3rd Day at Sea - Sept 19

Well, it was a pretty uneventful day.  We were up at about 7:30, and off to breakfast at about 9:00.  Another couple of waffles to start the day.  It is great.  They make them when you ask for them, so they are always fresh and hot.;  I could have them with strawberries and whipping cream, but I prefer syrup, so that is what I have stuck to so far.  Dawn had her usual, fruit salad and scrambled eggs.  It's nice to be able to have what you want and the size proportions that you want.  I've been getting better, but still am eating too much.

After breakfast, we went down to the shops deck.  They were having their $10 watch sale, and that is something Dawn just can't ignore.  She managed to elbow her way through the crowds to get the 3 that she wanted.  She ended up in good shape, but there were a few of the "old" folks strewn around the on the floor behind her.  She doesn't know what happened to them ;-).

Then we went back to our room for a while.at about 11:30, we decided to go and sit on the pool deck.  The sun was shining, the winds were good, and the seas were mostly calm with just the big rollers that are always there.  We found a table in the shade, off in a corner, and we started reading.  I've begun another of the books from Stella.  This one is called Inferno  by Dan Brown.  It is the next one he wrote after The Da Vinci Code.  At first, I thought I had already read it - same main character, similar locations, and similar beginning.  However, as I got into it, I found that I had not yet read it, and got into the adventure.  It is a scary thought, and one that may end up coming true, but not in our lifetime, I hope.

After about 2 hours, I went back to our room to get Dawn's crossword book, and the computers.  Dawn wanted to  write some emails, and that was the easiest way to do this and still enjoy to fresh air.  We could have sat on our deck and done the same thing, but working at the table was just easier.  Plus, there was way more to watch and view, by the pool.  One of the things we have noticed is that there are no little kids on the ship.  We haven't seen one child (so far).

About 2:00, I thought I would give the barbecue a try and went to get a hot dog.  It came with fries, and was good.  Dawn decided shortly after that to get some fries, so we both had something to eat, even though we weren't really hungry.  We'll likely pay for this at supper time, but that didn't hod us back.

We stayed there until about 4:00, and then went back to our room.  We watched a Liam Neeson movie before dinner.  Then it was off to the dining room.  We were the first at our table tonight.  Donna and Marlene came next, and then 4 new folks arrived.  They were supposed to be our table mates, but this is the first time they have come to the dining room.

The mother and father - Margaret and Steven - were two who were on our shuttle bus when we boarded at the hotel.  They are the ones from Anchorage, Alaska,  Their son and his wife from Puyallup were with them - Scott and Kathy.  We went through the introductions again, and got to know each other before Enricho came to take our orders.  Dawn and I both had Roast Beef and Yorkshire pudding.  When they came, they were both excellent - well worth the wait.  For desert, we both had Praline Pecan Tort.  Wow!! was it good.  A fantastic presentation on the plate, but my stomach didn't know that part - only that it was good.

There was a comedian at the presentation, so we went there shortly before it began.  We got pretty good seats.  He was fun - from New York - and a good variety of humour, none of it offensive.  There were a few times when we burst out laughing, so he must have been pretty good.

After that, it was back to our room, sit around for a while, and then off to bed.  The clocks had to be set back an hour overnight, so again, Dawn set her clock to reflect that before we went to sleep.  Both of us lay in bed watching TV, but before long, I took off my glasses and decided to close my eyes.  I know Dawn turned the TV off because she asked me if I was watching it.  Then, it was all dark.

2nd Day at Sea - Sept 18

Overnight, the time changed.  We had to set our clocks back 1 hour before we went to bed.  Good thing Dawn did it with her clock because I couldn't remember if I had done so or not.

I got up about 7:30 and headed into the shower.  While Dawn was showering, I went out onto our deck, and there were patches of blue sky, off in the distance in the direction we were travelling - things were looking up. There was still a line of clouds to the south, but within half an hour, the sky was pretty much clear with just patches of cloud.

At breakfast (Karen, I had fresh cooked waffles), we again sat outside, but this time it was with sunshine.   What a difference it makes.

It was a pretty slow day.  We didn't have anything planned to do.  The watch sale was on, so of course we had to go to that (Dawn needs more watches, don't you know), but I didn't find anything that interested me.We wandered around the ship for a while, but then went back to our room.  We read, watched TV, played some solitaire, and basically lay around.

About 2:00, we decided to go up onto the top deck to sit in the sun for a bit.  It was beautiful up there.  I went up to deck 10 (the sun deck) just to see what it was like and take a couple photos on my phone.  Dawn didn't go because the stairs were the only access, and she didn't want to try them.  There were a few people up there, sunning themselves, but apart from that, there wasn't much going on.

I had finished one book that we got from Stella, so we had gone to the ship's library to drop it off.  That was another few minutes taken up.  So, back down we went, and decided to go to the restaurant to look at tonight's menu.  It looked really good again, with some things that we hadn't heard of, but they sounded good. We figured we would try to get to the restaurant early; once again.

Then, back to the room for more reading and sitting around. For some reason, we got talking about formal nights, and neither of us could remember when they were.  We had to find our original "Princess Patter" to look up the date.  Wouldn't you know it, tonight was the night, so I guess we aren't going to the restaurant for dinner after all.

Around 6:30, we decided to go up to the buffet to eat.  Well, that was all changed around too.  It was set up as a Bistro (we didn't know what that meant, either) so we grabbed a piece of pizza from the Pizzeria, and went out on the back deck to eat it.  We both picked up some soup and salad, but that was pretty much it.  It appeared that the Bistro part was like a regular restaurant; getting seated at a table, and then ordering from a menu.  Perhaps that is what we will do for the next formal night.

After eating, it was back to our room to watch TV and wait for the evening show to begin.  It started quite late for us (8:45 for the first show), and was a singing/dancing/acting performance.  The longer we lay there watching TV, the less we wanted to go out again, so rather than go to the show, we finally turned in at about 9:30.  I was worried I wouldn't sleep through the night, but apparently both of us did.

1st Day at Sea - Sept 17

Woke up very late.  We both had been awake at various times throughout the night, but in the morning, slept quite well.  It was 8:44 when I got up and went into the shower.  By the time we both had finished, it was almost 10:00.

We went up to the buffet for some breakfast.  There were big, rolling waves, so the ship was rolling around a bit, making it difficult to walk.  Dawn was a little unsteady, so I held onto her, so she would feel more comfortable while walking.  I dished up her plate while she sat at a table, outside at the stern of the ship.  Then I went and picked up my plate - french toast, lots of bacon, a couple sausages, and some scrambled eggs.  Too much, but it was our first breakfast ;-).

After that we walked around a bit, then went back to our room.  Dawn had booked a pedicure for 12:45, so we stayed in our room until about 12:30, and then I walked up with her to the Spa.

I dropped her off, and then went on a walk myself.  As I said, it is a small ship, and it didn't take me long to case out all the spots.  There isn't a lot to find, but I did see the Captain's Circle area, and the place where tours can be booked. I walked up to each floor, exploring if there was something of interest.  Then, back to my room while I waited for Dawn to finish.

When I went to pick her up, she asked me to get her some Gravol - the rocking and rolling at the bow of the ship was upsetting her stomach.  I went and got some, and then waited for her to be finished, just outside the Spa in the Card Room.  She was about 15 minutes longer.

When she came out, she didn't look too healthy, so we went back to the room and she got into bed and slept.  After a couple hours she woke up, and said she was feeling much better.

About 5:30, we left for the restaurant, arriving before the doors opened.  In a few minutes, they let us in, and we went to our table (we wanted to get there early enough to get the same chairs as earlier, not wanting to end up sitting on the couch that was for 2 people and was facing away from the window.  It would have been very difficult for Dawn to get into and out of.

Our friends from yesterday arrived (Marlene and Donna), and we talked about the day.  Donna had not felt well either, and had also had some gravol.  Just after we ordered, the waiter brought another gentleman (Jim) to sit at our table.  Jim's wife (Lois) was not feeling well also, and she stayed in their room.  They are from Pennsylvania.

Had a nice dinner.  Dawn had beef medallions, and I had spicy rubbed roast beef.  Both were great.  We really enjoyed the vegetables - not cooked too long.  Desert was a double fudge cookie and ice cream for me, and key lime pie for Dawn.  We were very full when it was over.

From there, we went to the show.  We were a little late arriving, so didn't get great seats, but they also weren't too close to the stage..  The act was a young male singer who sang Sinatra and Buble songs.  He was pretty good, but it wasn't overly interesting to us so we left after about half an hour.

Then it was back to our room to read and watch TV, and then off to bed.  A quiet day, but one with fairly rough seas, and overcast skies with rain every now and then.  There is not a speck of land in sight.  At the last sign on the TV, we were over 400 miles from Vancouver heading Southwest toward Hawaii.

Departure Day - Sept 16

We arrived at the ship at about 1:30.  The bus picked us up from the hotel at about 11:40.  There were 2 other folks there, also going on the trip.  They were from Anchorage, Alaska.

We got across the Oak Street Bridge when the driver got a phone call to go back and pick up some other folks who were late for the bus.  He turned us around and back we went to another hotel.  On the way, another call for another couple at a different hotel.  By the time we had everybody, there were 8 of us, all going to the same place.  The first couple we picked up were from Seymour Arm on the Shuswap, so they were like neighbors.  We didn't find out where the 4th couple was from.

Once at the Cruise Ship terminal, we went through security and boarded the ship.  There was nobody in line, so it was a quick, painless boarding (except Dawn had to get her picture taken a few times).

We found our room on the 7th floor.  It was/is very small, but we will make it work.  The whole ship is small compared to the others we have been on.

We went down to our Muster Station early for the evacuation drill, so that Dawn didn't have to walk the stairs.  When we got off the elevator, they were just closing them, so we timed it perfectly.  Our station was in the restaurant and we were almost the first there, so we chose a place to sit where we could see out the window.

Just before the meeting was to start, another fellow joined us.  He was from New York, and had only been to Vancouver a couple times.  He didn't believe that it rained much there because each time he was there, the sun had been shining.  He had quite a favorable impression of Vancouver.  He was a retired educator, too, and was giving presentations on the ship about Celestial Navigation.  We'll try to make one of his presentations.;

After that, it was up to the top deck for the departure.  As usual, it was so smoothly done that it was hard to tell we were moving.  Vancouver's skyline is beautiful in the sunshine.  We crept under the Lion's Gate Bridge, through English Bay, and moved on south towards the Straits of Juan de Fuca.

We had selected the dining room as our dining choice.  The first sitting is at 5:45, so we headed there to join our table.  There were only 2 others there, at a table for 8.  Marlene and Donna were both from Saskatoon, and sailing without their husbands.  We had a great meal (salmon for Dawn, and prime rib for me) and fine conversation with them.  Donna had never cruised before, and Marlene had been on a few cruises.  She said that the first dinner is not usually well attended, but the rest of the folks usually show up after that.

Next we went to the show room (there isn't a theater on this boat) to watch the opening show where they give a taste of the entertainment that will be coming up on the cruise.  The best part was a singer/guitar player/comedian who had us laughing a lot.  He took old songs from the 50's 60's and 70's and played and sang parts of them, using his own lyrics.  He was pretty funny and we will make sure to go to his show.

After that, we headed back to our room.  Dawn was tired, and I got more and more tired.  Did some reading and watching of TV, and then went to bed.

Drive in to Richmond - Sept 15

Got up in the morning and it was pretty quiet.  Both Doug and Stella had gone to work, and when I got up, Kelly was making her breakfast.  Monday was one of her days off.  We had coffee, sat around and watched the morning news, and generally were pretty lazy.

We had decided to leave about 2:00, but when 1:00 came around, we thought we should get ready.  We had to stop at a store to pick up some batteries for our luggage scale to make sure we didn't have to purchase another bag on the way back (we likely will have to anyhow).

We did stop in Langley to have a late lunch/early dinner.  Dawn looked up "Olive Garden" on the GPS, and there was one in Langley.  We hadn't passed it yet, so got off the freeway and had "GPS Jill" take us there.  Apparently this is the only one in BC.  We had another great lunch.  Love there salad, (the spaghetti wasn't bad either).

Then it was on to the hotel.  The restaurant was right on the #10 Highway, so we just got on the road and followed the directions to the hotel.  It was fairly busy, but nothing like the traffic going the other way.  Arrived at the hotel at about 5:30, and we went to the room.

Not much going on.  We certainly didn't need supper, so basically stayed in the room, read emails, and watched TV.  Strangely enough, we were quite tired (ain't it grand getting old?).  We were having trouble staying awake, so Dawn was in bed to watch the show.  I got in a while later, just to get comfortable.  For some reason, I missed the last 15 or so minutes of the show - don't know what happened.  Then I decided to set the sleep timer on the TV, and that is pretty much all I remember ;-).

Elton John Concert - Sept 14

We sat around and watched football games until it was time to drive into Vancouver.  We left Abbotsford about 4:00, and arrived to the car park (about a block from Rogers Arena) in time to go across the street for dinner at Moxie's.  We've eaten there before so knew it was good (but very loud). The restaurant is on the 2nd floor, and don't you know, the escalator was not working. We had to find the elevator to get upstairs.  Dawn probably could have made it, but we might still be eating dinner ;-).

We had a very nice meal and by the time we were finished, it was time to walk down the street to the arena to get our seats for the show.  The seats were great.  The door we walked in was very close to the section we were sitting (another stroke of luck), and on the same level as our seats (still another stroke of luck).  A quick bathroom visit, and then into our seats.  We were the only ones in our row when we entered, which was great because our seats were about the middle of the row (nice, because it wasn't likely there would be a lot of interruptions with people going out to the bathroom or to get something to eat or drink).  The seats were comfortable enough, but there wasn't a lot of leg room.  Dawn's knee bothered her a bit until we found a comfortable way for her to sit.

 


The show started at 8:00 with an opening act, Bright Light Bright Light; a small band (singer, drums, and keyboards) from Wales.  They were an Independent band who Elton John had elected to use for his show opening band, and they weren't bad.  Their music was a lot alike - they played 5 songs and then got off the stage to have it ready for the main act.

He came on stage after his band, at about 8:30, and started singing.  He was almost non-stop until 11:00.  It was a great show and one we very much enjoyed.  He played many of his oldies, and some of his new ones.  All of them were great.  It was very loud, but the show was spectacular.  The band was very tight, and all of them seemed to be enjoying themselves.  We were sitting in the 3rd level, but very close to the stage.  We sat on the side of the stage where his piano was located, and almost every time he finished a song and bowed (well, he doesn't really bow) to the crowd, it was mostly on our side of the arena.

The place was very loud and appreciative.  He/they did a great job.  We had (for us) fairly expensive tickets, but as Dawn said at the end, "it was worth it".

Getting out of the arena was a bit of a test.  We were close to the gate, but it seemed that most of the people wanted to go out the same gate.  Because there was construction just outside the door, the sidewalk was narrowed and it was VERY congested.  I was concerned that Dawn might be knocked over, but people were very well behaved.

The drive back to Abbotsford was uneventful, and we got in shortly after midnight.  Doug and Stella both had to work in the morning, so it was off to bed.

Getting Ready to Cruise to Hawaii - Sept 13

Well, we are almost ready to leave on our cruise.  Started our trip by travelling to Abbotsford, via Penticton.  Stopped off to see Christie, drop off some of her things, and take her for lunch to celebrate her birthday (which we will be away for, once again).  Had a great visit, and then left to travel the Hope -Princeton Highway to Doug and Stella's place; they are so good to us.  Chris was out from Vancouver and we had a chance to visit with him for a while.  He's a great young man with a wicked sense of humour - quite sarcastic, especially about sports which sits very well with Dawn.  Kelly was home when we arrived, so we visited with her for a while, too.

Went to dinner with Doug and Stella, to a nice Italian restaurant.  Great food.  Dawn and I both had veal parmigiana - very tasty.  We were sure full, after that.

Saturday was uneventful for much of the day.  Chris had to put up with Dawn watching the baseball game.  Kim came home from work not feeling well, so she went to bed.  We used her car to travel into the stadium for the football game.  Because Chris was in Abbotsford, we got to use his parking spot, which was about a block from the stadium entrance.  Had another nice dinner of various appetizers, and again we were full.

Then, it was across the street to watch the game, which in the end, the Lions came away with a victory.  It was a fun game to be at.  When we got back to Abbotsford, it was late, so off to bed we went.

Today, we are sitting around, watching the ball game on TV, waiting for the time to leave for the Elton John show.  It is at Rogers Place, which is right beside BC Place where we were last night.  This time, however, Chris will be home, so we will have to find parking nearby.