DAY 13---CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA

         We will be docked here in Charleston for two days.  Sunny and temp in 80's.  We have a crummy view from our balcony unfortunately as the city is on the other side of the ship.

        This is the Fort Sumter National Monument as we entered the harbor.  Fort Sumter was actually on the other side of the ship as we entered but I did not get a good photo of it.

                                        
.      This is a photo of it when we were here on a cruise in 2024.  It was a rainy day back then.

        Fort Sumter is a sea fort at the mouth of Charleston Harbor where the battle that sparked the Civil War took place.  There were two battles here:  the first was on April 12, 1861 when the Confederate army took the fort, and the second was on September 8, 1863 which was a failed attempt by the Union to retake the fort.

        I went up to the Observation Lounge an hour before we were to be docked to take some photos of the sail in to the harbor.

                USS Yorktown, a WWII aircraft carrier that is now a naval and maritime museum.

                                             This is actually where we will be docking.

LAST EVENING

                                                                            Cheer!!!

        When we arrived at the bar it was empty.  Thought that was weird then Denar, bartender, asked why we were not at the Top Tier party.  Again, we never got an invitation just like the Seven Seas Society party earlier.  Later Jacques, who is in charge of Seven Seas Society on board, walked by so I asked him about not getting an invitation, AGAIN.  He said he had our invitation in his hand again and blamed housekeeping for not delivering it.  

                                 Grey Goose martini and pigs in a blanket.  Happy camper!

                                                          I started with these meatballs.

        Instead of having the turkey and stuffing entree we opted for the southern style smothered pork chop and baked potato.  My pork chop was good but Rebecca's was over cooked.  So I shared some of mine with her.

          I ordered this molten chocolate lava cake for dessert.  I've had it on many cruises.

       I had Rebecca order this banana pudding.  It was better than the cake so I ate it instead.

        Kelly, the cocktail lounge pianist was playing as we passed back through the Mariner Lounge after dinner.  We headed back to our suite and opted not to go to the show.

TODAY

        We were docked by 10am as planned but it took a while to get the ship's clearance before the tours departed.  I did not have a tour but left the ship around 10:30 for the short walk into town.

                                           It was a long walk just to get off the pier.

                                          I had to walk across this bridge to get into town.

                                          The US Customs house was the first thing I saw.

                                 A block over was the entrance to the Charleston City Market.

        It was a 3 block long building with hundreds of handicrafts, T-shirts, and other goods.  It was packed with tourists.  Outside, both sides of the street were lined with restaurants and other shops.

                                          This is St Philip's church founded in 1680.

                                                 

                                                                   Huguenot Church

                                  Waterfront Park ran probably a mile along the harbor.

                                                       Heading back to the ship now.

        Security check point to go across the bridge to get to the cruise terminal.  It was a VERY hot 40 minute walk and I was glad to get back onboard and shower.

Some anchovies and bleu cheese to start with.

        It was noon before I was ready to head up for lunch.  Some anchovies and bleu cheese to start with.  This pasta had a fancy Italian name but was just large tube pasta with chicken in a saffron cream sauce.  I told them when I ordered it that I wanted it well cooked.  The first one they brought me was very al dente so I had them do it over.

                                  It called Zarzuela.  Basically a seafood stew.  Very good.

        I ran into Erkan whom we have cruised with many times.  He just came back from vacation a couple days ago.  He is now the maitre'd in Prime 7.  He was as glad to see me as I was him.

        At around 4pm we are expecting some friends to come visit the ship.  I had to send a request about two months ago to Regent with their passport numbers to get approval for them to come onboard.  Becky and Halas Alkis live in Spartanburg a couple hours west of here and will be driving over.  One of their sons lives here so they will spend the night with him.  Becky was a Tri Delta sorority "little sister"

of Rebecca's at Rhodes College (back then it was called Southwestern at Memphis) in Memphis, TN, back in the mid 1960s.  They came and spent a week with us when we lived in Durango, Colorado.  We were supposed to do an Alaskan cruise with them but covid hit and that cruise was canceled.

        We will give them a tour of the ship before having cocktails around 5:15.  I have arranged for them to dine with us in Compass Rose which is opening at 6pm this evening.  Normal opening is not until 6:30 but there are some night tours so opening earlier.  I also made a special order to have miso-glazed sea bass this evening for the four of us.  Their son will be picking them up sometime after dinner.

        Tonight's menu even though we are having a special entree.  The mussel and vegetable cassoulet is one of our favorite appetizers however.

        As we are overnighting here there is movie being shown in the theater and an "ABBA Dance Party" at 9:30 in the Horizon Lounge.  I don't dance but the music is fun.  The production company singers will be singing some ABBA tunes.  Probably lots of dancers!