...and so now I am!
Carol and I are sailing round trip from Boston, through the Canadian Provinces, stopping in Greenland, and visiting more ports in Iceland than I thought there were cities. Maybe they are towns or villages or just dots on the map! We will be aboard the beautiful (aren't all cruise ships beautiful) Nieuw Statendam, the pride of Holland America!
The beauty of this itinerary, other than the many new ports of call, is that we have no long international flight. We have each already had our flight times changed and with fingers crossed there will be no last minute cancellations. We are flying out a day early so there is a good chance that we will make our cruise with no problems. I do envision us being on an over crowded, last minute train to try to reach the port from some flight diverted destination. I see in my head the train scene from the original 1970 version of The Out of Towners. Jack Lemmon at his best trying to reach New York City and Sandy Dennis repeating "I can verify that." If you have never watched it with a bowl of hot buttered popped corn and a cold Coke at hand, find it. But skip the 1999 remake. Original recipe comedy is the best!
Our itinerary, barring storms which prevented me visiting Halifax last time, oddly on my last Holland America trip, will include Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Labrador, Greenland, and Iceland for 6 ports. Last time in Reykjavik - am I not a lucky person to be able to say things like that - I did what is called the Golden Circle Tour. It was excellent and I have recommended it to Carol. I will let you know what she thinks of it. This time I have booked time at the Blue Lagoon! Strangely famous since it is not natural but built upon the runoff of the geothermal power plant! I guess with their unlimited natural resources, Icelanders make good use of every opportunity for some fun in their long winters. We even touch on France for a day before returning to Boston.
Holland America was at one time what I thought was the pinnacle of cruising luxury. I wonder now how it will be. They have made a great many changes to appeal to younger passengers by adding more 'specialty dining' and several specific music venues. Neither of those are my favorite things. But I am always open to new experiences and who can complain about good food and entertainment.
We fly out, with any luck, August 2. Just about two weeks to figure out what to pack for a summer cruise to the North Atlantic!
