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You are here: Home / Photo Blogging / On The Road / On The Road – Elma – New York, New York on the Ultimate Around the World Cruise on Serenade of the Seas

On The Road – Elma – New York, New York on the Ultimate Around the World Cruise on Serenade of the Seas

by WaterGirl|  April 16, 20255:00 am| 14 Comments

This post is in: On The Road, Photo Blogging

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On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.

From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.

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Elma

Two posts to finish up. Just a reminder that we did not do the whole thing. We joined the ship in Amsterdam in August after it had already been sailing for nine months. We sailed into New York City, up the Hudson River on the morning of September 3rd. We were docked there at Pier 88 until the afternoon of September 4th. The President of Royal Caribbean came on board now, to finish the cruise and celebrate with the world cruisers. It was at this point that I started to feel like I had walked into the wrong party by mistake. There were many events exclusively for the world cruisers. Still, there was plenty to do; and you never have to cook, or wash a dish, or make your bed, so life was good.

On The Road - Elma - New York, New York on the Ultimate Around the World Cruise on Serenade of the Seas 8
New York CitySeptember 3, 2024

The Serenade was berthed next to the Intrepid Museum. I got a kick out of being next to the submarine, because there is a submarine in the Manitowoc River not two blocks from my home.

On The Road - Elma - New York, New York on the Ultimate Around the World Cruise on Serenade of the Seas 7
New York CitySeptember 3, 2024

One of the things I wanted to do was revisit the High Line garden. I had been there a few years ago, but the weather was bad that day. This time, we had a great day for walking on the High Line. It turned out we did a LOT of walking. A friend of my brother in law, who lives in Brooklyn, came into Manhattan to take us lunch and we walked to the place. Dan kept saying just a few blocks more. Manhattan blocks are long and a New York few doesn’t mean three, more like ten. After a very nice lunch, I got a cab back to the ship. I guess I am old.

On The Road - Elma - New York, New York on the Ultimate Around the World Cruise on Serenade of the Seas 6
New York CitySeptember 3, 2024

 

Lots of art on the High Line. I liked these guys.

On The Road - Elma - New York, New York on the Ultimate Around the World Cruise on Serenade of the Seas 5
New York CitySeptember 4, 2024

Got to have a picture of the Empire State Building.

On The Road - Elma - New York, New York on the Ultimate Around the World Cruise on Serenade of the Seas 4
New York CitySeptember 4, 2024

One World Trade, as we are sailing away down the Hudson River. I went there a few years ago, shortly after it opened. The museum was impressive; the view from the top was spectacular at night; and the drinks were VERY expensive.

On The Road - Elma - New York, New York on the Ultimate Around the World Cruise on Serenade of the Seas 3
New York CitySeptember 4, 2024

Ellis Island  I don’t think my paternal grandparents came through there.  I believe they came from various places in the UK through Canada.  A cousin has done a lot of work on the maternal side.  Grandma’s family has been here since before the Revolutionary War.  Grandpa’s family came from Germany in the 1840’s.

On The Road - Elma - New York, New York on the Ultimate Around the World Cruise on Serenade of the Seas 2
New York CitySeptember 4, 2024

The first time I came to NYC I stayed on Staten Island in a B&B and took the ferry back and forth. It was interesting. I wouldn’t do it that way again for any money. Here is one of the ferries, for old time sake.

 

On The Road - Elma - New York, New York on the Ultimate Around the World Cruise on Serenade of the Seas 1
New York CitySeptember 4, 2024

As we came abreast of the Statue of Liberty, in the middle of the Hudson River, the Serenade of the Seas stopped and did a 360 degree pirouette. Arrangements had been made with the Harbor Master and the Coast Guard, so all other traffic on the river was halted to permit the maneuver. And I heard it cost RCCL a lot of money to make it happen.

On The Road - Elma - New York, New York on the Ultimate Around the World Cruise on Serenade of the Seas
New York CitySeptember 4, 2024

Sailing under the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. Note the airplane in the upper right. I had more horrific air travel experience in 2024 than in all the rest of my globetrotting life. And we will not speak of what happened in the Miami Airport at the end of this cruise.

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Reader Interactions

14Comments

  1. 1.

    Bruce K in ATH-GR

    April 16, 2025 at 5:32 am

    Miami airport, as in Miami International? I’ve been through there once, and it appears on my short list of places that would be improved by the proper application of thermonuclear explosives.

  2. 2.

    eclare

    April 16, 2025 at 5:52 am

    Wow you have great vision, I never would have seen that plane if you hadn’t pointed it out.

    I googled the menu for One World Trade…no prices listed, I bet the drinks were expensive!

    Thanks for the photos.

  3. 3.

    eclare

    April 16, 2025 at 5:55 am

    @Bruce K in ATH-GR:

    I’ve only been there once too, but I was so exhausted from flying from Lima the only thing I remember is the number of drug sniffing dogs.  Prob 2:1 ratio, human to dog.

  4. 4.

    Central Planning

    April 16, 2025 at 6:05 am

    I’m heading to NYC right now for a little vacation. Our first touristy event is a Circleline cruise around Manhattan. After that, who knows? A show, jazz club, museums, food. Lots of walking.

  5. 5.

    NotMax

    April 16, 2025 at 6:19 am

    @Central Planning

    Dunno how scarce (or not) tickets are but the show Boop! looks like a heckuva lotta fun.

  6. 6.

    Central Planning

    April 16, 2025 at 6:25 am

    @NotMax:

    I’ve also heard Maybe Happy Ending is great, and a potential Tony winner.

    Other ones on the list are Hamilton, Cabaret, The Outsiders, and Death Becomes Her

  7. 7.

    NotMax

    April 16, 2025 at 6:31 am

    @Bruce K in ATH-GR

    You might find this of interest. Looking at the on again, off again, on again protracted construction of a metro in Thessaloniki.

  8. 8.

    Trivia Man

    April 16, 2025 at 6:55 am

    @Central Planning: for  planning – walking N to S its 20 blocks per mile. E to W closer to 7.

  9. 9.

    Trivia Man

    April 16, 2025 at 7:22 am

    Does Manitowoc still have Sputnik Days? I used to go to a church on Park street in between the submarine and the Sputnik crash site.

  10. 10.

    Trivia Man

    April 16, 2025 at 7:24 am

    @Trivia Man: and in SLC it’s 7 blocks per mile. Makes distance planning easy. Im at 500 south and 700 east? I know that 2100 east and 7500 south is pretty close to 12 miles away.

  11. 11.

    Elma

    April 16, 2025 at 7:57 am

    @Trivia Man: Yes, Sputnikfest happens in September on the anniversary of the landing.  Even Bernice, the giant cow in front of the Cedar Crest Dairy is dressed in an alien costume for the event.

  12. 12.

    stinger

    April 16, 2025 at 8:31 am

    Thanks especially for the photo of Lady Liberty. We seem to have forgotten her message.

  13. 13.

    arrieve

    April 16, 2025 at 9:45 am

    It’s fun to see things in my neighborhood in On the Road! I live a couple of blocks from the High Line and never go there because it’s always so crowded. I took my ESL students to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island a couple of weeks ago. Seeing it through their eyes was an emotional experience for me.

    George Clooney is in Good Night and Good Luck on Broadway right now. I saw it last week, and it cut a little too close to home for comfort. But the tickets are outrageously expensive.

  14. 14.

    Matt McIrvin

    April 16, 2025 at 7:27 pm

    I finally got around to walking the High Line the last time I was in NYC. It’s nice. Lots of good views of outrageous rich-people architecture.

    Years back I visited the Intrepid museum and I remember comparing the USS Growler to the old Soviet cruise-missile sub I’d toured in Providence (now sadly gone–it sank during a storm and had to be scrapped). The American sailors had it way better.

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