in the shops in almost every town we stopped at.

 A fishing boat in Fishermans Cove

 Lobster cages in Fishermans Cove

 

 Biking the Trans Canada Trail

 A fellow passenger on the ferry.

 Pumpkin patch in Halifax boardwalk area.

 

 More poutine today in Halifax

 Poutine was $7.95 but after taxes closer to ten dollars. Those Canadian taxes are extreme and make everything seem expensive.

A huge mushroom growing next to the bike path.

 I think we went to the evening Singers and Dancers show, but I don't have any pictures so maybe not. We did attend the battle of the sexes game show in the Imperial lounge and our table mates Joel, Mark and Mark all played in the game. It was pretty funny.

 Pop the balloon between two bodies. The girls won.

Around 6pm the Captain announced a guest was in a critical medical condition and we would need to return to Halifax to drop them off for medical attention.  We had been sailing about 2 hours already, so it set us back and we would have a late arrival in Saint Johm, New Brunswick the next day. Unfortunate but it happens, especially with the large number of elderly guests onboard.

Adventure OTS cruise, Sydney Nova Scotia Sea Day 5

When we woke up and looked out the balcony, it was rainy and windy. The temperature was 12C (54F) with 35 to 40 mph winds. We also were not at a port like we should have been. At 8am sharp the Captain made an announcement. The Pier was closed. Port officials offered anchorage which didn't make sense.  We gain a sea day and plan to keep our scheduled call into Halifax tomorrow. As the remnants of Hurricane Michael approach us we are expecting 35-40 mph winds and 12' seas but with our slower speed towards Halifax the Captain predicts very little ship movement.

Noon update from the Captain.   Not much has changed as we slowly poke along at around 10 knots. Winds are expected to reach 40-45 mph max.   Stabilizers are extended.  Seas of 12-13' expected. We were hugging the Nova Scotia coast just far enough out I'm sure to be in international water. Outer decks are closed, and barf bags have appeared on the stairwells.

I was not disappointed to miss Sydney since we didn't have a good plan. We had a rental car reserved but had canceled it due to poor weather. So we participated in some line dancing, and photo scavenger hunt. We played the photo scavenger hunt and had to find things or do things and take a picture.

 The human pyramid

 We won first place in the photo scavenger hunt, and got a RCL shopping bag for a prize.

 Barf bags in the halls today

 Relaxing day for a dip in the hot tub

 Tonight was the top tier event which we skipped since we could get drinks the in the DL. I heard it was packed. Here are the top tier numbers for our trip. The Captain said there are over 10 million Crown and Anchor members now.

 

Gold 685

Platinum 406

Emerald 225

Diamond 630

Diamond Plus 499

Pinnacle 78

Total on this trip: 1,838 Top Tier,  with 1,207 vying for Diamond Lounge access. 

 

 

 

The evening entertainment show was Karen Grainger a female impressionist and singer. She grew up in Toronto, and provided a good show.

 The storm continued to roar outside as we all partied on the ship.