Oct 26, 27 Ogden, Utah

It is about an hour from the SLC airport to Pam and John's house near Ogden, Utah. We stop for dinner on the way.

The weather has changed, it is much cooler than expected. The tops of the mountains are covered with snow. No problem, I didn't plan any mountain climbing.

Our days plans have been sidelined by our ineffective politicians. We had planned a trip to Promontory park, the site where the transcontinental railroads met. Unfortunately the park is closed because of the government shutdown.

Additionally the new golden spike moument is still in storage. We sailed with the scupture last year and were looking forward to seeing his creation. Even though the 40 foot gold guilded spike has been finished for a couple years now, the park isn't prepared to install it. So goes the plans of travellers.

Instead we spend the day just visiting.

I purchase tickets for the Huber Valley excursion train for Monday. Maybe we will have better luck.

Monday morning is cloudy and cold with a splattering of rain. Huber Valley is about an hour away near Park City.  On the way we plan a stop at the Union Station in Ogden. Again our plans are foiled. Access ia essentially denied because they are using the station to film a movie. What exactly we don't learn.

A couple of pictures through the fence is the best I can do. We continue on our way

As we climb in elevation to over 5000 ft the air temp gets lower, to about 35. In spots the mountain tops are hidden in clouds.

By the time we get to the Huber Valley station the weather totally changes. The skies are blue, the sun is out, and temperatures have risen.

The railroad is in good shape. The trip covers about 10 miles of well maintained track. They have about a dozen restored cars, today they are only using one. It's about 80% full.

Around they yard they have lots of spare equipment. Trucks, axles, even a spare power plant and motor for the GP9 they are using today.

The scenery is what it is.  Too late in the fall for any colorful foliage, too early for the snow.

Teenagers for conductors and a 70 year old train robber and story teller. Just as should be expected on a tourist train.

We stop at Roosters for dinner, a local pub and brewery, well as much of a brewery as you will find in Mormon country. I order a cheeseburger with fries. The fries are cold, the server brings another batch from the kitchen. They are worse. A sequence of events I don't think I have ever experienced before.

Tusday morning and it is off to the airport to fly home. The temp is about 30. Pam has to use this strange scrapper thing to remove the ice from the windshield. The smog over SLC is very apparent. Since I was here about 25 years ago there has been tremendous growth. Traffic is heavy, urban sprawl at it's finest.

There are about 30 empty seats on our plane. We are late boarding as the crew was tied up on their prior flight, but we still manage to leave on time.

I have plenty of time on the plane to write this, and even post it as there is free WiFi. Much more timely than I usually am at the end of a trip.

About 4 weeks before our next trip.

Saturday Oct 25

We arrive in San Diego just after 6 AM. The skies are overcast and smoggy or foggy.

We are followed into port by the Niew Amsterdam, a larger, newer Holland ship.

The ship is cleared by 7:30 and disembarkation begins. Our luggage tags are specific to our airport bus, and we are not called until the bus arrives. It takes 10 minutes at the most to disembark, find our luggage, clear customs and board the bus. One could not ask for it to go smoother.

The drive to the airport is only about 30 minutes. Everyone is let off the bus at the same place, so the bus driver is not having to sort luggage by airline. It is a short walk to Delta curbside luggage check in. Check in takes just minutes.

Follow the signs to TSA. Our boarding passes are properly marked for TSA preapproval. That should help us avoid the longest lines. It does.

However there are always new experiences. There is a TSA officer in line in front of Lynn. She overhears him tell the inspector "check the elderly gentleman coming in this line". Obviously I raised a concern, drug smuggler or terrorist I don't know which, it doesn't matter. In addition to electronic scanning, and a pat down,  my hands, clothes and shoes are swabbed to detect any residue of drugs or explosives. To their disappointment none are found and I am allowed to pass on my way. Only a 5 minute delay.

Even with the extra scrutiny we have several hours before our flight. A schedule chosen on purpose to allow for the unforeseen.

The flight is on time. Just over 2 hours. The mountain tops are covered with snow. The SLC terminal is only a few years old. So much more spacious than many of the older airports. They even have a carousel for oversized luggage. A first for me.

John meets us at baggage claim and helps with our luggage and Pam arrives with the van after a simple call. Ogden is about an hours drive. We stop for dinner on the way. An old western themed restaurant where each table replicates sitting in a covered wagon. The steak was excellent, the waiter good.

When we arrive the temperature is about 70. Tonight we expect the mid 40's.

Oct 24 - Ensenada, Mexico

The air temperature is a little cool at 60 degrees when we arrive at port in Ensenada, Mexico. We had a shore excursion schelduled for today, but it was cancelled by the cruise line so we will just walk ashore.

The air is heavy with fog or smog.  By 10 when we get off the ship the air is a little more clear and a comfortable 70. We walk to the center of town where there are dozens of vendors set up selling everything from food and drink to souvenirs. We purchase nothing.

There is a Carnival ship at the next pier. An ambulance was awaiting their arrival. Fortunately not for us, we have had few medical incidents these past weeks.

For the past several days I have been considering a 30 day cruise from Florida to South America and then up the Amazon river.  The realization of the probability of yellow fever and many other unique tropical bugs, and my love of very hot humid weather, tipped my judgement in deciding it probably would not be a good idea. The biggest factor against it is that November and December are some of the best weather temperatures in Florida. End of debate. Off the list.

The ship is much busier at lunch time today including a group of Mexican police on board getting a free lunch. Personally being busy is a little surprising as it is so easy to just walk off the ship today compared to our previous tender ports. On second thought maybe it is the fact that local authorities are checking all passengers with drug dogs as we exit the ship. Rather ironic considering how many drugs are smuggled into the US from Mexico.

Tonight we say our goodbyes to the crew. As usual they have been exceptional. Last concerts by the string instrumentalists from the Ukraine and the last set of the dual piano players.

All the entertainers are leaving the ship tomorrow as the following two weeks are private charters. Jazz, then Blues. They bring all their own entertainers.

Our bags are packed and put out to be taken off the ship when we arrive in San Diego Saturday.  It cost a few dollars more, but we are taking a Holland arranged charter to the airport in the morning.

Saturday we fly to Salt Lake City to vist Lynn's daughter Pam for a couple days before heading to Florida.

October 23 - Avalon, Catalina Island

Again another tender port. We arrive about 6:30. By 8:00 the tenders are ready to take passengers ashore. We have made no plans for the day and decide to remain on the ship.

The coast reminds me of Europe. Steep slopes with stacked houses.

The seas are almost like glass. The skies cloudless. When we arrive the air temperature is in the high 50's. By noon we warm to the low 70's. Another georgeous day. Many passengers go ashore, probably 750 stay on the ship. The pools have a few takers, mostly young children.

Four lifeboats are used today to shuttle a steady stream of passengers ashore. There was only a small handful of tours available, so shopping, beaches, and drinking will be the predominant activity.

There are a number of dolphin pods nearby, unfortunatelyy too distant and too fleeting for pictures, but it is neat to watch them circle the fish, concentrating the numbers to make lunch easier. Then the gulls descend en mass to feast on the scraps.

It is getting near the end of the cruise. Transportation from the port to the airport is confirmed. Luggage tags are delivered to the cabin. This morning was our last opportunity for laundry.

Tonight's headliner is a singer named Savannah Smith. A regular in vegas she is very high energy and very good.

The seas remain calm as we head to Ensenada, Mexico. Our last port of call before returning to San Diego.

Oct 22 - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara is a tender port. We use half a dozen of our life boats to ferry passengers to shore. Tender scheduling is pretty well organized. Everyone gets a ticket and they call ticket numbers as the tenders are ready to board.

A crew member operates one elevator specifically to take passengers from the gathering place on deck 2 to deck A where we board.

Our hour and a half Trolley ride was slightly worse than boring. 90% of what he had to say was about some actor that lived here or there, and how much the house sold for. I could care less.

Back on the ship an excellent burger for lunch from "The Dive".

This afternoon a couple of sets of classical music with piano, bass and violin. A normal feature on Holland but missing for the past few weeks. My guess is they didn't make the ship in Vancouver.

Our waiter spent the afternoon working shoreside and didn't make it back to the ship in time for dinner. The pressure was on his assistant to do everything. Though a little nervous Alexis did fine. Many others on the staff jumped in to help, especially when his table of 12 arrived and was immediately followed by a table of 8.

We are seeing the extremes of Holland America. Nearly three weeks with mostly mature passengers from a multitude of cultures and countries with many sea days followed by a low cost four day cruise of mostly young Californians. I won't say booze cruise, but probably as close as Holland gets to one. Definitely a different atmosphere.

Next werk the entire ship is under private charter to a jazz and blues group. No one can stay on unless they have already booked with the private charter. Holland just makes 1 sale to the group, and they handle all the details.

Tomorrow we sail to Avalon on Catalina Island. The weather remains near perfect.

Oct 21 - San Diego

We arrive in San Diego after 5 days at sea crossing the Pacific from Hawaii.

We are at the pier before 6 AM. The fog is thick with visibility of only a few hundred feet. The city is not visible from the ship.

We have a tour at 9:30.

There are no clearance procedures to disembark the ship, just walk off. Most of the passengers are leaving the ship today, about 250 of us are staying on for another 4 days.

The tour has 35 passengers. The guide is well versed on San Diego and is also telling the bus driver exactly which streets are the best to take.

By the time we have left the pier, the fog has lifted and the sun is out. Temperatures are in the low 70's. We have won again with another perfect day.

After a drive through various sections of the city we head to Balboa park for a brief visit. No, no ops session on the model railroad today.

The highlight of the trip is La Jolla. Sea lions and pelicans have taken over the beach. Hundreds of them to the delight of tourists but to the irritation of the locals. The stench at nearby restaurants and luxury hotels is unbearable, but the wildlife wins because they are protected.

Our tour finishes with shopping and time for lunch in "Old Town". A classic overpriced tourist area of dozens of shops. Being very poor shoppers, we settle for an ice cream cone.

Heading back to the ship I do one of the dumbest things I have done in years. I get off the tour bus and leave my phone in the seatback pocket in front of me. After having walked into the terminal and emptying my pockes for security do I realize what I have done.

Lynn, being must faster than me works her way backwards through the line, explaining to security people why she is going the wrong way.

The cooperation of everyone was fantastic. Through a joint effort of ship personnel, security officers, tour operators and port security the bus was stopped at the exit gate of the pier. Lynn was able to walk over to the bus and retrieve my phone.

I bet I don't do that again, but won't promise not to do something else just as stupid.

When we arrive back at our cabin, we are unable to open our safe. A call to the front desk and a clerk with the special key resets it for us.

The slot machines have been removed from the oceanview bar area. Much of the crew has been assigned new work areas. New passengers are trying to find their cabins. Many of the staff recognize us and tell us that they are working in such and such area this cruise. A string trio has now joined the ship. A Hilland America usual that was missing the first part of the trip. We also have a group that will be playing in the Ocean View Bar now that the slots have been removed.

The ship is scheduled to leave at 3:00. We enjoy sailaway from the crows nest bar.

We go to the dining room at our assigned 5:00 PM. We have the same table and staff as we have had for the past three weeks.  Tory, our head waiter made sure of that. It sure is nice to just walk past all the passengers waiting for table assingments. There are two large tables near us, they both have more kids sitting at them than were on the entire ship the previous 3 weeks.

We have a new comedian tonight. OK but not in the upper half of rankings in my opinion. Show times have been restored to the more common 7:30 and 9:00. We do the early show. The theater is packed.

This 4 day leg of the cruise did not sell well and was heavily discounted, hearing many cabins went for less than $500 with kids sailing free.

Tomorrow we are Santa Barbara. A tender port with an early tour.

 

Oct 16 - Oct 20 Sea Days

The next 5 days are sea days as we head towards San Diego, Ca. from Hawaii. We will be setting our clocks ahead 3 hours in the process. Holland is making the adjustment at noon instead of in the middle of the night. There are at least two reasons for this. First it is much easier on the body to make the adjustment during the day. Secondly, workers schedules do not need to be adjusted as much to keep in compliance with international work rules governing minimum sleep hours for the crew.

When we left the islands the seas are about 5 feet. By the second day the wind has picked up to 25 knots on our bow, and the seas have increased to 10 or 12 feet. Since the waves are almost directly on our bow, the ship's stability is not impacted. Roll in minimal. The impact of the wind is most apparent on the outer decks, just better hold on to your hat.

The comedian does his second show. The house is full, but the show is only 30 minutes instead of the usual 45. I guess he has just run out of material.

I spend part of the second day doing train club stuff. Providing the internet connection holds up I can do most of the accounting functions from anywhere in the world.

I have been given a cold by an unknown passenger. The symptoms are well managed with standard OTC remedies, and I do not need to dig deep into my stash of "just in case" drugs. I remain kind to my fellow passsengers and spend most of the day in our cabin or on the balcony watching the sea go by.

There were four likely bugs, dreaded covid, the flu, norovirus, or a common cold. After referring to several differential tables from the likes of Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Web MD and others, based on my symptoms, or lack thereof, I conclude the highest probability is that I have a common cold and I proceed accordingly. I will know for sure in a few days.

As we pass the halfway mark across the ocean the swells have subsided to 3 or 4 feet. The temperatures remain in the mid 70's, the skies partly cloudy to overcast.

We have seen rain in the distance, but not on the ship. We have had just fantastically amazing weather since leaving Florida.

Yesterday I was reminded of rhe infamous Carnival "poop" cruise where they drifted for days in the Gulf of Mexico without power, water, AC, or sanitary facilities. The head in our stateroom ceased to function. Fortunately the response time was only 15 minutes and the repair time 3 hours. I don't know what failed but whatever it was affected a row of cabins on our deck. Unlike your toilets at home that work on gravity, on a ship it is a complicated sytem of valves and a vacuum system. Very fast and water efficient, but also very complicated compared to your home system

Ship maintenance is a critical component of passenger comfort and a line's ultimate success. This morning a staff member was checking every cabin door peep hole for scratches or other issues, compiling a list for repair. It is this attention to detail that separates the men from the boys.

On longer cruises with multiple sea days extra stuff is added to the activities list to help keep passengers entertained. Special programs are presented, guest lectures on all sorts of varied topics, guest competitions like boat building or paper aitplane fltinf are often the usual additions.

Last night the crew made hundreds of towel animals and had them on display all around the pool. Of course there was the usual faire of turtles, monkeys, and swans, but they also made several life size animals including elephants and octopus.

By the fourth day at sea the ocean is almost flat with just a few one meter swells. The skies are broken clouds, and the daytime temperatures are just under 70. A few brave the chilly air at the pool, but only a few.

The gambling group on board is definitely committed to their addiction. The casino is packed day and night. Occasionally you hear someone bragging about their big win, but not what it cost them before or since. One thing I did learn today is that the most comfortable chairs on the ship are the ones in front of the slot machines. No I haven't taken to gambling, but they were the only chairs near the ocenview bar. I had no problem using them since the slot machines had taken over a large amount of seating area from the bar.

As with our crossing from Vancouver to Hawaii we have yet to see another ship or boat. Maybe tomorrow.

It is now our last sea day. I always try to learm new things., today its a new use for a life ring. It is floated in the pool and used as the "cup" for a golf chipping contest. Only three guests compete. One point for getting the golf ball in the pool. Three for getting it in the life ring. Even if you are an experienced golfer, it wouldn't be much help. The balls are about half the weight of normal golf balls. A whole new set of paramaters to adjust to. The winnings? Maybe a keychain.

The weather remains perfect. The air temperatures in the low 70's, mostly sunny with scattered clouds. The seas calm. Perfect cruising weather.

Many passengers will be getting off the ship tomorrow in San Diego, we will be staying on for four more days until Oct 25.

My diagnosis of the common cold is accurate. Now several days later I am 100% confident. Most symptoms are gone and there is no need of further intervention.

Oct 15 - Nawiliwili, Kauai

This morning we go out on the bow as the sun is rising and we approach the port of Nawiliwili. There is a brisk wind on our starboard side, the air temperature about 70. The humidity very high. Only a dozen or so passengers brave the early time and the elements.

The surise is non spectacular, in fact it isn't even worthy of a picture. A crew member raises our flag. We head for breakfast.

They usually have most stations open by 6:30 even though the scheduled opening time is 7.

We have a 3 hour morning sightseeing tour. The process is the same. Check in at the theater, get a bus number, wait to go to the busses. As usual we cheat and go outside where we will catch the group on the way to the bus.

There are several free shuttles to town, you can walk the 2 miles, or there are taxis starting at $30.00 minimum. Few use taxis. A tour precludes having to make that decision.

The island is by far the nicest we have visited in Hawaii. Uncrowded, lush green vegetation, picture perfect views. The only navigable river in Hawaii looks tempting. Parts of the island get 40 or 50 feet of rain per year. Some years as much as 70 feet.  Yes that is feet of rain not inches. 

Our tour takes us to several scenic overlooks and then to a former sugar cane plantation to view the manor house and several gift shops before taking a short train ride around what remains of the once vast sugar cane plantation.

The tour is a little disorganized. Before we even leave the pier several people get on and off the bus after being told they are on the wrong bus and then no, they were on the correct bus. The driver does not do a head count until after the first stop. She has 1 less passenger than the staff at the pier says she has. None of the passengers feel we are missing anyone. We move on.

At our last stop, the remains of a very large sugar plantation, we take a short ride on a narrrow gauge railroad around the plantation. Pulled by a 1945 GE 25 ton diesel engine, an engine that is as mature as me. Obviously restored several times, she runs pretty well. At the conclusion of the train ride we indulge in some pineapple ice cream. Excellent! 

Our tour is running late. The driver asked us to board the bus at 1:30 in spite of the fact we were supposed to be back to the ship by 1:00. Oh well, it is a ship sponsored tour, they will wait for us.

People gather to board the bus. Several head counts. Definitely missing two passengers. She checks several places and finds no one. We head back to the ship. Not the drivers problem. The fate of the missing remains undetermined.

We finally untie from the pier and sail at about 3:30, just a little late, leaving behind our last glimpse of the hawaiian islands and an unknown number of passengers. The band is playing on the aft deck, and special beverages and appetizers are served for the occassion.

The harbor is one of the more challenging for the captain given its small size and zig zag path. As we leave we pass under the approach to the airport. Several planes coming in to land pass directly above us..

As the island fades in the distance we can see rain falling. Rain that has completely missed us since we left Florida almost three weeks ago.

BBQ pork ribs for dinner tonight. Personally one of the best meals so far. The food has really been very good. The hot food has always been served hot, even in the buffet. One of my primary quality measurements.

Entertainment tonight is the ships dancers. The first show I remember where the house hasn't been completely full. I quickly learn why. No story, no vocals, just 45 minutes of excellent dancers. Kinda boring for many. Yes I slept through part of it.

As we head east towards San Diego over the next 5 days the seas are gentle with about a 5 foot swell. We see an occasional shower in the distance. The air temperatures several hours after dark are still in the uppr 70's.

Oct 14 - Kona

We receive notice that the majority of our shore excursion for today has been cancelled due to the government shutdown. What was left had no appeal so we cancel the excursion and will just go ashore on our own.

Kona is a tender port where we will use the lifeboats for tendering. As lifeboats, the capacity of each is 150. As tenders they load a maximum of 85 passengers, and believe me they are quite full. Hopefully the boats never need to be used at full capacity. There is a several foot swell, which in itself will not rock the Koningsdam, but the lifeboats are a different story. The boats move up and down about two feet relative to the boarding platform on the ship and the dock at shore. The crew works very hard to help passengers board and disembark safely. Many passengers are apprehensive, but to the best of my knowledge there are no mishaps.

Once ashore we consult a port map, Waze, and the local information booth. We settle on "Kona Brewery" as our destination. Not because I am a beer drinker, but my oldest daughter and her husband would definitely head there if they were here, so we will do it for them.

Some of the steps are steep and the handrails so hot from the sun that you can't touch them. After having to backtrack because one road was totally blocked even to pedestrian traffic we make it. Probably amongst the first half dozen ship passengers to arrive.

Lynn tries several of the beers, one she found much to her liking. I stuck to two ice cold diet coke's.

We stayed for an hour or so, enjoyed a very lite lunch and were entertained by several mongoose playing near the edge of the patio. I may have slipped a coaster in Lynn's purse for my son in law Steve. By the time we leave nearly every table is full, mostly with people I recognize from the ship.

This was probably the hottest day we have had. By the time we are back to the ship all our clothing is only fit for the laundry, and a shower is definitely in order.

It has been four days since we have been to the dining room, so we definitely make it tonight. The veal meatballs were good. For some unexplainable reason the diningroom is very noisy tonight. Possibly the end result of many passengers going to the Kona Brewery. Or maybe more guest have caught on to the happy hour at 3 of the bars between 4 and 6.

The headliners have changed. Tonight's performance by Ryan Ahern was excellent. A concert piano player with a very energetic varied program.

Tomorrow we will  be in Nawiliwili, Kauai. Our last Hawaiian port.

Oct 12 - 2 Days in Honolulu

As we pull into Honolulu harbor the sun is rising over the city. I look at where we are heading and realize that what I see is not what I expected. The docks don't match the description of where we were supposed to dock. Soon an announcement from the captain says our pier assignment has been changed.

Dr. Google provides the rest of the story. The Coral Princess is still in the slip we were supposed to occupy. Yesterday she lost all power for several hours and is awaiting inspection before she can continue. We anticipate that we will change docks during the night.

After breakfast we take a shuttle to the Ala Moana shopping center, the 8th largest in the world. A hawaiian shirt is a must from Hilo Hattie, a producer and retailer of Hawiian garments for years.

The sales clerk is good and Lynn gets a matching one for 50% off. Even though hawaiian, they will be fine for tropical nights anywhere.

At one point 4 or 5 fighter jets roar over the ship as they leave on a routine training mission. I am sure the locals adapt to the thunderous roar.

The weather is again perfect.

We enjoy a special dinner outside on deck 10. Beef, chicken and lamb starter, coconut chicken soup, and beef tenderloin or baked snapper for the main entree. Dessert was pineapple mango and almond crumble with a chocolate coconut.

Food and service very good, the sunset enjoyable. The only problem was that the portions were way too big, but I suffered through it. It has been hard but I have learned it is ok to leave food on the plate.

While we are finishing dinner the Coral Princess finally leaves. In the middle of the night we will move to the pier we were originally assigned, and in the morning the Anthem Of The Seas will take the dock we are in. It is all about size.

Main stage entertainment tonight is a local group of Hawaiian drummers and dancers. Who doesn't enjoy hulu dancing.

On our second day in Honolulu we take an 8 hour bus trip around the island. I remember nothing from my previous visits over 30 years ago. There has been a lot of growth. Many highrise apartment buildings and very congested traffic. Honolulu even has a lighr rsil sytem opening in 4 days.

The scenery is nice, but honestly 8 hours on a tour bus is too long.

We stop for lunch on our own about 2:30. We choose a close by mexicsn bar and have chips and salsa and chese dip. The service was exceptional and the food excellent. Then the fun begins.

We wander back to the bus a few minutes early, we are still missing 12 passengers. By departure time we are still missing two. 15 minutes later, no one in sight. The driver calls his contact on the ship. After a few more minutes he is given permission to leave them. We drive to the exit of the parking area just as the two stragglers wander towards the bus. "Are we late?"  I wonder if they will remember next time how close they were to being left behind.

Our next stop was supposed to be Dole Pineapple, but of course we are late. Late because of accumulated traffic delays all day and late because of two inconsiderate passengers. We find the entrance gates closed. Our driver shares with us that now nearly all pineapple grown in Hawaii is consumed locally. Little or non is sent to the mainland or other markets.

We continue back to the pier where we arrive a few minutes before all aboard time.

With lunch so late, we skip the dining room and enjoy two sets of the "The Dam Band" in the crow's nest bar as we sail from Honolulu towards our next Island, Kona.

I grab a meatball sandwich at the New York Deli on deck 10 before going to the "late show" at 8:00. It is comfortable and not busy. Our entertainment tonight is a comedian that joined the ship today. He is enjoyable and plays to an overfull house.

Seas are cal and skies are clear as we sail to Kona.

Oct 11 - Maui, Hawaii

We arrive in port and are cleared for disembarkation by 8:00 am. We have no excursion planned for today. Anything that I would be interested in was sold out before I booked.

I can't imagine why but a 14 mile downhill bike ride just doesn't appeal to me. The port itself is commercial in nature. There is a swap meet about a mile and a half away. Some passengers go for it, again I see no appeal.

From the crows nest on deck 12 we overlook Maui's airport. Traffic is steady from a number of carriers.

Dozens of sail boarders are gliding back and forth from the nearby beach a half mile or so into the ocean and then back. Some are very good, others are just learning.

The ship is nice and quiet, probably 60% of the passengers are on some type of tour today.

The band plays in the crow's nest today. The Hawaiian singers and dancers are leaving the ship tomorrow.

To celebrate my birthday we go to the Pinnacle Grill. HAL'S steak house.

The candied bacon OK, but not as good as I have enjoyed in the past. The tenderloin was excellent and perfectly prepared. Initially the service was lacking but improved after finally taking our beverage order.

I ordered baked alaska for desert. While it tasted good, the portion would easily have served six. I ate very little of it.

Just as I am finushing desert the waiter brings a birthday cake, drops it on the table and mutters a few indistinguishable words. Very poorly done. The two blackberries are all I can manage.

A few minutes later he takes a similar cake to a nearby table after they have started on their desert. The reaction is the same. I overhear "what are we going to do with this".

As we leave,  the maitre de is at the door. I explain to him how poorly the birthday cake was handled. Basically he cared less and didn't want to hear anything. I understand why the room was only 60% full.

Such a contrast to the dining room last night where our waiter asks if he can bring me a birthday cake since we will not be there on the 11th. Having said yes, the cake is brought and a number of the staff join in a short celebration.

The tape has been removed from cabin 6049. For whatever reason it was taped, that has now passed.

Chris Bannister an English singer and guitar player has a different show for tonight. He is excellent and performs to a full house again.

Tomorrow we will be in Honolulu where we will stay for 2 days.

Hilo Hawaii

We arrive in port with a bright rainbow off the starboard side of the ship.

Breakfast doesn't start until 7:00 but by 6:30 the Lido is very busy.  We have a tour at 8:00 so we are up early as usual.

The ship is cleared and tour groups begin to gather in the theater.  We are the second group to be called. The terminal is an old open warehouse with areas roped off for tour groups to gather.

12 of us are soon in our 14 passenger van on our way to the OK farm. A delightful day. The farm grows a multitude of crops including coffee, nuts, chocolate, star fruit, bananas, pineapple, vanilla, and many different spices. We are treated to a picnic of tropical fruits and macadamia nuts. The scenery is beautiful including a waterfall and small hydo electric plant. One of the best takeaways is the best nutcracker I have ever used. Need to find one.

Our driver and tour guide works on the farm when not doing tours. Mostly sorting priduct by quality and packaging for shipment. Originally from Montana, now in her 40's she has been here most of her life.

The past several years rainfall has been low. Many of the fields show the effect. Some of the crops are struggling and the owner is considering irrigation, not a small investment. No climate change anyone?

Back on the ship it is grilled pastrami on rye at the New York deli for a late lunch.

At dinner I risk the lasagna again. Not nearly as good as Royal's, but  better than last week. Since we won't be in the MDR for a few days, the staff insists on a birthday cake for me. Fun and excellent.

The show tonight is comedian and magician Doc Dixon. He has been on this ship for 9 weeks straight, working 2 nights a week. He already has a 16 week contract with HAL for next summer. A contract spreading over several ships, primarilt in Alaska.

The seas remain mild, skies mostly clear and the air warm and humid. Just like Florida. Tomorrow we will be in Maui.

More Sea Days Before Hawaii

As we get closer to Hawaii the seas have calmed, the swells are almost gone, the skies are mostly sunny, and the temperatures warmer. There is no pitch to the ship, and the roll is slight. Unless you are watching the horizon you wouldn't even know there was any roll.

We have been putting our clocks back every other night to adjust to Hawaiian time. We are now six hours behind Florida. An hour every other day is so much easier than six hours at once.

The nationalities of passengers are nearly as diverse as the crew. Erin mentioned at least 20 countries represented. Canadians and Americans are the two largest groups as you might expect. Age diversity is a little different. My guess would be 90 % of the passengers are over 65, many over 80.

By day 5 the retractable roof is fully open, and many of the pool chairs are occupied by 7 AM. Last night I saw a passenger with one of the worst sunburns I have ever seen. His face was as red as my car, with two pink circles around his eyes where he was apparently wearing sunglasses. He is going to remember this cruise, but for the wrong reasons. 

The gamblers are still busy. I don't know if they stayed all night, or have just started early but the slot machines are busy early in the morning. The smoke from the casino drifts throughout decks 2 and 3 at times. I keep overhearing conversations of passengrs losing, but never of winning. Trust me, if anyone won they would be talking about it. That is the nature of gamblers. Brag about winnings, and deny losses.

The staff has been excellent. Our cabin is serviced twice each day by our cabin steward and his helper, I will assume a trainee. We sent two bags of laundry as soon as we left Vancouver. I always do wash dry and fold, and never iron anything at home, so why should I here? Well I didn't know it was possible to leave so many wrinkles in a pair of slacks. The next day we send the now clean laundry for pressing. Better but not as good as tumble dry and hang it up as I do at home.

We have not seen a single ship since we left Vancouver. Not surprising as this is not a commercial shipping route. But we do have some extra unplanned cargo on board. A sparrow has been seen around the ship. Hitching a ride to Hawaii for the winter I guess. 

Fortunately there have been no more medical calls that I have heard. The cabin where they were called the other night has the door taped closed.  The preprinted writing on the tape is not in a language I even recognize. I don't know why, but can only imagine it needs to be sealed for inspection by some type of authority when we dock. Whether it is medical, health, or police, we will likely never know.

As I mentionwd earlier it is a very mature crowd on this ship. You can probably count first time cruisers on one hand, and the number of passengrs under 40 is probably 10 at the most.

HAL'S app is rather outdated. Navigation is not intuitive, and lots of information that you would expect isn't there. Venue hours, entertainment schedules, menus are totally missing or in the case of menues only available for the current day.

We are told to use the app to make reservations, but you can't. Our maitre de, also known as "bad boy", solves our menu problem. He prints out the dining room menu for the remainder of the cruise. Now we can decide which nights to forgo the dining room for a different restaurant.

There is a special hawaiian dinner while we are in Honolulu. Of course not listed anywhere Lynn learns about it during a cooking demonstration. The waiters and bad boy know nothing about it even though the passengers are told to make reservations through them.

After some research bad boy makes arrangements for us.

The production show tonight is the HAL  dancers. High energy and talented, it was a good show. Volume in the theater has been good, the other musical venues, often very loud.

Tomorrow morning we arrive in Hilo, our first hawaiian port. We have a tour in the morning leaving at 8.

First 3 Days Across The Pacific

I soon learn the reason for the added slot machines. 500 cabins were sold to a "gambling group". It shows. The casino and the extra slot machines are always busy. Some other usually popular locations like the Crow's Nest on deck 12 forward are relatively empty.

As we head west and south towards the Hawaian islands the temperatures gently rise. High's the first day were about 70. Day 2 a little warmer and by day 3 we awake to 70 degree partly sunny skies, and by lunch time it is 80! The roof is open over the pool deck and many people are now outside enjoying the tropical breeze. The lobster red sunburns are already present.

The captain has been very guarded on his weather forecast. Maybe he knows something that he doesn't want to share, but so far the weather has been excellent.

A number of passengers were confused about the ships behavior shortly after leaving port. We stopped in open water and the ship went in circles.  What we were doing was calibratng the compass, a task that needs to be done occasionally. If you ignored the announcement and then saw rhe behavior you might begin to question your wisdom in booking this cruise.

The main shows have been good. Music in the Rolling Stones Lounge deafening. A fact that was shared with the cruise director, Erin, by many passengers during her first morning coffee chat. Not surprising, but new to me as I don't own a smart watch, when noise levels are too high the smart watch app issues a danger warning to the wearer. Several passengers pointed this out to Erin.

Later that day while walking by I measured the sound at a constant 110 db noise level. Definetely harmful to your ears.

On Monday, October 6 I had the opportunity to be a doctor. It was time to remove the stitches from my hand. It looks well healed. I run warm water over it for a few minutes to soften the skin. Three snips with my scissors and the stitches slip out effortlessly. I still haven't seen a bill from the clinic, but I bet it will be substantial. Fortunately, for the moment I have good insurance.

We now just walk into the dining room for dinner. The wating lines between 5 and 6 are long. The food and beverage manager tells everyone that if they would eat at 7:30 there would be no line. That is not what this mature crowd wants.

There are several talks each day. I had forgotten but what Holland is now doing for presentations is having a professional organization write and prepare the presentation, and then the CD (cruise director) gives the presentation with the aid of a teleprompter. The best of both worlds. Quality content and excellent presentation. So far most of the presentations have been about Hawaii.

Starlink is beginning to get intermittent today. I have connection for a few minutes, then lose it.  But much better than when I crossed the PacIfic almost 10 years ago and we had no internet for days. 

So far we have had at least 3 medical emergencies. No ports to divert to here, all we can do is wish them well and continue on our way.

Oct 4 -A Tour Then Boarding The Koningsdam

We are awake before the alarm goes off. We ordered hotel room service for breakfast as we had no idea what service in the dining room would be like. If was anything like in the bar last night we would never make our excursion.

Delivery was right on time. Food good, and arrived hot as appropriate. The only downside - the cost. I'm not sure that I have ever spent $50 for an egg, a couple of bacon strips and a glass of $orange, juice and a pastry. Before taxes and tip I might add.

While Lynn stops at the desk to check out, the cab driver takes our luggage from the hotel lobby to his cab. It is no more than 10 minutes to Canada Place where we are to start our tour. Traffic on a Saturday morning is almost nonexistent. There are a handfull of passengers appearing to be looking for the same tour. We join them.

Shortly a tour company representative comes by and affirms we are in the correct spot. The bus will arrive shortly.

Luggage to go directly to the ship and our cabins is stored in the bottom of the bus. All other carryon items must be on the bus with the passengers. Lynn's is on her lap, it won't fit in the overhead.

Once everyone is onboard, and have signed the obligatory waivers, we are missing 6 guests. We wait an extra 5 minutes but they never arrive. Too bad.

Our tour takes us around the city but primarily to stanley park, 1200 acres of well preserved 2nd growth trees now approaching 100 years of being left natural.

Land and housing are very expensive in Vancouver. A typical 2 bedroom home sells for over $1,000,000. Apartments in high rises typically cost $2000 per square foot. One of the most recently built sold out in days. 2 vacant lots totaling about 1/4 acre were recently purchased for 2 billion dollars. No that is not a typo. No wonder my breakfast cost so much.

We see the totem poles, spend time visiting a fish ladder and fish hatchey. It would take several attemps for the spawing salmon to make it up one step, but eventually they did. Nearly a million salmon are raised here each year.

I skip the part of the tour where everyone walks into the dense forest. I did not feel comfortable attempting the slippery trails.

I wait for the others at the picnic area where we all are given a snack and water. Delicious. Many locals use the park. I chated with a gentleman that has been coming here every Saturday for 20 years.

The weather for Vancouver was good. A mixture of fog, clouds and partly sunny. Often this time of year it is quite rainy.

Our tour guides were excellent. One was a local high school principal and the other a teacher. This is a part time weekend gig they have worked together for years.  This is the last tour this year. No more cruise ships this season.

Our bus gets us back to the pier to board the ship by 1:00. There are no lines, but it takes almost 45 minutes to walk through the process. The Anthem of the Seas is docked with us. Passengers start out in different lines for each ship then intermingle for security, then separate. I lost count but I felt like I walked from one end to the other of the long terminal building at least 5 times.

We are some of the last passengers to board as boarding was to be completed by 1:30. We were late, but it was a Holland America tour so they wait.

At our 3:00 scheduled departure time the ship is still waiting for a few passengers. We are finally underway by 4:30.

Our cabin is exactly as expected. We were on a sister ship earlier this year so the layout of the ship quicky falls into place. Our first disappointment was to see that our favorite lounge, the ocean view bar, has been turned into a space for many slot machines. Not a product of a refurbishment, but a change made in the past 12 hours. Oh well, no profit from me with them.

This is a very mature crowd of seasoned cruisers. When I booked months ago many of the shore excursons were already sold out, and early dining was no longer available. Luggage arrives in our cabin. Everything is stashed away in our "home" for the next three weeks.

My first task was to make dinner reservations. Done 5:15.

We arrive at the dining room just after 5:00. The line is manageable. After pushing back at the hostess who wanted us to return at 7:30 despite a 5:15 reservation we are seated in a very quiet table for 2 close to the door and the galley. Our staff is excellent and we ask the maitre de to book us here every night. Problem solved. I will note there were numerous tables that were never used by 6:45 when we left.

The early dining gives us plenty of time after dinner to make the "late" show at 8:00. Yes, late show.  The early show is at 6:00. Not the timing of most cruise ships, but yes this is a very mature manifest.

The show is good, most seats are full, and I don't need earplugs. It has been a long day and we retire for the night.

As we enter the Pacific to begin our 5 day passage towards Hawaii, the ship has a gentle 2 degree roll due to 6 to 8 foot swells on our starboard side. Even though I am not as agile as I used to be, the roll causes no problem. I probaby just walk less straight than usual.

Oct 3 - Vancouver bound.

The alarm is set for 5:00 AM. No free breakfast at the Comfort Inn, they don't start serving until 7:00. We are ready for the 6:00 AM shuttle to the Minneapolis airport by 5:45. He leaves at 5:55. The airports is only about a 15 minute drive.  We are dropped of in a special drop off zone for shuttles and taxis. It is just a few minutes walk to the Delta ticket counter. Bags are checked and it is off to TSA and security. Delta has our boarding passes properly labeled as "TSA Precheck". The wait for security is short, the process normal without incident. There were a few concerns as congess hasn't passed a budget and the government is in shutdown mode.

It takes just over an hour until we are close to our gate. We stop and grab a bite at McDonalds.  After placing your order they have a server that brings your food. A delightful lady that also helps guests with ordering and any other questions. Definitely one of the most friendly, helpful fast food employees that I have encountered in a long time.

Our almost full flight leaves early and we are airborne before our scheduled departure time. A first for me in a long time.

The flight to Vancouver is smooth, The walk from the gate to Canadian Customs is long. I had filed my customs declarations form in advance on line, and this made the process easier. Having no clue as to where or how far it would be to a taxi, we engage a porter to handle our luggage. He takes us directly to an awaiting taxi. A task I would not have easily accomplished on my own as signage was sparse and my right hand is still healing from a glass cut just before we left home.

The cab driver is from India, but has been in Vancouver for 8 years. His english is better than that of most americans. It takes about 45 minutes due to heavy traffic. I follow our progress on Waze. He takes the fastest direct route. The fare is under $40 USD.

Checkin time at The Fairmont Hotel isn't until 3:00  We have another lucky day. They have a room available for us. The clerk shares that they have 350 checkins today, I can only assume many cruise ship passengers. The Fairmont is an old elegant hotel. I booked this location because an excursion we are taking tomorrow was scheduled to originate here and end at the cruise terminal. As can happen, a couple of weeks ago I received notice that plans had changed and the excursion would now be leaving from Canada Place near the cruise terminal. Only a half mile away, but by cab as we have all our luggage.

Our accomodations are large and spacious. I think the bathroom alone is nearly as large as our cabin will be on the ship. All the amenities you would expect in a five star facility. Large closet, coffee maker, iron and ironing board, etc. I'll chalk it up to an aged facility, but there was no heat in the rooms, the room temperature never got above 65. As soon as I check in I receive a text message from the hotel. Just an invite to text with any questons. I inquire as to cab availability and travel time in the morning. I get a prompt accurate reply. I really think a person not AI.

They have "pub food" during happy hour at the bar. This will be our dinner. With a very early start to the day, losing several hours due to time zones, and needing to meet our tour by 7:45 AM tomorrow, it is an early night. The bed is very comfortable, and for the most part very quiet except for a group of party goers in the hall about midnight. I sleep soundly for at least 8 hours.

Tomorrow we tour Vancouver and board Holland America's Koningsdam which we will call home for the next 21 days.

Days of Visiting Relatives

We spend the next four days visiting various family friends and relatives of Lynn. Her two brothers, Brian that we are staying with and Kent, and their respective wives Noel and Joan.

David Tucker a nephew. Uncle Clark and his daughter Susy. David and Jan Truckenbrod, life long family friends.

Wednesday morning it was breakfast with Greg Rediske and his daughter Abby and her 8 month old son. Karla Woody a niece, David and Jan Truckenbrod and their daughter Jenny. Beckey, a niece and her husband Tom Sawyer. Tom's daughter. Debbie, another niece.

Will I remember all of these names? Guaranteed not.

Clark is a real character. At 97 his wit is sharp as a tack. A retired railroad fireman from the time when the raiload was running steam. He is recovering from a recent fall where he dislocated a shoulder, broke an arm, and broke his neck for starters. He had many railroad stories to share.

Brian is recently retired from a real estate broker career. Kent is retired from truck driving and still spends a lot of time volunteering at the American Legion.

David Tucker has just sold his share of a marine repair and storage business. About a year ago he suffered severe injury in a water skiing accident and is still recovering.

Our visit is short to visit these few of Lynn's relatives that live in this area. Next year there are plans for a family reunion which will probably be attended by 150. A number of relatives I can not comprehend.

Wednesday afternoon we drive to Minneapolis, and check into our hotel.

We spend the evening with Lynn's grand-daughter Hanna and her husband Taylor. Hanna is an engineer in the medical appliance industry. We talked 3d printing. Taylor works at the zoo teaching.

On Thursday Oct 2nd we spent the afternoon with Per and Lori. Lori is a niece of Lynn's.

Per was a professional photographer, often working on assignment for National Geographic. An Antartica expedition was one of his most memorable.

We return the car at the airport and take the shuttle back to our hotel.

Tomorrow we head to Vancouver, BC.

 

Sept 28 - The First Day of Travel.

The alarm is set for 6:00. The party last night was great. The children did a perfect job of planning and execution. Of course I am up before the alarm goes off. The last items are packed and we are off to the Orlando airport.

With difficulty we get our bags checked. The computers aren't working properly and the agent needs help from a supervisor. Eventually we have our paper boarding passes and luggage receipts. Unfortunately American missed the fact I am a trusted traveller, so I don't have precheck, but "Clear" is offering 2 week free trials of their service.  We decide why not try it.

The process is easy, and essentially bypasses the TSA waiting line.  Security is quick and we head to our terminal. Will I pay the $200 annual fee? No. I don't fly enough.

The flight is smooth and comfortable but arrives about 30 minutes late. Once on the ground there are no gates available and we circle around the terminals for another 20 minutes or so. Many passengers will miss their connecting flights.

Baggage is retrieved and we use a cart to haul our bags towards car rental. About a 15 minute walk and several stops away on the terminal transit train. I have no idea how, but the app shows us with 2 extra pieces of luggage. I can only guess someone is missing some.

We get a break as we approach the airport transit train. Information clearly states that carts are not allowed, and I was aware of this days ago. Don't always believe everything you read. An airport official approaches us and tells us we can take the cart all the way to our rental car. His job is exclusively to grant exception permissions. Probably it is the grey hair, bandaged hand and my staggered walk.

The car pickup process is easy and we are on our way. Traffic flow is good once we get a couple miles from the airport. We stop for a bite along the way and arrive at Brian's before dark.

We will be staying here for 3 nights while we visit a number of Lynn's relatives in the Onalaska, LaCross, Wiscousin area.

After a dinner of beer brats its time for a good nights sleep.

Sept 26 - Upcoming 30 Day Trip

We have a long trip planned to vist many of Lynn's relatives in conjunction with a 21 day cruise to Hawaii. We will fly to Chicago, then over the next 7 days, and many relatives we will make our way to Minnneapolis, fly to Vancouver, board our ship and then cruise to Hawaii.

After visiting the major islands we sail to California, cruise the Mexican Riviera for 4 days, and return to SanDiego.

After San Diego we will fly to Utah to visit more relatives for a few days. After. about a month of trave we will be returning to Florida.

In addition my children have planned a birthday celebraton for my 80th birthday. Since I will be at sea somewhere on my actual birthday, the party is planned for the night before we leave.

But I am getting ahead of myself. Everything is prepared for packing. I am putting all the clean dishes away and suddenly a glass crashes to the counter. I don't remember the next few seconds but the end result is hundreds of glass shards and a shallow slice across the palm of my hand.

By bedtime I concluded this was more serious than what could be handled by a bandaid.

I set the alarm so I will be at urgent care by 8:00 AM. There is a new facility operated by UF Health across the street from my community.  I am the first victim of the day.  A very nice facility and very nice staff. I appraise the Doctor of my impending travel plans. We decide on stitches as the first approach. His concern is some of the skin is so thin where the stitches should be placed.

Fortunately the stitches hold fine. I am given special instructions for care, and a suture removal kit. Essentially a small pair of scissors and a special pair of tweezers, in a sterile pack of course. Rolls of gauze, sterile pads and antibotic cream round out the additional items to pack. The emergency medical zip lock is getting larger.

I will finish packing after tomorrow's party.

Sept 9 - The Journey Home

We settled on meeting at 6:30 AM at our cabins to start the trip home. The buffet was open at 4:00 for the four people like us that were leaving early. I just couldn't resist all the four's.

It is basically a non stop walk to a line of awaiting cabs. We take a larger suv.

We arrive at the airport just after 7:00. We are in real good shape time wise. Leaving early paid off. Sometimes the congestion to get off a ship takes hours.

There are kiosks where we can print and tag our own luggage tags and boarding passes. Well three of us can. Adrienne's boarding pass won't print. After a 20 minute wait at the counter the agent quickly prints her pass.

On to security check. Probably the most disorganized I have ever seen. Some items were x-rayed over and over. I was swabbed down for explosive residue at least 3 times. Lynn's infamous scissors, which often get scruitny, took 2 people and several minutes before they determined they were too small to be of concern.  A fact that was taken into account when she purchased them years ago. After they determined they were OK, back to the beginning to be x-rayed again. Just a very slow process. We have now been at the airport well over an hour. Fortunately Quebec Ciry is a relatively small airport with only about a hundred planes per day.

We wander slowly towards our gate. Even though I had requested wheelchair assistance, I won't need it here. The distance is short.

The wait begins. The incoming flight is late. By the time it arrives and we begin to board, we are past our departure time. This is beginning to not look good. Our connection time in Montreal is only about 90 minutes.

The door is closed. The plane moves a few feet. There we sit. The pilot can't get a landing time in Montreal.

We receive an update via Air Canada's app. It will be another half hour before we depart. Making our connection will be impossible.

Sooner than anticipated the plane gets in position to take off. The pilot informs us the flight time will be 15 minutes less than normal. A miracle on a 55 minute flight.

En route we all get notice that we will be unable to continue our flight on the intended schedule and we all have been rebooked to another flight to Orlando 8 hours later. But all is not lost. The internet also tells us that the incoming flight for our original plane will be an hour late arriving. Is there hope?

We decide everyone is on their own to try and make the original flight. It is probably a mile or more between gates. The kids can almost run. Lynn walks much faster than I. I have requested a wheelchair and will be one of the first off the plane.

We land. I check with the agent. Yes the plane is here. No guarantees they will let us on, but the chances are better if we have the original boarding passes. Thank goodness for paper ones. How far? A long ways. If you run your chances are better, maybe.

I find the wheelchair man. Yes he has a chair for me. Can we go now? No! Not until everyone is off the plane. That will be another 20 minutes. Can we steal your chair? Sure.

Off we go. Lynn pushing. My carryon in my lap. The long route is very well marked. I look for signs, Lynn watches for pedestrians.

The kids catch up with us after about 20 minutes and Steve takes over wheelchair duties.

As we leave one terminal area headed to another they need to scan our luggage tags, indicating we have left the area even though Air Canada still has our checked luggage. So far all is still good.

Eventually we pass through US customs. Quick and easy. Over halfway there.

Soon gate C73 is in sight. Many passengers still waiting to board. This is a good sign. Now the big test. Can we get on the plane?

After a lot of checking we get new boarding passes. Where our luggage will go is anyone's guess.

Shortly I get a message that at least one of our four checked bags is headed to this plane.

There is an issue getting the plane ready and boarding is still being delayed. About 10 minutes after we arrive at the counter. Boarding begins.  I am called to board first. I guess a reward for even making it to the plane.

The plane is old. I do not get the extra leg room I had paid for. There are no USB charger outlets, no display screens of any type, no free internet.  But at least we won't be 10 hours late getting to Orlando.

The seats are terribly worn out. There. Is no bottom or back support. The gentleman across the aisle from me has to sit crooked with his knees in the aisle because there is no room for him to sit any other way.

Bur at least we are on our way. Then there is an announcement in the cabin. Is there a Doctor on the plane?  No response. Is there anyone with any medical training?  Still no response.

The entire flight team is busy with a passenger. The plane begins to descend. Are we being diverted?

Silence from the crew. I can overhear one of the attendants on a phone conversation with a medical person somewhere.

The plane levels off at a lower altitude.

No update, and maybe no diversion.

Another hour and the crew announces they will be around with a snack and glass of water. There has been no food or beverage service and we are now about 3 hours into the flight.

The flight attendants appear to be in a more normal routine. We are told we are 30 minutes from Orlando and to prepare for landing.

Our aporoach is through scattered thunderstorms. We land hard but safely and taxi to the gate. After nearly everyone has unbuckled and started to get overhead luggage we are asked to keep the aisle clear for boarding EMS personnel.

Shortly the ill passenger is able to walk off the plane with assistance of EMTs.

Is our luggage really with us? Luggage tracking says so. It is and we are soon on the final leg of a long hard day.

Drop the luggage, turn on the AC and water and go out for dinner. The fridge is empty. Once back home everything is unpacked and all the clothing heads to the washer.

Three weeks to relax before our next "vacation".

Sept 8 - Quebec City

We arrive in Quebec City and are clear to disembark by 8:30. The ship will remain here for about 2 1/2 days. An overnight stay for us before we disembark tomorrow morning, and an overnight stay for the arriving passengers for the next cruise.

I have been here before, but it has been years and I really don't remember much of it.

The coldest day of the cruise so far, the high is expected to be about 60 today. We take the free shuttle to the edge of old town and spend about an hour walking before returning to the ship. Our timing was perfect, 20 minutes after returning onboard there was a heavy rain that lasted about 15 minutes.

The ship is pretty quiet this afternoon. Lunch at the Salty Dog. A cheese dog and fries with bacon and cheese. Hey I can't always eat good stuff.

The suitcases are packed mid afternoon. We have decided to do self asist for tomorrow's disembarkation. Adrienne and Steve will help Lynn and I with the luggage.

For self assist we can leave the ship whenever we want, and are not dependant on the cruise line to have our baggage ready.

Dinner is prime rib. Good flavor but marginal quality of beef. We decide that we will meet at the cabins at 6:30 AM to start our trip to the airport and home.

No show tonight, just some rest before returning to reality.

Sept 7 - Saguenay

During the night we change our clocks back to Eastern time. At 2:15 AM we pick up our pilot for the trip in the fjord to Saguenay.

For days the forecast has been for rain here. When we get off the ship the skies are clear and sunny and the temperature approaching 70.

We received the warmest reception here by the local people of any port on this entire trip. Remarkable since the largest employer in town had to recently shut down because of the illegal tariffs imposed by our president. The aluminum smelter had to close as most of its output was sold to the US. With a 45% tariff and a slowing US economy, sales dried up putting thousands out of work.

Adrienne and Steve rented a car here to go to a park and take a several mile hike.

The car was litterally on the sidewalk outside the terminal. The rental clerk worked off a card table, and the car keys were in the back of a van.

Their hike was good. Strenuous but fantastic scenery. The only disappointment, no beluga whales which they hoped for but realized the posibility of a sighting was slim.

In midafternoon there was a short but heavy shower. Still much better than had been forecast.

I manage to spend the last of my onboard credit. A sweatshirt for Lynn and a hat for Steve. Dinner was again good. After dinner we try the piano bar again. Much more successful this time. No obnoxious passenger overpowering the entertainer.

Tomorrow we will be in Quebec City. Being in the protected waters of the St. Lawrence seaway, the seas are calm.

Sept 6 - A Sea Day

It is a little cooler today, probably in the mid 60's. Most of the day is sunny with a few showers producing rainbows late in the day. I spend much of the day writing this blog and trying to solve the glitch of disappearing photos from my gallery.

The writing I am successful at. Three of us spent seversl hours on the disappesring images to partial success. We couldn't figure out why or how to prevent it, but when it does happen I now know how to recover them.

Information in the app, especially as far as the day's schedule is concerned, is very unreliable when it comes to entertainment. Probably just carelessness or schdule changes.

Adrienne and Steve have a couple hour hike planned for tomorrow. For the past two weks the forecast has been for rain all day.  Now they are preedicting showers.  A substantial improvement.

The seas remain between 1 and 2 meters most of the day. Our speed varies from 10 to 20 knots based on local regulations.

Tonight is another formal night. I would guess only 15%  of the men are wearing a jacket.

Being a special night, the ship sets up a stand to sell flowers. They look beautiful. None are sold.

Lobster is the main item on the menu tonight. I have cheese tortilini wirt peas and ham. All was good. The lobster tails were larger than usually seen. Lynn said they were very good.

Tomorrow we are in Saguenay.

Sept 5 - Charlottetown

As we dock this morning the skies are sunny and the air about 60 degrees. It is forecast to be 70 by 9:30 and 74 by noon. Another perfect cruising day.

There is not much here that entices me to leave the ship. A leisurely breakfast in "The World Fresh Marketplace", commonly know as the buffet. For a few hours the ship is quite empty, but that doesn't last as passengers soon begin to return.

Yesterday Lynn did a little laundry. Yes self sevice, kindof operated by your medallion. Use your medallion to pay for a token to operate the washers and dryers. About $6.00 for a load. Much better than $35 or $40 for the ship to do. I haven't cruised Princess enough to get free laundry.

This is the first time that everyone is not back to the ship on time. Fortunately they did make it before departure. The captain made it very clear he had to leave at his scheduled time and he would not delay departure. We are headed towards the St Lawrence seaway and there are numerous speed restrictions in place so he would be unable to make up any lost time.

We will be geting close to where the possibility of seeing whales gets pretty good. Steve, the other Steve,  my son in law, finds a website that shows the data being received from transponders used to track whales. Now they just need to swim our way.

Dinner is good as usual. I have southwestern white bean chili. We decide to skip the show, instead opting for the piano bar. One of my favorite venues, but my first stop there  this cruise. I'm just not the night owl I used to be.

Unfortunately there was a very loud passenger at the next table that talked so loud he overpowered the entertainer.

Everyone in the room had little choice but to hearing his trucking, restaurant and "you tube" production stories.

The following seas pick up to to 5 feet or as we head towards the St Lawrence Seaway. The ship remains very stable with no sense of motion.

Tomorrow will be a "sea day" as we head towards Saguenay.

Sept. 4 ‐ Sydney

Another great day. The seas remain calm, the skies sunny amd warm.

I have been to Sydney a number of times. We take our picture in front of the giant fiddle on the dock. A must for every passenger.

The last 2 times I was here a student from a local college was doing a survey of visiting passengers. I was disappointed, not this time.  After 2 years of survey they probably realize that tourists don't spend as much as the cruise lines may claim.

On our ship, the Majestic Princess, there are several quick service food places in additon to the buffet. One is The Salty Dog where they serve hamburgers, hotdogs, and french fries. An excellent choice for lunch. After nearly a week I will say the food is not disappointing. Hot food is served hot. For example the burgers are individually cooked just before being served, not cooked en mass and served out of a steam table pan like some ships may do.

We have a surprise visit by Canadian health inspectors today. I witnessed one officer taking pictures of something he didn't like, but we have heard nothing from the staff.

The Piaza, or centrum area of the ship is well laid out and quite functional with lots of seating and several bars. Musical or other entertainment is usually continuous starting at about 3 pm.

Another flat beverage in the dining room. I recognized the problem instantly now that I have seen it several times. Obviously the problem wasn't fixed yesterday, just circumvented. Quickly replaced so they have CO2 somewhere, just not at the standard service bar for the dining room.

Lynn gets a real surprise tonight. Just after dinner she gets a call from a gal that was one of her best friends in high school. A big surprise since she lost contact with her about 8 or 9 years ago and has been unable to locate her. Life is good.

A production show tonight. The singers are very good, the content... well that is a maturity thing. My daughter and her husband knew every song, I had no idea what they were singing.

The seas are calm as we head to Charlottstown for arrival early tomorrow morning.

Sept 3. - Halifax

Another fantastic day. Low 70's, sunny, a few scattered clouds.

I have been to Halifax a number of times. The first was almost 70 years ago. Took the Blue Nose ferry from Bar Harbor. I remember a little of the ferry ride, nothing of Halifax. For my last visit it was cold and rainy but we did lots of touring..

We take a short walk off the ship and down the dock a bit. Lynn's daughter will be here in two days, arriving on a different ship. We took a picture so she can take one in the same place. The stupid little things tourists do.

Another sideline on Princess technology. I went to the front desk with several questions about disembarkation at the end of the cruise. She was almost clueless except to say I should get a flyer in my cabin tonight.

Separately I asked a staff member which direction to the gangway. She sent me the wrong way. Common sense and basic knowledge is lost when you become too reliant on technology.

A strange Canadian law restricts the number of bars that can be open while the ship is in port. The thought being that people will go ashore to get a beverage. What it really does is put a lot of extra work on the servers as they have to go further to serve guests.

A new experience for me. Midafternoon suddenly the ship lost all power. The captain immediately told everyone not to panic and just stay where you are and avoid walking in the darkened hallways and not to attempt to use the elevators.

I just happened to be in our cabin, only aware of the problem as the automatic lights blinked on an off several times as the power went down.

Within 5 minutes the captain informs everyone that we were connected to shore power, and it was the shore power that failed. Our engines have been started and they are in the process of restoring all services starting with the stalled elevators.

The automatic lights in the cabins is another well intentioned failure. The intent was if you get out if bed, a light comes on under your night stand. As you approach the bathroom another light comes on.  The only problem is that the lights are triggered by the slighest movement. Roll over in bed and the lights cime on and wake you. A pillow strategically placed on the floor helps in most cases.

And of course the slot by the door that turns everything off when you leave the room has been bypassed with the insertion of a pemanent card.

So I've digressed. Dinner is good again tonight. The only hitch, the carbonation has failed at the dining room beverage station used by the servers. Every drink they served was flat until I pointed out what the problem was. The staff didn't catch it and all the guests knew was that the drinks didn't taste right.  Replace many drinks and all fixed.

The seas remin calm. I risk saying this but the weather is much nicer than I expected. Tomorrow we will be in Sydney.

Sept 2 - Sea Day

No northern lights to see last night. We make our way out of the Bay of Fundy and head towards Halifax.

I haven't been on a Princess ship in a number of years. This ship is only about 8 years old. Originally launched in Asia,, she was refurbished earlier this year for the American market.

Their newest innovation is Medallions. A device about the size of a quarter that functions as a smart key, tracking device, and instant identifier. Linked to the ships app on your phone it performs a number of clever tasks.

You can link with other travelers in your party and it can tell you where they are on the ship and how to get to them, or you can chat with them.

You can place a food or beverage order on your phone and the server is shown where you are to bring it to you.

You place an order ar the bar, and the bartender knows who you are, just by your pressence close by.

Approach your cabin and the door unlocks and the display outside welcomes you with your picture.

Perfect no. For example, leave the medallion in the wrong place in your cabin and the door continuously locks and unlocks. A fact denied by Princess. Adrienne ordered a beverage and it was delivered somewhere, just not to her. All in all, better than what many other lines do.

However, Princess is relying so much on technology to help the guest, simple things like signage are lacking.

My first task of the day is monthly reports for the train club. The internet service is on par with other cruise lines. I prepare all the financial statements and dues reminders for every member. 150 emails and all is taken care of.

The rest of the day is easy. Tonight is a dressier night. Some passengers are dressed to the 9's others in tee shirts and shorts.

We have the same wait staff for dinner each night, but at a diffetent table in his section. We are off in a corner in a small room with only 5 tables. They know. It is right where I belong. Actually it really is a good location as it is more quiet than being in the middle of a big room.

The weather remains fantastic. 70's during the day and calm seas. Some passengers spotted a few whales today, I didn't.

Tomorrow we will be in Halifax.

 

Sept 1, 2025

St John, New Brunswick

The seas have remained calm, the skies clear. Today we are in St John. I don't know why, but I have been of the mindset that we were going to St Johns, NF, a confusion in names made by many people.

I was here before, just about 8 years ago. Arrived on the Vision of the Seas, stayed 5 days in rhe hospital, and flew back to Orlando. An adventure I don't want to repeat. You can read the full story if you go back to October 2017 in this blog.

While on the topic of having been here before, I was also here about 70 years ago. Took the Blue Nose  ferry from Bar Harbor. No, I remember a little of the ferry but none of Halifax from that trip. Sorry no blog to go back and read either. Lots of stuff wasn't invented yet.

St john is noted for it's 50 foot tides and river rapids that flow both ways. Our arrival and departure time must be synchronized with high tide, otherwise the harbor channel is too shallow and the currents too strong for safe passage.

Often referred to as a tide, the drastic change in water level is not a tide but is caused by the normal 3 and 4 foot tides sloshing in and out of the bay of Fundy much as you can slosh water in a pan or a bathtub.

Tonight we go to the steak restaurant. An absolutely good choice. The food, beef tenderloin, was excellent and the service perfect. Much better than Royal's Chops restaurant has been in years. They were busy but not packed.

The main show tonight is a mix of "mind reader" and slight of hand illusionist. The theater was almost full for the late performance. The early shows which traditionally are performed to a full  house are simulcast to a second venue to help alleviate the over crowding.

The seas remain calm. Most of the day remperatures were in the low 70's. There is a probability of being able to see the Northern lights tonight. The captain has promised to wake us.

Tomorrow wil be a sea day.

Aug 31 - Portland, Me.

Portland is a very slow cruise from Boston. The ship is ready for disembarkation by 7:30. We have 2 tours booked, a trolly tour of the city, and a boat tour of the harbor.

The weather is absolutely perfect. Sunny skies, low 70's. What a relief from the Florida heat.

Our tour guide on the trolley is one of the best I have encountered in years. Like so many areas that have lost industries to foreign competition, Maine's tourism industry has become the biggest contributor to its economy.

Over the years portland suffered 4 major fitres that destroyed most of the city. We always hear of the Chicago fire, but Portland's was on the same scale. The last accidently started by childrn playing with fireworks.

After the trolley tour we enjpyed a delicious lunch at a local tavern.

On the water tour we saw the lighthouses from the waterside, learned about the current lobster industry, and an abbreviated naval history of the harbor.

Finding the tour departures much further from the ship than I anticiipated, I elect to Uber back to the ship. Definitely worth the $10. The mature legs are not as robust as they used to be.

We have 7:00 reservations every night in the dining room. Tonight I have fetticiene alfredo. Basically pretty good. So far all of the food has been appropriately hot, one of my pet peeves.

The production show was so so. The singers talented, the content not my favorite.

The weather and the seas remain perfect. Tonight we head to St. John, New Brunswick.

 

Saturday Aug 30 - Boston

We received an email from Princess that we will not be able to board before noon time. We change plans, Adrienne and Steve are going to be tourists and Lynn and I will take all the luggage and meet them on the ship.

Knowing the limited facilities in Boston, we arrange a late checkout from the hotel. Adrienne and Steve had checked their bags with the hotel and given me the claim tickets. 

It is time to leave. The hotel staff can't find the checked bags. Fortunately I have a vague idea what they look like and help the clerk sort through 2 rooms packed with luggage.  They are soon recovered.

A call to Uber.  A nice gentlemen with his first run for the day. He puts our cruise terminal destination into his navigation app. I neglect to follow our progress. After about 20 minutes he pulls up to a hotel. No way is our ship in the back yard.  He is lost, but I am not concerned. I still have a couple of hours to board.

He goes and talks to the bell hops standing by the curb. I now open up Waze. We are about 15 minutes from the ship.

I soon learn the hotel gets dozens of people looking for the cruise terminal each weekend. Another case of of the gps database containing an error that never gets fixed.

I now give the driver turn by turn directions, and hold my phone so he can follow my map. We soon make it to the cruise terminal. Our luggage is placed on a cart to be sent to the ship.  We head to passenger check in.

It is now 1:30. It does not appear a single passenger has cleared port security. We join the line with thousands of other pasengers. Ŵe eventually board just after 3:00.  Needless to say, Boston does not have a good system to deal with cruise ship passengers. Unfortunately the cruise lines will get the brunt of the complaints, but shore side is totally controlled by local authorities.

The up side is that the cabins are ready and we can drop our carry on stuff. Our luggage is also there ready to unpack and be stowed.

The usual routines of safety video, checking in at our muster station, and finally a bite of lunch at 4pm.

The ship gets underway a few minutes late just after 4.

Dinner at 7:00. No show tonight, everyone is beat. Tomorrow we will be in Portland, Me.