Comes to an end

Our cruise has come to an end.
We had the wake up call set for 6;00am but we were awake even earlier than that. The ship glided slowly into place and we were able to see Canada Place in all her glory. That is a beautiful sight. We have seen a lot of ports and I am not afraid to say that Vancouver is among the most if not the most beautiful.

We gathered the last of our things, dressed and left the room by 6:45. We took everything with us so that Rene could get the room ready for the next guests and so that we could relax and enjoy breakfast and not have to be concerned about being out of our room in time. Cabins must be vacated by eight.

We went to the Portofino dining room to enjoy a complete breakfast. We were seated at a table with four Americans, no one from BC for the first time during this cruise. One couple from Connecticut has sat with us before, Then there were 2 ladies from New York.

Ken had wondered why French Toast had not been on the menu. This morning he got his wish. They make it with VERY thick bread and it is rolled o Corn Flakes. It is very different from what we usually experience.

As you may or may not know, ever since Ken swam with the sting Rays in Tahiti he folds his napkin in a way that resembles a sting ray .This morning he left his last sting ray.

The dining room was quite busy and Captain Tuvo was around to say good bye and wish everyone safe travels and he left with his usual trade mark " Bye Bye" We laughed and visited with our table mates for at least an hour. The Connecticut people are staying on for another cruise so they were not in a hurry. The other two ladies were not in a hurry either.

Our time ti gather for the call to disembark was 9:45 so we were early. We waited in the Horizon Court until it was time for us to proceed to the Vista Longue. This area was set aside for Elite and Platinum passenger to use as a waiting area. It was set up very nicely with coffee and juice and pastries.

Everything went very smoothly and we were actually on our way off of the ship about 10 minutes ahead of schedule.

It was interesting to watch supplies being loaded and people lining up to board and chairs and tables being readied for the new passengers. I always wonder how the cruise does it. Certainly it is exciting for us but it must be difficult for them to stay enthusiastic cruise after cruise after cruise.

We reached Bob by cell phone with no problems at all.

We made our way up to the street where we waited for him. It felt good to be back in a way and the Hallowe'en decorations brought us a smile.

Soon Bob arrived , we loaded our suitcases in the Jeep and away we went.

The drive home was quick and uneventful.

We left Bob at his door at 11:11.

The little adventure has come to an end. We arrived home safe and sound again. We are so blessed.

It was just the break we needed. It was made extra special by the making of new friends, Ben and Almira; reconnected with former table mates like Marion and Joan; connecting with wonderful family like Ken and Wendy and enjoying the company of good friend made through cruising like Paula and Min.

The weather was cooler than we expected but it was wonderful none the less.

Is there such a thing as a bad cruise?

We don't think so and we will be back in January when we board the Caribbean Princess and spend time with more friends made through cruising. Randy and Janeen and Fred and Mary with make our time at sea even more enjoyable.

To quote another cruising friend

"Life is Good"
And to quote Captain Tuvo
" Bye-Bye"

Last Day of our Cruise

Last Day of our cruise,

We have to go home tomorrow.

We did not set a wake up call but we woke around 7:20. We were dressed and on our way to breakfast about ten minutes to eight. In our little mail box there was a piece of paper so when we opened it we found a note written in pencil.

It read:

Hi, we’re Marion and Joan Chomey and we were wondering if you are the same Carolyn Abramson we were dinner mates with on a back to back Alaska Cruise 6 to 8 years ago. We’re in C235 if you want to contact us.

Right away we remembered them and I went to our cabin phone and suggested we meet for lunch. Ken suggested that we should have met them in their room because we might not recognize them and we could be looking for them forever. Anyway we went to breakfast and it was a great one. We have had such great luck with our table companions at breakfast time. Anyway we visited and laughed for more than an hour.

After breakfast we decided to go and check out the pictures we had taken last evening. When we came onto deck seven there were Marion and Joan. We recognized them right away. We had a quick visit . They said they heard my name on the Wake Show and on the show it was said that we were on Baja deck. Marion decided to walk the deck and see if he could find us. Much to his surprise he found Carolyn and John Abramson. His first thought was that the name was not John and did I re marry someone named John. He knew us as Ken and Carolyn and did not realize that Ken’s legal name is John.

We agreed to meet for lunch.

Ken and I continued on to the photo department and after a lot of deliberation we choose which picture to purchase. We bought only one.

 I checked out the holiday sale and bought nothing but I did get Grand Marnier for Christmas, and a bottle of dark rum. If we are flying we do not take advantage of the liquor prices on the ship but when we are walking off it is just too good a deal to pass up.

We next came to the cabin to begin packing. We got most of it done by the time it was time to leave for lunch. We met Marion and Joan and had a wonderful visit. We caught up on lots of news. They are younger than us and are not yet retired but they have been doing some cruising.

By the time we left the dining room it was after two so we had to finalize our packing, put on the luggage tags, write thank you notes and add extra tips for our waiter, assistant waiter and our room steward.

They announced that the stage mechanism had been repaired and we could go to the show tonight if we wished. We decided to pass. We will see it another time. I watched the Blue Jays win their ball game. Yeah Jays!!

We had to wear our travel clothes to dinner because the suitcases would be set into the hall for pick up.

Tonight was the parade of the baked Alaskan and the thank you to the kitchen staff.

We took pictures of our table mates and gave envelopes to the waiters and said our good byes.

When we got to deck 7 I stopped for the photo raffle. You had to be there to win. I was there but I did not win.

A great little cruise has come to an end. Our time to disembark is 9:45 and our friend Bob will be picking us up.

Now the packing in earnest must begin.

But the next cruise is only seventy eight days away.

Sea Day

Monday October 17

^{It was a pretty rocky night. Not enough to make you sick but enough to let you know you were not on land. When moving around you had to be careful.}

^{We ordered room service for breakfast because we wanted to eat light. Tonight is formal night. Escargot and lobster will be on the menu and I do enjoy the escargot. We also made a lunch date with Ben and Almira. So we have to take it easy early in the day.}

^{We had a wake up call set for seven and much to my surprise the moon was shining in all of its glory.}

 ^{I thought it had to be a mistake but it was not. Anyway once breakfast arrived we continued to rest. The only} thing hot was the coffee and it was in a

thermos server.

But we finally got up and had our cereal. The ship is still rocking a bit.

Ken went topside to look around and I worked on the blog for yesterday. It was such an event filled day and we took so many pictures. The internet was slow so that chore took about 2 hours.

Next Ken and I went down to check out the holiday sale. There was nothing there that we could not live without.

Then we waited for Ben and Almira. We had a wonderful visit and before we knew it an hour and one half had passed.

We had a bit of a rest and Ken got some sun .Then I went up to the SPA and got my hair done. The appointment at least meant my hair was clean. I am seldom satisfied with a hair appointment, especially when the hair dresser is not accustomed to my hair.

I came back here and plugged in the curling iron and tried to make my hair at least presentable. This is formal night so we had canapés delivered just as I got back. We finished off our bottle of wine and dressed for dinner. Tonight was escargot and lobster, yum!!

I got pictures of our waiters and our steward.

Tonight was the captain circle party. We were quite far back in the line but much to our surprise we were directed to a seat in the second row. So I was able to get a few great pictures. We had a rum punch and enjoyed watching the dancers.

Then it was time to listen to the captain’s presentation and see the awards given to the most travelled passengers. The most travelled one had 1209 days on a Princess ship. We began to cruise too late to ever get to this level

They then drew for the 3 bottles of champagne and our name was not drawn.:-(They also gave certificates for people who were on the 50^th cruise( our goal) and those who were on their 75^th cruise…

After dinner we decided to have our pictures taken in a couple of places. It has been a couple of years since we have had one done. After the pictures we returned to our cabin and changed our clothes. Then we went down to Crooners and listened to Funch.

 He performs magic on the piano and he has such a mellow voice. We then headed for the theatre. They were presenting a new show tonight. For the first time we were given programs as we entered the theater. The names and a short bio of each performer was written there. Also there was a quite elaborate folder telling all about the the production of the show itself. I gather it was writer by the same person who wrote “Wicked” The show is called Born to Dance.

We sat there for the 45 minutes waiting for the show to begin. The theater was full even though this was the second show. The ship was moving and apparently one of the mechanisms that is used to raise and lower parts of the stage developed a problem. The show was only 5 minutes in when they had to stop it. Open holes in a stage make it difficult for dancers to perform.

We don’t usually go to a second show. In fact this is the first time we have ever attended the late show. I guess we were a jinx.

We were told the show would not go on so we all filed out. By now it was well after ten so we returned to our cabin and called it a night.

Tomorrow is the last day… packing , YUCK!!

Day with Paula and Min

We met Min and Paula Pang in 2010 on a cruise through the Panama Canal. When they learned we were going to be in their part of the country for an overnight in San Francisco they graciously offered to give us a guided tour.

Now they live in the Sonoma area which is a good hour’s drive from the ship. Being willing to drive in heavy traffic to get to the cruise port was amazing enough but to have a wonderful day planned down to the minute was  above and beyond the expectations of anyone.

Back to the beginning: We were up early and we had a great breakfast in the dining room. Then we returned to the room and made a call to Paula and Min. We left a message, they returned our call and said they would call when they were on the Golden Gate bridge. They did and we met them outside. We were on the sidewalk for about one minute when they arrived. There were hugs all around and then we were on our way.

Our first stop was Fort Point. Originally the area around the bridge was a fortification for the bay. We were able to tour and to climb to the top. It is a national park area now and I was able to get a stamp for my National Parks passport. At the top of the fort we saw there was a lighthouse under the bridge, very similar to the one in Vancouver.

 I was able to get a stamp for my light house passport as well . I was very pleased and happy that I remembered to bring both books. It was raining, quite hard at times, but Paula and Min thought of everything. They brought umbrellas for us. Min knew all about the history of this area and he was able to point out things we should see. Paula had grown up in the San Francisco area and she was able to add many personal anecdotes.

We returned to the vehicle and continued our tour. As we travelled Min told us about the areas we were passing. We saw the well known areas like the china town, the Coit tower, Filmore Street, Fort Mason, Golden Gate Park, the Haight Ashbury Neighbourhood, The Palace of Fine Arts, City hall, the mint,the Cliff House ,Twin Peaks and the Opera House just to name a few. I am certain I left out some . We were thrilled to see so many places and things we had heard about before.

When we were at Twin Peaks the sun broke through for just a few seconds, just long enough for us to get a quick snap shot.

When we were at the Cliff House I was able to get another stamp for my National Parks passport. We also bought magnets to commemorate the day. One was of the Cliff House and the other was of the Golden Gate Bridge in the fog.

We actually drove down the Crooked Street, Lombard, we saw places where famous movies were filmed. We saw windmills and parks and monuments. The day was a whirlwind of jaw dropping sights. It is so hard to describe and so hard to summarize in a small space.

For lunch we stopped at Max’s Opera House café. Those of you who have cruised know how amazing cruise ship food can be. Well I am telling you this equaled or surpassed that. The main difference was the size of the portions. I ordered a pear salad and it would have served everyone at the table with lots left over. I have never seen such a large salad. The desserts were spectacular. Ken ordered a brownie and after sharing it he still had to take what would have been a normal sized brownie back to the ship.

All aboard was at 4:30, we were back to the ship at 3:45. We had squeezed as much into one short day as was humanly possible.

What memories, what a treat. Min and Paula went out of their way and they treated us like royalty. Paula even brought us a gift of Sonoma lavender.

They would not let us pay for anything. We cannot thank them enough. Perhaps one day they will be in our part of the world and we will be able to repay their hospitality although they have set the bar VERY high.

We were back on board in time to change for dinner. Because we were in and out of the rain all day I had to do my hair as well.

Just as we were leaving for dinner a rainbow appeared at the end of the bridge… a perfect good bye to San Francisco.

The remainder of the evening was the usual and all we could do was remember and discuss our amazing day.

We were in rough water again last night.

First day in San Francisco

Saturday, October15,

Last night was a very rough night. I was fine, the Gravol made is a night to sleep. When the ship would bang or make a different strange sound I would wake but then I would go back to sleep. We decided to go to the dining room for breakfast. We were concerned that we might be late but we got there by 8:45 and the place was full and others were in line. We were at a table for 6 . One couple was from Scotland and one couple was from North Van. We had a very nice breakfast. The papaya was delicious and I gave in and had a carrot muffin. We visited and laughed and had a great time.

The sea had calmed down and people were no longer staggering like a bunch of drunks.

I went to the Future Cruise consultant to find out about a special cruise that includes time on The Rocky Mountaineer but the line up was too slow so I came back here to post the blog that was not posted last evening.

Soon it was time to pass under the Golden Gate Bridge . The captain made an announcement so people could be prepared to take pictures. With the fog it really wasn’t a great photo op!! 

We did get pictures of the bridge and then we went down to the International café and had a quick light lunch.

We enjoyed the view until it was time to head out. The tour to Alcatraz leaves from pier 33 so we had a very short walk. We had to get into a line and show tickets but much to our surprise they did not ask for our passports.

They had people taking pictures before you boarded which is quite common. We did not buy the photos when we exited the ship.

The trip to the island was about ten minutes.

 We went to the orientation guided tour. Here we were given the history of the island. It was originally a fort, and then a military barracks and then a military prison before it became a federal penitentiary.

Next we were going to pick up ear phone for an audio tour. When we saw how long the line was just to pick up the equipment we decided to go on our own.

It probably would have been better with the audio tour but the uneven surfaces, the cement and the hills were already beginning to take their toll. We decided that waiting in another line was not a wise use of our time.

The prison was massive and as dank and as dreary as we imagined. This was not a desired destination by any means.

They had quite an extensive gift shop where you could buy prison uniforms or tees and all of the usual souvenirs like pins and patched and magnets. There was a good selection of book also.

While there I was able to get a stamp for my national parks pass port so that pleased me.

We got very good pictures of the lighthouse on the crossing but we did not climb closer.

When we returned to get the ferry back we missed the one loading and we had to wait for the next one. It was about a 15 minute wait. The weather got cooler and darker as we waited.

By the time we disembarked the rain had begun. That was the main reason we did not stop to look at the pictures. The rain was not terribly cold but it was very wet and very heavy. The one little umbrella that we had did not serve the purpose very well.

We were glad that the ship was at the next dock so it was a fairly short walk.

We managed to get dried off and remove the wet jackets and then we headed for dinner. Because the ship is here over night they had open seating in the dining room. We sat at a different table near a window and with different people. It was a nice change.

When we came up the stairs to deck seven we heard music in the Vista. We decided to peek in. The entertainer was very good…Funch was the name. We found seats at the back and we were able to sit and relax and enjoy his presentation.

We returned to the room and enjoyed a glass of our wine as we enjoyed the light show on the Golden Gate Bridge. We are assuming that this was the normal thing but we had not heard of it before. The bridge is covered with white lights and the lights do a wonderful light show. There are patterns made as the lights turn off and on. It is really quite special to see.

 I woke during the night and looked our and the show was continuing, so it must go during all of the darkness hours. It was still going at six but soon after the light went out.

It was a busy day but it was memorable.

Tomorrow we meet Paula and Min