All the bags packed, and last-minute errands and chores done, I was looking forward to a good night’s sleep before traveling to the airport. Didn’t get it. Smartwatch said I got about 4 hours for the entire night. Pitiful.
Got up at 6:30 and let Pumpkin in for his breakfast. As usual, he wanted right back out. No problem. For the last few weeks, right after breakfast, he has been going to the front porch and snoozing for a few hours. Would be easy to pick him up and bring him in before we left. I must think I live in a perfect world.
Today he started doing “zoomies” in the back yard and then disappeared. I didn’t even see in which direction he went. Since we were only going as far as the airport hotel today, I started planning about when I would call the shuttle company to delay our trip there.
Suddenly, about 9:30, he just shows up at the back door wanting in for snacks. I knew I couldn’t take any more chances with him and refused to let him back out. He got mad and went under the couch. He’d periodically poke his head out from under it and look at the door. I would say “no” and he would go back under the couch.
Despite the unexpected slow traffic to the shuttle office, we arrived in time for a bathroom break before getting settled into the van. The highway traffic, as usual, was very slow and we arrived at the airport at 3:15. We made our way to the hotel shuttle pickup place and didn’t wait long before our shuttle arrived.
Very quick trip to the hotel. We’ve stayed at the Hyatt Airport South several times and like it. We noticed that the inside renovations had been finished and now they are working on the outside. Lot of noise but they stopped working at 5:00.
The hotel has a happy hour at their bar from 4:00 – 6:00. We were the only customers enjoying the half prices and conversation with the front desk staff.
We walked across the parking lot to the Sonesta hotel and ate at its restaurant: The Burger Place.
We usually alternate between this place and Ruby Tuesday’s which is in the opposite direction of the hotel.
Spent the rest of the evening watching old reruns of The Big Bang Theory which we do at home many times too.
To celebrate Chuck’s milestone birthday and maybe enjoy some cooler weather, we decided to take advantage of a couple of his good cruise offers. We are going back to the ports of Bar Harbor, Halifax, Sydney, Charlottetown, and Quebec City. We had great times in these ports on both the Holland America Voyage of the Vikings cruise and the Holland America transition cruise from Ft. Lauderdale to Montreal. This cruise also features an overnight in Quebec City and a stop in St. John, Brunswick which is a new port for us.
We are cruising on the Holland America (HAL) Zuiderdam again. We have sailed on her twice before. I really like the size (Vista class) of this ship and her sister ships – Westerdam, Oosterdam, and Noordam. However, I do miss all the extra dining venues that the larger ships like the Rotterdam (Pinnacle class) have.
A few weeks ago, we received an email from HAL offering us three different propositions to give up the second leg of this back-to-back trip. We decided that the offers were not good enough to make the changes we would have needed to do in order to make the offers work. I have read that several people on this cruise have been given similar offers to do the same. I have to assume that this cruise is over-sold. I don’t know what HAL will do if nobody takes any offers. I am just glad that we have a room assigned. I’d be really worried if we were still waiting on a room assignment.
Went to the Ocean Bar to listen to the piano player and then made our way to the main dining room. It was more crowded than I had seen all trip and I knew it was because of tonight’s menu.
To expedite getting a table, we agreed to share a table for six. It was definitely a Gala menu tonight – lobster tail and filet mignon. I noticed that the filet was smaller than I have seen before, but I didn’t have a problem with the size. Both were delicious and I did not feel stuffed at the end of the meal. If you feel like you can eat more, you are always welcome to order more than one plate.
After dinner, we made our way to the Piano Bar. The piano bar singer was still quarantined with Covid, so the Cruise Director Glen had been persuaded to perform in her absence. There was already a big crowd waiting for him, even bigger than any she has drawn.
Cruise Director Glen introducing an act on the main stageCruise Director Glen at the piano
He even distributed lyrics to the songs he was going to play so we could sing along. He was very good and got several rousing rounds of applause.
We ended the night listening to the last set of the Ocean Bar band. When we got back, we had another towel animal.
I was up at 5:00 and breakfast was delivered at 6:00. We had a private tour today from 8:30 – 3:00 with two other couples. The name of the company was Halifax Tour Guys, and the name of the tour was Tour #5 – Grand Pre, Minas Basin, Valley Look Off, and Halls Harbor. The tour description –
This tour is a 6-7 hour tour of the Minas Basin and the Bay of Fundy. Please remember that this is your tour, and you can stop when and where you wish. We endeavor to show you as much as possible in the time allowed, but due to Cruise Ship departure times you may not see everything listed in the following. Our Company policy is to have our guests back at your pier one hour before you ship leaves. The drive to this area of our Province takes about one hour from your cruise ship and about one hour and twenty minutes to return to your cruise ship.
We include in this tour Grand Pre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where in 1755 the Acadians were expelled from the Province by the British. Visit the Deportation Cross site where the ships waited for the Acadians, many of those deported would never return to their homes. From the View Park on Old Post Road you can gaze over the 1,300 hectares of farm fields, marshes and dyke lands that comprise the landscape of Grand Pre. Tour the Grand Pre Interpretation Center, see and learn the history, beginning with a state-of-the-art cinematic display in the hull of a Deportation Ship.
Throughout the modern building l’Acadie is illuminated with intricate models, regional artwork, interpretive displays and unearthed artifacts. See some of the earliest examples of the use of European technology in Nova Scotia and discover what became of these extraordinary people, who built dykes that turned salt marshes into rich farmland. Enter the picturesque garden grounds, see the French Willows, Old Well, Victorian Gardens, Blacksmith Shop. and Herbin Cross. Then visit the legendary Statue of Evangeline made famous by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem. Finish your visit with the Memorial Church, where famous paintings from Claude Picard and a stained-glass masterpiece by Terry Smith-Lamothe celebrates the culture and courage of the Acadians.
Before we leave the area, a shore drive away is Evangeline Beach with a stunning view of Blomidon Ridge. Take a walk at low tide or go for a swim at high tide. Watch the highest tide in the world, up to fifty-four feet, and see amazing birds like plovers and eagles. After the beach we can stop for lunch at the Evangeline Café, or at Grand Pre Winery for some wine tasting, a possible tour of the vineyards depending on timing and/or lunch at their restaurant.
We travel through the Town of Wolfville, which is situated in the Northwestern portion of Nova Scotia, along the shores of the Minas Basin which is part of the Bay of Fundy and is the home of Acadia University. The Town is separated from the Minas Basin by agricultural dykes which were built by Acadians in the 17th century. Wolfville experiences the Bay of Fundy’s record setting tides each day as water fills and drains from the Wolfville Harbour, which is the world’s smallest harbor.
From Wolfville we make our way along the Minas Basin, stopping if you wish at Fox Hill Farm, a sixth-generation family farm nestled in the lush fields of Port Williams Nova Scotia, is home to Fox Hill Cheese House. They plant the seed, grow the grass, milk their Holstein and Jersey cows, and use the finest, freshest quality milk in their own processing facility. Fox Hill Cheese House produces many varieties of savory cheese, natural yogurt, luscious gelato, and pasteurized non-homogenized milk in glass bottles.
We travel across the Wellington Dyke to Kingsport Beach, which is across the Minas Basin from Evangeline Beach. Then we travel up the North Mountain to enjoy the view from the Look Off where you can see for a hundred miles on a clear day. From the Look Off we travel to Halls Harbor for a closer look at Bay of Fundy, home to the highest tides in the world. Here you can enjoy a fresh lobster lunch on the wharf next to the Bay of Fundy. All tours have full narrative and many stops for any photographs you wish to take, plus any additional requests you might have if time allows.
Chuck and I had never been to Halifax, but the other two couples had. They were not interested in a city tour, but we all agreed that we would like to see the Bay of Fundy, so it was arranged. We didn’t really have to worry about getting back to the ship since all aboard was not until 10:30.
However, one of the couples only wanted the tour to be six hours and not seven so we knew we would not be able to see everything that the tour described.
We all walked off the ship together at 8:30. The tour operator met us at the exit point and introduced us to our driver for the day. We were in a passenger van. One couple was in the very back seat, three of us were in the middle, and Chuck rode up front with the driver.
I had an inkling that the narration part was not going to be great because he had no speaker and, with the noise of the highway driving, the couple in the back could not hear him well. He had to repeat himself quite often.
I thought the countryside scenery was lovely. The towns we traveled through were very quaint. I did learn some things about the Acadians that I did not know. We were not able to time the Bay of Fundy to see any tidal action, but it was a nice view. However, there seemed to be more driving time than stopping time.
First stop – Birthplace of Hockey
Pond was an oval shapeDucks are replaced by skaters in the Winter
Second stop – Acadian Deportation Site
Next – Evangeline Beach
Next – The Look Off -Minas Basin
Next – Halls Harbor
Bonus – Bald Eagles
First there was twoThen there was one
We did not stop for a full lunch but did stop at a diner recommended by the driver for a piece of pie. Most of us ordered the apple pie but one person ordered a piece of chocolate pie, and one ordered a piece of lemon meringue. We all agreed that the pie was as good as he described.
Even though we did not stop at the Interpretive Center or the Farm, the sites we saw were very nice but, as I said, there was a lot of driving between the sites. If we ever find ourselves in Halifax again, I think we will just take the HOHO bus around the city.
We got back to the ship at 3:00. Chuck and I considered walking along the pier area. Instead, since the fog was long gone and the sun was out, we decided to enjoy drinks on the balcony and watch the boats and jet skis. I had hoped to see the seal that Chuck saw this morning, but I guess with all the boating activity, the seal made itself scarce.
The time passed pleasantly, and it was soon time to get ready for the evening.
FLOWERS OF HALIFAX
Travel Trivia
Halifax, Nova Scotia
The first permanent European settlement in the region was on the Halifax Peninsula. The establishment of the Town of Halifax, named after the 2nd Earl of Halifax.
December 1917 saw one of the greatest disasters in Canadian history, when the SS Mont-Blanc, a French cargo ship carrying munitions, collided with the Belgian Relief vessel SS Imo in “The Narrows” between upper Halifax Harbour and Bedford Basin. The resulting explosion, the Halifax Explosion, devastated the Richmond District of Halifax, killing approximately 2,000 people and injuring nearly 9,000 others. The blast was the largest artificial explosion before the development of nuclear weapons.
According to National Geographic, the world’s largest recorded lobster was a 44-pounder caught off the coast in 1977. It was believed by scientists to be at least 100 years old.
The Old Town Clock, a famous landmark, has been keeping time since 1803.
Halifax is closer to Dublin, Ireland than it is to Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
The Fairview Lawn Cemetery has the world’s largest collective group of graves from the Titanic tragedy.
Location of the first official rules for ice hockey
*Trivia provided by Wikipedia and Holland America documents
When I was putting up the laundry, Chuck realized that his gray t-shirt was not in the basket. I either forgot to list it on the form and the laundry people didn’t know where it belonged, or it may have gotten stuck in the washer or dryer and overlooked.
On some past cruises, we have gotten laundry items that weren’t ours and our items have been missing. What to do? A quick trip to Guest Services and a form to complete. If the shirt went to someone else’s room, I hope they return it to Guest Services.
We went to the Lido for dinner. I had the swordfish and some vegetables. It was so good, I forgot to take a photo.
We were going to see the pian bar player but found out she came down with COVID. We decided to go see Kenny Martin. He specializes in the clarinet but played other instruments as well. He was excellent.
We played some slots and then called it a night. When we got back to the room, we were happy to see that the gray t-shirt was on a hanger and hanging on a hook in the room. I sent an electronic thank you to Guest Services and the Laundry in the app.
I know some people find the Navigator app frustrating, but I really like the feature where you can send comments/praise/concerns in it. They do read them and pass the feedback on to whatever department is responsible. I know this because we sent a compliment about our room stewards a couple of different times and they thanked us for doing so.
Woke up at 5:00 but easily drifted back to sleep and finally got up at 7:30.
Our plan was to do a walking tour around the city using the provided map. However, it was raining so we decided to get on the HOP-ON/HOP-OFF (HOHO) bus. I had read some reviews and what caught my eye was that the buses were small and if you hopped off, it might be quite a while before you could hop back on as they stayed full.
Since we didn’t want to be caught out in the cold and rain, we just opted for the two-hour ride. Turns out, so did all the other riders. The reviews were correct. As we pulled up to the stops, there were several upset people who had been waiting quite a while for the next available HOHO bus. I think they needed to call a cab or start walking. A ride didn’t look promising.
The guide provided some very interesting narration at each of the stops. It was hard to get some photos because of the rainy/foggy windows. The time passed quickly and soon we were back at Stop 1. We looked around at some of the shops and then made our way back to the ship.
War MemorialWar MemorialSignal Hill – Cabot TowerJelly Bean houseCape Spear
Since we were having another Canaletto dinner tonight, we just had a snack when we got back to the ship. The rain had eased up, so we spent a relaxing time on the balcony doing some people watching until it was time to get ready for dinner.
FLOWERS OF ST. JOHN’S
Travel Trivia
St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada
Existing on maps as early as 1519, it is one of the oldest cities in North America.
Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi received the first transatlantic wireless signal in St. John’s.
St. John’s is home to North America’s oldest annual sporting event, the Royal St. John’s Regatta, which dates back to at least 1816. The event is important enough in the life of the city that the day of the Regatta (the first Wednesday in August, weather permitting) is a civic holiday – one of the few weather-dependent holidays in the world.
The St. John’s area is subject to freezing rain events (called “silver thaws”), the worst of which paralyzed the city in April 1984 and April 2017.
Often compared to San Francisco due to the hilly terrain and steep maze of residential streets, housing in St. John’s is typically painted in bright colors, earning its downtown the nickname Jelly Bean Row.
Dinner was in the main dining room tonight. We each had the pork chops. They were good but just too big.
Tonight’s show as another performance by Colleen Williamson who was going to sing more show tunes backed up by the Ocean Bar band. Since Chuck didn’t care for her and I was ambivalent, we just spent some time in the Casino before calling it a night.
Today was a tender port. Our HAL tour today was not going to meet in the main stage area today. We were supposed to meet on the pier at 12:15 for our tour that started at 12:30. We decided that if we got on a tender around 11:00, we would have plenty of time to look around the pier area before the tour started.
The Captain came on the loudspeaker around 9:00 and said the wind and waves had picked up so the tender process was slowing down. We should give ourselves extra time to get ashore.
Since we had priority tendering, we went to the meeting area at 10:30 to wait for our tender number to be called. Even with priority tendering, our tender number was not called until 11:30. It took 30 minutes to load the tender and get us to the pier. We ended up having only enough time to use the restroom at the Visitor Center and then find our tour guide. Not a great start.
Our HAL tour today was called “L’Anse aux Meadows: A Viking Experience.” The tour description:
Travel back in time 1,000 years to the first European settlement in the New World located at L’Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is also a National Historic Site operated by Parks Canada.
Here you will visit the park’s interpretative center and see firsthand how this site was discovered. View 3-D displays depicting how the Vikings lived. Travel through the site and see the small smithy, where nails and rivets were made from bog ore. A large sod hut will show you how these tough people lived, ate and rested when not at sea.
Next you will visit Norsted, a real Viking port of trade located about a mile from L’Anse aux Meadows. Your guide will take you to the Chieftain’s Hall as you journey through this rough and ready site in the footsteps of fierce Viking warriors of the past.
Notes: Walking is over sloped boardwalks and packed gravel walkways. Transportation is by school bus.
Because the transportation for this tour was a school bus, the guide did not have a sound system. She had to stand about in the middle of the bus and talk very loudly for everyone to hear. I know it must have put a strain on her voice.
It also didn’t help that there was a fellow cruiser who couldn’t stop talking to his seatmate while the tour guide was speaking. So rude. Finally, one exasperated person in the back yelled at the talker to stop talking. He did for a while.
Our first stop was the Viking archeological site – L’Anse aux Meadows – the only authenticated Viking site in North America and the earliest evidence of Europeans in North America.
In the interpretive center, we watched a movie about how the site may have been started and then how it was discovered. Afterwards, we were able to walk the path through the site. There were park officials at each major stop to describe what we were seeing and to answer questions. We had an hour to wander through this site.
Largest hall – built for someone of high social statusLarge Hall with small hut probably for servantsReconstructed sod home
Our next stop was a Norse trading post/village. We went in and out of the different buildings. Had a lot of interesting artifacts and the reenactors were very skillful in interacting with all the visitors. Chuck got to be a Norse Chieftain. We had an hour and a half at this site.
Peat logs Black Smith- very smokey in hereDescendent of Erik the Red? – “Chuck the Gray”
During the bus drive back, the tour guide ended up in the back of the bus as someone took her middle seat. I guess she was too polite to ask the person to move. She did not give very much information on the way back because she kept having to answer questions from a couple of people in the back. Made the trip back to the pier somewhat boring. However, I guess the talker was happy because he was able to keep up a steady stream of commentary to his seatmate without being scolded.
We got back to the pier at 4:15 and got on the second to the last tender back to the ship. The wind and waves had died down so it was a faster process of loading and getting to the ship.
There was another tour group behind us going to the same stops. For some reason, they got a later start and had their times at each site cut short. I heard more than one person in that group say they were making a trip to the Shore Excursions desk to complain and ask for a partial refund. They were on the very last tender to the ship.
I liked the excursion despite the tender ride and the boring bus ride back. But it had been a long day and I was ready for some dinner.
FLOWERS OF ST. ANTHONY
Baked Apple berry – Said to be edible (didn’t try it)
Travel Trivia
St. Anthony, Newfoundland, Canada
Named in 1534 by French explorer Jacques Cartier it held a strategic location to rich fishing grounds and a haven to fishing fleets.
In 1892 a British doctor named Wilfred Grenfell arrived in St. Anthony and built a medical system that has grown to serve the entire region of Northern Newfoundland and Labrador.
The area of St. Anthony hosts the highest concentration of moose in the world.
St. Anthony appears as a playable area in the 2014 videogame Assassin’s Creed Rogue.
The earliest recorded name for L’Anse aux Meadows appears on an 1862 French chart as Anse a la Medee (Medee’s Cove). The name is probably from Medea, the heroine of Greek tragedy, after whom many 17th and 18th Century ships were named. Settlements and shore stations were often named after ships. After the English settled in the area the name was anglicized to its present form. The bay in front of the village is still called Medee Bay.
*Trivia provided by Wikipedia and Holland America documents
We enjoyed some slot time before going to the Main Dining room for dinner. We were happy with the menu again this evening. We both had the crab cake appetizers and the halibut for our main dish. We were seated at a table for two, but it was so close to another table for two, it might have been a table for four. The other couple seemed fine chatting with us. I hope they weren’t planning on an intimate dinner for just the two of them.
We had a little time for another round of slots. Chuck was notified that he had enough points to get three tickets into the slot tournament. He played his 3 rounds and is so far number 6. He may get some more tickets to try and move up. Only the top 3 players will get paid.
At 9:00, we attend the Main Stage show featuring the 4-man group: Cantare. This particular groups sings on several of the HAL ships, but it is not the same four men on every ship. Their song selection tonight was called “Timeless”, and they were mostly love songs. The group consisted of three tenors and a bass and they harmonized beautifully.
The Ocean Bar band had a night off tonight and tomorrow is a port day, so we called it an evening. I will be glad to see land. I’ve only caught glimpses of shoreline in the distance since we left Bar Harbor.
I was up with the alarm at 6:00 and was glad that I had slept better than I did the night before. We are in Red Bay Labrador Canada. It is a tender port. We are definitely heading north as it was only 50 degrees this morning and the Internet is getting very weak.
We ate breakfast in the Lido and then got our backpacks ready with rain gear, jackets, and stocking caps, binoculars, and my waterproof camera. I had read that flying, biting bugs could also be a problem so I had purchased two head nets from Amazon (still sealed in the original package) and put that package in my backpack also. We were ready to go (or so I thought).
Since we did not have a planned excursion, we arrived at the dining room on the 5th deck to get our ticket to get on the tender. HAL was running three tenders, but the Red Bay dock only had room for one tender at a time. They had it pretty organized, one tender unloading/loading at Red Bay, one tender full making its way to the island, and one tender at the ship loading/unloading.
Once we arrived at the dock, we were greeted by some local representatives who gave us a map. I asked about hiking, and she said the nicest hike was at the little island in the Bay called Saddle Island. A fishing boat was ferrying people back and forth. Okay. We would go there.
By the time we walked to the small dock to wait for the fishing boat ferry, the bugs were on us – black flies and mosquitoes. SNAFU #1 – I forgot to pack our bug spray. I had a small can for each of our packs and they were still in the room. SNAFU #2 – when I opened the sealed package to remove the 2 head nettings – there were 2 netting holders but only one net. Ugh! I cannot believe I didn’t check the order before now. What was I thinking?
I gave the netting to Chuck because the bugs were much worse around him. Every time we encounter bugs or mosquitoes, they always seem to treat him like a Golden Corral buffet. The head net helped but he was wearing shorts and getting attacked on the legs so much that he decided to return to the ship.
I put on the head net and had on jeans and my jacket, so I was fairly protected. I decided to go ahead and hike the Island. The trail followed the coast, and it was mostly flat and even in some places there was a boardwalk. I eventually caught up with a couple who are going to be on some of the same tours we are on, and they invited me to walk with them.
I enjoyed looking at the various flowers and watching the sea gulls scan the water and argue with each other. There were a lot of mussel shells and sea urchin shells all over the island. The park ranger told us that the sea gulls get them out of the ocean and then drop the remains on the island.
The bugs didn’t seem to be as bad as they were in the town, but the wind was stronger and colder. The entire hike around the island and up to the light house was a mile and a half according to my Fitbit.
Once we took the fishing boat ferry back to the town, the couple decided to walk up the hill to see the whaling museum which houses the skeletal remains of a 16th Century Greenland Right Whale. I decided to pass on that trek. I stopped by the gift shop for my souvenir ornament and then got in the long line for the tender back to the ship.
I was happy with my decision because by the time I got back to the ship, it had started raining and the fog rolled in thick. I could no longer see the colorful saltbox houses on the land. Chuck was in the room, and he said he spent a very pleasant time on our balcony watching a pod of porpoises leaping and diving in the water. When I was walking the trail, I had hoped to see a whale or porpoises, but didn’t so I am glad that Chuck did.
I warmed up at lunch with a bowl of mushroom and wild rice chowder. Afterwards, Chuck got a coffee with Bailey’s, and I got a hot chocolate with Bailey’s. We wrapped up in the wool lap blankets that HAL provides and sat on the balcony for a while. I was hoping that the porpoises would make another appearance, but they did not.
The afternoon passed quickly and soon the Captain came on the PA System to announce that we would be leaving Red Bay soon and making our way to Greenland. Once the ship left the protected bay area, we could expect for the temperatures to continue to drop and the wind and swells to get rougher. Time to take a Bonine.
All good things must come to an end and today was the end of the cruise – our last port, Victoria, British Columbia.
The city of 78,000 is located on the southeastern tip of Vancouver Island overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Originally founded in 1843 as a trading post for the Hudson Bay Co., Victoria now serves as the provincial capital for British Columbia. It still has that British feel with a number of pubs, tea rooms, and double decker busses. The Empress Hotel still serves a traditional high tea. It is also famous for the Butchart Gardens, 55 acres of landscaped grounds with over 700 varieties of flowers.
We slept late again this morning. Chuck had to tell me the alarm was going off. It’s a rare day that I don’t hear an alarm. Retirement must really be kicking in. After a coffee run, we had a late breakfast in the Lido. Then it was time for the dreaded packing. I know I am going to have to re-organize tomorrow night to ensure that the checked bags are under the weight limit and the liquids and such are in the checked bags.
We docked in Victoria around 1:00 but Chuck and I didn’t disembark until around 2:30. We took the shuttle to the downtown area. I had hoped to take the walking tour called Victoria’s City but didn’t realize that they only did one on Sunday and we missed it as it started at 2:00. We looked at the Hop On Hop Off bus but it seemed expensive for what you got. It was raining so we decided just to walk down the street and get some pictures of the Empress Hotel and their Government Building with the statue of Victoria in front. I also took some pictures of the beautiful flowers that they had everywhere. I was surprised at the number of totem poles in the parks.
I didn’t have a Christmas ornament from Canada since last year’s stop in Vancouver was just a transfer to the bus taking us back to Seattle. I found a cute one with black bears around a Christmas tree. Only souvenir purchase of the trip.
I thought Victoria was a beautiful and clean-looking city. There were some panhandlers but they were not aggressive. Surprisingly, it doesn’t get much snow. I hear it is very expensive to live here but there was condo/apartment construction all over the place so somebody must be moving in.
Got back to the ship and said goodbye to our room stewards who have been great. Gave them a little extra for all the nice extras they did for us. Since we have not adjusted our hotel charges, they get to keep the cash we gave them. Otherwise, if we had the charges taken off or reduced, they are supposed to turn in all cash gifts so that everyone can get a share. If they try to keep it and are discovered, they can get fired.
I just don’t understand people who take off the charges. I know the stewards and waiters are the ones you get to know and may only want to reward them but they can’t do their jobs well if the cooks, dishwashers, laundry personnel, cleaning crew, etc. don’t do their job. They all depend on a share of that hotel money.
Had a couple of drinks out at the Sea View pool bar area. Had to stay under the awning out of the rain but the temperature wasn’t too bad and it was not windy. As I was going down the hallway to get on the elevator to go up there which is in the aft area there was a distinct sewage smell. I know the residents back in the area were not happy. I didn’t smell it later in the evening.
Just didn’t feel like going to the main dining room tonight. A nice thing about Holland America is that some of the dishes that they have in the main dining room they also serve in the Lido restaurant on the same night. You just have to go through the line to get it. They will bring you what you want to drink including wine. Tonight was not busy at all as I guess some people decided to stay in Victoria to eat. They don’t have to be back on the ship until 10:30. Some guests actually disembarked the ship permanently today – Canadians. Save them the hassle of U.S. Customs tomorrow and getting back to Canada.
Chuck had the steak and I had the lasagna. It’s nice that you can pick out the sides you want to go with it or not get any sides at all. I just decided on lasagna and salad. Of course, ice cream for dessert.
Not a lot going on in the way of activities tonight. Casino is closed due to being in port until 11:00. The entertainers are off. They are showing a repeat of The Greatest Showman on the screen at the Main Stage. Most everyone is just saying goodbye to one another and putting out their suitcases. Time for one last farewell drink and then put our suitcases out for pick-up. You have to make sure that you keep the clothes and toiletries you need for the next day or you will be embarrassed having to wear a robe off the ship. We keep the small bag with us and let them take the 2 bigger bags.
Our departure time is 9:20. I hope everything runs smoothly tomorrow. All hinges on Customs so you can never be sure. Our shuttle to the hotel runs until 11:00 so we should be OK. Worst case scenario, we have to pay for a taxi or Uber.
I have really enjoyed the cruise even with the days of less than perfect weather. The time went by very fast.
We received the ship’s log tonight. Here are the cruise stats:
Number of officers and crew: 596
Nationalities of crew: 35
Average speed of the trip: 17 knots
Miles traveled: 3700
Fuel used: 822 metric tons
Eggs consumed: 33,000
I don’t even know what tonight’s towel animal is. Very strange configuration.
