Late last night, we packed the suitcases, and set them outside the room to be picked up. And then, before dawn, we sailed into New York City harbor. It took a couple of hours to maneuver the ship through the harbor channel to our landing.

We were anxious to depart the Norwegian Gem and catch a flight home via Chicago. However, it was not to happen soon. It took a couple of hours to make it off the ship, pick up our luggage, and exit through customs. Another wait in a long line preceded loading onto the bus for the trip to the airport. Finally, we arrived at the airport, checked the luggage, and waited for the flight home. After two uneventful flights, we arrived at Little Rock, picked up the car, and drove to Hot Springs Village, arriving home shortly before midnight.

While the individual features of this trip could not be described as outstanding, it was a terrific getaway from the wet dreary weather, and would rank among our favorite cruises (of course they all do).