July 7 - Day One: The Adventure Begins

“Freedom is something that dies unless it’s used.” ―Hunter S. Thompson

Our ship, Celebrity Summit, is sailing out of Cape Liberty. The cruise port is located in Bayonne, NJ and is part of the New York Harbor with views of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, the Statue of Liberty and all of lower Manhattan. We've cruised in and out of New York Harbor on The Pearl seven times, but this time Stan can actually relax and take in the view. No matter how many times we come through this harbor it's still exciting and feels surreal. There are so many things to see and so much to take in.

Verrazano-Narrows Bridge with NYC in the background

We saw friends anchored near Coney Island on our way out to the Atlantic...even talked to them on the phone as we passed.

Boarding the ship was quick and painless...just a matter of driving up dropping off our bags, parking the car and walking through security. As soon as we were onboard we were greeted with free champagne and told we could take our carry on items to our cabin. Celebrity has a smooth check in process, but in my opinion they have a long way to go to smooth out other issues like getting onto your internet package and getting people scheduled for meals. We spent quite a bit of our day taking care of these things and it was still a zoo when we showed up for our dinner reservation. The rest of our day was spent wandering around getting acquainted with the ship and trying to relax. We had a wonderful meal and truly enjoyed the comedian in the theater. More tomorrow about the ship.

Entertainment in the Sunset Lounge

This was the chaos getting into dinner...some people had been waiting for an hour, even though they had a reservation. Celebrity really needs to do something to improve this.

Our dinner selections were sesame crusted tuna carpaccio, scallop crudo, toasted trout, cherries jubilee. We both had a Cezar salad too. 

“To the Struggle Against World Terrorism,” (also known as the Tear of Grief and the Tear Drop Memorial) is a 9/11 monument located in Harbor View Park at Cape Liberty. From this vantage point, the Twin Towers looked almost as if they were one building. The 100' bronze monument reflects that image with a jagged tear through the center and nickel teardrop that hangs from the top. The teardrop represents not only the sadness and grief over the loss of life, but also hope for a future free from terrorism. Etched in granite on an 11-sided base are the names of those killed in the 1993 World Trade Center bombings and terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. (the following two photos are from the internet)

The monument has several reflective elements, so visitors become part of the memorial. By day, or nighttime when it's lit, the Memorial is clearly visible from lower Manhattan, the Staten Island Ferry, ships passing through New York Harbor and airplanes approaching Newark Airport. It was a gift from the Russian people and dedicated on the fifth anniversary of the attacks.

The memorial as seen from the Sky Lounge on the Summit