Author: mmmtravelmemories

A retired college administrator who loves to travel. I write to remember the experiences and, I hope, to inspire others to make their own travel memories.

Alaska – Aug 28 – Cruising Vancouver Island

The itinerary called today “a scenic view of Vancouver Island as you sail past it”. The program called it a Sea Day. What it actually turned out to be was a day so foggy you didn’t know where you were. There could have been an island or sea out there but I had to take someone’s word for it. But, scenic cruising or regular sea day – didn’t matter to me. I like sea days. You can do as much or as little as you want.

I did manage to sleep until about 6:00. I read until almost 7:00 and then got up to go to the Explorer’s Café for a latte for me and coffee for Chuck. I did sleep well and understand why Chuck likes the inside cabins so much. Very dark and very quiet. Only light was the light coming in from the hallway under the door.

However, because we are in an inside cabin and I didn’t turn the TV to the ship channel, I did not realize it was not going to be a “scenic” day until I was getting our coffees. The fog was so thick and swirling around. Then I heard the captain blow the fog horn for the first of many times today. It was an ear splitter.

We tried walking on the promenade which is one of our favorite activities. But I t was way too windy and cold so we only did one lap. Decided that breakfast in the dining room was a better option.

Shared a table with a gentleman for California and a couple from Tasmania, Australia. They were all very well traveled and were very enthusiastic about European river cruises. Might be nice to try one of them one day. They both agreed that the Budapest to Amsterdam trip is the one to go on if you think are only going to do one river cruise. I had the apricots and an eggs benedict along with my favorite – the raisin bun. Service was slightly slow but we were not in any hurry.

Typical activities for a sea day – art presentations, shopping, future cruise presentations, Microsoft workshops, slot tournaments, etc. People were even in the pools and hot tubs. You could see the steam rising from the pools and tubs. We spent most of the day people watching and talking with other people. I did go to Guest Services so they could log me into the Navigator account on my phone. I kept getting an error message when trying to register. I always forget that for some reason Holland America puts a space between the Mc and Cannon so I was not typing in my name “correctly.” I was also able to call the Pinnacle Grill and get our reservation changed from 5:00 tonight to 7:30 on the 31st.

I thought the oddest thing I saw today was a woman carrying what looked like a two foot Barbie-type doll with the hinged joints at the elbows, knees, and feet. However, that sight was topped by then seeing a man posing the doll (which was in a one piece bathing suit) in various poses along the edge of the pool and taking pictures with a professional type of camera. Selling on Ebay? Performance Art? Weirdo? I guess I will never know. Never did see the woman who had been carrying the doll again.

Had a salad for lunch, did some more people watching and the fog was beginning to lift some, and then decided that a nap was in order. Did I mention I like sea days?
Slept for about an hour and then got cleaned up. Tonight is one of the 3 Gala nights so you are supposed to step up your attire for dinner. Chuck looked very nice in his dress shirt, slacks, and sport coat. I wore one of my “former” work dresses. Since we flew in, we left the tux and the gowns at home. However, I saw several men in tuxes and the women in long gowns. Very elegant. Listened to the piano player in the Ocean’s Bar for about 30 minutes and then went to dinner. We passed on having our picture made.
Sat with 2 other couples both from California. One couple from San Diego have been traveling the United States in an RV since January. Their son is living in and taking care of their house. They said they are tired of California and were considering other states to live. They ruled out the South because of the humidity although they have a daughter who lives in Nashville. Idaho and Utah are their current favorites. I would want to stay a winter there before making final plans. I’ll take humidity over bitter cold any day. I had the shrimp cocktail, carrot soup, yellowfin sole filet with cheesecake for dessert. The service was fine up until the dessert which took forever to come out.

After dinner, Chuck played cards while I worked on this journal and then we went to the show – Variations – which was performed by the Zaandam singers and dancers. Not really sure what the theme of the show was but I thought they performed OK. I thought the men sang better than the women. Chuck said it all sounded the same to him.

The card table was full after the show so we decided to call it a night. We set the clock back one hour tonight so there is an extra hour of sleep. We are due to arrive in Ketchikan tomorrow at 8:00. No big plans for the day. The weather forecast is scattered showers but you never know. We might get lucky and it will just be cloudy.

Our towel animal tonight is a lobster.

Alaska – Aug 27 – Embarkation Day

Still trying to get used to the time change. Woke up several times last night but finally got up at 5:45. Went down for breakfast at 6:00 and I guess people had early flights as it was already busy. Usual continental fare for a Choice Property but they did offer sausage links, potatoes, and sausage gravy for biscuits if you wanted it. I didn’t.

I pre-booked our transfer to the pier with Seattle Express for $30 per person round trip and as I mentioned in an earlier post, that cost was about half of what Holland America, Lyft, Uber, and taxis wanted. I had envisioned a shuttle but instead it was a large bus that pulled up promptly at 10:45. There were 2 other couples at our hotel that caught the bus along with us. We stopped at several other airport hotels and the bus filled up. The majority of passengers getting on were going to the Holland America Zaandam. There were a few passengers going to the Oceana Regatta. I hear the Oceana line is a more upscale cruise line. Doubt we will ever sail one of those ships.

The Holland America passengers were taken to the Zaandam first. The porter was there for the luggage. We breezed through security with only our backpacks. The line to get the keycards was long but it was moving rapidly. We were in our rooms by noon. One of the smoothest embarkations I have experienced.

The room is an inside category L room at the front of the ship. It is made for 4 so it has a large couch and I can see the berth in the ceiling that would be lowered if needed. I am glad we don’t need it. It is a very nice room for 2 people.

We went to Deck 4 dining room for lunch. We usually prefer the dining room on embarkation day over the lines in the Lido. The service was slower than normal but that happens on embarkation days sometimes as they have a minimum serving staff. Most people are handling luggage today.

Had our first Mojito of the trip. We have the Signature Beverage Package as a perk for this trip. It has changed since we had it the last time. They give you the drinks for free (if the drinks are $9 and under) but you have to pay the 15% gratuity per drink. In the past, the gratuity was also included as a perk. Still a good deal. You can have 15 drinks a day and everything counts toward the 15 limit – lattes, bottled water, cokes, alcoholic drinks.
The lunch was very good – I had the goat cheese, fig, and apple salad, a half of a steak sandwich, and carrot cake. Chuck got buffalo chicken wings and a collard greens wrap and a carrot cake.

At 2:30, we went to the Crow’s Nest for the Mariner’s Reception which was held for 3, 4, and 5 star returning guests. I don’t like the champagne they serve so we just walked around a little and then went to the Lido bar. The weather was so nice some people were already in the pool and hot tubs. I thought it was too cool.

The muster drill was 3:15. Holland still makes you go out by the lifeboats; however, I did hear them tell people that if they couldn’t stand, they could go to the Atrium for the information. Luckily, the entire drill did not last long.

All our luggage had been delivered by the time we got back from the drill. We went up to the Lido for sailaway. I saw a couple of seals pop their heads up just briefly.

Alaska – Aug 26 – Second Travel Day

Even though the bed was comfortable and everything was quiet and really didn’t even hear the airplanes, I had another night of restless sleep. Fell asleep just fine but kept waking up. When I was sleeping, I was having very weird dreams. Probably from eating the pickled zucchini chips at dinner.

So, I got up at 4:00, an hour earlier than planned. Took my shower, got dressed, and made some coffee. Was just sitting there on the couch enjoying my coffee when I heard Chuck stirring around. He said I wass probably going to regret getting up so early with the time change to Seattle today. He was right. By 7:00 Seattle time (10:00 Atlanta time), I was beat.

We went down to the lobby for breakfast at a little after 6:00. There were already some people in there. The airport shuttle driver from yesterday afternoon is back this morning. Wonder how many hours a day he works.

The free breakfast offered was very good. I had fresh fruit, cottage cheese, bacon, raisin toast and coffee. The coffee was much better than the room coffee. I could have built a breakfast bowl with the scrambled eggs as a base. Apparently, they have different ingredients on different days for their breakfast bowls. Would be interesting to know what their California Dreaming breakfast bowl is.

Got to the airport in plenty of time. Shuttle service was fast and efficient and all the riders were going to Delta. TSA pre-check was pretty fast though I had to take the laptop out of my bag which I have not had to do in the past. Our gate was A gate this time so we could have walked from security but we took the train. We did walk from one end to the other in the concourse just because we are going to be sitting for 5 hours.

The flight left on time and was uneventful. I like the Delta Comfort seats. Little more leg room, decent snacks and free alcohol drinks. I watched Spielberg’s Ready Player One movie. I thought it was a very good movie. Was also able to watch a couple of episodes of Mom and The Middle. Next thing I knew we were touching down.

It was chillier than predicted in Seattle so my blue jean shirt felt good. We got our luggage and called the Sleep Inn hotel for a pickup. The room is nice: king bed, refrigerator, and comfy chair. Though it was only 2:00 in Seattle, my body said it was 5:00. I got the cruise luggage tags put on the bags for tomorrow.

We took an Uber to Wally’s Chowder House. We enjoyed it so much last year that I wanted to go back. They have the most beautiful baskets of petunias outside.  I had the New England clam chowder in a bread bowl with a side salad. Chuck had 3 Halibut fillets. Everything was as good as I remembered.

Back to the room to get clothes ready for tomorrow. Got the confirmation that Seattle Express will be picking us up at 10:45 in the morning.

Alaska – Aug 25 – First Travel Day

Got up at 6:00 after a restless night. Did the last mention chores – getting cat food bowls ready, running the dishwasher, and printing instructions for the cat/house sitter.
We left the house at 12:15 since we needed to run to the bank. Ever since Regions Bank left our hometown, the closest branch is about 15 miles away in the next town. I thought we had enough cash for the trip but Chuck didn’t think so. There was a long line at the ATM but they moved quickly.

Got to Groome’s Transportation about 1:15. We have taken Groome’s to the airport a number of times. I like being able to sit back and enjoy the ride to the airport. Left promptly at 2:00. Traffic was typical Atlanta.

Got to the airport at 4:15 and was able to call the Hyatt Airport South for a pick-up. I like being able to stay overnight in Atlanta before a flight. I would have been a nervous wreck if we were trying to get to a flight.

The hotel is nice. Our room has a small living area with a couch, desk, refrigerator and sink separated from the bed/bathroom area with a half divider. The TV can swivel between the 2 sections.

We had a couple of drinks at the bar in the lobby and then walked around the corner and ate dinner at a Ruby Tuesday. Split an entrée called the Southern Sampler – BBQ meatballs, pimento cheese, deviled eggs, and pickled zucchini. Excellent.

Need to catch the 8:15 / 8:30 hotel shuttle back to the airport in the morning. Our flight is supposed to board at 10:30 and leave at 11:00. Fingers crossed.

Last Minute Stuff

Bags are packed. Only few things left to put in backpacks tomorrow morning. Heading out tomorrow afternoon for a quick stop at the ATM and then on to our shuttle to Atlanta. Our cat sitter will arrive tomorrow afternoon. So glad she will be able to stay at the house for the duration of the trip.

Forecast calls for a cloudy day tomorrow but sunny on Sunday. Seattle has been plagued by smoke from the wildfires but prediction calls for all smoke to be cleared out by Sunday. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Will probably toss and turn all night like I usually do before a big trip.

Alaska – Aug 19 – Packing Fail

I really tried to get our stuff into one large checked bag and two carry-on bags. I thought by just packing as if we would be gone for 7 days would help, especially with the laundry package. Just didn’t happen. I think it would not have been a problem if we were going on a Caribbean cruise – shorts and t-shirts and bathing suits.

However, for Alaska, and the need to dress in layers – plus Seattle is predicted to be in the 80’s, there were too many options. And the clothes are heavier and bulkier.

Also, in truth, we didn’t want to be like one couple we saw one 10 day cruise – appeared they had 2 outfits each – it was very noticeable. Wore one outfit one day, the other the next. They never went to the gala dinners so no need for nicer clothes. But I bet they were able to pack with carry-on bags only.

I might have gotten the large suitcase closed but it was too heavy and I would have hated to see it bust open.

I was able to eliminate one carry-on. Got all of Chuck’s stuff into the one large suitcase. Mine are in the medium bag and one carry-on.  All the bags roll so it will be better than last time when Chuck brought his hanging bag that nearly ruined his shoulder carrying it in and out of hotels and thru airports.

Next, I will pack the backpacks with electronics, file folder of paperwork, passports, etc.

This time next Sunday we will be leaving our Atlanta hotel to go to the airport. So excited!

Aug 18 – Alaska – Finalization

Last item on the To Do List (besides packing) was to find us reasonable transportation to and from our hotels in Seattle to the Pier. The Holland America transfers were $29 per person and we would have to go from the hotel back to the airport to catch the bus. No.

I thought I would use Uber or Lyft but with the luggage we will have, I knew we would have to order Uber XL or Lyft XL to be sure to get a large enough car and the estimated prices for one way to the port was $60 – so No. Typically the airport and cruise port are near each other, but not in Seattle.

After much research, decided to go with Seattle Express Shuttle. Their website says they will pick you up at your airport hotel and take you directly to the Port for $15 per person. When we return, we go to their station at the Port and they will take us to our hotel. So for $60, we get round-trip. OK. They get good Yelp and Cruise Critic reviews so I am hoping for the best.

Even though we got the email asking us not to arrive until 2:00, I chose the 10:45 shuttle. For the 45 minute ride, we should get to the port between 11:30 and 12:00. We like to eat in the main dining room for lunch on embarkation day and it is only open from noon to 1:30. All the information I read is that it is being offered that day so why shouldn’t we be allowed to eat? That is what I am going to say if we are given any hassle about our arrival time.

Worst case scenario – we get there at 12:00 and are not allowed in the terminal until 2:00. Chuck will not be pleased. But, it’s either hang out at the terminal or hang out in the hotel lobby until the last Shuttle Express at 12:45 which would still get us there between 1:30 and 2:00.

Keeping my fingers crossed that we don’t get any hassle.

Aug 16 – Final Payment

Just got a room assignment for the Alaskan trip on the same day I make the final payment for the Panama Canal trip. Eighty days until sailaway.

Hope to snorkel at Half Moon Cay and Aruba. Nothing planned so far for Curacao. Want to visit the Jaguar Preserve in Costa Rica.

Getting excited!

Aug 16 – Room Assignment

We typically book a Guarantee room assignment. Sometimes we have gotten fortunate to have an upgrade. We were offered several upsell offers to a window room but Chuck loves the inside cabins. He says he can sleep better. I think he likes the price.

We got what we paid for this time – an L room on the Main Deck. The description said it was a Quad room – queen bed, pullout couch, and an overhead pulldown bed. Hope it means that it is on the larger side of the inside cabins. Difference this time for us is that it is far forward. We are usually in the aft portion. Last time we were far forward was on Norwegian. I think it will be OK since there are rooms above us and the medical center below us. I was worried that the main stage would be above us and the noise would be bad but we have a floor separating us from it.

Zaandam is a smaller ship so getting from one end to another is easier than on the bigger ships so being far forward, except for the possible motion, is not a big deal.

Nine days before we leave for Atlanta to begin the Alaska adventure.

Getting Started!

I know the trip isn’t until June 2019 but we have made our airline reservations (RT – Atlanta to Amsterdam) and our pre- and post-cruise hotel (Banks Mansion). Can’t wait to start planning excursions.