Cruising the Inside Passage - Vancouver
Highlights
Can’t say we were suffering last day blues - we were heading towards #Vancouver with following seas, under occasional blue skies towards @Mindy and @Ian. Happy to make the next move.
True to form - I was organised and packed w-aaaaaaaaaa-y before @Mac. We skipped breakfast - mainly because I had slept in till 9.30 and also because we were still recovering from the over indulgence in both food and drink from last night.
I packed my stuff and generally condensed all of the extraneous gear in the stateroom- threw out all the paperwork we had accumulated and got everything "together."
@Mac worked on his #Sudoku puzzle book.
At 11: 25 we were in the hunt for the Friday #Horizons seafood lunch. We had received the good oil from @Miss_K and @Miss_R and were keen to try it. The prawns and mussels were piled high - we could see them behond a barricaded off area and committed to take up a seat until the food was available for access. Had a false start at a shared table of six (we were rejected as eating partners) but did score a table for two by sheer luck. All of this transpired in about a two minute interval so no real drama - except we did watch our neighbours who said the extra seats were reserved for the rest of their party. Sneaky buggers. Nobody “extra” turned up - they just wanted the expansive table room to hold all their plates of food!
Anyway, we sat down in our adjacent posie and looked up to note that a line had started to form at the barricade. We obviously weren’t the only ones on the hunt. This line just grew and grew and grew. It was snaking in three directions that we could see. And at 11.45, the barricade was dropped and it was every man, woman amd child for themselves. Believe it or not, there was no interest in the seafood - I just walked up and helped myself. The line was for the offerings across the aisle. The sushi plates were piled high. There was a fair bit of argy-bargy jostling and jockeying for position going on and it did make for great people watching. @Mac is not a huge fan and was content to sit and wait - but I felt the whole lining up thing and holding your place in queue, securing the tongs, fighting for the soy sauce and grabbing the salmon topped pieces was all part of the fun. Think I enjoyed the hunting and gathering as much as I did the eating.
Two hours later and we were back in the stateroom and @Mac completed phase 1 of his packing which consisted of getting his bag out from under the bed and then unzipping the cubes.
Not wanting to suck up all the excitement of his packing in one hit - he declared he needed a rest and resumed his #Sudoku.
You can obviously read between the lines here and understand how much "joy" I get at watching him work at a snail's pace! But I was determined, through gritted teeth, to let it all unfold.
He paced himself perfectly and was showered, changed AND packed ready for our 5 pm canapes in the stateroom and our 6 pm catchup and predinner drinks with @Miss_K and @Miss_R.
Lots of stories to share of our differing adventures of the last few days over cocktails. @Mac introduced the ladies to his favourite drink of this trip the #Sicilian Kiss - and it was received as a winner. Best line of the evening went to @Miss_K who asked the drinks waiter if she could have hers served with a "hot Italian." He was quick in his response and with hand on heart declared " I’m Indian." The most gentle shut down ever.
Also got a laugh out of @Miss_K who had spent some time at the spa today for a 75 minute aromatic stone massage. As part of the appointment, the lovely attendant did an "assessment" of skin, joints, muscle tone etc and offered a HUGE list of lotions and potions to rejuvenate @Miss_R - all of which were graciously refused. As the hot stone therapy was coming to an end, additional add on treatments were offered all of which @Miss_R refused. Obviously, she was falling apart at the seams and needed lots of "work." And as only could be conveyed by someone operating with English as a second, third and possibly fourth language, the attendant eventually earnestly shared that she was going to do a complimentary 15 minute facial for @Miss_R "... because your face needs it so badly!"
Last dinner for us in #Concertos and as always - fabulous food offerings all brought to us with smiles and conversation. We are never short of a chat - if you want one - and talked with the Americans from #North Carolina at the adjoining table who are staying on board. They were heading back to #Whittier and then branching out on the land tour of #Denali offered by #Princess. The first stage of their journey is in the domed train we saw at the railway station on our 30 minute run through the cold. Like many on board, they are piling up the nautical miles and they have three more cruises booked for this year!
That was our day - we ate, we packed, we ate and drank, of course we talked and laughed .... and were happy to declare it a successful crossing of the #Pacific. Didn’t get anywhere near hitting the sides of our 15 limit in the drinks package, still haven’t used all of the special lunch time bookings, only got the special dessert menu on three days out of 23 and didn’t manage more than a single walk-through of the gym! Certainly didn’t feel motivated to do the hot tubs in 2-9 degree temperatures, have got three full bottles of wine in the fridge AND have two laundry tokens left. Even discovered at dinner tonight that we had missed a few bars on level 5, were too late for the casino (it is now closed because we are too close to shore) and somehow hadn’t even got close to the #Crab Shack pop up for lunch.
We definitely need to cruise again. And maybe set specific goals and milestones so we can check them off - none of this "loose goose" attitude. Onto it - well, the planning a cruise part. I doubt we would be any better at having a plan ... other than having no plan.
Not sure which company or where we will go- but must say, we have thoroughly enjoyed our experience with #Princess. A great recommendation from @Aunty Gail and Paul.
Took in the sparkling lights of our late night arrival under the #Lion’s Gate Bridge and made frequent dashes out into the chill of the night to catch the lights of #Canada Place. This balcony position in M107 has been the bee’s knees.
We have room service in place for tomorrow morning, swapped our luggage tags for walk off tickets, have the bus up the mountain sorted - just have to drag the luggage through downtown #Vancouver in the @Captain's predicted early morning rain (of course) to start the last leg of this birthday adventure.
Weather: 12 degrees - with a water temperature of 10
Steps: 3 109 (Mac’s fault because he procrastinated on the packing- we were [happily] stateroom bound)
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