Adventures of Glenn and Angie

Portland, Maine

We've been to Portland, Maine a few times. We came on our honeymoon and then again in 2022. We decided to visit a couple favorites: Gritty's for salt and vinegar wings and King's Head Pub for local beer.

Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

Yesterday we were in Charlottestown PEI! We docked at 7:30 and went out for a walk around the town at 9AM. Unlike the previous ports which started off sunny, we walked out into thick fog.

But still were able to enjoy the cute downtown area!! Angie had to stop at the Anne of Green Gables store.

They were having a Scarecrow Festival and all the streetlamps were adorned with different themed scarecrows.

We stopped for some ice cream at Cow's which is a chain across Canada - at least the Eastern provinces.

Cow's also had Raspberry Cordial.

There was also an interesting food hall where we stopped while Angie caught up on some work. Make sure you're following her page Trips with Angie for more on PEI including the Anne of Green Gables store.

We had a tour scheduled for 11:30 so we headed back to the cruise terminal to get checked in. The tour was a combination of scenic views, lobster lunch and Anne of Green Gables. But the highlight was really Anne of Green Gables. We went to the AGG historic site which has a replica house from the books along with the Haunted Trail. Having the AGG experience on PEI has been on Angie's bucket list for a while and it exceeded her expectations.

The lobster lunch was well done. It was probably a 1.25 pound lobster served with clarified butter, Cole slaw and potato salad. Well cooked and very tasty!

Our excursion ran about 30 minutes over the scheduled time so when we finally got back to the cruise terminal, we were some of the last guests to board. One reason it is good to take a ship-sponsored excursion. The ship will know you're on one of their excursions and wait for your return.

We dropped off some stuff in the cabin and headed to the Pool Bar where we saw our bartender friends Jerome, Lijo and Kenroy. Also chatted with a nice couple who were on our tour and another from Canada who were in PEI for the first time. One reason I love cruising is you can step away from the daily madness, even if just for a few days. You'll always know that most of the other guests you'll meet also have a passion for travel where you can share experiences.

Soon it was time to get ready for dinner. We tried the Herb Roasted Chicken, Pork Scallopini and Fusilli with Chicken and Feta. All very good, especially the chicken which was moist and flavorful. No dessert tonight.

After dinner we went to Live Band Karaoke. This is where the band plays and you get to be the lead singer. I sang "I Saw Her Standing There". Very fun!! We then headed back to the cabin.

Today is our final sea day. It's a bit foggy but looks like it will clear later. We have a World Wine tasting at 1PM with our whole group.

Quebec City

We took an excellent food tour in Quebec City featuring 5 courses at four different restaurants.

The food was delicious. We had a great guide. Since the ship was staying overnight in port, we enjoyed walking leisurely back to the ship.

The next day, we visited the Museum of Civilization. It had a terrific exhibit on Gender. The other two exhibits on Climate Change and Aboriginals were a bit muddled.

For lunch, we headed back to Archibald to try more beers and food.

Sea Day

Yesterday was our first sea day. Slept in a bit later and had a late breakfast with a breakfast rice bowl from the Ocean View Cafe (buffet). At 12:30 we had a special Music and Mixology event to attend. The general premise was one of the mixologists from the Martini Bar would make a cocktail, using flair techniques. And then the band would play a complimentary song. The first cocktail was a Manhattan and the band then played "Empire State of Mind". I thought they might have had a "layup" by making a certain tequila cocktail and singing a song from a recently departed musician, but that didn't happen.

Lunch was a delicious roasted turkey club sandwich from the Spa Cafe!! Freshly sliced turkey on thick toast with avocado, bacon and mayo. In the afternoon we played a few games of Quirkle with our group. It was then time for a mandatory rest period.

It was our first "Evening Chic" night, which is Celebrity's term for a formal night. Dinner was really good. A well seasoned and fried fish cake served on a spicy aoli. Then Steak Dianne which was served in the traditional style with a cognac mushroom sauce, although no flambe. Also tried the rigatoni which came in a delicate cream sauce along with prosciutto, cherry tomatoes and peas. No dessert.

We joined a few people from our group for a nightcap at the Martini Bar and then it was back to the cabin. Overnight there was a stronger than average chance of seeing the Northern Lights. We did get up at 2AM which was identified as the best time to see them from our starboard cabin. We went out on our balcony and waited about twenty minutes. We could see some faint "aura" off in the distance that might have been "something" but didn't see the typical streaks of green you associate with this phenomenon. We'll have to continue our search for them.

Today we will be in Quebec City, docking about 11:30. We'll probably only have a small lunch or snack since we have a food tour scheduled at 2PM. Those are always a great way to explore a city. The ship will also stay overnight in Quebec City with a planned 3PM departure on Wednesday.

Sydney, Nova Scotia

Yesterday we were in Sydney NS! Started the day with breakfast at the Tuscan Grill. This restaurant is used for the coffee house style breakfast they provide for guests in the higher tiers of the Captains Club loyalty program. It's quieter than the main restaurant or buffet. Had a plate of delicious fruit including blackberries (my favorite) and another of cold cuts including mortadella. We then went to check-in for our excursion. We'd be headed to Louisbourg a former colonial fortification city established by the French in 1714. Through many battles (and treaties ) with the English and even colonists from New England, the French evacuated in 1758 and it was completely destroyed in 1760. It was left in rubble and no other city was built on top. It wasn't until the 1960's when the Canadian government decided to restore parts of it. Today about twenty percent of the town has been restored. You can visit many of the old buildings including barracks and commodes. We had a beautifully warm day for exploring!!

After the tour we found a cider house called Island Folk. We tried their delicious ciders and nibbled on a charcuterie board that had prosciutto, salami, three cheeses, some tasty local honey and pretzels. Good Company was my favorite cider. Not too sweet. Almost like a Sauvignon Blanc.

They also had what I'll call a String Circle. They had two brothers, one who played the electric piano and the other played a fiddle. Anyone in the community was then invited to show up with their fiddle and play along. It was fascinating to watch. In some ways it was like a book club. Everyone coming together and sharing - in this case it was their musical skills.

We headed back to the ship and it was time for a mandatory rest period. We got ready for dinner and headed to the main show. Tonight it was Robert Neary who had a show called "So Good", a Neil Diamond tribute. Robert Neary has an interesting history, having been a character actor on many TV shows of the 1990's and 2000's including NCIS and FBI: Most Wanted. He even played a serial killer on Criminal Minds. I couldn't place his face, but may go back and watch the episodes. You can use the IMDB app and look him up. He mentioned that all his TV work opportunities had "dried up" and he was then forced to reinvent himself. And he came up with this act after his brother said he sounded like Neil Diamond. I was going to ask him if he was even a fan of Diamond before he came up with this gig. He has an ongoing "world tour", although it seems to be mostly in small cities. Maybe one near you. You can check out his website.

https://sogoodtheneildiamondexperience.com/home

The show was entertaining. He sampled from different parts of Neil Diamond's career including Cracklin' Rosie, Shilo, Cherry Cherry and Love On The Rocks. And just when he feigned being at the end of his set, he of course sang the crowd favorite Sweet Caroline to end the show.

We then went to the dining room for dinner. I had the most delicious French Onion soup!! It had a rich, slightly thick broth with so much flavor. And not too much bread. I also had a Caesar salad with broiled salmon and the vegetable korma. The Indian food has been so good on Celebrity over the years and this didn't disappoint.

After dinner we had a night at the Martini Bar where we saw Neil Diamond. . . . . . er. . . . . .Robert Neary. We considered getting a picture with him and chatting but he found a different table of people who were apparently more interesting. I was going to ask him if he was even a Diamond fan before he created this act.

It was then time to head back to the cabin. We set our clocks back one hour last night. Today is a sea day as we head towards Quebec City.

Celebrity Summit Boston, Maine and Canada Cruise

A quick recap of the last few days. Had a wonderful sailaway on Thursday from Boston on the Celebrity Summit. First time sailing out of the Black Falcon terminal.

First port was Bar Harbor Maine. Enjoyed our tour of Acadia National Park. Had a lobster roll lunch at Alantic Brewing Company.

Today we were in Halifax NS!! We had a wonderful tour of the city from our friends Steve and Cynthia!! They travelled over two hours to meet us at the pier. We had a delicious lunch at Bicycle Thief. And of course some Bloody Caesars!! I love Halifax!! So many good restaurants!!