June 4, 2016
This morning we arrived in Baltimore. Around 6:30am we felt the propellers and the engines revving, the anchor dropping and the Grandeur of The Seas getting was docked. Our luggage was picked up throughout the night and all we had left was our carry-ons to manage.

June 3, 2016
Today was our final day on Royal Caribbean’s mighty Grandeur of the Seas! We have spent nine wonderful days visiting Boston, Portland, Bar Harbor, St. John and Halifax. We have eaten non-stop and have collectively gained the weight of a small country. We got to know some of the Royal Caribbean staff a little better, and we have really appreciated the service they have provided us while on our Caregiver Cruise.

June 2, 2016
Today was our second day at sea, which meant Joel and Christi again provided respite care to the individuals with the diagnosis, so their caregivers could have some free time to do whatever it is they wanted! Caregivers took advantage by taking a nap, getting their nails done, having some lunch alone, and enjoying conversations with other caregivers.

June 1, 2016
Day 7 was our final port of call in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Finally the weather broke and we had a beautiful day exploring Halifax and Peggy’s Cove. Many of the folks got a chance to grab some breakfast and sit outside on the deck as we pulled into Halifax Harbor. We had some scenic views of the lighthouses and the rocky coastline and the busy city of Halifax. Our day started early and ended late – it was jam packed all day! Our report time was 10:15am to meet our bus tour to Peggy’s Cove.

May 31, 2016
Day 6 here in St. John, New Brunswick, Canada, again started off with dense fog! You could barely see off the ship. Luckily as the day progressed, some of the fog lifted, but then returned. Apparently they call it “cyclical fog” here in St. John. We did have to be up early today for our excursions. Today was the first day where we had two excursions booked. Christi took one group to St. Martins and the Bay of Fundy while Joel took the other group on a sightseeing tour aboard a vintage trolley here in St. John.

May 30, 2016
As we awoke this morning and looked out our windows, we could barely see a thing. The entire Bar Harbor area was covered in thick fog! If you stood outside on the deck, you could barely see the ledge of the ship. Luckily as the day went on, the weather improved – the rain stopped, it warmed up, and the fog lifted and it turned out to be a lovely day (by mid-afternoon)!

May 29, 2016
Day 4 greeted us with dramatically different weather in the largest town in Maine – Portland. Today was overcast (and some spritzing) and about 53 degrees. But, none the less, that was not going to stop everyone from having a great day!

May 28, 2016
We lucked out with absolutely gorgeous weather today in Boston. Initially the forecast for our Caregiver Cruise was mostly rain every day, but today we had sunshine and 85 degree weather while visiting what everyone thought was a beautiful city.

May 27, 2016
Day 2 was our first of three sea days. We were VERY glad to hear that because this was the first northern voyage of the Grandeur of the Seas this season, Mother Nature decided to give us a beautiful day. The morning started off with people enjoying a nice cup of coffee on the pool deck to take in the oceanic views, walking the deck path to take in the ocean air, or having a casual breakfast at the Park Café or the Windjammer.

May 26, 2016
Our day started off with a 9:45am departure from Insight headed towards the Port of Baltimore to board Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur of the Seas for our 9 Night New England and Canadian Caregiver Cruise. But of course there’s never a dull moment with Insight! We were only 15 minutes into the trip when we discovered that all our cruise documentation was missing. It was suspected that we had left it all at Insight. So, after an encore return trip to IMCC, it was discovered on the shuttle, waiting for us under a seat. After our false alarm, we were back on the road again!

May 26, 2016
We departed this morning for our 10 day adventure at sea! We’re thankful for the sunny skies as we make our way up to the Port of Baltimore this morning. As a part of the Caregiver Cruise, Insight provides transportation from door to door. We all met this morning at Insight to ride up to Baltimore together, giving our caregivers one less worry for the vacation. The only real worry was getting all the luggage to fit in our vans!

May 2, 2016
The first stop on our cruise wasn't actually on the boat, but our Cruise Orientation meeting! We met a few weeks prior to departure to give all of the families a chance to get to know one another, ask questions about the trip, and of course, get a thorough overview of what's planned for the vacation! And it wouldn't be a meeting without food, so we had some Boston Creme doughnuts to get everyone ready for New England!

About the Caregiver Cruise
Insight Memory Care Center now offers a Caregiver Cruise! Both the individual with a dementia diagnosis and their caregiver attend, making the program possibly the first of its kind in the country. In addition to the many benefits a cruise offers – the chance for a vacation, seeing new sights, a getaway – the caregiver cruise provides families with a sense of normalcy. And we all deserve a vacation!