Cruise Journal: A Morning In Portland, ME

The morning in Portland, ME, started out sunny but later began to cloud over. After breakfast we decided to walk into Portland and get some exercise as well as exploring a bit. The ship was due to sail now just after noon. The itinerary still called for stops in Charlottetown, PEI, and Sydney, Nova Scotia. We would have two and a half sea days before Quebec where our arrival was now at noon instead of the original nine in the morning.

As well as itinerary changes, I received notice that the quaint restaurant we had booked for brunch in Quebec was now closed in the mornings. With the arrival time changed in Quebec, we wouldn’t have made it anyway. I gave a sigh of relief though when our dinner reservation at another restaurant was still confirmed.

The morning in Portland was nice although the wind was picking up again and I wondered how rough our sea days might be. I loved some of the older architecture we saw in the buildings and we found the area where Cindy had said the cobblestone streets had been preserved.

We also happened upon Maine’s Narrow Gauge Railroad. With our involvement in the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad we always enjoy happening upon other groups trying to preserve some of the history of the older railways. Portland’s also advertised their Polar Express Train. We now do a North Pole Adventure.

We walked along the boardwalk which had several tables/booths set up with crafters and vendors. Lots of people were strolling or skating. It was a nice although windy walk.  There was a nice view of our ship at the dock as we returned.

During our sail out of the harbor, we watched from the upper lounge. It was exciting to see the very park and lighthouse we had visited the day before and enjoyed our delicious lobster rolls. Great memories were made.

We passed the afternoon reading and maybe a little napping…yep, we napped. Dinner was at the specialty restaurant, Sushi On Five (the restaurant is on Deck 5). This was a little different than the usual specialty restaurants where you pay a service fee. The menu is ala carte and you pay for the items you order. Prices were probably comparable to an Asian restaurant at home. Food was excellent.

It was what Celebrity calls Evening Chic attire for the night. Much is left to interpretation. You will see everything from jeans and Ts to fancy dress and suits. We even saw one tuxedo. We went middle of the road. I guess you would have called us casual chic, long skirt and blouse, Bob in a sport coat.

The evening’s entertainment was a lady, Ashlie Amber Harris, who paid tribute to Whitney Houston. She was very enjoyable to listen to. So far our evening entertainment had been excellent. Would it continue?