Riggings: Bermuda

Sam was recently hired by The Second City (a famous Chicago based improv group) as a comedian on the Norwegian Dawn cruise ship. We had the opportunity to join him on a week-long cruise from New York City to Bermuda!

We left port near Ellis Island and had a fabulous view of the Statue of Liberty.

Super windy departure from NYC

Our room was very cozy, with a porthole to look out upon the Atlantic Ocean.

The ship had tons of activities and shows to attend. Our first pick was Cha Cha lessons. It took some getting used to since the ship was constantly shifting from side to side, and our balance was thrown off. Eventually we got it, and cha cha'd around the dance floor!

The Second City had two great shows while we were on board. Sam was fantastic!

In the evenings there were always bands playing and lots of dancing.

Sam was asked by one of the bands to perform several Beatles songs, and the crowd loved him!

On the morning of arrival in Bermuda Andrew got up early and went out to the deck to get the first glimpse of the island. Bermuda is super colorful and weathered.

The houses there are all painted in bright colors, with white roofs that are terraced to drain rain efficiently.

One morning we went out on a catamaran to do some snorkeling. We saw huge fish over three feet long, and lots of beautiful, healthy coral. Andrew was in heaven (he is fascinated by coral/salt water aquariums and fish). On the way back we sipped on endless Rum Swizzles (like fruit juice mixed with Bermudan Rum), yum!

Since Sam had been back and forth to Bermuda several times already, he gave us a tour of Hamilton. There we saw many little shops, a boardwalk, cars driving on the opposite side of the road, and the funny Bermudan Business Suit (colorful shorts with knee high socks)!

Bermudan Business Suit on the right

Ferries are the major form of transportation around the island, followed by pink buses for on land travel.

Andrew waiting for the ferry

Pink bus

On the morning of June 10, Sam married us on Chaplin Bay. We were the only people for miles, and the sun was shining brightly. The beach was covered in pink sand, and there were huge slabs of sandstone making a dramatic scene for our marriage. The ceremony was beyond perfect. We each read our hand written vows to each other, and Sam used his talent to make it very personalized and humorous! We will always be so thankful for such a wonderful start to our life together.

After our wedding, we spent the day on the beach together and then went into town by bus.

Bus stop

Andrew had made us reservations at a fancy restaurant called, "Bolero." It had been recommended by native Bermudans as the place to celebrate. Our table was out on a patio above the boardwalk, topped with a red rose bouquet and a bottle of wine! We had a delicious dinner, and even tried a new food - snails!

On the day of departure we took Sam out wave running around the island. The ocean was extremely choppy and it was very difficult to maneuver the wave runners. At one point Andrew drove within two feet of a sea turtle! We also found a geocache out on the pier, adding Bermuda to our list of "finds."

Our cruise ship at the pier

We had plenty of time to explore the Royal Naval Dockyard and all of it's rustic charm.

Bye, bye Bermuda!

While cruising back to the mainland, Sam treated us to a special celebration dinner and cigars. It was so yummy that we ate too much and ended up uncomfortably full!