Day 11…Greenland Cruise…Halifax, Nova Scotia…Two days and counting…

We are docked at the Port of Halifax, Nova Scotia. The seas were quiet last night, and we both slept well after heading off to our stateroom after the “silent disco” in the Martini Bar. Last night was lobster night, but the three-ounce tails were rubbery, hard to cut, and hardly enough for a meal with a dollop of white rice and a few pieces of broccoli.

It was a good thing that Tom ordered three starters, as he had each night: French onion soup, shrimp cocktail with three small shrimp, and escargot with six tiny bits of snails in butter sauce. I never ordered starters and ate my entree, usually with too-buttery vegetables and a protein source, either seafood, beef, or chicken. The flavor was either bland or over-seasoned.

In many ways, Halifax is a modern city.

No doubt, under new management, Celebrity has gone downhill since Covid. We were sorely disappointed by many aspects of this cruise. But, if we want to cruise again and avoid outrageous prices and oversized ships, we may not have many options. We’ve ruled out Royal Caribbean due to the massive size of their ships and the abundance of amusement park venues and events.

From what we’ve seen, there are no more than six kids on this cruise, yet every time there’s a movie in the theatre in the afternoon, something we like to do, it’s a movie for kids, not adults. The majority of the passengers on this ship are over 60, and few enjoy superhero movies. Go figure.

In the future, we’ll be looking to do less cruising or spend more time on cruise lines such as Azamara, where we particularly liked the small ship size and number of passengers, under 600. But even that wasn’t as ideal as we’d expected. Everything has changed since COVID, with many service, amenities, and atmosphere cutbacks. We can’t perceive that these factors will improve over time.

More views of Halifax.

Cruise lines are attempting to recover losses after the pandemic, and the only way to do this is to reduce the services and amenities that most appeal to customers. Last night’s lobster night was a perfect example…tiny tails with an extra charge of $16.95 to add a second tail to one’s plate. Sure, in years past, passengers abused the “all you can eat” aspect of cruising and would order three, four, or five tails. But few did, so it balanced out when many didn’t even eat lobster tails.

Tom’s been disappointed to be unable to order a cocktail in the dining room, which should be included with our drink package. But, there’s been no one in the dining room to get him a cocktail, although wine service was abundant. He’s had to leave the table to go to a bar to get a drink when often we’d sit at a table chatting with other passengers for a few hours.

He’s also mentioned that many of the desserts are dry and tasteless, although he seemed to enjoy the Baked Alaska last night. Usually, I’ve just eaten my special order entree and nothing else, no salad, starter, or dessert. Once or twice, I ordered the cheese plate, but generally, I don’t feel like eating cheese after dinner.

A slight rainbow Tom picked up last night.

Today, we are in Halifax, Nova Scotia, our last port of call on this Greenland cruise, which ends in two days on August 30. Included today are photos we took of the seaside town, and no, we didn’t arrange any tours which were overpriced and retired hours sitting on a bus, something we’d rather not do.

There have been a lot of cases of COVID-19 on this cruise, and we didn’t want to sit on a crowded bus. After finally being rid of the pain in my head and face, there was no way we would expose ourselves to the risk. Plus, we wanted to be healthy to see family for the upcoming six weeks in the US and not be lying in a hotel room with COVID-19 as we had in 2022. Seeing family is much more important to us than visiting a few sites on a bus.

Halifax Waterfront Aerial View A low altitude aerial view of the Halifax skyline and waterfront in late evening. Taken from an altitude of 800'. halifax nova scotia stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images
Aerial view of Halifax. Not our photo.

Here’s the information from the ship’s brochure on our current port of call:

“Nova Scotia is one of eastern Canada’s Maritime provinces on the Atlantic. Consisting of a peninsula and off-shore islands, it’s home to puffins and seals and popular water sports like kayaking. The Bay of Fundy, with its famously extreme tides, is a whale-watching destination. Halifax, the capital, dominated by the star-shaped Citadel, is known for its lively waterfront and Victorian-era Public heritage, including Glooscap Heritage Centre, Grand=Pre National Historic Site, Hector Heritage Quay, and the Black Cultural Centre for Nove Scotia.”

Here are 15 Fun Facts About Halifax, Nova Scotia, from this site:

1. People from Halifax are known as Haligonians.

2. Halifax is the capital of Canada’s Nova Scotia province

3. The Honorable Edward Cornwallis of Britain arrived to establish a permanent British settlement in 1749. The settlement was named Halifax, after Lord Halifax, head of England’s Board of Trade.

4. The star-shaped Citadel Fort overlooks the Halifax harbor from its hilltop location. James Arnold, the fifth son of American traitor Benedict Arnold, designed the initial plans for the fort.

5. Today, the Halifax Citadel is Canada’s most-visited National Historic Site.

6. Alexander Keith, born in Scotland, immigrated to Halifax and founded Alexander Keith’s brewing company in 1820. Not only a brewmaster, Mr. Keith was a three-time mayor of Halifax.

7. The Cunard Steamship Line was founded in Halifax in 1840.

8. Halifax is closer to Dublin, Ireland, than it is to Victoria, British Columbia.

Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada Peggy's Cove is one of the landmarks and tourist attraction on the East coast of Canada. halifax nova scotia stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images
The lighthouse at Peggy’s Cove is a long drive and challenging walk. Not our photo.

9. There are six universities and colleges in Halifax. Mr. Jones is a proud alum of the largest — Dalhousie University.

10. There are 81 college students out of every 1000 Halifax residents.

11. Halifax has more bars per capita than anywhere else in Canada.

12. In 1809, the Royal Navy hung pirate Edward Jordan at Black Rock Beach. They coated his body in tar and left the remains up for almost 20 years. The Royal Navy continued the practice of hanging pirates at Point Pleasant Park’s Black Rock Beach until 1844.

13. When the Titanic struck an iceberg on April 14th, 1912, she was 700 nautical miles east of Halifax. While the Cunard liner Carpathia took survivors to New York, the dead were brought to Halifax. There is a permanent Titanic Museum at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, and a hundred and fifty Titanic victims were buried in three Halifax cemeteries.

14. In December 1917, the SS Mont-Blanc, a French cargo ship carrying munitions, collided with the Belgian Relief vessel SS Imo. The resulting “Halifax Explosion” killed approximately 2,000 people and injured 9,000 in the largest artificial explosion before the development of nuclear weapons.

The fishing village Peggys Cove View of boats and houses, in the fishing village Peggys Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada halifax nova scotia stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images
View of Peggy’s Cove, a small fishing village. Not our photo.

15. The Bedford Basin is a large enclosed bay forming the northwestern end of Halifax Harbor. There are said to be 32 Volvo cars on the floor of the Basin, where they sunk in 1969 after the container ship that was transporting them sustained water damage.”

We didn’t intend for this post to sound negative. Of course, regardless of the changes we’ve seen on this ship, we still have had a fantastic time visiting with passengers and sharing our stories and theirs over countless hours aboard the ship. Let’s face it, one of the major reasons we enjoy cruising is the socialization, which never disappoints.

We’ve met many interesting and delightful people aboard this cruise and the last, many of whom we’ll stay in touch with in the future. That is such a joy for us, especially when we’ll spend many months with less socializing in South America.

That’s it for today, folks. We’ll be back with more tomorrow.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today,  August 28, 2013:

With no photos posted on this date, we posted a list of the nutrition information for various nuts, which I can eat in moderation on my way of eating. Here’s the list instead. Please click here for the post:

Carbohydrates and Fats in Nuts and Seeds (1 Ounce Unshelled)

Cal Tot. Carb Fiber Net Carb Sat. Fat Mono Fat ω-3 Fat ω-6 Fat
Almonds 161 6.1 3.4 2.7 1 8.6 0.2 3.4
Brazil Nuts 184 3.4 2.1 1.3 4.2 6.9 0.05 5.8
Cashews 155 9.2 0.9 8.1 2.2 6.7 0.2 2.2
Chestnuts 60 12.8 2.3 10.5 0.1 0.2 0.03 0.22
Chia Seeds 137 12.3 10.6 1.7 0.9 0.6 4.9 1.6
Coconut* 185 6.6 4.6 2 16 0.8 0 0.2
Flax Seeds 150 8.1 7.6 .5 1 2.1 6.3 1.7
Hazelnuts 176 4.7 2.7 2 1.3 12.8 0.24 2.2
Macadamia Nuts 201 4 2.4 1.6 3.4 16.5 0.06 .36
Peanuts 159 4.5 2.4 2.1 1.9 6.8 0 4.4
Pecans 193 3.9 2.7 1.2 1.7 11.4 0.28 5.8
Pine Nuts 188 3.7 1 2.7 1.4 5.3 0.31 9.4
Pistachios 156 7.8 2.9 5.8 1.5 6.5 0.71 3.7
Pumpkin Seeds 151 5 1.1 3.9 2.4 4 0.51 5.8
Sesame Seeds 160 6.6 3.3 3.3 1.9 5.3 0.11 6
Sunflower Seeds 164 5.6 2.4 3.2 1.2 5.2 0.21 6.5
Walnuts 183 3.8 1.9 1.9 1.7 2.5 2.5 10.7

What is our experience having Omicron?…Testing later today…

A bartender in the Martini Bar entertained guests with clever juggling and tricks.

Many people are tested positive for Covid and have no symptoms. Others may experience a headache, sore throat, aches and pains, exhaustion, and coughing. Everyone is different in how they respond to testing positive. Today’s post is about our experiences and maybe entirely different than others. Please contact your medical professional if you need support and assistance.

As mentioned in an earlier post, Tom was the first to experience symptoms. But his were vague and certainly didn’t cause us to suspect he was infected. He was coughing a lot from acid reflux when he consumed sugar and bread, which for days he had done, with the bread basket served at dinner and the desserts with ice cream he ordered each night after dinner.

If I got sick from food, I wouldn’t eat it, but apparently, Tom’s desire for certain foods supersedes his desire to feel well. I keep my mouth shut, and he decides for himself. But, the coughing at night was keeping me awake, and I asked him to reconsider his food choices. He did stop the bread but not the desserts. He continued to cough,

At that point, about seven days into the 13-night cruise, we became concerned but didn’t for a minute think it was Covid. After all, Tom has smoked off and on during the past 9½ years of world travel, and I do not influence his decision to quit entirely. Only he can make that decision.

Over a few days, his nose ran off and on. Here again, we both have allergies and can easily suffer periods of runny noses and frequent sneezing. Besides, I felt fine. Isn’t Omicron highly contagious, and if he had symptoms, wouldn’t I as well?

But on night #10, I had that bout of high blood pressure and excessively fast pulse. I attributed this to the two glasses of red wine I drank during the silent disco and an amount of dancing I hadn’t done since I had open-heart surgery in 2019. Dr. Google confirmed that the blood pressure and fast pulse could easily have resulted in those two reactions.

How wrong I was to make that assumption on that stressful Monday night! I was experiencing the beginning symptoms of Covid that may or may not manifest in a person with cardiovascular disease. Ah, Covid is still mysterious in how those with comorbidities can react to its ravages. These types of uncertainties allow the virus to spread among others wildly.

On Tuesday, Tom’s coughing was subsiding. After Monday’s fitful night, I felt tired, and we went to our cabin right after dinner by 9:30 pm. I fell asleep by 10:00 pm, thinking a good night’s sleep would make me feel great in the morning. But I did not. I awoke with a sore throat, feeling achy and utterly exhausted. Then I knew.

Immediately, I headed to the ship’s medical clinic wearing my military-grade mask and was told to head back to my cabin and wait to hear from the doctor, as described in detail in the post a few days ago. Tom was advised to join me in the cabin. As you know, we both tested positive.

Now, here we are, taking an at-home test today at 3:00 pm that most likely still be positive and we won’t be able to make tomorrow’s Queen Mary 2 cruise, or even board a plane, to anywhere. After all, it’s still only been three days since our positive tests on the ship. But, it may actually be day #5 for me and day #10 for Tom. We will test me today. If I am positive, there’s no point in testing Tom until such a date when I’d test negative.

I began coughing fiercely for the past few days with a horrible dry cough. But yesterday, I realized I had brought along an electric nebulizer and medication for it that we’d purchased in lockdown in India, anticipating such an experience. What a lifesaver this has been. It has helped me tremendously in the past 24 hours, especially since I have asthma which is always an issue when I get a cold or flu. I feel like I am on the upswing, although I am still fragile and exhausted.

This afternoon at 3:00 pm, when I take my first test since I was diagnosed as positive. Then, I’ll do another test tomorrow. At this point, we have considered several options. We will decide what we’ll do and share the details with you here in tomorrow’s post.

Have a fantastic day!

Photo from one year ago today, April 23, 2021:

Lots of zebras in the garden were eating pellets. For more photos, please click here.

WiFi outage announcement…Covid on the ship…Greatly improved dinner!…

My NY strip steak was cooked perfectly rare and was flavorful.

Two important notices today:

  1. We could not upload a new post for the past few days due to a WiFi outage on the ship. This morning it was working again.
  2. The automatic email messages may not work, and due to the poor WiFi connection, there is no way I can focus on this while cruising. We may not be able to work on this until we return to South Africa after May 25th. In the interim, to see the new daily post, please set a bookmark for: www.worldwidewaftage.com and click on it daily. Once I complete and upload each new day’s post, it will be there.

    My generous portion of shrimp cocktail minus the sauce.

After Tom checked out the various posts on Cruisecritic.com, he noticed that a passenger on this cruise wrote there was one case of a passenger with Covid on the ship. Also, the pastry chef and his sous chefs all have COVID and are in isolation.

At this point, there’s been no mention if it’s Omicron or another variant. Nor have we heard anything about Covid during the Captain’s daily announcements. We can only wait and see what happens and continue to exercise caution to our ability.

Delicious salad with cheese.

I was enthused to post new food photos since the dining room manager, and the chef promised to improve the quality of my meals. They have done so with considerable aplomb. The past three nights since my conversations with them, they have taken it up themselves to ensure I have consistently good hot, fresh, well-seasoned, and well-prepared entrees suitable for my way of eating.

My steak was indeed prepared rare three nights ago, and the last two night’s grilled seafood platters atop a bed of lightly buttered cooked cabbage were delightful, so much so that I ordered the same meal for three consecutive nights.

Last night was a dress-up night, but I didn’t wear any of my new dresses. I’ve decided to “save them” for Queen Mary 2 when every night is dressed up to some degree. Tom did the same, avoiding wearing his new suit and shirts until the upcoming Queen Mary 2 cruise.

My delectable seafood dinner the past two nights.

Have we been having a good time? Absolutely! Not only are we enjoying every moment together, but we have also met so many people it’s hard to keep track of who’s who. I am slightly better at remembering names than Tom but still struggle to recall the names of everyone we meet.

It’s embarrassing to forget the names of the many lovely passengers we’ve met, and we feel bad when we see them later and are at a loss to recall their names. But, one group stands out in our minds: Ceara, Laura, and Jos, adult daughter and husband, and wife. They are lovely people whose company we’ve thoroughly on many occasions.

Tom’s Bananas Foster wasn’t prepared properly because the pastry staff is in quarantine due to Covid.

A few nights ago, we met two more great couples, all from Boston, near where I was born. The “boys” sat in a huddle and chatted while us three “girls” did the same. We didn’t head up to our cabin until 1:00 am.

The past few mornings, we slept in, missing breakfast entirely. Instead, we went to the buffet for lunch, but neither of us enjoyed the items we selected. With a one-hour-forward time change, by the time we got ready for bed the past few nights and finally dozed off, it was going on to 3:00 am, the new time.

We are scheduled to arrive in the Azores and Portugal over the next few days, hoping to get off the ship in each location, depending on weather conditions.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, April 13, 2021:

Another kudu with three oxpeckers on her back and neck. They often manage to photobomb our shots. See the warthog checking out the action for the photo. For more photos, please click here.