Jinxed myself

 

First off, this is a photo taken on my balcony one evening - the fog so thick, I couldn't see beyond the railing! 

After telling you all that I never get sick on a cruise ship and despite my preparations to avoid it, my luck ran out. I was tired after the visit to the zoo in San Diego, and turned in early that evening. I woke around midnight feeling absolutely horrid, with an extremely sore throat, chills, and a cough. It had come on quickly, I had been sneezing that evening, but otherwise felt fine. I took some Buckley's cough syrup, a Tylenol cold and flu tablet, and a wet wash cloth. I slept off and on for the rest of the night, waking myself with my coughing, and using the wash cloth to cool off my face and chest. 

By morning, the fever was gone, but my throat was still quite sore and the cough definitely lingered. I had brought Covid tests with me, and while the test was negative, I decided that I'd avoid leaving my cabin as much as possible. Whatever I was suffering from (and I do think it was actually Covid) was something I hoped not to share anymore than I likely already had. 

When my steward, Jerry, arrived mid-morning to clean the cabin, I stepped out onto the balcony. It was a cool morning, about 16C/60F but sunny. I heard Jerry bustling about the room and suddenly he appeared at the balcony door telling me it was too cold outdoors and insisting I come inside. I really didn't mind it and the fresh air was lovely, but I didn't argue.

I spent the rest of the day, mostly dozing off and on, with the balcony door open to allow the fresh sea air to come into the cabin. 

The following morning, I needed something to eat (I hadn't felt like eating the day prior), so masked up, and went to the buffet to grab some breakfast. Had I been thinking the evening prior, I could have had a Continental breakfast delivered to the room in the morning. 

My sore throat had disappeared by then, but I was still coughing and feeling very tired. That day and the next were both sea days so I continued to stay in my cabin, spending time on the balcony, watching television, knitting and napping. I actually watched a movie,  "Table 19", a comedy about a group of misfit guests at a wedding. I quite enjoyed it. For meals, I continued to mask up and attend the buffet shortly before it closed for each meal to avoid crowds. 

Passing the coast of Northern California.

Sunrise photo on a sea day.

Because I had been napping during the day, I found myself awake at night. The second last night, I heard the sounds of birds outside - again, my balcony door was open slightly for the fresh air. I wish I could have gotten a photo or a video (perhaps reader David would have been able to identify them). There was flock of them, flying in a V pattern, that appeared entirely white and ghostlike due to the ship's lights. The sound was a trill that I did not recognize, and it seemed to me they were migrating south. It was eerie to hear and see them in the middle of the night. I'm not certain how far off shore we were at the time, but I have to assume they were quite far out to sea.

By the third day, I was feeling much better. I did venture out, with my mask in place, to stop by the knitting group in the morning to say so long and safe travels to the group. Similarly, that evening, I met a few of the solos outside the dining room to do the same. I stayed just a few minutes with both groups. I had tested again that day, with a negative result for Covid, but didn't want to chance spreading my germs.

By embarkation, I was feeling almost normal, just a bit of a cough remained and I continued to wear a mask in public. I was scheduled to leave the ship at 9:15 a.m. on Friday, with a booked shuttle to the airport. We were off a little early, and I waited outside for a few minutes for the shuttle to arrive. Another of the solos, Edlinda was also taking the shuttle to the airport, and we spent our time chatting. We were all dropped at the same doors at the airport and I made my way down the halls to the WestJet gates. I was in line for the gates to open for about 45 minutes, as they open three hours prior to the our flight. 

Of course, the flight was delayed about 90 minutes before we were up on our way to Calgary. There I went through CBSA quickly. However, instead of being directed to my next gate, I was sent out into the main airport. This meant I had about a 10 minute walk to security for re-screening before I made my way to my gate. The flight was scheduled to leave about 8 p.m., giving me plenty of time for a bite to eat. Then, of course, the flight was delayed about an hour. By the time I picked up my luggage and grabbed a cab it was close to 11 p.m. It was a long day, and I was ready for a good night's sleep.

Despite falling ill, I enjoyed the cruise very much. I met some wonderful people, some of whom I expect to keep in touch with going forward. Who knows, we might even meet again on a future cruise.

Just as a tease, I'll let you in on a secret. I have another trip booked, not a cruise this time, and I'll share more in a few weeks. :)

Getting there and Embarkation Day

My son drove me to the airport about noon on Saturday, Sept 28. I hadn't remembered there was a football game happening, and we took what should have been the shortest route, but traffic was pretty busy. In any event, I was there in plenty of time for my 3 p.m. flight to Calary. The flights to Seattle via Calgary, were fine and on time. However, the airport in Seattle is a gong-show due to the amount of on-going construction.* We arrived to be told we would be disembarking on the tarmac, where we transferred to a bus, and then seemingly, drove the far way around the terminal to a long ramp that switched back and forth until finally spitting us into a lower hallway. From there we turned right and walked the length of the building to the carousel. Once the luggage arrived, I called the hotel and was advised to go upstairs, walk across a skywalk to the garage, take the escalator back downstairs, cross the street and call back with the number on the red pillar closest to me. Confused yet? I was. I eventually found my way after checking with a young woman at a kiosk in the garage.

When I booked this cruise, I booked the Holiday Inn Express - Tukwila due to the availability of a hotel shuttle, a complimentary breakfast, and the fact the hotel was on the list of hotels for the Seattle Express shuttle. The shuttle driver arrived about 15 minutes after my second call. I've forgotten his name, but the fellow was friendly, and very curious about Canada. We arrived at the hotel about 10:30 p.m. by which time I was feeling quite tired. The front desk clerk checked me in quickly, gave me directions to the elevators and I was soon in my room for the night.

It was a lovely room, spacious and spotless. The view from the window was a parking lot, so I left the curtains closed. The bathroom, no photo, was also large and clean. It didn't take me long to get ready for bed and I'm sure I was asleep in minutes. The next morning, I went down for breakfast about 7:15 - lots to choose from! I had the shuttle scheduled for 9 a.m., but my notice indicated I should be downstairs firfteen minutes earlier. Since I'm always concerned about missing the bus/flight, I was there even earlier, about 8:30 and the driver Satchel, arrived a few minutes later. I was first on the bus, but there were several more stops before we reached the pier. We were unloading just before 10 a.m., dropped off luggage with the porters and were soon in a queue to get through security before heading upstairs to the waiting area. I don't think we were waiting more than 10 minutes before we were allowed onboard the ship.

There was time to visit the aft of the ship for some photos, a chance to relax and knit, before I met some members of the FB group for lunch. There were eight of us for lunch, including two women I would see more of throughout the cruise. (Lisa and Lee)

We were docked at Pier 91, while this Norwegian ship (not sure which one) was at the downtown Pier. 

After lunch, the staterooms were available and I went up to drop of my carry-on and personal items. There I met Jerry, my steward, who asked me to complete the declaration form for Victoria. Yes, since we were heading to Canada for our first port, we all had to complete a form indicating the purpose of our visit, the goods we were bringing with us, etc. That was a first for me. After collecting the form, he headed off and as my luggage had arrived, I took the opportunity to unpack. That out of the way, I spent some time reading on my balcony, before heading back to the Wakeview area (Aft 16) for sail-away. Lee met me there and we had a great chat. 

At the dock opposite to us was the Royal Caribbean Radience of the Sea. This is one of RCL's smaller ships with a capacity of approximately 2500 passengers. In comparison the Majestic Princess carries 3560 passengers. I can assure you, there were not nearly that many - getting my luggage before mid-afternoon is quite unusual. 

Then it was time to get ready for dinner and the pre-dinner meeting with the solos and singles. There were two or three who joined me at the Crown Grill bar at 5:15, but it wasn't until 6 p.m. the the Princess host realized that there were several groups in the vicinity and brought us all together. In total there were nearly 25 people who came that first evening. I should note there was no signage, the Crown Grill bar seating area is small, and the majority of the group ended up meeting in the hallway - there was seating but it wasn't in the location indicated. 

Oh well, not an auspicious start, but I did join a group of eight for dinner in the dining room. Several of these solos/singles met every evening thereafter: Bill, Leeann, Sharon, Andy, Edlinda, and me. Others that came and went included Dave, Lynn, Jan, Lee, Lisa, Rose, and couple others whose names I have forgotten. Dinner was lovely, but I chose not to go to the shows that evening, rather headed back to my stateroom for a good night's sleep.

Next up - Day 1 - Victoria, British Columbia

* On the other hand, the departures area of the airport, while congested, did not have the same level of construction. 

I'm back!

Home again, home again, jiggity jig.

This is, based on a Google search, a portion of a children's song: To Market, To Market. My Dad used to say it to us when we were headed home after a Saturday afternoon in town. Another favorite was, Home James and don't spare the horses. Funny how such simple memories are retained.

Again, I am reminded how much I dislike travel days. Getting to Seattle was a relatively simple process, no delays BUT the airport is a mess. More on that later. Getting home however took several hours longer than anticipated due toflight delays. If only I lived closer to a port city, but that isn't happening. I can't be too irritated though, especially watching what has happened the southeastern States with the devestating tornadoes and hurricanes. The house was still standing when I got home, the kitchen was tidy, and the furnace kicked in when it went below freezing. 

This is just a quick check-in. I've unpacked this morning, had a lovely long chat with my brother, and will head out shortly to pick up some groceries. There's nary a vegetable (other than frozen) in the house, nor any real leftovers in the fridge to nibble from this morning. You can bet I'm missing the Marketplace Buffet. No one brought me my tea either. :p

Meanwhile, I'll share a couple of photos, one taken the last night of the cruise, about midnight. The second one I borrowed from my brother of last night's Aurora Borealis. I went straight to bed upon arriving home, and he has less light pollution at the farm.

BTW, the earlier photos were of Seattle (Connie noted this one), sunrise in Victoria, British Columbia, a view of the city of San Fransisco from the Golden Gate Bridge, the marine fog as we pulled into port in Los Angeles, and a sleeping snow leopard at the San Diego zoo. As you can imagine, I've many more photos to share. :)

I likely won't post tomorrow - have a good weekend everyone!

Thinking ahead

The Wednesday photo is a piece of lamium that I brought from the town garden. I'd found it growing as a volunteer in one of the containers - not sure how that happened but there it was. It had three or four leaves on it when I tucked into a container to bring to the city and it is doing well in that raised flower bed. It spreads quickly and I'm hopeful that with more mulch cover, it and the ajuga (bugleweed) that I planted in the spring, the plants will overwinter and fill in that bed over time.

We had a visitor to the front yard a couple of times this week. It appears quite small, so I'm assuming it is one from this years crop. The trees have been full of grackles too, which happens every year as they migrate further south. I'm not feeding the birds this year but they are clearly finding something to eat. The leaves aren't yet changing colour but it won't be long.

It's been a mostly normal week around, some yard work, some housework, some shopping, some knitting and crocheting. Nothing terribly exciting but routine can be a good thing. 

I did get out to stitch and chat on Wednesday. There were four of us there and it was terrific to catch up with everyong. I met my friends K and L at a coffee shop on Friday morning.  L and her family spent two-three weeks vacationing in Europe this summer. They had planned to attend the Taylor Swift concert in Vienna, but of course, that was cancelled because of the serious bomb threats. But they had a wonderful time visiting Italy, Greece and Austria regardless.

I'm starting to think about my cruise (just over 2 weeks away) and went through my toiletries to ensure I had what I needed. The only thing I was missing was conditioner - which is odd because I had shampoo. The ship supplies all-in-one shampoo/conditioner in the shower, but I don't care for it and always bring my own. Sometimes I just grab whatever is at the hotel the night pre-cruise as it is usually better than the cruise companies version. I think I'll be doing that in the future as the small bottle I purchased at Walmart, (of all places) was priced at $3.67!!! Or I'll pick up some dollar store bottles and fill from my home supplies. Either way, I won't be paying for travel sized products like that again.

Something I wasn't certain about was clothing for this cruise. We'll be at sea for six days and I anticipate the temperatures will be cooler than when we visit the ports. Information I located on-line suggest daytime temps around 60-65F while at sea with light winds, and about 10 degrees warmed while in the ports. I'll keep to my summer clothing for the most part, capris and tees for daytime wear, jeans for cooler days, a sweater/hoodie, a lightweight rain jacket...just in case, and of course some nicer outfits for evenings. Oh, and a bathing suit for the hot tubs. I avoid the ones by the pools as some people tend to park themselves in there all day. I know there are two in a quiet area that few people find. 

Today, I'm expecting a quiet day at home. I'll likely get out to do more weeding in the backyard at some point. We've had a wee bit of rain, so the ground, though still hard, has loosened up a bit making it easier to dig out the roots. There is football and baseball, and possibly even curling to watch. 

Have a great week ahead everyone! 

Guadeloupe - Mar 13

I missed the sunrise and our arrival in Guadeloupe. I'd set my alarm, just in case, and was awoken at the sound of it at 7:30 a.m. I headed up to Deck 16 forward to get a few photos.

I was quite surprised to see the tall buildings. They appear to be apartment blocks for locals rather than tourists as I never saw anyone on the balconies.

I'm not certain what this industrial site is used for, perhaps a desalination plant. What struck me was the use of the large solar panels. This was something I would see on both commercial and residential buildings throughout the islands we visited. 

I did not have an excursion booked in Guadeloupe as the Princess offered excursions didn't appeal to me. What I had intended to do was to find a bakery selling "le tourment d'amour" (loves torment). Imagine a pastry base spread with coconut jam and topped with a cinnamon flavored cake. Local lore suggests that a woman created the dessert because she missed her husband who was away at sea. My friends K and J had found these delicious pastries on a previous cruise. I did not have the same luck.

About 10 a.m. I ventured into Pointe-a-Pitre to start my search. There was an obligatory walk through the market by the pier, which was packed with tourists as the Aida Mar was also in port with us that day. I found an information desk, asking for a bakery/cafe where I could have a cold drink. I was directed to the spice market where I found a cafe with the banner "Free WiFi". I'm not certain if that was the name of the cafe or just an advertisement. 

The cafe did have a few pastries, but not the one I wanted, so I simply ordered a Coca-Cola. I spent an hour there at an outside table checking in with my daughter, catching up on FB and blog reading, and watching the activity of the spice market. Towards the end of my time, a fellow at the next table lit up a very stinky cigar so I decided it was time to move on. After a circle of the area I was in with no luck locating the pastry, I headed back to the ship.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing, reading on Deck 7, taking a short afternoon nap, and playing Trivia. Again, I learned how little I know. :) Just before sail-away, I stopped for a vanilla ice cream before heading over to the Terrace Bar.  There I sat and visited with a couple currently living in Ontario, but originally from Scotland. A very interesting couple - I never ran into them again but I quite enjoyed our chat.

That evening, we had a decent sunset. It was cloudy again, but the sky was pretty.

Next up - Martinque 

Christmas, curling, and cold

Being a bit of a number nerd, I did the calculation on items that I can purchase here in Canada as compared to the US prices (after conversion to Cdn dollars). Overall I saved nearly 40% on those purchases. Some items were definitely worth it - like the Skechers slip-ons and Christmas pj's for Eli. Others, not so much - I could have picked up the sweatpants for Eli's for (slightly) less here in Regina since they were on sale here too.

I also picked up some items that we just don't have here - Dot's Pretzels (not as good as I was assured they'd be), Dolly Parton cake mixes, and specialty flavours of Oreos. The amount I saved in Canadian dollars offset almost half the cost of the trip. Had I stayed home, I might have saved money, but I wouldn't have completed my shopping in such a short period of time and probably run all over town looking for the "perfect" gift. On this trip, I had to make my decisions quickly - do dithering allowed.

The rest of the week has been fairly quiet. I did a little grocery shopping on Tuesday in order to pick up some needed items and a few sale items. The furnace guy dropped by later that day to check out the furnace as I've been hearing a whine occasionally when it starts up. Yes, we had the home inspector check it, but he didn't mention the whine and the furnace is 22 years old. Of course it didn't whine when he was here, though he knew that it would like be the inducer motor. He did a couple of tests and everything is working well though did say when it starts getting very loud, we'll want to replace it. The part is about $1000, but a new furnace is about $6K so I'll ensure my son knows to keep an ear out.

I also finished off the six cocoa cups for teacher's gifts for Eli. (Photo of the two was posted on Wednesday). I've started a couple of small ornaments for my nephew and niece to go along with their gift cards. Last year I gave them little snowman ornaments and they couldn't stop talking about them. Perhaps this can become a annual tradition and when they are on their own, they'll have a start of decorations for their trees.

Wednesday was stitch and chat. I puttered around the house in the morning, doing a bit of laundry, dishes, reading blogs, and working on the Christmas letter. My travel agent called before lunch and we chatted about her trip to Portugal, my bus tour, and my upcoming March 2024 cruise. Final payment is due next week, so we took care of that. She's keeping an eye out for airfare for my August 2024 cruise as well though prices at the moment are quite high. I'm hoping for a price drop though that's probably wishful thinking.

On Thursday I had planned to visit the nearby community center to meet some local women and try to learn Mahjong. However, I woke with a cough and a drippy nose. I decided that I'd best stay home and after some Buckley's and a sinus and cold Tylenol, I felt well enough to get some more cleaning done, got my Christmas cards written and ready for the mail, as well as some crocheting. I cannot locate my safety eyes in my craft room boxes, so ordered more as I'll need them to finish off the ornaments. In the afternoon I discovered another curling event on You-tube. It was only the second draw, so I should be able to amuse myself for the rest of the week.

I was feeling quite a bit better on Friday morning, so I masked up and went to the mall to mail my Christmas cards and a parcel for D & Eli. A stop at Safeway was on the agenda too, where I picked up some ingredients for Christmas baking. At home between curling games, I mixed up a pan of gingerbread cake. I also finished Chilly, the penguin I started making for a friend back in October (before the packing began in earnest). He's a little crooked and not perfect but I think he turned out pretty cute.

My son is learning all about the trials of home ownership. On Friday, the light in the main bathroom started to fail. It's an enclosed LED vanity light fixture with no way to replace the lights, thus a new fixture is needed. I checked on-line at our local outlets and none had the appropriate size in stock, except one and the reviews for it were abysmal. I ended up ordering from Amazon, so he'll have to remember to take his cellphone to the bathroom for light in the morning, as it won't be in until December 9th (at the earliest). I'll convince my brother to help us install it. I'd done an install on a light in the old house a few years and it worked fine but this one is quite a big bigger and heavier.

Today, getting my little tree decorated, gifts wrapped, and more crocheting is on the agenda. And, of course, more curling to watch.

Oh, and the best thing to happen this week is: I found my tea canister. I have absolutely no idea why I packed it as I did. The darn thing was tucked in among toilet paper rolls in the original product packaging. I mean, it was a safe place for it, but I don't remember putting it there and I never would have thought to look for it, I just happened upon it when I was getting more paper for the loo.

Have a wonderful week ahead everyone!

Sea days - so much to see and do

A lot of cruisers dislike sea days - they'd rather be in port every day. Generally, these folks do Caribbean or Mediterranean cruises, where the islands/ports are close together. For example, a 14 day Caribbean cruise for January 2024, has only 4 sea days. A 14 day Mediterranean cruise for June 2023, has only 3 sea days. No, I've not get these booked...they are simply examples. Guaranteed these folks aren't doing the world cruise, there are 58 sea days in a 111 day trip.

I've heard comments that sea days are boring. And I say, if you're bored on a cruise ship, you're trying too hard. The daily newsletter that arrives at the stateroom door in the evening, provides a list of activities for the following day - it's also available on interactive boards throughout the ship and on the company's app as well. These activities often overlap and sometimes it's impossible to do everyone one might want to do.

Activities range from trivia (always popular), port talks, guest lecturers, movies and concerts on the big screen by the pool, and especially on sea days, games like giant jenga or egg drop contests. In the latter, guests build contraptions that will "float" the egg to the lower level of the atrium, usually from two or three stories up. The egg that doesn't break is the winner. These are all arranged by the cruise staff and the entertainment continues into the evening with muscians in various venues, production shows, comedians, and other musicians in the theatre. 

There are also activities arranged by the passengers themselves - knitters and knatters is an unhosted group, as are the singles/solos, LGBTQ, AA meetings, meet and greets for Cruise critic, first responders, and regular game events for Mahjongg, cribbage, Bridge, and various board games. On the World Cruise, there was a book club as well. There is a library on board most ships, with both books to check out and ones that passengers leave behind that can be taken - I try not to bring any home.

Oh, and of course, on a hot vacation cruise, there is always lazing by the pool and relaxing in the hot tubs. Every ship has a gym for those who want to exercise, plus decks for walking. As I say, you have to choose to be bored.

So what did I do on the ship? As you probably know, I'm a bit of a creature of habit; I do enjoy my routine and I easily slip into one even when I'm on vacation. My days always started reasonably early and got earlier as the cruise continued. I missed sunrise photos those first few days so had to set an alarm a couple of mornings. After getting ready for the day, I'd head up to the deck 15 (Sun deck) to see what I could see, even on the days I missed sunrise.

Birds often follow the ships, most frequently when we aren't far out at sea. Occasionally, they'll actually hang out on the ship. This was up on the sun deck, not far from the burger and fry station. I suspect he was looking for leftovers. Too early! The station didn't open until 11 a.m.

I discovered that the best place (usually) to get a sunrise photo was from the Sanctuary. It didn't open to the paying guests until 8 a.m. so several of us would hang out early in the morning while the crew was setting up for the day.

After my breakfast, always outside of the buffet, I would head down to Deck 7 (Promenade) for my morning walk. Not all of the Princess ships have this feature and I miss it - walking on Deck 15 requires more avoiding of people on sun loungers and in the smoking area. On the Promenade, most people were walking and the chairs to sit in were out of the way. I would walk for a good 30-40 minutes each day, stopping occasionally to look over the railing at the sea. I was hoping to see a whale or two, or maybe some dolphins. After my walk, I'd go to my stateroom to drop of my camera, do my stretching exercises, and pick-up my knitting. 

Knitters and Knatters was from 9-11 in the morning, and while I didn't usually stay the full two hours, I did get some work done. I crocheted four of the "cocoa" mugs for my daughter for next year's teacher's Christmas gifts - she now tells me she needs six. I also knitted a pair of mittens for myself. The old ones I had were starting to fall apart. My last, unfinished project, is a free form crocheted Christmas tree. I was limited to the yarn that I had brought with me.

From Knitters and Knatters, I'd drop off my bag and head upstairs with my camera for a wander. Or on a couple of days, change into a bathing suit and head for the pool (too cold) or hot tub. That only happened twice as I ran into a woman in the hot tub, who hated the ship, hated the food, hated the crew, hated the sea days and I decided the better part of valour was to avoid the hot tubs when there was anyone else in them. 

Lunch was usually around 11:30 or noon. Most often, in the buffet where I'd run into someone I met, or occasionally on Deck 15 at the burger place, where I'd run into someone I'd met. There was a fellow who I'd met at sail-away, and we kept running into each other. He was friendly fellow who was often to be seen chatting with various people. His party of four were rarely together, though I did meet two of them on a couple of occasions. There were also several of the singles/solo group that I'd see out and about. On two of the sea days, several of us met at one of the restaurants for Alfredo's pizza, and for the pub lunch. Yum, fish and chips with mushy peas and Pim's Cup for me.

After lunch, I'd grab my Kobo or a book, along with my camera and back to the Promenade for much of the afternoon. I'm not a sun bather and the music on the pool deck is loud and carries up to the sun deck as well. I found I spent a good portion of the afternoon outside, wandering the deck or sitting and reading. There was always something to see.

Often it was birds, circling the ship, looking and diving for their next meal.

One day, however, was absolutely thrilling (at least to me). 

Sea turtles! There were, what seemed to me, hundreds of them. 

And dolphins too!

I ought to have had my camera on sports mode, as I missed them leaping from the water. One of the passengers shared a video she had captured on FB - it was so amazing. There were at least a dozen or more in this group.

This was my favorite shot, even though the turtle hadn't yet breached the water. It was incredibly close to the ship and within its wake. After reviewing my photos I really wished I had a better zoom lens. I've been researching and will need to upgrade my camera package to get what I want. Can you say big bucks?

Some days, I needed a quick nap in the stateroom, or would rest and read some more before preparing for the evening. Every day I met the group at the Wheelhouse Bar around 5:15 p.m., but on a couple of occasions would be there around 4 p.m. for trivia. I'm not particularly good at answering questions, though almost always answered the Canadian questions correctly.

This was "our" space in the Wheelhouse bar. We often commandeered chairs from other tables to add to the group. It was always a wonderful time, lots of laughter and chatter. Most evenings a group of 4-7 of us would head to dinner together. We did eat at the main dining room a few nights, but as we learned that could require much patience and waiting in line-ups, so as the days went on we preferred the buffet. Every night at the buffet was a different theme - a few I remember were: Indian, Italian, German, and Mexican.

This would allow those who wanted to attend the early show at the theatre (7:30 p.m.) to find a seat by shortly after 7. The early show was always full. I didn't attend every evening, but did see two of the three production shows (basically a music and dance show put on the entertainment crew), a comedian, the Neil Diamond tribute show, and Nathan Phan - a magician, musician and impressionist. I was most impressed with the Neil Diamond tribute show and Nathan - I even went to his second performance - a rarity for me. I had seen the third production show in the Majestic in May so skipped that one as well. 

Because we were usually at dinner, I didn't often see the sunset. But one evening, as we were heading into the theatre I slipped outside to the open deck for this photo.

I was back in my stateroom by 9 p.m. every evening where I would read for a bit before turning in. I knew morning would come early! Throughout the cruise I finished reading five books - that's more than I've read in months. 

Our final two sea days we were expecting to see whales and dolphins, however the weather wasn't conducive. It was cool, windy, and the waves in the Pacific were quite a bit higher than we'd experienced early in the cruise. While we didn't get the rain the California coast was getting, I suspect we were feeling some effects of the weather coming in from the west.

I did however, get some spectacular sunrise shots the one day. I'll share more than one here.

We were up in the sanctuary and actually got kicked out, because we were there so long.

By this point in the cruise, sunrise was much later in the day. If memory serves, we were asked to leave about 7:45 a.m.

I should note, the temperature on those last two days at sea, was about 60F (16C)at most. I had purchased the internet package for the last two days, in order to check-in for my flights, read/write blogs and to connect with my daughter and son. But, having the internet on the cool days meant I was able to find curling to watch too! I still sat out on the Promenade deck in the afternoon, but I'm sure some people wondered at what they were hearing, "Hurry hard, sweeeep!!!"

One of our solo group was part of the Princess Pop choir. This is a group of passengers who work with the music director to learn a few songs for a presentation to the passengers on the last day at sea. I went to see them perform and enjoyed it a great deal.

That ends my posts about the cruise. To end the photos I'll leave you with the wake of the ship. Normally I'd take a photo from the back of the ship, but there were cabins in the way on this ship. This was taken on the Promenade Deck on the last day.

Thanks for sharing this journey with me. Writing the posts bring back some wonderful memories!

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

I had no excursion planned in the port, and though I did leave the ship, I didn't spend much time off of it. However, that day I got in over 22,000 steps - just from moving around the ship for various photo opportunities!

I woke about 6 a.m., as I sensed a change in the movement of the ship. I grabbed a quick breakfast at the buffet and headed up to deck 15 to eat. A woman stopped by the table as I was eating, and I learned she lived in a community that my older brother had lived in for many years. He had left before she arrived, but she had heard his name. Small world!

My first sighting of Puerto Vallarta, still dark at the time. After breakfast I headed to the front of the ship for the sunrise.

The sunrise was pretty, but not as nice as the ones at sea. I didn't stick around to watch as the sun climbed over the hills.

The big attraction in Puerto Vallarta was the Walmart store. I'd heard several other passengers talk about making a trip to the store while they were in the port. Especially among those who were on the World Cruise (111 days). 

The store is literally down and across the street from the pier. I decided I would join the parade of passengers when the excursion crowds left the ship and look for a couple of items.

While I had thought I might walk or take a cab to the Malecon boardwalk, I knew that it would likely be very busy, and full of vendors. As I've mentioned previously, I'm not enthralled with being swarmed by the vendors so that idea was quickly rejected. One of the other single/solo members did check it out and said it was very busy so I'm glad I made the decision.

I headed off ship about 8:45. I laughed because the exit from the ship led through the duty free shop (this is often the case in Mexico) and several other shops, before one can reach the busy sidewalk. I did notice one shop in the area that I would stop at on the way back.

The street to cross was very busy, and at least a couple of vehicles took the traffic lights as mere suggestions. Most, however, did stop on the red light for pedestrians. I stayed on the outside away from the traffic and was able to safely cross. 

Walmart was....interesting. It was clear the farmacia was the most popular section and many of the shelves were well picked over. Other areas of the store had very limited selections, and some sections made me think of an old hardware store where parts and pieces of items are placed willy-nily on the shelves. One thing they had mountains of were candies and potato chips.My only purchase was a small tube of toothpaste as I was running low. 

I left the store and walked over to the nearby mall, however it wasn't open until 11. I headed back towards Walmart, as I'd noticed a small cafe (VIPs) and decided to stop in for a cup of coffee when I saw the "free WiFi" sign on the door. I ordered a cup of coffee and a pastry - basically a croissant with chocolate inside. The coffee was amazing and the pastry simply delicious! I used the free WiFi to call D before checking in on FB, my blog, and Instagram. I finished off my visit by catching up on the local (Canadian and Saskatchewan) news while enjoying my coffee refill.

On the way back to the ship I did stop at the Casa Mexican store and purchased the last of the gifts for my children. For C, I found four small bottles of hot sauce, and for D, three small bottles of Mexican vanilla and a glass dolphin. Something interesting happened there; the clerk told me the total was $44 USD - which seemed a bit high, but I couldn't see the screen. The clerk tried running through my Mastercard a couple of times and it wouldn't process. The second clerk came over and said something to her, quite sharply, and she re-ran it again and this time it went through. I glanced at the receipt and noted it read $34 USD. I suspect she was trying to put in the higher price to obtain $10 from the till for herself but Mastercard credit cards don't allow for cash back. 

I wandered around the ship for awhile, dropped off my purchases at the stateroom, dropped off a book at the library and chose another easy read, and went to the gym to stretch before going for lunch. I had been stretching each day, most often in my stateroom, but I chose the gym since there is a scale. Happy was I when I stepped on the scale to learn that I hadn't gained any weight on this cruise! After lunch I headed to Deck 7 to walk, read, and take photos.

The brown pelicans were predominant in the port. Always keeping an eye out for their next meal.

I often take photos, not necessarily knowing what I'm seeing through the lens. This is a ship from Vidanta Cruises, the first Mexican luxury cruise line that debuted in April 2022. Now that takes some courage, starting a new cruise line in the midst of what was still a pandemic. There isn't a lot of information on-line but it appears the 540 passenger ship sails along the Pacific coast of Mexico.

Looking towards the city, I noticed these workers on the top floor of the building. It looks to me that one of them is taking a photo of us.

I had noticed at the port shops, a ferry station. These two were coming and going at the same time. I've no idea where they went or where they came from. If I were to return to Puerto Vallarta, I'd probably consider the option.

There was never a time without some traffic on the water nearby.

We had company in port too, when the Royal Caribbean ship pulled into the pier nearby.

All aboard time was 4:30 p.m. I stayed on the starboard side of the ship to watch for latecomers. These fellows weren't late, but I was surprised to see the bicycles. I've never seen that on a cruise before, but it's not a bad idea if one enjoys biking. No line-up for a taxi!

We did have one late arrival. At about 4:40 there was a call on the ship for one passenger and within a couple of minutes I saw him hustling on board with a bag full of purchases. I should note, that I saw many of the crew carrying bags of groceries on board as well - not from Walmart. They do get fed on the ship, but I'm sure there are foods they prefer that they'd find in the city.

I stayed out for sail-away and watched the pelicans.

The ship stirs up the water, and I'm sure that offers the birds good fishing.

I didn't have time to clean up before the singles/solos meet-up so I went as I was. After a buffet dinner a small group of us went to see Nathan Phan's show. A magician, musician, and comedian, he was fun to watch. I was back in my stateroom by 9 and asleep not long after.

Next up - a final post on "what did I do on sea days?".

Huatulco, Mexico

As I mentioned in the last post, I did not have an excursion booked in this port - so there are fewer photos to share. I had never been to this port before and decided I would explore the port area, and knew there was a beach right off the pier.

I was awake about 5:30 that morning thinking I'd get up before we docked and perhaps catch the sunrise. Instead I thought 10 more minutes, and when I awoke next it was 6:40 a.m. and the ship was pulling into dock. When I checked the bridge cam, it appeared to be raining, so I decided to take it slow that morning. 

After a leisurely breakfast, again out on the deck, because if it has been raining, it had stopped by then. I headed up with my camera to take some photos of the port.

Even early in the morning, there were people relaxing on the beach.

This was shortly before the gangways were open for passengers to leave the ship. There is security at the end of the pier to ensure only passengers and crew of the cruise ships can walk the pier. There were local drivers with small golf carts assisting some passengers.

Off the pier was a marina which was busy the entire day. Catamarans and fishing boats were the first to head out to sea. If/when I return I'll look into a catamaran cruise around the area. Up on the hill is obviously a resort. They must have incredible views!

Several brown pelicans were waiting patiently for their breakfast. 

There were several restaurants and bars along the beach. The one on the left is where I had my lunch later that day.

I stopped at the stateroom to drop off my camera, and pick up my knitting and headed to Crooners bar for the Knitters and Knatters group. Interesting note - it wasn't unusual to see people grabbing their first drink of the day at 9:30 a.m - usually a Mimosa but occasionally a Margarita or other mixed drink. I assume these were passengers who had purchased the beverage package that allows up to 12 drinks per day - I guess trying to get their money's worth. 

There were four of us there that morning. Two weren't planning to leave the ship, one had an excursion booked for the afternoon, and I had decided to wait until the crowds leaving the ship that morning were well on their way. About 10:45 I left the group and headed back to the stateroom to drop the knitting, and to pick-up my wallet for the walk into town. I had already decided I would have a meal there at one of the cafes.

I ran into three of the solos/singles on the pier. Two of them had been off the ship by 8:30 and were heading back on-board after a little browsing in the shops. I think the other had an excursion. I wandered around a bit, but really had no shopping in mind. The vendors weren't as vocal and grabby as they had been in Colombia and I did go into a couple of interesting looking shops. 

There was nothing I couldn't live without so I carried on to look at the church. I've since learned that the Chapel of Santa Cruz is a popular wedding destination because of its location and views of the ocean and beach. There wasn't a wedding going on but there were many people wandering in and through the building. Hence, I only took a photo of part of the church.

I was walking past a cafe when a young man offered me a menu. I took it, and asked about WiFi - he assured me they had it and I agreed to take a table. As I entered the restaurant it was clear it was a local favorite as there were many families enjoying a meal there too. To start, I ordered a local beer, and later a plate of fish tacos. 

With WiFi, I was able to have a chat with D for twenty minutes while I waited for my food and watched the people around me. This is when I learned about Lady Spencer's arrival. I didn't hurry my meal as there were lots of tables and it was cool in the shade. 

Then it was time for a walk along the beach, and to get my feet in the Pacific ocean. It was quite busy with lots of families, so I didn't stay long. I was back onboard ship by 1 p.m. I spent the afternoon reading and taking more photos.

Across from the ship there were a number of resorts up on the hill. 

This is probably my favorite of the bunch. To the right there was one that is under construction and looked almost abandoned.

Further down the shoreline closer to the entrance from the ocean to the port was this group. I assume these are local families out for a day at the beach. 

This photo made me laugh. A pair of fishermen were clearly cleaning their catch and tossing bits into the water. That brown spot you see in the center by the boat is a brown pelican diving into the water to get a bite.

I did stay out for sail-away, and then headed back to my stateroom to clean up for the evening.  It was a laid back, quiet day on the Island Princess. I quite enjoyed my visit into the port area, and can see myself visiting again in the future. (I don't often say that about Mexican ports).

Funny thing, a couple of days later I received a message from a friend from grade school. She, her mother, and sister were in Huatulco when I was there and had seen the ship come in. Had she realized I was on board we would have gotten together for a visit. 

Next up - Puerto Vallarta, Mexico