ms Maasdam
A couple of years ago if you had asked me if cruising and quilting went together I might have said “no”. Today I would have to say that I would have been wrong. In fact the two combined are awesome. A couple of years ago I had the great good fortune to be asked to join the Quilt Seminar at Sea group to teach on a Caribbean cruise. I loved it. One of the things that makes it so great is the people from www.quiltcruises.com. On this trip I worked with Lisa and Kim. Not only were they supper nice but they were very well organzied which makes my life and the students very enjoyable.
Prior to cruising we had some issues. Our flight was delayed out of Harrisburg, PA due to bad weather. Fortunately we had made arrangements to fly into Montreal, the start of the cruise, a day early. We ended up on an Air Canada flight and even though they were able to get us to Montreal they were not able to get our luggage to Montreal. So, now we are ready to cruise and….no luggage. I was not really concerned about wearing the same clothing everyday, with some washing in between, but how was I going to teach my classes with all my class stuff in my luggage. We set sail on Saturday with pretty much just the clothing on our backs. My husband, Joe, and my best friend, Barb, were in the same boat….no luggage either.
Day one of the cruise we went to Quebec City. We made the decision to purchase one or two outfits in case our luggage did not arrive. When we returned to the ship our luggage was there. We where all very excited. Our next day, with clean clothing and class supplies in hand we were in good shape. I taught “Floral Bouquet” where the students make lots of different dimensional flowers. As we worked on the class project we could see out of our windows as we cruised through senic Saguenay Fjord. It does not get much better than that. Nice people, great view and sewing.
The next day took us to a quaint little town on Prince Edward Island called Charlottetown. A few blocks from where the ship docked we found this wonderful quilt shop called, Quilting B & More. www.quiltingb.ca And who should I meet on the steps to the shop but Elly Sienkiewicz. Elly was also teaching on this cruise.
Elly Sienkiewicz, me and the owners and employees at Quilting B & More
Also teaching on this cruise was Velda Newman. You can find out more about Velda at http://www.veldanewman.com/gallery.html Velda and I had crossed paths at another seminar a few years ago. I really like Velda and her quilts. You need to check out her site. Her quilts are magical.
The other teacher on this cruise, Christine Porter, I had never met before. You can find out more about Christine at http://www.christineporterquilts.com/ One of the best things about this cruise was meeting Christine. What a lovely person. I feel certain our paths will cross again and I look forward to it.
We next went to Sydney, Nova Scotia and then on to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Here are a few of the sites.
I have to tell you it was difficult to just select a few of the photos. The landscape was exquisit.
Then we arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia. One reason that I was excited to be in Halifax was because I was born and raised in Halifax, Pennsylvania. When I was in college and someone would ask where I was from I would tell them Halifax and often people would say “Nova Scotia?”. It was fun to see the other Halifax.
While we were in Halifax we found the Public Gardens. Here are a few things we saw.
Our final day of the cruise we stopped in Bar Harbor, Maine. Now this town has a special place in my heart as this is where my huband and I honeymooned some 28 years ago. So, we decided to stop and visit the B & B where we stayed. 
I think Bar Harbor is a beauriful place to visit. There are fantastic little shops along the main streets and the surrounding area is something you really should see.
I think this is one of the most photographed light houses in the world. It is a breath taking part of the United States. There is one beautiful view after another.
We disembarked in Boston, MA to end an incredible week. If you are ever thinking about a quilting cruise, stop thinking about it and just do it. My next quilting-cruising adventure will be in February 2010 in the Caribbean. I’m already thinking how nice and warm it will be in the Caribbean in February compared to Pennsylvanias ice and snow.
For more information on quilting and cruising go to www.quiltcruises.com