Portland, ME – The Lobster Roll Incident

Maine is famous for their lobster rolls and my mouth was watering for it all day. There was a pushcart selling them just outside the ship but I thought I might find someplace better to sample the local cuisine. As it turned out, the pushcart seemed to be the only place and the last place to get a lobster roll before re-boarding the ship.

So, we stopped for a roll but I was too late. THEY SOLD OUT!

But, they did have one, just one, lobster cake left. It was this pushcart vendor’s own creation. So, I bought one. She wrapped it up for me very nicely in aluminum foil. We were right by the ship, so, I thought I’d take it on board and eat it there while Sue got something to eat for herself.

We showed our Sea Pass ID’s and Driver’s Licenses to get onto the pier and proceeded to security. just like airport security with the scanners and your bags being x-rayed.

 

That’s when the incident occurred. Holding my lobster cake sandwich in her hand, the TSA attendant asked, “What’s this?”

“My sandwich”, I said.

“Can’t take it on board”, she said, “you’ll have to either eat it or throw it out.” Yeah! Or let them eat it!

So, I ate it. But, I had to do it outside of security and then, go through security again.

I think it tasted good!

But, another Faux Pas was about to take place. As Sue and I eventually boarded the ship upon our return, the ship takes your Sea Pass card and swipes it into a security machine to make sure you are you. I was standing behind Sue and as she had her card swiped, security says, “2 lines, use 2 lines!!” I go over to the other line to keep things moving but what I don’t know is that it would send me in a different direction from where Sue was going.

Uh, Oh! Sue was still having trouble finding our cabin. It can get very confusing and you can become very disoriented on a cruise ship. We were now separated and I thought to myself, “I’m never going to see her again” So, I kept on walking!

Thirty seconds later I hear my name being called in a less than sweet voice. Uh, Oh! She found me and she wasn’t happy. Sue, at least. had the wherewithal to ask security if she could go the other way because  her husband went that way. I figured I would eventually find her roaming Deck 8 lovingly calling my name.

Click on the above picture to view all pictures from Day 3, A day in Portland, ME.