Since I posted my description of the wedding day, I thought I’d resurrect my post about our honeymoon. Nothing salacious here, but was nice to read it again. Hope you enjoy it.
Our Honeymoon Experiences
I wanted to give people a small glimpse of the things we saw & did on our honeymoon. No, not those things. Get your minds out of the gutter people, you’re blocking my snorkel.
Anyway, here is a day by day synopsis of events. I have linked some things to sites for more information in case people want to learn more about them. Happy reading!!
I have linked to many of the locations and items that I mention in this page. I thought this would make it easier for you to follow along. Don’t worry about losing your place, the links will open in a new window.
Saturday 9/14
It was after 11:00 pm by the time the last family member left our house, and we still needed to finish packing. Since we needed to get up at about 6:00 am to get ready and get into DC to catch our shuttle bus by 8:15, we made the decision to stay up all night and then sleep on the bus.
At about 1:00 am I noticed Sarah starting to fade. Since it had been a long day with just a wee bit of excitement, I suggested she nap until about 4:00 and I would wake her up.Sunday 9/15
After a minor miscue, Matt made it over to drive us to Union Station where we would catch the shuttle. Matt helped us unload our luggage, gave us hugs and then headed back to the house, probably in search of more sleep.We boarded the bus and did our best to get comfortable. I assume we found some level of comfort as we both fell asleep and slept through most of the drive into New York
Once we arrived at New York harbor, it was time to check our boarding passes and go aboard our ship. We were on the Pacific Princess, what better ship for a honeymoon than the “Love Boat”? When we got to our stateroom, we found a note from our Cabin Steward, Roberto, saying that it wasn’t quite ready yet. That just encouraged us to go up to the Lido deck and enjoy the buffet lunch. We also bought our drink passes at that time. These passes were a life saver, good for unlimited sodas everywhere on board except for the formal dining room. We highly recommend getting these.
Then it was out on deck in the light rain to watch New York slip by as we set out to sea. There was a quiet feeling of respect from the people on deck as we cruised by the spot where the twin towers had been, but the excitement quickly mounted as we saw the open sea coming up. Sarah & I returned to our cabin to unpack and relax before dinner.
We were eating at the second seating, which was at 8:15 pm. We met our table mates, 2 very nice couples with whom we would share dinner for the next week. Steve and his girlfriend Manuela were a couple in a long distance relationship . Steve lived in New York and Manuela lived in California! Brady & Mary were both from New Jersey and enjoying the cruise as his birthday present to her. After a wonderful dinner and walk around the deck of the ship, it was time for bed.
Monday 9/15
A whole day at sea! A whole WINDY day at sea! The wind was so fierce that food was blowing off our plates at lunch. I accidentally pelted people near us with tortilla chips that became airborne and I watched a woman’s salad make a break for freedom before she could get dressing on it.More exploring of the ship after lunch. Played a bit of slots in the casino and checked out the duty free shop on board for goodies. Monday was mostly our day for relaxation after all the stress leading up to the wedding. It was truly great to relax and unwind.
Monday was also our first Formal dinner. Everyone looked nice in their gowns, dark suits and tuxedos and the dinner was scrumptious. After dinner it was time for another stroll around decks. We tried to go up to the bow observation deck, but it was so windy that Sarah had to stand behind me to not be blown back down the stairs.
Tuesday 9/16
Land Ho! Starting as early as 10:30 am we can make out a spit of land in the distance. By 11:45 we are cruising into the harbor at St. George. As we were cruising in, I looked down at the water by the bow and saw Flying Fish leaping out of the water in front of us!We got ready to go ashore as we had a carriage ride booked for 1:00. We boarded our carriage and John, our guide, took us on a horse drawn carriage tour of St. George. He pointed out many of St. George’s attractions and historical areas like Somers Gardens & King’s Square.
After returning from our carriage ride, we went to Oleander’s to rent a scooter for the three days we would be in Bermuda. Visitors can’t rent a car while in Bermuda so scooters are the popular way to go. Sarah was a bit nervous about the concept at first. She had never been on a motorcycle before and they drive like maniacs on the island, but she soon calmed down.
We drove around for a while just seeing the sights, enjoying the views and generally having fun. We ended up at a beach near Fort St. Catherine and took a little dip before going back to the ship and getting ready for dinner. After dinner, we took another night drive around St. George and then returned the scooter to the lot. The ship would be moving from St. George to Hamilton in the early morning and we would pick up another scooter there.
Wednesday 9/17
Hamilton! We loved Hamilton! Tons of great shops and tons of scenery. We went to get our scooter, explored a bit and then went to our first excursion of the day.To start our day with a little zip, we had registered for the Wildcat tour. The wildcat was awesome!! The tour guide was an absolute trip and the boat was fast!! It is a tri-maran that holds about 50 people and can get up to 45 knots on the open water. The fastest we got to was 43 knots, but that speed will rearrange your hair quite nicely. The Wildcat actually tours all the way around the island, showing you all the coves, beaches, forts and even the houses of the rich and famous. We saw Ross Perot’s house, Michael Bloomberg’s house and many others.
After that exhilarating ride, we felt the need to shop. One of the shops we found was Gosling’s Black Seal Shop. This is where we got possible the finest rum I have ever tasted. They also had some great clothes and other cool stuff. Gosling’s rum is the main ingredient in 2 of Bermuda’s favorite drinks, Dark n Stormy & Rum Swizzle. We also purchased a fair amount of alcohol and had it delivered to the ship. You wouldn’t believe the prices, $10.00 for a liter of good rum! After a few more purchases, we returned to the ship to get ready for our evening excursion.
Before we went on our excursion, we enjoyed the street festival in Hamilton. It was neat seeing some of the artists and craftsmen. We bought a few paintings for family and friends and just had a great time wandering around. I returned our purchases to the ship and we were off on our evening excursion.
Our excursion that night was an evening sail by catamaran through Hamilton Harbor. We had a witty and relaxed tour guide named John serving up sodas, champagne and an insiders view of Bermuda. It was nice to lay back on the deck, listen to the waves and watch the stars. I highly recommend something like this on every vacation, it was the epitome of relaxing.
We weren’t ready to return to the Princess yet, so it was off on another night time ride through the area. It was a lot of fun just to drive around at night and see the ocean pounding on the reefs. We also stopped by Bermuda Cathedral for a quick look. It is very impressive at night. After that, it was back to the ship and to bed.
Thursday 9/18
The Princess was moving again at 12:00. She was going from Hamilton to the Royal Navy Dockyard fro the rest of our stay in Bermuda. Rather than wait aboard, we decided to drive around the island and meet her at her new mooring. Sarah & I has a blast riding around on the scooter and seeing parts of the island that we wouldn’t have gotten to see otherwise.We got to the Dockyard before the ship did and had some time to kill. We decided to see what attractions the Dockyard had to offer. We cruised through the craft market and saw some beautiful work. We also made mental notes to see the glass works and the rum cake factory before we left.
We ran aboard as soon as the ship docked to change into swim suits and grab a quick lunch because we were going snorkeling. After lunch we boarded the Restless Native catamaran for our sail out to the snorkeling spot. While Captain Kirk (really) dodged the storm that was trying to rain on us, his wife Joan served us fresh baked cookies and gave us a lesson on Bermudan fish. When we dropped anchor at the cove Rick, the First Mate, gave us a quick lesson on snorkeling and using the equipment.
Once in the water, he led us on an eco-tour around the islet pointing out the many varieties of fish and coral. I learned that you can actually hear the fish eating the coral underwater! When we finished snorkeling, it was back on the Restless Native for the trip back. On the way back there was more conversation, cookies and bottomless Rum Swizzles. For the record, Swizzles are awesome!
Back to the ship for a change of clothes, then off for another scooter ride around parts of Bermuda. I was a man on a mission due to the fact that Sarah had heard the following legend:
“If a couple kisses under a moongate on their honeymoon, they will be blessed with good luck through their lives.”
As a result, I was bound and determined to find one. I even stooped to the lowest thing a man can do while on vacation, I asked directions.
After securing our good luck, we took some pictures at the shore, collected some beach sand and enjoyed our last night in Bermuda.
Dinner that night was another formal affair. It was also French cuisine. Mary & I were feeling adventurous, so we decided to split escargot as an appetizer. I liked them, but Mary had a problem when her boyfriend pointed out that they have antennae like Shrek. She couldn’t bring herself to eat any more. We also tried Pate, which was also pretty good.
Friday 9/20
Off the ship Friday morning for some last minute shopping and pictures, then back on board by 11:30 for sailing. at 12:00 we waved goodbye to Bermuda as we steamed out to sea again.I signed up for the on board blackjack tournament and we both enjoyed the gala lunch buffet they provided for us. We also had fun laying out on deck and generally just wandering around the ship.
Looking out our windows Friday evening, I saw lightning! We were cruising right between 2 storms. This made the ship rock and roll quite well. It was fun trying to walk a straight line and bouncing off the walls in the corridors due to the waves.
By the time we got to dinner, some of our shipmates were looking a wee bit green.
Saturday 9/21
Another full day out to sea. More lounging around and being lazy was the order for the day. Well, we had to pack too. Sarah took a nap while I played in the semi-finals of the blackjack tournament. I was losing until I got a blackjack on the last round and got paid 2 to 1. This got me just enough of the funny money to place in the finals.At her request, I went to wake up Sarah so she could cheer me on in the finals. Again I was doing mediocre until the last hand. I bet everything I had left and ended being the only one who beat the dealer. I won! That netted us $215.00 after the $20 entry fee. I celebrated by buying Sarah a pair of earrings she wanted.
Dinner that night was a bit quieter than most. Nobody wanted to go home. We took pictures of our dinner companions and traded email addresses. After dinner, Mary Brady, Sarah & I went to one of the lounges to relax and chat some more. Finally it was time to head back to our cabins, we traded hugs and went our separate ways.
Sunday 9/22
Time to go. We docked, cleared customs and headed to our shuttle bus to head home. When the bus got to Philadelphia, I decided to call Gary to check on our ride home from Union Station. This started the great return dilemma.Gary had realized that he couldn’t pick us up due to another appointment, so he called Scott. The real problem was that Gary couldn’t remember where to pick us up from. Gary thought we were coming into BWI and Scott though we had taken a water shuttle from New York. The third part of the problem was that Jason & Janine had our car. After multiple phone calls and some conversations straight out of a Marx Brothers movie, it was settled. Scott would come get us if we got off the bus in Baltimore instead of DC, Jason & Janine would bring our car to Scott’s house and we would have dinner with Scott & Kath and tell them all about our honeymoon.
After all that it was a relief to finally set foot in our own home and sleep in our own bed.
We can’t wait to do it all over again!
~Conan
One of our fellow passengers mentioned that our honeymoon was almost over. “Not true,” I replied, “the trip may be almost over but the honeymoon will last as long as we keep it alive.”
My hope is to head back there next year for our 10th anniversary.
~Conan
