To start the journey, we rented a car and drove to the Bay Area to stay at our daughter’s place in Berkeley. Saturday morning at o’dark thirty, the Bayporter van showed on time. We were the only passengers and it was a quick trip to the Oakland Airport. We checked the bags at the curb, bypassing the counter totally. The TSA line was short, actually no line. Then a hour and a half wait at the boarding gate with no food counters open until 05:00. We started boarding at 05:20 and were in the air a short time later. A very smooth flight to Denver with at least 30 empty seats. We deplaned and found the gate for our connecting flight.
Then, I discovered, my iPhone was not in my pocket. Left Sandra at the departure gate, rushed back to where we had just come from and talked to the gate attendant. Told her my problem, she went over to her podium, and pulled out my iPhone. She saved my day. Back to the departure gate where Sandra was waiting and got on with the rest of our Southwest group. The flight to LaGuardia was good, we had free drink coupons from a previous flight. Coming in, the pilot never saw the runway until he was at 500 feet. It was snowing and we had ice and snow on the windows as we taxied to the gate.
We found the baggage collection area, found a very helpful baggage handler with a cart, found our bags, the last ones off the plane. The handler found us a taxi and loaded all our bags into a smallish taxi. Off to Manhattan via the Mid-Manhattan tunnel. As luck would have it, there was a long backup at the tunnel so it took over an hour to get to the hotel. Checked in at the hotel, The Princeton Club of New York, and got the bags into the room. The desk manager had given us a recommendation for a place to eat half a block away, the Red Flame, on 44th Street. Had a great meal before returning to the room and crashing.
The next day, Sunday, we had breakfast in the hotel dining room. The rest of the day was spent walking around New York. Grand Central Station was two blocks away so we spent at least two hours wandering through the shops and halls. We then walked up 5th Avenue, stopping a various stores looking for a rain hat for Mother. Stopped in Saint Patrick’s cathedral just to look around, Sunday morning service was in progress, in Spanish. Walked around Rockefeller Center and the ice rink. Wandered through the museum gift shop. Met some people on a Cunard ships tour and talked with them. By then, it was getting late so went back to the hotel. Had dinner at the same restaurant as the night before, same good results.
Next morning, breakfast at the hotel, finished putting the bags together and called for a bell hop. The limo was at the front door. The driver loaded everything in the van and we were off to the ship, about a 15 minute trip. We were there a bit early but only waited about 45 minutes before they started processing and boarding. After finding our cabin, we went to the Lido for lunch. The rest of the day was spent getting unpacked and stuff put in place. Dinner was in the Britannia restaurant, we got early seating. Met our table mates, a older couple from Ottawa, Canada and a couple from England who were getting off at Fort Lauderdale and flying to the island of Neves in the Carribean where they have a winter home. It is also the island where Alexander Hamilton was born. After dinner, I don’t think we even went to the show. Just back to the cabin and crashed.
 |
| Saint Patrick's Cathedral |
 |
| At Grand Central Station Museum |
 |
| Rockefeller Ice Rink |
 |
| Ships Main stairs |
 |
| Grand Central Station |
We had breakfast in the Lido. Followed by a quick elevator ride to the gangway and ashore to explore a new island, at least for us. Curacao is a Dutch owned island and part of the ABC islands, Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. All are about forty miles off the coast of Venezuela. We had not booked a ship’s tours so we were on our own.
Right at the pier, we found a guide with a twenty-passenger bus and offered a two and a half tour of the local sights, all for $20 a head. We took the offer and were soon headed out. Our guide, a lady by the name of Luz, proceeded to shows us around town going over the highest bridge in the Caribbean which crosses the main harbor with access to an oil refinery. We were shown the older sections of town. One house called the Wedding Cake House, the gift of a father to his son’s bride. We stopped at the distillery which makes the orange peel liquor, Curacao. We were given a couple of samples. Next stop was a gift shop with a million-dollar view. The view included the old harbor originally used by the Spanish galleons, a tall mountain being mined for fertilizer, and a very upscale neighborhood, one of the houses owned by Oprah Winfrey. I think it is really a ten million-dollar view.
