We made a very slow journey from Boston to Newport Rhoda Island. part of our journey over night was navigating the very narrow Cape Cod Canal. Opened in 1916 as a privately owned canal, requiring a toll, although it was conceived in the 1700s.
We require a pilot to get us through. A small boat that sits on our bow ensuring we don’t bottom out. The maximum depth along the canal is 10 metres. We are one of 7000 annual voyages down the canal, the largest in the USA.
Leaving our balcony door open at this time was perfect. Balmy weather and little wind ensured a good night sleep for us surrounded by fresh air.
As we wake we can hear the tenders below us getting ready to take us to shore. Our ship is too big to dock. So we use life boats to move from the ship to the shore. We are planning on going to shore around midday.
We spend the morning packing and getting ready for disembarkation tomorrow in New York city.
We do have time for round two of the ship olympics. Our room needs cleaning so we head up to deck 10. The First event today is the bag toss. After 5 rounds Mardi takes the gold medal 3-1. Then it’s off to golf. It’s a gorgeous day in the Insignia Links course. Nine holes with lots of hazards, mainly fake rocks. After the completion of nine holes Michael is even par, including a home in one and Mardi ends up at nine over after a couple of tough holes with her ball leaving the course a number of times. The final event was table tennis. Mardi jumped to a quick lead, 5-0, but Michael fought back but was defeated 11-9 in the end. Maris wins two gold medals. Michael one.
We then go and sort out our onboard credit. We get a refund of around $600 which gives us some cash to use in New Tork but also for a couple of tips for staff who have really looked after us.
Our room attendant, Arnoldo and Toni in Baristas who’s been serving us hot chocolate and cocktails for 11 days.
We return to our room and do some packing. They boot you off ships pretty early in the morning. So we really need to be packed tonight so they can take our luggage and store it overnight.
We then head to Waves Grill for a quick burger and hot dog before heading off on a tender to the short for tour.
We arrive on deck three and a tender is waiting for us. We jump on board and travel the 15 minutes to the dock. Our plan is to visit The Breakers. A 19th century mansion built by the Vanderbilts of New York.
Newport Rhode Island is known for its extravagant mansions. And I mean that quite literally. They are extravagant. And in most cases are summer houses for people escaping the heat of New York.
The Breakers is at the top of the list.
Wait for it.
$350,000,000
Yes. Just outrageous.
The Breakers is a famous Gilded Age mansion located in Newport, Rhode Island. Built between 1893 and 1895, it was designed by architect Richard Morris Hunt for Cornelius Vanderbilt II, a member of the prominent Vanderbilt family. Here are some key points about The Breakers:
- Architectural Style: The mansion is designed in the Italian Renaissance style and features a mix of classical and modern elements. It has a grand facade and intricate details throughout its design.
- Location: The Breakers overlooks the Atlantic Ocean and is situated on a 13-acre estate. Its location offers stunning views and access to the scenic coastal landscape of Newport.
- Size and Features: The mansion is approximately 125,000 square feet and includes 70 rooms, with notable spaces such as a grand entrance hall, a dining room that seats 40 guests, and a luxurious living room. The interiors are lavishly decorated with marble, wood, and gilded details.
- Historical Significance: The Breakers served as a summer home for the Vanderbilts and was the site of many extravagant gatherings and parties. The estate reflects the wealth and social status of its owners during the Gilded Age.
- Preservation: After the death of Cornelius Vanderbilt II, the mansion remained in the family until it was gifted to the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1972. It is now a museum open to the public, offering guided tours that showcase its history and architecture.
And it is one of those tours we take today. The third floor was recently vacated by the family and in the last two months the preservation society has embarked on an ambitious plan to showcase the third floor living quarters as a timeline of the houses history and development. From the original rooms of the 1890s to the 1960s when some modernisation was undertaken.
The tour is fantastic, filled with anecdotes about the family and their plans and desires for the house. We see bedrooms as they were 140 years ago. We see where a galley style kitchen was installed by Gladys Vanderbilt, daughter, who lived there up until 2018. She cooked eggs basically and lived quietly on her own. The third floor was never opened to tours, yet other floors and the grounds were while the family occupied the third floor. Which is why today’s tour was a rare opportunity.
After our tour Mardi asked our guide if we could see the rest of the house. We didn’t have tickets. We implored we were from Australia and only here for a few hours. He started to tell us about his time resting in Perth while on shore leave from the navy. We struck a nerve with him being from Australia. He opened a few ropes barriers for us and offered us the full house tour, self guided though. No worries.
So we then explore the ground first and second floors. Again. Outrageous.
Fireplace imported from France. Not just any fireplace a marble and stone edifice 20 feet tall and 20 wide. Elaborate furnishing and room after room. One for reading one for smoking. One for cards. Two massive kitchens and a butlers pantry the size of a two bedroom apartment.
The display of wealth was just astonishing. Sadly Vanderbilt senior only spent four summers at the house. Dying at age 56.
The moral of the story. Live life and enjoy every day.
We also walk the cliff face over looking the Atlantic Ocean. It’s a gorgeous day and the swell is mild and wind light. The coastline is rugged and the ocean stretches out to the horizon and beyond. The views from these places are amazing and they certainly take advantage of them.
We then grab an uber back to the dock and head back to the ship.
Some more packing and our last trivia. We come third today with 9 out of 17. More packing.
After each trivia quiz and Mensa test we win “Big O” points. For ten days we have no idea what that means. But we have 27 seven of them.
We hear there is a claim event tonight to exchange your big O points for merchandise. Who knew?
So at 6.30 we go to the Insignia lounge. It’s locked and there is a queue of about 39 people. Wow. These big O points are a thing. We patiently wait. Prizes you can claim are all branded Oceania and range from socks to wind breakers. 30 points for a wind breaker. We are a little short. As we get to the head of the queue Mardi says to Kai. “27 points, but 30 looks better”. He replies “I heard 30”. So we score a windbreaker. Our trivia wins were not for nothing in the end!
We then spend an hour at Baristas. Toni looks after us in his usual style and we tip him as we did Arnaldo.
Dinner tonight it Toscanas. We are looking forward to some delicious Italian again. And it certainly doesn’t disappoint. We both choose the lobster main, for entree though I have beef ceviche and Mardi has a tomato and mozzarella salad. Dessert includes berry tiramisu and a creamy chocolate cappuccino cup.
After dinner we finalise our packing and get ready to disembark tomorrow morning.
