Newport, Rhode Island

When we woke up, we were anchored in Newport. The sun was shining, the skies were clear and blue, and the view of the harbour was spectacular. There were hundreds of sailboats anchored in the harbour - both small and very large. The water was calm. It was a beautiful sight. Oh, by the way, Happy Thanksgiving Day".

We had to be ready to get the tender to our bus tour by 9:15, so we got showered and went up to the buffet for breakfast. Again, I overdid it. I should have looked to see what was available, rather than start dishing up as we walked by the various "fine-looking" fare. By the time we were through the buffet, I had far too much on my plate, but what could I do? So, I started off the day quite full.

Then it was back to our room to get ourselves ready for the tour. Down 6 decks, and then a search for the lounge where our group was to gather, was next on the agenda. We met some folks from California and Alaska while we were waiting to be called to the tender. Then it was down a few more decks to get to the tender dock, stuffed into the boat, and off to the shore. By this time, the wind had come up, and there were many groups of small, single person sailboats going by. I thought it must have been a race of some sort, because there were so many of them.

Caribbean Princess

The ride to shore was about 15 minutes, and when we got off, our bus was waiting. We boarded, and then set off. There were lots of people around, and it wasn't until we were travelling around Newport that we learned that today was Columbus Day in the US, and that explained why there were so many people not working, and kids not in school.

We drove by many views of the harbour while our guide explained a lot of the history, which is long and detailed. Newport was a major port in the beginning, and was the fifth largest city in the colonies at one time. It was known for its port, its breweries, and rum. There was a place nearby where pirates and privateers stayed, and the economy was good.

Apparently when the colonies were working on their independence, the British came into the port with an armada and many troops, and stayed for 3 years while they fought the "upstarts" from the colonies. The tore down many houses and cut down all the trees to get firewood to keep their troops warm during the cold winters. Fnally they left.

A French armada came next (13 ships, 7000 troops, and 3500 sailors). These were here to help the colonies, so they helped rebuild the city of Newport as they fought the British in the colonies. So, they have statues of the "guy" on the beach of the harbour.

It seems there are a fair number of rich folk who live here. Many huge mansions dot the landscape around the shore. When I say huge, I mean really huge. Some are summer residences, and some are year round residences, but clearly lots of money. Jaqueline Kennedy's family is from here, and they have a big estate. The Summer White House for JFk was here, and Dwight Eisenhower's Summer White House is here, too. Some folks are pretty well off.

Designed by Jacqueline Kennedy

After the tour, it was back to the tender port. We walked around a bit to see about some souvenirs. Because it was Columbus Day, there was a small parade with various high school marching bands, some elementary schools and Cub Scouts, some vintage cars, a fire truck, a couple police cars, and two pipe bands. It was short but kind of fun.

Then we went back to the ship for the afternoon. The last tender was to leave at 3:15, so we were there in plenty of time. As it went, the last one arrived back to the ship about 5:00, after the ship had moved a bit. I think there were far too many people returning for the 3:15 tender, so there weren't enough seats to get everyone back to the ship. They even used a harbour tour boat to shuttle passengers back.

Then, off we went. It was formal night, and there were people walking around with tuxedos and fancy gowns, so we decided we would eat at the Buffet, once again. We did that, and then attended the early show. It was a singing, dancing show, and was excellent. The singers were very good, the dancers were great, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I feel this is the best show we've seen on the cruises we have been on.

Tomorrow, we are in Boston, but don't arrive until about 10:00. Our tour is scheduled for 12:45, so we have lots of time to get up, ready, and away.

They Watched as we Sailed Away