New England Cruise Begins

When Bob first suggested we go on a New England Cruise, I wasn't really sure what to think.  I had always heard lovely things about the beautiful fall foliage in that area, and thought going to Maine to enjoy lobsters and lighthouses would be an exciting vacation someday.  However, I had never considered it as a cruise destination.  But the more I looked at the itinerary, I realized that a cruise would be the perfect way for us to see that part of the world.  And the 10-day cruise we chose on Princess provided us with an interesting port to explore each day, except one day at sea.  And we would even get to see parts of eastern Canada.

We would fly into New York and board the ship the same day.  Bob had limited time away from work, and although November 4-14, 2019, was a little early for fall foliage, I was very excited about our many destinations.  We took at taxi to the cruise port and were amazed at how enormous our ship was!  The Caribbean Princess carries over 3000 passengers and an additional 1200 crew members.  New York is a dazzling city, and from the harbor, it had a magical quality.  We settled into our room and went to have lunch as a storm quickly engulfed the city.  But it quickly cleared up, leaving us with a beautiful sunset and amazing views of the city dressing herself in sparkly evening attire.

 A quick look around the ship revealed some fun features, as well as lots of  "mature" travelers with whom we would share the next 10 days.  Obviously, the ship was similar to others we have been on, and so my photos are concentrated on the various ports of call, rather than on the ship.

We arrived at Newport, Rhode Island, early the following morning and were tendered to the shore amidst troves of sailboats and lobster boats. A trolley took us to the eastern shore where we would begin our "hike" along the Cliff Walk, one of Newport's most famed attractions.  The trail affords breathtaking scenery with 3.5 miles of rocky coastline and crashing waves on one side, and stunning Gilded Age mansions on the other.  We started at the "40-Steps", which is less than a mile south of the actual Cliff Walk starting point, and is near where the historical mansions are located.

The hike was a beautiful way to see the beauty and historical significance of Newport.  While on the walk, Bob and I decided to tour the most famous of the mansions:  The Breakers.  Built in 1895, this jewel was the 70-room summer estate of Cornelius Vanderbilt II.  It features a two and a half story high Great Hall, a morning room adorned with platinum leaf wall panels, rare marble, alabaster, and gilded woods throughout. It owes is opulence to the success of the owner of the New York Central Railroad.

The Breakers was almost a return to France in my mind.  But the incomparable spacious setting on the rocky shoreline of  Newport, told me otherwise.  With tired feet, we located a trolley stop and returned to port and did a little shopping before returning to the ship.  It had been a perfectly lovely day in Rhode Island.