Journey's end
As we crested the last hill and the panorama of the Port Mann bridge arcing over the Fraser River delighted our eyes, the backdrop of our home on the hill beckoned us back to the responsibilities of our mundane lives. Our long awaited trip was over. Thirty days away was not enough - what would satisfy this constant yearning to explore the nooks and crannies of the world?
The scene before me was beautiful and I knew it was home but it looked puzzlingly different. A piece of the jigsaw was missing - me!
Juneau - Monday
Juneau is a very attractive town tucked into the mountains, reminiscent of Nelson, BC, in that it gives off the aura of being an artsy community. But not if you stay on 'T Shirt Row' as one local called it. He congratulated us for walking up and down the stairs and hills exploring the 'real' part of town. With so much climbing, we got really hot - bright sunshine and about 20 degrees celsius.
An early arrival at 5:30 am and would you believe the tourist shops opened up at 6:30 am? There are dozens and dozens of them - all the same jewelry stores from St. Thomas. It's so depressing! Vast convoys of tour buses swallowed up the hordes for dog-sledding (do they use powdered snow?), helicopter glacier tours (seen enuff of those), whale watching and salmon barbecues (at 9 am, who wants barbecue?).
Our ship's lone status was now officially over - at 10:30am, HAL's Oosterdam pulled in and at noon RCCL's Splendor of the Seas joined the pack; the Diamond Princess, sister to the Sapphire, stood ready in the bay to take our space when we vacated, which we did about 1 pm - thank goodness. Get me outa here!
So it was an afternoon of wall to wall sun-bathing bodies. According to the Cornish cruise director, Brits hate to go home from holidays without a tan, so if the sun shines, the're sprawled like chicken carcasses out there. Haven't they heard of the carcinogenic dangers? anyway, at the age of most of them, the browning is not an attractive thing; moreso just a darkening of their already snake-like skin. It's quite unbelievable how hot it was on deck and amazing hw we got one beautiful day after another. Vladivostok could use a dose of such conditions.
We were invited to a cocktail party in the suite of a couple that J&R had met on Swan-Hellenic's Minerva and they joined us for dinner after in the Santa Fe. F started feeling a bit poorly after dinner and excused himself to cocoon in our cabin. Probably the gin and tonics combined with a healthy dose of wine. I saw the evening show by myself - a comedian who put me into my usual snooze, not though any fault of his though.
I sat on our balcony for a while before bed watching the night sky filled with the twinkling stars and was thrilled to witness several shooting stars or comets or whatever they're called.
We set our clocks one hour forward for the final time.
What makes Princess Cruises unique?
I wasn't sure whether I was equipped to answer this question so I made it the question of the day and asked people I met throughout the day.
- Afternoon tea in the British tradition. Apparently, Cunard on the QE and QM do it the best though. However, people who've sailed on the QM2 have all told me it's a horrible ship to sail on - badly designed and just not good all round. I guess that's why you can now sail six days for $699. I do remember HAL did a pretty good job of afternoon tea, but I haven't been on their ships for a while so I'm not sure now.
- Passenger handling and organization for embarkation, tours, etc. has been emphasized a a real strong point. Also during pre-cruise and post-cruise packages and airport arrivals and departures, they seem to nurture their cruise folk.
- Another point that many agree on is that the value for the price can't be beat.
- Their Elite status is probably cloned on all the other ships but I don't know about that. But I think it's fabulous. I love the free internet, laundry, dry cleaning, etc.
Otherwise, I guess it's quite a generic product.
What puts Japan into my top 5?
- The food - sushi, sashimi, noodles, Hiroshimayaki and the plastic food replicas outside the restaurants or in the windows
- The people - gentile, friendly, punctual, efficient, smiling, bowing, gracious manners, their love of beauty and how they go out of their way to help you
- Cleanliness - city streets, pristine stations, shops and restaurants have the highest standards
- Adherence to tradition - the tea ceremony, geishas, etc
- Scenery - blossoms, rolling terrain, very green
- The serene beauty of the ancient shrines, temples and gardens
- Tokyo - the archictecture, the masses of neon, the department stores, the fish market etc etc etc etc etc - I really love Tokyo!
- The trains, especially the Shinkansen - a spiderweb network that runs so punctually, so often and is so comfortable and clean
- Hotel rooms - so tiny but so comfortable and lots of amenities
- No tipping - they won't even accept tips when offered
The only negative points I can think of are the smog and it can be quite expensive if you don't watch out.
Glacier Bay - Sunday
As we swung around from Icy Strait towards Bartlett Cove, the wide expanse of the bay was riddled with circling currents giving it the look of a vast ice rink. Swarming flocks of shrieking gulls skimmed the rippling waters which must have offered a feast of fish.
The sun glinted off the towering peaks, their craggy ridges silouetted against an azure sky. In the serene waters of the quiet cove, a boat pulled up alongside on portside and disgorged several National Park Rangers who were to remain with us the rest of the day. Along the waters edge, deciduous trees mixed in among the predominant evergreens punched out a medley of colour.
A relaxed three hour journey took us to the top of Glacier Bay and Marjarie Glacier. Harbour seals frolicked, kittiwakes soared and glided on the ship-induced breezes and there was not another ship or boat to be seen - we were the first of the season. The decadence of sitting on our balcony munching on freshly-made pizza and sipping vodka tonics while watching the amazing scene slide by was not lost on me. Can life be better than moments like this?
Up on the top deck (there are 18 in all) the 360 degree vista drew the hordes. Just below around the pool, a mass of bare legs and tummies and chests stretched out in their loung chairs, getting an early start on tanning. The National Park rangers did a running commentary over the intercom about the flora and fauna, the history of the area and glacier facts and fallacies. There was no bingo, no casino open, no shops open and the internet was not available - out of the satellite line of sight, I guess. Only a movie was offered for those uninspired by nature at its finest.
The ship lingered at Marjarie Glacier for an hour turning slowly to allow views from all angles. On the way back down, a few side trips into glacial coves made the journey back a little slower. The ranger reiterated several times how extremely lucky we were to have the sunshine, calm seas, expansive views and the ability to visit Johns Hopkins which is usually closed off at this time of the year.
Later that night- after midnight, after seeing a wonderful pianist/singer/fiddler (best of cruise, I'd say), and watching the traditional champagne waterfall - a bit of a yawn but fun with all the balloons and streamers, we took a couple of glasses of bubbly out onto our balcony. The sky was black and stars radiant and as our eyes adjusted, we saw the silouettes of land so very close. The air was as warm as a summer's evening, and we could hear strange bird calls seeming to be disturbed by our almost silent glide through their normally (after a long winter) quiet seas.
Cruisin' Part 5 - Saturday
5 am and it's daylight - Wow! and the sun didn't set last night until 10:10 pm. Of course, it's only six weeks until the longest day.
I bounced out of bed when I spied, out the open door, clear blue sky and the pearly snow clad mountains so very close. We were on our way up College Fjord. The sea was glass and chunks of ice from the calving glaciers slid by silently. Just a low hum from the ships motors and some far-off bird calls that I couldn't identify disturbed the chilly morning air.
A marvel of nature, these craggy mountains, glacial waters, and ages-old icefields at sunrise can stir up a spirituality in one usually logical and grounded. All the trite expressions that I've ever heard sprang into my mind:
- chin-dropping
- awe-struck
- gasped in delight
- sharp intake of breath
- heightened my senses
A sea otter, far in the distance, glided gracefully through the water on her back....I think that was a baby on her tummy - I do wish my binoculars were higher powered. A little later, more otters frolicked around the ice floes, their little brown heads so perky when they popped up.
A large pod of whales was sighted - the spraying plumes of water brought them to our attention and we waited with hope for a full body jump but we just got a glimpse of them surfacing and a whip of a single tail.
The weather is warm enough now for us to enjoy time in the deck chairs.....I even saw a bright pink bikini on Sun deck - sadly with a rather large pink abdomen between pieces.
Tomorrow - Glacier Bay! and the weather forecast is good.
Seward, Alaska - Friday
This was the first time for us to put our feet on land since Sapporo, Japan which was one week ago. We've had six full days at sea as a result of our Dutch Harbor landing being aborted - I think because Crystal got there first. They say however that it's just not possible to transport 2740 passengers with the limited facilities at Dutch Harbor. Apparently all they have is four school buses that they use for cruise passenger transport. This almost caused a mutiny as most of us agreed we'd be happy to just walk around. A measly $50 US per person was all they credited to us.......why did they market this port if it were not possible?
Security is so heightened that two US Coast Guard cutters patrolled our ship continuously throughout the day - guns on the prows of the boats. The mountains around Seward were monumental and ominous. Periodically, the clouds seeped up and down the slopes and shrouded the peaks and then they would dissolve again to display the splendour of the snow blanketed giants. There was a misty rain to greet us as we stepped off the ship but it soon dissipated and by the afternoon, the sun was shining and the mountain peaks were unshrouded and glistening white.
Seward, a city of about 3,000 has one main street with lots of junky souvenir stores, so we took a hike on the twin lakes trail instead. There is also a lovely walk along the waterfront and we passed lots of city-run campsites all along the beach which we reconnoitered for the future. I met a 170 lb, 14 month old Irish wolfhound on the beach and promptly fell in love. 'Shane' was so gentle and affectionate and didn't even try to jump up (that would have been a calamity). I had to befriend his crusty 65 year old master too, who was a toothless Alaskan stereotype but so friendly.......
By the time the ship was about to sail at 7 pm, the coast guard guys were obviously getting bored since they'd been patrolling the ship since 7 am. Just below our balcony, they were doing wheelies and figure eights - almost standing the Zodiacs on their sides. It seemed so ludicrous with the guns at the prow. The sun was bright as we sailed out of the inlet and so the previously ominous mountains were sparkling and majestic.
Perks - Cruisin' Part 4
Captain's Circle members' cocktail parties - out of 2740 passengers, 1600 are repeaters - no exclusivity there, but the parties (4 of them to accomodate all, over successive nights). These parties are good for hot canapes and free drinks. So we went to one each night leaving with a full glass of wine to take to dinner. The only thing is, we had to sneak in the back door after the first night.
Elite members are those who've sailed 16 times or more with Princess / P&O. We get some nice perks:
- The free laundry and dry cleaning is the best. I can now be seen prancing around the deck each morning in a crisply ironed blouse instead of my usual rumply attire. And of course, we'll have all our clothes dry cleaned and washed the day before we have to pack to get off.
- Internet access - I've racked up hundreds of dollars which they wipe off our account
- On formal nights - we get delivered to our room a tray of canapes
- Wine tasting
- 10% extra off all purchases
- Priority embarkation
There's more but these are the best.
A Cheapo's Guide to Avoiding Cash Grabs - Cruisin' Part 3
The cruise experience has changed so much over the last twenty years that it is now a totally different product you're buying now. Of course, it's all related to economics and if you calculate what a cruise of 1985 would cost in today's dollars, it would be triple what we pay today. I miss the old way though - the exclusivity and pampering and particularly that we were never approached to spend more money. You could cruise then for a month and have almost nothing owing on your shipboard account. Cocktail and wine prices used to be at 'duty-free' prices and there were so many cocktail parties with free drinks. The prices of merchandise at the stores used to be so low compared to onshore. Not any longer - these are the things that grate on my nerves, that have really caught my attention:
- There's an ice cream bar on the Sun Deck - selling Haagen Daaz etc.
Solution: Have your ice cream at lunch time, either at the buffet or in the dining room - There are two coffee bars selling fancy concoctions - one is in the Atrium and one in the internet cafe
Solution: Apparently there isn't one other than switching to tea because I'm told the free coffee is awful all the time. But a coffeeholic can buy an espresso, cappucino or cafe latte for $1.50 to $1.75 in the internet cafe and my source says they're very good. - There's always a culinary demo on a cruise and usually they hand out a photocopy of the recipes after. Not so this time! They were peddling a $30 cookbook as you went out the door. They gave us a recipe sheet but not for the ones demonstrated.
Solution: Take notes or don't cook - Wine tasting has historically had a charge attached, usually $5 which was rebated when you ordered any bottle of wine. Now they charge $8.50, refund $5 on wine and keep the $3.50. They did let us keep the little dessert wine glass though.
Solution: Become an elite member like me and it's FREEEEEEE! - Photos have always been a cash grab, but they now sell albums, cameras, and offer photo printing services, etc.
Solution: Have friends take your photo with your own camera - Internet access costs 35 cents a minute / $21 an hour and it can be very slow sometimes. It can take five minutes to just open your email site. Some days, I have used over $30 worth of time.
Solution: Become an elite member like me and it's FREEEEEEE! - Spa - I guess they always charged for these services but now they have more than ever and then they have the fancy sauna and steam bath.
Solution: Use the free sauna and steam and have your partner do a massage - They used to provide 24 hour lemonade and iced tea free. They don't have the lemonade anymore. Now they sell a refillable soft-drink container for about $30 that you have to carry around with you I guess.
Solution: Drink iced tea - Mini-bar in room - the drinks are pretty pricey!
Solution: Become an elite member like me and it's FREEEEEEE! - Sabatini's is the additional price restaurant - $20 per person, but they have about 20 courses. It's pretty empty most of the time. People that have used it say that they couldn't possibly eat all that was offered and those that tried were laid up the next day with gastric distress. It's really delicious apparently but so much of it and so rich. I think large young men would be the only ones to enjoy it.
Solution: Partake in anytime dining where you have four theme restaurants to choose from - Pacific Moon Asian, Sante-Fe Tex-Mex, Sterling Steak House and Vivaldi Italian. So if you choose Vivaldi, the Italian one, that should stand-in for Sabatini's. - Stewards wander around trying to push the sale of alcoholic beverages in the Horizon Buffet
Solution: Drink iced tea - Dining room liqueurs are pushed every few nights - I ask them if the captain's paying for them and they slink off.
Solution: Do as we did - we went to successive repeater cocktail parties and carried out drinks to the dining room after
Looking for fun - Cruisin' part 2
I've trotted down six decks to the highest of three entertainment floors. There are little bars and big lounges with large dance floors. Maybe I should try a little cha-cha or rumba in the ballroom dance class but my partner is not too enamored about the idea even though I dragged him yesterday to see the film "Shall We Dance?". So I watched instead - it's extremely popular and I don't see how anyone can dance, they're so squashed in. Hundreds of squirming and writhing bodies....hmmmm!
BINGO....the traditional cruise entertainment. It seems to me though that you used to be able play it for a couple of dollars. Now it's big bucks and only the veteran bingoholics with their giant stamping pens and fuzzy little rabbit feet will afford it. Ohhhhh, get out of the way.....here come the hordes.
What's that noise..............? that low grumble?................oh, it's my stomach, must be mealtime.....
Back later.................
Cruisin'
Ship life changes when there are no ports for six days in a row. Some passengers say it's their favourite part of the cruise experience. I suspect they are the same people who can spend a week in a resort hotel without need of escape. I can stomach a day at sea between ports but the looming stretch of interminable sea days is not welcomed - in fact it's dreaded. I am attempting to use positive thoughts to fend off the stress. To compound the psychological effect, we will be crossing the date line and have two May 2nds. I can't help thinking 'what a waste of travelling time this is'. Even though I abhor plane travel, it's like the dentist - at least it's over quickly.
This is ridiculous - look at all those merry folk, dabbling in trivia challenges, 'idol' competitions, board games and tournaments. I think I'll see what is here that I can enjoy and will help pass the time. Let's start at the top of the ship:
OK - this is good! There's a walking / jogging track. Ten times around is a mile. It's at the front of the ship and the 360 degree panorama of the surrounding ocean is spectacular. So, it's decided - we'll do twenty laps (2 miles) every morning before breakfast to help fend off some of the anticipated weight gain and another couple of miles later in the day. Track encircles a couple of tennis courts but I'm not any good at tennis so I'll give it a miss - same goes for the golf.
At the back of the ship (I suppose I should be using nautical terms by now - so the 'stern'), they've laid aside a huge area for the 'spa'; dozens of treatment rooms where they do such thing as wrap you up in seaweed or massage any of your body parts - well maybe they skip a few. There's a teeth whitening procedure and a non-surgical facelift (can't imagine that having any long term effect). It's a very tranquil environment but my blood pressure went sky-high when I saw the costs of these procedures at $100 and up - and up. So I guess i'm going to keep my graying teeth and sagging jowls. You can buy a $15 one day pass for the fancy steamroom and sauna or you can use the free facilities outside the spa - not so exotic, but they do the same thing. Anyway I enjoyed the tour but I'll save the money.
There's a really nice night club / bar behind the funnel that juts out past each side of the ship, where you have a wonderful high perch view. Nice spot for a drink on a blustery day - hmmm, a martini in the afternoon might quell my angst! and if that works, maybe a martini in the morning.
The ship is huge - 116,000 tons and 290 metres long. The Sun Deck is one swimming pool after another - stem to stern. When the ship rolls, it's fun to watch the water splash about wildly. Outside the spa is a small Roman-themed one that appears to part of the spa. I suppose you could sauna, steam and jump into the pool after to cool off. The children's area is a the stern and they have their own little pool - I''ll avoid that spot. In between these two, is a large outdoor one with numerous hot tubs scattered around. And if hungry, here's the freshly made pizza stand and the barbecue where they do hamburgers, hot dogs, etc. Towards the stern is a lovely pool with a retractible roof. The lounge chairs here are thickly padded, separated by a multitude of exotic plants giving it a jungle-y feel and or course - more hot tubs.
What can I say about the buffet restaurant that's perched high up in the stern - it's guaranteed to make you fat? The platter they hand you would hold a 25 lb turkey. So if I'm really bored, I could come for a nibble any time 24 hours a day. The extreme concern from the cruise staff with regards to the Norwalk virus had us all completing questionnaires on embarkation and if we answered that we'd had a digestive upset, we would be quarantined for 48 hours....I should think a lot of people lie about it. The buffet has a large bottle of bacterial cleanser as you enter and a steward watches to make sure you comply.
To be continued.......................
