We inevitably woke up early and we were up in the Café Al Bacio as it opened at 6am. A 'proper' coffee each plus a pastry (all included) and then it was off to the buffet for breakfast.
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| Pilot boat comes alongside to guide us into Rockland |
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| Another pleasant surprise - as 'Elite' guests we don't have to do those dreary chores like going to the Martini Bar to get a tender ticket to leave the ship |
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| Café Al Bacio offerings |
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| Café Al Bacio |
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| Found the smoked salmon - an essential item at breakfast! |
Celebrity describe Rockland as a ‘quaint’ quintessentially New England coastal town brimming with historic buildings, cool restaurants and, above all, lobster and offering a 2-mile walk to the lighthouse. We did have delusions of doing that, but it looked like two miles each way rather than being a two-mile round trip, so we gave that a miss.
It was a slightly bumpy ride to shore but we
made it unscathed. While we were on the boarding platform at sea level, a large fish/mammal leapt clear of the water just in front of the tender and dived back in again. It didn't look like a dolphin but it could have been. I wondered if it was a marlin but it didn't have quite those sharp facial features and I couldn't see a front spike.
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| Highway 1 runs along the east coast from Key West in the far south right up to the Canadian border. |
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| We intended to stop here for some liquid refreshment, but it didn't open until 12.30pm and it was 10.30am when we passed by, so we had to give it a miss |
Rockland is a sleepy little place with lots of
yachts in the harbour and a very few shops and bars. We had a walk around and
then returned to the ship.
We decided to sit
outside on the tender boat which was lovely. Getting off was a bit like being
on a rollercoaster as the tender bobbed a lot and the crew were extremely
vigilant in ensuring that everyone got back on board safely.
After a snack lunch
we chilled until the Captain's Club Welcome party where we enjoyed a drink and
canapes whilst listening to one of the musicians.
We then went for our pre-dinner drink. Unlike last night the bar was heaving
and it too ages for us to be served. Similarly the queue to get a table for dinner
was manic - felt so sorry for the unbelievably patient staff trying to sort
everyone.
Anyway E returned with a pager expecting to wait 30 minutes for a
table, but within 5 minutes we were summoned.
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| Mickey's Ears get everywhere! |
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| Bloody Marys do like like tomato juice! |
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| If you scan the QR code it takes you to the menu. |
Dinner was excellent as usual. We
chatted to a very well-travelled couple from Edinburgh who were belatedly
celebrating their Golden Wedding.
