September 9, 2018

   Today was a drizzly day. We awoke to a temperature of 56°F (about 13°C) and a bit of wind.  The Atlantic hurricane, Florence, now is tracking south of Bermuda and is predicted to land in the states of the Carolinas or Virginia in about five days. This morning the American weather service issued a coastal flood advisory which included the lower New York Harbor,Arthur Kill, Newark Bay, and tidally affected rivers along northeast New Jersey.  The tides are predicted to be 30 cm to 45 cm above astronomical (usual) tides.
   We had a quiet morning, packing and playing cards before taking a 25- minute taxi ride to the Cape Liberty Cruise Port in Bayonne, New Jersey. Our cab arrived 45 minutes early, but we were ready and playing cards in the lobby.  The port is located on the Upper Bay, across from Brooklyn, New York. The Manhattan skyline was visible from the pier, as was Ellis Island, Liberty Island with the Statue of Liberty.  Today with the rain, the views were foggy.  The cruise port was formerly the Bayonne Military Ocean Terminal which is situated on 430 acres of reclaimed land.                               
    Although the terminal looked busy, there was plenty of staff on hand to handle the influx. Porters took the luggage from the cab. We had a short wait to go through security before just a two minute wait for one of the 35 check-in clerks. With a picture for identification taken, and no health survey to complete we were pointed to the hall where a photographer took a welcome on board photo. Then it was just a 400 meter walk to the ship where we were greeted with a choice of drinks – Champagne, cordial or orange juice.  It took less than 25 minutes – our quickest check-in of 18 cruises. There was still almost two hours before guests could access their staterooms. We wandered around the ship and tried to find sheltered areas, out of the rain, on an open deck to take a few pictures of the Manhattan skyline, the Statue of Liberty and memorial sculpture. 
     Steps 7,491
    At the pier where the ship was docked, there is  a green space containing the 33 meter high granite sculpture by Russian artist, Zurab Tsereteliinstalled in 2006. The memorial is controversial as it was a gift from Russian people and its  president, Vladimir Putin. It has a ragged hole running vertically through the center which contain a giant nickel covered teardrop. It is a tribute the lives lost during the World Trade Center attacks of September 11, 2001 and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing in Manhattan. It is called “To the Struggle Against World Terrorism” (or the Teardrop) Memorial. There were 26 Russian citizens killed in the attack. At its’ base, etched on black granite, are the names of all the victims. In 2011 a piece of wreckage from 9/11 was added nearby.
    The ship, Celebrity Summit, was docked across from Brooklyn, New York and had a view of Manhattan.  After the mandatory safety drill was completed it was time for sail-away. The ship sailed into New York Harbour between Brooklyn, and Staten Island, New York, then went under the Verrazone-Narrows Bridge into Lower Bay through the New York/New Jersey Bight into the Atlantic Ocean.  The ship cruised northeast along the south coast of Long Island overnight. 
    We arranged for an airport transfer at the end of the cruise and went to an early 5:30 dinner.  We sat with a couple from Oklahoma, friends from Pennsylvania and a couple from Calgary, celebrating their 60thwedding anniversary and the wife’s 80thbirthday.  After dinner we watched the early show of comedian, Billy Garan, then found the house band, Elite, playing in the Rendez-vous Lounge on Deck 4 and danced to only a couple of songs before the set ended since they liked to play swing tunes.
    The shops and casino were open after dinner.  We gave the house band, Elite, another chance after 10 p.m. in the Deck 11 Revolutions Lounge which has a bigger dance floor than the Rendez-vous Lounge. They like the swing style music. We danced a swing song and managed to find a Tango beat and Cha-cha beat for dancing to other selections when no one else was up dancing.

Total steps 16,849

   We will not have internet access on the ship.  We will post to the blog when we have time on shore to visit a coffee shop with Wi-Fi.  It could be several days between postings.





“To the Struggle Against World Terrorism” (or the Teardrop) Memorial





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