Departing Vancouver

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I’ve got this ear-worm ringing through my head, I’m thinking maybe it might have the makings of a great pop song: “I’m leeeeeavin’… on a cruise boat.” It almost seems like we’ve been on the road for weeeeks to get to this point. Well, first thing, we have to get Sharon to church. There’s a cathedral nearby, within walking distance; although, we haven’t come across it yet. The lady at the front desk warned us, “Don’t follow the bells, because there are none.” Sharon replied that she’d already learned THAT lesson in Quebec City, and she shot me a glancing Shirley Smirk, recalling the time my intuitive insight landed her right in the middle of an Anglican mass. It was just under half a mile walk to the Holy Rosary Catholic Cathedral, a massive stone building with sufficiently ornate stained-glass window to impress even Sharon. Massive stone columns supported the arching roof. Sharon pointed out the beautiful Stations of the Cross, ornately carved and painted. For the impressive atmosphere and acoustics, the service was something less than awe inspiring; except, for the Hallelujah before the Reading from Matthew, there was no music at all. And the intermittent sound system from the right side left the priests opening remarks and prayer almost unintelligible. During another prayer offered from the same side with the bishop’s chair, he and the parishioners were completely out of synch at the time. And when it came time to receive the Eucharist, everyone seemed to rise and rush forward all at once. According to Sharon many of them went “the old fashioned way” by kneeling along the front as someone came along and gave them the host. Those in the middle aisle were able to get their host from the priests.



We stopped in Starbucks on the way back to the hotel and Sharon got their chocolate éclair and had them heat it. I had a heated almond éclair with a chocolate mint mocha Frappuccino. Sharon’s chocolate was much too runny and gooey to eat without making a mess (of her face). She committed never to making that mistake again at Starbucks.



We assembled our bags and made the leisurely walk down to Canada Place, where we followed the signs “To the Ships”. The throngs we’d experienced two years ago in Vancouver had either not arrived yet, or weren’t coming. Holland America had their check-in as our first stop (instead of the final stop two years ago). We walked right through customs and passport control, rather than taking over 2 hours previously. There was quite a bit of walking through one empty station after another, and our 4-star status did jump us to the front of two lines. Ultimately, we were seated in the privileged “First to Board” section of 4&5 star mariners and those with suites onboard. We waited about ½ hr before they were ready to board and we were in the first ten in the preferred boarding section, while hundreds were already seated in the other section.



We boarded promptly at 11:30AM as predicted earlier when we got our room keys. We found our room, and as has been the case all week in our various hotel rooms, we were again on the third floor. We found our room, and even though the total size is probably the same as our stay at the Days Inn in Vancouver, counting both bedroom and bathroom, the bathroom onboard is a much more compact area which makes the overall room seem spacious to us. We did hear the lady at the table next to us at dinner later tonight comment how small their cabin seemed.



Sharon headed up to the Dive-In to order her burger and fries. We used our room keys to order a Coke for me and a Sprite for her as the first of fifteen drinks per day we’re permitted with our beverage package. It is the first time that we got the beverage package, offered to us at $4 per day. I’m guessing I’ll be getting a glass of wine with dinner each night; but, I do need to check the prices because it needs to be $9 or under to be covered by this program. I went out back to look for the NY Pizza, which Sharon assured me would be on the Zaandam; alas, that retrofit has yet to be implemented. I got some prime rib instead, a twice baked potato and a cabbage roll. I thought Sharon would be finished by the time I walked back to where she was amid ship; but, her burger wasn’t done. She later went up and they decided that her pager wasn’t working but gave her the burger while they worked on testing the pager. The poolside view of the Vancouver harbor and surrounding forested areas was quite beautiful, along with the Vancouver skyline. Sharon treated herself to ice cream after lunch, and many of the desserts looked quite tempting.



Our luggage arrived just after we’d gotten back to the cabin, so Sharon busied herself unpacking. Afterwards I unpacked my bags and got all of the bags stowed under the bed. Sharon went out on deck to take some pictures, while I finished up the blog for the day before. I also popped up to the Exploration Café and secured a bottle of San Pellegrino. With my 4-stars I get drinks hear at half price, which is a good deal, so my savings with the beverage package for this drink here is also cut by half. We’d met our cabin steward Harry, and when I had mentioned that I like ice, he immediately filled our ice bucket. I must have been thirsty because it didn’t take long for me to drink the whole three-quarters of a liter bottle. I hear this tap-tap-tap on the window and there is Sharon peering in. I guess you can see in the windows on this lower promenade deck if you press your nose up against the window. Later in the cabin when we were waiting for the life boat drill Sharon noted that people who had already assembled at the life boat stations were doing just that, pressing their noses up to our window and peering in. Cruisers are supposed to remain in their cabins, until directed to go to the lifeboat stations; and besides, the drill hadn’t even started yet. The first horn blasts alert the crew to go to their stations, the second blast about five minutes later alerts the suspension of all guest services, and the third directs people to go to their cabins and await instructions. The should also get their life jackets; although, during the drill passengers don’t bring them with them to their lifeboat stations. Your lifeboat station is printed on your cabin key. It’s much easier now that all they do is scan your room key at the lifeboat station to document your participation. Much better than calling out cabin numbers and audibly recording a cabins presence. The dockside cacophony would have made this very problematic. From our area particularly there was a lot of noise from the machines loading the luggage so our Communicator offered to go thru it with anyone that had questions after the drill. We saw how to put on and secure a life vest, and then we were dismissed.



We went up to the Lido Deck for the Sail Away. Sharon is happy to be able to attend, rather than going to mass at 5:00PM as she often must on Sunday Sail Aways. She’d already gone to mass today. We took some pictures as we sailed under the Lions Gate Bridge that we’d crossed several times just the day before. It’s quite a different view from the water below. She got a Ginger Ale and I ordered a Mai Tai, and now I’m up to drink number three. We went directly to dinner and got a table for two at the very rear of the Dining Room giving us perhaps the best view as Vancouver disappeared behind us. Sharon was able to select the roasted pork rib roast from the main menu; but, no appetizers looked appealing. All of the appetizers looked great to me, and the menu was quite different, with more selections, than either of us remembered. Notably gone, was the “Bay Shrimp Cocktail”, never one of my favorites, but one that I always seemed to pick because there was nothing else. Sharon got me her first appetizer which featured goat cheese, and the second that she got me was quinoa with pomegranate. I started with seared scallops with bacon and a Ketchikan Seafood chowder. The attendant was right about the scallop plate being hot; because, I needed to use a napkin when Sharon and I did a plate swap. Sharon should have taken her queue from me before she grabbed the plate to set it down in front of her with her bare hands. She did a Sharon grimace. I can’t say it was a Shirley smirk; because, I don’t think I’ve ever seen this particular look before. In cartoons, it is the look where someone has horizontal slits for eyes, and a horizontal squiggly line for a mouth. But she settled the plate down quick enough and that look passed, which really doesn’t suit her. I enjoyed all of the appetizers. Sharon enjoyed her entrée, while I had the chili crusted rockfish. Mine I thought was a bit dry; but, I can’t be certain that it wasn’t supposed to be that way with its nice crusted coating. The guy next to our table said his salmon was done very well; although, he had commented earlier about how small the portion was for his scallops. Sharon pointed at her piggy of a hubby and said “That’s why he has me order appetizers for him.” And that gave me an idea, when there is something like scallops on the menu, which I know will be both good and probably served with a meager portion, I could get one, and she could get me one too! I had the banana crisp, and I was happy that this first night tradition hasn’t changed, as it is one of my favorite dishes. Sharon was aghast that they’ve dispensed with the Baked Alaska selection from the dining room each night. The waiter noted they now only do that on the final night of the cruise. I’m thinking this is going to be a comment when Sharon gets a chance at the end of the cruise. I also went with the cordial, which has been added back in since we sailed in New England and Canada with Erin and Dennis last Fall. And I get to keep the cordial shot glass, which comes in a new series of six. And my luggage is already at the weight limit! Tonight’s drink was Kahlua, Green Crème de Mint and White Chocolate liqueur.



We headed up to the Crow’s Nest for Evening Trivia. Sharon positioned us into a prime spot on the starboard side, but we only managed to troll one other person to join us for Trivia. This may have put us at a considerable disadvantage when the Assistant Cruise Director Erin announced that she allows ten people per team. First she wanted to know the name of the movie in which Humphrey Bogart played the character Charlie Alnut. Okay, I could tell that this wasn’t her first rodeo hosting trivia; although, Sharon later said that she’d just gotten on the ship recently. Nobody had any suggestions so I threw out “African Queen”; and, my teammates were impressed when it was indeed the African Queen. The next question had us stumped: “How many crocus flowers does it take to make one pound of saffron?” This is more of a tie-breaker question, than a daily question; although, she did allow all answers within 1,000. She was looking for 75,000. In reflection, I’m thinking that she meant to yield one ounce. My suggestion of one million wasn’t in the running. It wouldn’t matter though, since according to her Rule Number Two, Her answer is correct. We settled into a groove where the answers were both pretty easy, and obvious, from what element has the symbol “Hg”, what state in the United States is closest to Russia (she was threatening to throw overboard anyone that got that one wrong) and in what movie you would hear the song “Ding Dong, The Witch is Dead” She had a two-point special for the name of the character who liked to say “Live Long and Prosper,” (the bonus point coming to name the show as well). It was of course Mr. Spock and Star Trek. I’m guessing Sharon isn’t a Trekkie because she wrote down Dr. Spock on our answer sheet. Somewhere in the recesses of my brain I recalled what the name of Batman’s butler was: Alfred. She wanted to know the which countries are separated by the Pyrenees Mountains. I was thinking France and Italy; but, Sharon said France and Spain. I couldn’t come up with a better name for those between Spain and France, and well the Alps sort of are in the France, Italy and Switzerland are; and besides, Sharon would never let me live it down if we discounted her right answer, so that really was the safe bet (for me anyway). And it paid off. Erin asked, “What has the varieties May Queen, Whistley Crab, Fox Whelp and Prince Albert?” Sharon blurted out apples; but, our partner suggested oysters which we went with. Now she can deal with Sharon’s look because “Apples” was right. Whew! The Bonus Question, worth two points, was another better-used-for-a-tiebreaker question. “On average, how many bounces will a game used basketball have before it no longer meets the NBA guidelines as a basketball acceptable for game play?” We guessed 15,000; but, I guess that ball would be flat by then because the answer was 10,000. Not within the 100 margin of error that Erin allowed. We scored a respectable 12 of 19 points; but, would have needed 15 to win outright. At least those retired school teachers didn’t follow us to Alaska. Later in the elevator, a lady in the elevator was saying, “Now I’m going to have that stupid ear worm in my head for the rest of the night, and she’s humming Ding Dong, The Witch is Dead.”



We stopped in the casino afterwards, Sharon sat down to say hey to Fisherman Bob and I sat down at the Fun-21 table with its $6 minimum bet; but, at least it pays blackjack at 3-to-2. I managed to stay even making use of the surrender rule and double regret, had some fun splitting two’s to make four hands and winning all but one, but importantly winning the double down with 21 and an automatic payout. I thought we needed to head for the Show because it was nearing 8PM; so I cashed out with my $10 winnings only to find the show wasn’t until 9:30PM and Sharon had already won the medium jackpot of nearly $120. I headed back to the room, and Sharon remained looking for the bonus game and eating away at her profits to $100.





I was getting tired and headed back to the cabin. Sharon went to the show and later said that it was good but mostly like the ones we've seen on other ships where they introduce everyone. At least this time they didn't make them learn some hand moves to go with it.

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