ISLAND PRINCESS CRUISE TO ALASKA (GLACIER ROUTE) MAY 16 – MAY 23 (2018)…DAY 1
Nautical Time (We are going on a ship, after all.)
MAY 16 (Wednesday)
0200 Waking up is hard to do (especially when one doesn’t “hit the sack” early enough) whether or not one is Neil Sedaka.
Packing went reasonably well the night before, but there is always a last minute “to do” list. Toiletries. Check. Moolah. Check. Medications. Check. Paperwork. Check. Inevitably there will be items forgotten. Now luggage winds its way to the car trunk.
0252 Resolutely set the Navi and we’re out of the driveway on our way to realize our Alaskan Cruise dream. Heading to the Aladdin car storage facility with our prearranged reservation. The ride is smooth and uneventful for these groggy, early morning travelers.
0340 Arrival at Aladdin. Selectively park our car so it will be easily accessible on our return. Proceed to unload our luggage from the trunk and, with help from attendant, load it on the idling minibus.
0401 Leave for the San Diego Airport. Jovial driver deposits us at Terminal 1 where Air Canada is housed. A few notable instructions about procedures for our return in a week (perish the thought!) and we’re off with luggage in tow.
0417 Trudge down the ticketing hallway with 3 suitcases and a backpack burdening our trek before reaching the Air Canada station. Check the two largest pieces and settle the other paperwork issues. Then, a brief wait for Susie’s wheelchair attendant (she is recovering from knee replacement surgery).
0426 Now we proceed to the TSA pre-check line which should lessen the security rigmarole. (Apparently, we don’t appear too shady in the eyes of Homeland Security because both of us have been granted this status.)
0430 TSA opens the gate just for us! (Susie loooves being first in line.) After declaring her phony knee, both of us finish the screening process. I empty my pockets, sending any paraphernalia through the all-seeing security apparatus. Yippee…everything is going so smoothly.
0445 The attendant leads the way to Gate 34 where we will board the jet for Vancouver, British Columbia. Oh, Canada! He abandons us now and we are faced with the stark reality: this somewhat uncomfortable waiting area will be our home for awhile. Dead tired we are and wondering why it was necessary (as per instructions for an international flight) to arrive at the airport 2.5 hours in advance. Geez.
0500 A few of the eating establishments finally open and yours truly can then secure a couple of bagels as well as a cup of joe brewing just for me. Pannikin’s provides the nourishment. A toasted bagel and cream cheese in the morning is a wonderful thing.
0520 Now we wait…and wait…and wait some more.
0630 We are 2 of 5 passengers allowed to pre-board the Boeing 737 in the Air Canada Express fleet scheduled to fly direct to Vancouver. We settle in for the three hour flight then find ourselves sitting in the wrong seats. Uh-oh. (Bill’s fault…isn’t it always!) A quick adjustment to the other side of the aisle and these bedraggled travelers are ready to go. Of course, we carefully do our own screening of potential terrorists, but our only discovery is a lost soul still in the throes of a post-Coachella daze.
0700 Away from the gate and up, up and away. Keeping our fingers crossed that our checked luggage is making the journey with us. Oh, by the way, we carefully pay attention to the safety demo. Soon we are twiddling our thumbs followed by sleepy time. We recognize that drinks from the flight attendant might be a possibility, but we aim to snooze a bit (this plan is usually a bust, yet still worth a try).
1000 Touchdown at Vancouver Airport before the taxi to the Air Canada gate in the terminal and bingo! Special needs passengers (that’s us) are asked to remain in our seats so that a wheelchair will be available to my wife. Finally, we disembark.
1020 Second time at this airport. Not really that hospitable to a disabled passenger. Lots of waiting around, conflicting instructions, etc. It is a huge terminal so it takes a while to navigate its peculiarities – customs, luggage retrieval and the like. Ultimately, we connect with a Princess Cruises representative who checks in our luggage for delivery to our ship’s stateroom. Incidentally, we elected to allow the cruise line to make our flight arrangements as well as our transportation to the dock at the Port of Vancouver.
1100 Susie and I find ourselves outside of the terminal with our carry-ons, waiting in a massive line for a bus. Grrr!
1125 4 busses later, we finally ascend the stairs of a vehicle and settle in for the next phase of our journey. Meanwhile, our bus driver emerges as a breath of fresh Canadian air. She’s a pleasant young lady who provides color commentary about the city (e.g. tons of rhododendrons in a variety of hues). This trip takes a bit less than an hour until we reach the cruise terminal beneath the Pan Asia Hotel in downtown Vancouver. This happens to be a snazzy, jazzy area for shopping, dining and bar-hopping, but no time today. Awww.
1220 Security, Part Deux. Princess Cruises needs to guarantee everyone’s safety by screening all passengers thoroughly. An attendant guiding Susie’s wheelchair whisks the both of us through the security operation. We have a few cruises under our belt so our “Ruby” status is acknowledged with our plans for the cruise ahead. The processing ordeal for all at the terminal involves 3 different cruise companies: Holland-America, Regent and Princess.
1237 Finally board our ship, the 2200 passenger ISLAND PRINCESS, bound for Alaska. Our guide leads us through the final steps of security (verified checks, photographs, intense scrutiny) until we are seated in the Bordeaux Dining Room on Deck 5, awaiting the proper time to enter our stateroom mini-suite on Caribe Deck 10.
1248 Take a breath, Susie & Bill. Attentive waiter relaxes us immediately as we enjoy our lunch. Susie selects Chicken Cacciatore and Flourless Chocolate Cake. Bill savors a broiled salmon entree topped off with an orange souffle dessert. Both of us find the food delectable.
1338 Armed with a small suitcase and a backpack, these weary Californians enter our suite, give it the once-over, slide open the door to the balcony and promptly collapse. Almost 12 hours since we arose from our comfy beds in Escondido, CA leading to this moment. Then, we meet “Rodolpho”, our stateroom steward from the Philippines, who will clean our suite every morning and refresh it in the evening. Cruise veterans that we are (our 7th overall; 2 on Carnival and 5 on Princess), we gift our guy with a bag of candy and a $20 tip upfront. It’s our opinion that this leads to more attentive service. Truly, though, these guys work long, difficult days!
1600 All passengers assigned to Muster Station “A” gather in the Princess Theatre for the obligatory safety demo. After listening to a hokey version of the “Love Boat Theme” with revised lyrics applicable to safety issues, we learn how to fasten lifejacket, engage the light, find the whistle and step into the water in the unlikely circumstance that we would need to abandon ship. Necessary info, of course, but we’re ready for trampolines and way too much food & drink; so, this seems like an annoyance interrupting the good times to follow. Oh well, let’s get it out of the way!
1633 Brief stop at the Crooners Bar for some libations (everybody seems to have the same idea). Susie sips away at a Knob Creek Bourbon and Ginger Ale. Bill tries to calm the frenzy of the day with a Jameson’s Whisky on the Rocks. Right about now, the mooring lines are recovered and she (the ISLAND PRINCESS) is officially underway. The coast of British Columbia beckons on our way to Alaska. Pause for reflections on the promise of the voyage.
1715 Our first dinner at the Provence Dining Room is somewhat eventful. While there are several options available, we have elected the first seating at a table for two with the same team of waiters for the whole week rather than anytime dining or buffet dining. On arrival we encounter a major snafu: they have assigned us to a table of 10 (not a romantic setting at all and a deep disappointment). Of course, the large table can be a wonderful experience if the goal is to meet a wide variety of guests so that conversation permeates the dining experience. As an example, it can be an exhilarating adventure as it was for us on a previous cruise when we enjoyed the company of an assortment of female boudoir photographers. Total comedic blast! However, conversely, one obnoxious person at a dining table who tends to dominate conversation and the experience can be deadly. A whole week of the latter? No thanks!
Back to the problem at hand. Susie is a “Leo” and the lion is not going to sleep tonight without this screw-up being solved right away. Let’s just say that an intense discussion with the Maitre d’ follows with the promise of a possible solution in place for tomorrow evening’s dinner. Or else the lion may pounce!
Tonight we enjoy our dinner seated at a large table by ourselves. Susie orders a traditional Steak & Potatoes with Corn-on-the-Cob accompanied by Sauvignon Blanc. Bill prefers a Pasta meal with Chicken followed by some Cheesecake with Macerated Strawberries.
1902 Back to Caribe 228 without delay to try to recover from the day’s trials and tribulations. Desperately want to engage in mattresside. Weird for it to be so bright outside this late in the evening (it will stay light outside until 11PM). I discover that I forgot to pack the clever sleep mask with the unprintable inscription. Rats! Head rests on pillow and all goes black anyway as the cold breeze, the patter of occasional rain showers and the soothing rhythms of the ship traversing the ocean all rock me to sleep. Peace.
