Cruise to New England and Canada 2016

Melissa and I try to go on a cruise every-other year, but this year we broke our usual cadence and went on a cruise in two consecutive years. Following our 2015 cruise to Alaska, this year we went on a cruise to New England and Canada on Royal Caribbean’s MS Grandeur of the Seas from September 29 to October 8. Why did we break our cadence? Well, this cruise was organized by my Knights of Columbus council (and others) as a fund-raiser for KOVAR, which is a charity serving Virginians with intellectual disabilities. Sixteen couples went on the cruise, ourselves included, and a portion of our fare goes to KOVAR (about three thousand dollars in total).

The cruise was a nine-day round-trip out of Baltimore, Maryland, stopping along the way at ports in Boston, Massachusetts; Portland, Maine; Bar Harbor, Maine; Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada; and Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. This was our first time visiting any of those places. There were also three lovely, relaxing at-sea days, one at the beginning and two at the end.

It was overcast and a bit drizzly leaving Baltimore, and the same on our first at-sea day, and the same in Boston. It started the same in Portland, but got nicer as the day went on (though it was still pretty overcast). From then until the end of the cruise, the weather was sunny, lovely, and comfortable. I took a bunch of pictures, and we had a great time.

The Beginning

Just a few random photos from the home port and the first at-sea day.

Boston

Photos from our day in the city of Boston, Massachusetts, including a visit to the USS Constitution and the Boston Aquarium.

Portland

Photos from Portland, Maine, including an excursion to the Portland Breakwater Light (Bug Light), Spring Point Ledge Light, and the Portland Head Light.

Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park

Photos from Bar Harbor, Maine, and Acadia National Park.

Saint John

Photos from Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada.

Halifax, Lunenburg, and Peggy’s Cove

Photos from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, as well as from an excursion to Lunenburg and Peggy’s Cove.

Finale

Photos from the last couple of at-sea days and the arrival back in Baltimore.

Scott Bradford is a writer and technologist who has been putting his opinions online since 1995. He believes in three inviolable human rights: life, liberty, and property. He is a Catholic Christian who worships the trinitarian God described in the Nicene Creed. Scott is a husband, nerd, pet lover, and AMC/Jeep enthusiast with a B.S. degree in public administration from George Mason University.