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. 

Return to Bayonne

Sunrise January 9, 2019

I don't have many photos from the last few days at sea, because, well there really isn't much to see on those days.  There was no other traffic within viewing distance, so the sights beyond the ship were  the sea and sky.  I'll add a few photos from various days sunrise and sunset.

It may sound odd, but sea days tend to be busy.  The ship's activity cruise director schedules additional activities during the day, so one can be as busy or as lazy as one likes.  This cruise I spent a lot of time at trivia.  It was held a few times a day, more frequently on sea days and I was part of a somewhat nebulous group who came together to play.  Along with L (who I met at the airport), there were Sandy and Jeff, Beth and Tom, Kate and John, and Nora. At one point we said we should call ourselves the "one away" team as we were often one right short.  However, the group did win occasionally, I was there for two of the wins so came home with a highlighter and a key chain.  The latter was won on the sea day, when the category was Captains.  We had finished one trivia and waited for the second an hour later, and brainstormed possible captains.  Many of the questions were in reference to a captain, for example what was the real name of Captain America? - Steve Rogers.  We missed only one question, when was Captain Crunch cereal introduced.  We guess 1962, but it was actually 1963.  

Another sea day, I went to the afternoon matinee of We Will Rock You - a musical play featuring the music of Queen.  It was set in the future; musical instruments no longer exist, and the music is synthesized.  A Queen and her minion are in charge, the young people are near robots, with the exception of two, Galileo and a young woman who wears black and doesn't fit in with the rest of the young women.  The two find each other, and embark on a trip to a place where rock and roll still exists.  After a number of mishaps, they eventually find the one last instrument (a guitar) and rock and roll is reborn.  It was fun to watch, and best of all was the guitar player Joyce Kuo (not one of the actors).  She was truly amazing!

One afternoon I was playing Soduko in 2-70 prior to a presentation the Royal Caribbean cruise line history, when I was joined by Alan and Teresa (from the pre-cruise dinner).  We chatted about cruises we've done and our plans for the future.  Oh, by the way, I did book another cruise while I was on the ship.  I'd been looking for a British Isles cruise for 2020 but the prices were too much for my pocketbook.  RCI was offering significant discounts for booking on-board.  I'd gone down to the Cruise Next desk a few days earlier just to see what the price might be and ended up booking the Brilliance of the Seas for June 12, 2020.  The price differential between what I was seeing and their cost will more than cover my flights and hotel!  The presentation was interesting and I was excited to learn that the Brilliance will be undergoing a refurbishment this year.  Teresa told me, too, that the crew of the Brilliance are very loyal to the ship, and many have been there for years.  

Sunset January 11, 2019

I also spent as much time as I could outdoors, either on my balcony or on deck 5 (promenade deck).  I kept thinking it seemed stuffy in the ship - and then learned that the air conditioning wasn't working in the forward areas of the ship.  Luckily my cabin was in the aft and I wasn't affected.  It took several days for the issue to be resolved and by this point there were many upset passengers.  RCI did provide compensation between $200-500 per cabin but from what I understand many people were not happy with this and that saga goes on.  Of course, by the end of the second sea day we didn't need a/c any longer.

Sadly, we also had a medical emergency and as a result were diverted to Bermuda.  We arrived late one evening, the passenger was removed to a waiting pilot boat and sent to the hospital there.  A nurse from the ship escorted the passenger, so we anchored offshore until she returned.  We were told she had a respiratory issue but beyond that I've heard no further news.  I hope she recovered and is at home by now.  

As a result, the ship was delayed into Bayonne.  Initially the captain had indicated we'd have a two hour delay, but that was later changed to 3 hours. It was abundantly clear that I would be missing my flight.  That took up a fair amount of time, as I had to call the airline and Airmiles to make the changes and was on hold for 45 minutes or more each time. Here too, the cruise line was awesome, I was able to make the calls at no charge, and my change fees are being reimbursed.    

Sunset January 25, 2019

On the final sea day, I met Alan and Teresa, Angelina and Marcel, at Jamie's for lunch.  This is a franchise of Jamie Oliver, the food is fresh made and so very delicious.  We had a lovely lunch with lots of laughter and way too much food.  I even ordered the small order of the entree, penne carbonara and it was too much.  I left before dessert to meet L at the Cruise next desk - we'd met for dinner a few nights earlier and she mentioned she had also booked another cruise. It turned to be the same one I'd booked!  We thought we'd look into the cost of booking a balcony room to share, as I'm in a studio and she is in a virtual balcony (it's basically a video screen of the wake of the ship).  However, we discovered the cost was too significant to make the change.  But we both would like to spend some time in London prior to the cruise, so will plan to travel together.  We'll likely meet in Toronto and fly from there...lots of time to figure all that out!

On Friday morning, we docked in Bayonne shortly after 9 a.m.  My original flight had been scheduled for 10:30; the ship had to clear customs before we could disembark and the airport was about 25 minutes away so there was no way I could have made that flight.  Fortunately while this was happening I was on the telephone finalizing my changes with the airline and I was able to change to a 3:15 flight out of Newark.  I was scheduled to take first shuttle from the port to the airport, so had only a short wait until I was off the ship and through customs.  (I don't they really care in the U.S. when one is transiting to Canada - I basically walked straight through).  We did have a wait on the shuttle for about 20 minutes waiting for the bus to fill.  

When I got through security (very brief - hooray for TSA prechek) and into the gate areas, I decided to grab some lunch.  There was a cafe a short distance beyond security, I looked in and who should I see but L.  We sat and enjoyed another meal together before heading to our gates, which were side by each.  She was scheduled to leave shortly after 2 but due to weather my flight actually left prior to hers, even with a delay of 20 minutes.  Then it was off to Calgary, and finally back to Regina.  We arrived shortly before midnight and I was in bed by 1 p.m., tired but glad to be home.

It truly was the best cruise ever!  I loved the ship, the itinerary, and met some absolutely wonderful people.  The entertainment on the ship was fantastic, my favorite was "The Gift" - an original RCI muscial production, sharing the story of a family devastated by the loss of their mother - in an artful dream sequence.  It was odd, but beautiful, especially as the gift is revealed at the end.  I can't recall the actual words, but the message was that love lives on beyond death.  I'm an odd ball because I liked it, most people I talked to did not.   The weather was fantastic, though I suspect I would have not enjoyed it as much had I lost the a/c in my cabin.  Even with the delay returning to Bayonne, RCi made what would have been a stressful time much easier.  As the captain stated in his messages, the passengers are their priority.  

Thanks for sharing in my latest journey.  I'm home now for a couple of months before I head out again.  I expect my posts will be more sporadic, as it is time to start prepping the house for sale, and doing some sorting and clearing out of stuff. But I'll be around! 

Have a great day!

On my way

This post is nearly a week behind but I hope you won't mind if I recount the trip over a series of posts.  I have photos but writing keeps the memories alive as well.

I flew out of Regina last Saturday morning; it started early with a 3:15 a.m. wake-up.  I washed up, got dressed and called a cab.  He was earlier than I anticipated but this turned out to be a good thing, as I got held up in a line up at check-in.  For some reason, the machine could not read my passport, and even the agent couldn't get it to work.  It was never a problem at any other airport on the trip, so have to assume it was this particular machine.  The two people in front of me seemed to be worse off, not sure what paperwork they required but it certainly was a lot.

Flight to Toronto and to New York were smooth.  I was fortunate in having a seat between myself and another guest on both legs.  I arrived in New York (LaGuardia) just slightly ahead of schedule and that's when things took a turn.

Misdirections from the welcome staff had me miss the first shuttle to the hotel, but with a second call and ignoring the instructions from the welcome crew I made my way to the proper area.  I can't explain why the shuttle picked me up where people were being dropped for their flights, rather than the pick-up area except there was lots of construction going on.  It made no sense.

When I got to the hotel, things went from a little annoying to my worst nightmare.  I had booked my hotel using Airmiles, but the hotel had no record of my reservation.  After nearly an hour of attempting to contact Airmiles in Canada (it was after hours and everything was shut down), the head office of Marriott in the States, we simply gave up and I paid for a night's stay.  $299USD plus taxes resulted in a charge to my credit card of $434.93!!!  I have since gotten it straightened out but at the time it was a frustration I could have lived without.

At this point, I wanted nothing more than something to eat, a shower and bed.  The following morning, I took the hotel shuttle back to the airport where I picked up the shuttle to the cruise port terminal.  Our embarkation was delayed as the ship had arrived from Europe that morning, and had to be fully cleared by the US Coast Guard.  We heard later too, that the ship had lost power so it was a bit of wait.  However, as I have platinum status, I was in VIP group 8 and on board by 1:45 p.m.  

I dropped off my carry-one at my stateroom, then went up to the buffet for a bite to eat.  I hadn't bothered to eat at the hotel, as dinner the menu was small and the prices were high.

I headed back to the stateroom to grab my camera and found that my luggage had already arrived!
While I was unpacking, my steward Richard dropped by to introduce himself and check if I needed anything.  
I told him, no I was unpacking, then was heading to muster drill at 4:15, the sail-away at 5 or 5:30 and had dinner plans for 6:30. 

He laughed and said, you have this figured out.  

I had an interior state room for this trip, so there was no sea view or windows.  Yes, it was dark at night but with all the lights nd mirrors it never felt small or crowded.  I might have felt differently if I were travelling with someone but for one person it was perfect.

The bathroom and closet are just inside the door.  There is a small bar fridge in the cabinet below the television, a hair dryer is affixed to the wall next to the mirror and there is lots and lots storage - both bedside table, drawers in the desk, and cubbies in the closet that holds the safe.  

I did a walk-about while waiting for muster drill.  It's held before sailing at the start of every cruise to ensure passengers know how to put on a life jacket and safely leave the ship in case of an emergency.  All guests are expected to attend and those who don't get a special visit from an officer.  I've never missed but I expect they must a remedial class! 

At sail-away I met many of the solo cruisers and a few Cruise Critic members.  Our solo group comprised 13 women and 2 men, two of us were Canadian, the rest were from the United States, and those primarily from New York or Baltimore. Conna was from California and Matt currently lives in Arizona.  The average age was probably 60'ish  (Facebook photos don't always tell the truth).  

It was a hot and hazy day in New York city, with clear skies.  My favorite photo of sail-away is that of Lady Liberty.

Later that evening, eleven of us met for dinner.  The host was shocked when we asked for a table that large, but they managed by squeezing in another chair at a table for ten.  We spent the dinner getting to know each other a little better, and while we sat down shortly after 6:30, we didn't finish dessert and coffee until nearly 9 p.m.  I can't recall what I had for dinner, but the chatter and laughter are with me still.

Tomorrow - Newport, Rhode Island