NCL Dawn Bermuda - Sail Away from NY

When we awoke the sky was a bit threatening, but the sun came out and burned the clouds away leaving a beautiful blue sky with billowy, puffy white clouds. The New York City skyline is magnificent especially when it is framed by clouds.

The railings along the pool-side decks were lined with passengers as we sailed past the NYC skyline on the port side and New Jersey on the starboard side. Off in the distance, on the starboard side stood the Statue of Liberty, torch reaching into the blue sky. The highlight of the sail-away was sailing close to the statue as we headed out to open sea.

We have had several opportunities to sail past the Statue of Liberty, the first being upon return from a Trans-Atlantic many years

ago. That time, the sun was just rising and the torch really glowed in the morning light. Perhaps a more striking image was that on that past cruise, the World Trade Center buildings were still standing and they too were glistening in the morning light.

On that day in September, 2001, the New York skyline was changed forever, but through it all, the Statue of Liberty still stood fast in the harbor with her torch lighting the way to freedom for so many people that have come before us, and those that will follow. How fitting that we had visited Ground Zero on this trip so that we were now reminded about what the Statue of Liberty reall means to all of us.

After passing the Statue, the crowded thinned out and the party kicked into full gear. The band played on the stage by the pool and the BBQ was ready to be served. The menu consisted of hamburgers, hot dogs, and chicken along with all the trimmings. Since we hadn't had any food when we first got onboard, we were starting to get hungry, so we decided to partake in the BBQ. There's nothing like good old outdoor cooking - and to think it wasn't in our backyard, but on a cruise ship. We'd actually have BBQ lunches several times throughout the cruise, since we spent some of our free-time poolside.

The cruise was officially started; we looked back in the distance and saw the New York City skyline fade away. In my next post, I'll take you inside the El Dorado Spa for a closer look.