Last Night

After showering I meet up with Bernie in Wheelhouse bar and sat at the bar so we could catch up with Allain Mendoza.  We first met Alain on the Royal last January in Vines.

Allain

Bernie gets a Cosmo and I get my Bramble.  Oh that Cosmo is good Bernie adds.

We are later than normal and as we head to deck six for dinner we run into Mitre d' Silva in the stairway he asks about our trip and of course it was great.  He directs us to the dining room on deck five cause it is much quieter and we are given a table for two.

The table is right in front a station, basically the dirty dishes are our view!  Our waiters seem off, food comes out before drinks, no pepper is offered, and our pasta appetizer is not offered parmesan either.  These short three days just don't cut it when it comes to dining room service we find.  The food is good though and that glass of Ancient Peaks is very good.

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Tom Turkey meal

We decide to head down to Vista Lounge for the Liar's Club.  Bernie hands out chocolates or treats every time we go up to answer.  One time we hand out Pop Rocks and they each put them in their mouths as they answer the words' meaning.  I got it on video but will have to wait to get home to put it up. 

After the game we meet up with Paul and Melissa and head to Wheelhouse to get a drink and catch up with both of them.  We appreciate all they do and they work so hard.  Till we meet again.

Monday Sea Day

What a lovely night’s sleep but we are awake at 6:40.  We decide to shower and head to the dining room for breakfast.  It is being served in Da Vinci starting from 7 am.

We are sat at a table for two and we order freshly squeezed orange juice.  Oh my this is so good.  So we order another.

 

I get a half grapefruit and the eggs benedict.  While waiting for the food the pastry guy comes by and offers us Danishes 
and I respond oh no I am sweet enough as it is.  He then smiles and says “croissant then” oh that just cracked me up.

Food was excellent and within a half hour we are out of the dining room and take a seat in Vines and do some reading and enjoy another coffee while the rest of the ship comes alive.

Oh I should add that we got our disembarkation information last night.  We are going to have clear US Customs before getting off the ship tomorrow.  They have everyone having to go to Vista Lounge at their designated time to clear customs and then they can get off.

Normally when we have done this itinerary we clear US Customs at Canada Place before getting on the ship and so we don’t have clear it when we arrive in the US.  But we didn’t do this cause we had a port stop in Victoria before arriving in the US.  Also we are at the other pier – the old pier.  There is another ship in the new berth so we are bumped.  Facilities at the old one are horrible so it makes sense that customs is coming on board.

The disembarkation times have been assigned by cabin numbers and they are all walk off except for some who had to go to the Purser’s desk before 2 pm yesterday to say they had luggage. 

Okay back to our day.  The outlet sale is happening and we want to check it out to get some items for our nephews we are seeing.  Bernie stops in and picks up some tshirts for the boys.  I am sitting in the Atrium reading and chatting with people who sit beside us.

We meet a nice man from Mountain House (where we are going when we get off) and he is very helpful with tips.  Then a couple sits beside us and then we get talking about drinks they are trying and what I am drinking.  She overhears us talking about my facebook page – Cruising Princess Cruise Line with Vickie and she tells me she works for facebook in their FB Page area.  When I tell her more about how much I love my page and what I can do she promises to it out.

Lots is happening around the ship but we are quite happy just relaxing and reading.  But as we are there they do the fruit/vegetable carving in the Atrium.  Then there is the 60 second frenzy.  Vista is doing line dancing by Melissa.  Of course there is Zumba earlier.  The MUTS is featuring Now You See Me. 

We decide for lunch to try out the pub lunch in the Crown Grill.  When we arrive we are sat and we see Alan and we both are like “where do we know you from”.  Then he says his last contract was the Royal and oh yeah Vines!  He worked there with Ryan.  We promise to visit Wheelhouse tonight to have a drink and catch up with him.

We both order the fish and chips with a coke.  The chips are good but the fish was really bad.  It had obviously been fried and sat there cause the outside is NOT crispy at all, in fact it is a soggy mess.  I just take out the fish and eat that.

After our meal I tell Bernie I am going to head up to the Horizon Court and grab some salad and really enjoy the layout of items for a nice salad.  I sit and enjoy it before heading back to the cabin where we watch a bit of a movie.  But we are both struggling to stay awake.  So we set the alarm for 3:15 cause we are off to see Dolores and Laura for afternoon tea in their cabin.

We arrive and the huge spread of food is there.  Sheila and Greggory are there too and we spend the next few hours laughing our heads off.

We don’t get back to our cabin till after six.  I am catching up on my blog posts.  Bernie is reading.  We are trying to decide what to do tonight.  I think we are heading to the dining room.

The day has been jam packed with activities and lots going on tonight too.

Here are some of the things that were scheduled for this afternoon:  slot tournament, ballroom dance class, 10 pin bowling, adult golf putting, afternoon movie in the Princess Theater is Far from the Maddening Crowd, Paper Plane Challenge, Art Auction, Origami, Veterans Get Together, and bingo.

Sunday Evening

When we come back to the room there is a bottle of Korbel on ice and a gift bag with a lovely crystal rectangle paper weight with an etched Golden Gate Bridge with the words Pacific Coastal.  We are number three on this voyage and this is the first time we have gotten a gift like this.  Very pretty but boy does it ever weigh a lot.  Thankfully we are doing carry on bags for our flight.

We have arranged to meet up with Victor in Alfredos for pizza tonight for 8 when he is on his dinner break. 

Tonight I want to try a different pizza and get the Grand Princess Pizza and a glass of wine and sparkling water.  Have to say I love the fact that with the All Inclusive Drink Package we don’t hesitate to get what we like. 

The pizzas arrive and they look lovely, but sadly again the pizza in the middle section is soggy and needs more cooking (I am guessing) but certainly not as good as we have had on other ships.  Or as good as we had on this ship last Fall.

For dessert we let the waiter know that the chef has prepared something for us.  He comes back with a tray and four dishes of halo halo!  Wow what a lovely gesture.  I am shocked that they got the ingredients.  Victor has never had halo halo before and I think he liked it.

We catch up with Victor and how he has been since our last time together in November last year.  He has been in his relationship now for almost a year!  He seems so very happy and I am so glad we were able to reconnect with him.

We still haven’t seen Paul the Deputy Cruise Director and since the Vista Lounge is his lounge we head back there where he should be and see that comedian Steve White is performing.  The place is busy and we take two seats off to the far right.  I forgot how bad this lounge is for site view cause of the huge pillars.  But it is a comedian so it isn’t like we really have to see him.  We have seen Steve before but his jokes still make us laugh.  And heck it isn’t like we had to pay for a ticket.

Paul does come on stage at the end and discusses the events happening around the ship now.  He is so funny and you can really see how he has grown as a Deputy.  He seems more confident and put together.  His humour is subtle but right on the mark.  I love that he is approachable (although we seem to keep missing him) and helpful.

Majority Rules is still happening in Explorers.  It looks very well attended and we see Melissa from the cruise staff walking by.  We spend some time catching up with her.  We sailed with her a few times a long time ago and then we had not seen her for quite a while and she fills us in on what she has been up to.  Again another lovely person who is very dedicated to her job and making sure everyone is having a good time. 

The piano bar in Crooners is featuring Liam Ryder and the place is packed.  But neither of us really want to sit and my foot is throbbing from all the walking today.

So we are back in the cabin around 10:30 and again as soon as my head hits the pillow I am out.

Reflections on last night:

-          The production show British Invasion was on only twice 8 and 9:45 (hmm are they back to only two shows?)

-          Events seem to be very well attended

-          A balancing act called La Paire performed.  Now I love these things normally and he and his assistant were very good.  But what is really strange he takes his shirt off near the end (and yes he is very well built) but really what is the purpose of this?  At the end he loves to pose with people for pictures.  I just think this guy is really full of himself, and could leave his shirt on.

-          An excellent singer and guitar player Terry Conlon performed in the Atrium twice and he was excellent.  I can see this guy making it big.

-          The seas are rough.  A lot of people are commenting.  For us it is okay and yes there is some movement but it is really nothing compared to what we have seen.  The shops have Bonine and Dramamine – heck even the tables around the atrium have a supply of these – just in case.  But I am happy to report around 9 pm the seas/winds calm down considerably.

-          The drink package does have its downfall too.  We have discussed it with many crew and their comments are it is great to see people enjoying themselves.  But there is a lot of abuse of the package with people sharing one package.  More people are over indulging and are getting intoxicated.  In fact last night there was a fight on board, although I can’t confirm if it was from people who had the drink package.  But liquor and attitude don’t mix.  The other thing the crew are saying is they are a lot more busy because of it.  They are doing twice the normal work but are certainly not making the tips they normally would.  I have been told that the tips from the drink package go right into the general pool for all the crew.  Whereas if you don’t have the package and you buy a drink at a bar that tip goes to that venue’s staff.

Afternoon at Sea

 

Back on board for noon, sailaway is 12:30.  So holding back hair and earrings so we are not blown away on the pier.  Oh I think this wind could cause a bit more rough seas.  Time will tell.

We take a sea in the International Café and enjoy some coffees – I try the new Chai Tea.  It is very good, a little sweet for me but very tasty.

Bernie says he is tired so he heads back to the cabin for a nap.  For me I grab my tablet and find a seat and read some magazines.  But it is getting a bit too noisy in the Atrium because of the martini demo so I head up to the top deck and enjoy a Ultimate Cooler up at the pool deck, but half sweet.

I hobble around the ship looking for what is happening.  I finally settle down outside Explorers and chat with a woman from San Francisco who is on her first cruise.

Dolores and Sheila walk by and they invite me to join them for Afternoon Tea – SURE !  we are sat at a table for four and shortly after being sat I see Chuck who is also on  my fan page being sat near us.  Hugs and soon thereafter he is joining our table.  Soon Sheila’s husband Gregory joins us and we scoot over and add a chair.  Really my feeling is the best part of cruising is getting to know others and it is lovely to meet so many that I have heard about for a long time.

After the great tea I decide to check out the trivia cause if Bernie is up there is a good chance this is where he will be.  Yup there he is sitting with three other guys and I am impressed they did quite well too. 

We decide to head back to the cabin, but of course we get distracted easily and I hear someone say “hi Vickie”.  It is Karen and Bill who read my blog and also on the Princess Cruise Lover’s Facebook page. They are originally from Australia but live in California now.  We chat for a while and I make sure to get a picture too.

Then we walk down to the shops to check out some of the things for kids.  We want to pick up some things for our great nephews we will be seeing soon.  They have some really cute items.  I especially love the shark hats, but they are $22 each and that is US so I think we will pass cause we would have to buy two of them. 

Ron

I tell Bernie that I ran into one of the Bartenders we had sailed with on the Emerald who came over to say hi.  So we head to the International Café bar and right away Bernie remembers Ron.  We sit and have a drink (love that drink package) and we catch up with him.  Another great connection!

Lots of people are waiting to get into the dining rooms, it is around 6 pm and I think many are excited to get the evening started. 

Tonight we are dining with Victor who is the watch specialist on board during his dinner break. We are going to head to Alfredos for a pizza.

I am currently in the cabin and sun is setting and all I can think is there is nowhere else I would rather be.

Sunday September 13, Victoria

I awake to the sound from the hallway with the announcement that we have docked in Victoria and we are clear for those to go ashore.  The time is 7 am.

Argh… roll over Vickie go back to sleep you are on vacation!

But after about a half hour I decide or more to the point Bernie decides to get up and head down to get coffees. 

Kind of nice cause we returned our entire mini bar for two coffee cards that we will use on a future cruise.  The All Inclusive Drink Package includes coffees/teas and bottled water.  And after all that drinking Bernie brings back a large bottle of water too.  Smart man!  I knew there was a reason I married him.

On goes the tv and we watch Mike (cruise director) and his deputy Paul on the Wake Show.  I love that even on these short cruises they do everything they normally would do on a longer cruise.  Including the wake show.

I write up my blog post for yesterday and post them.  Internet is very good and we have no issue connecting and posting.  I do notice a few changes on the Princess @ Sea and it is getting better, with better flow and more information.

Bernie wants to get some cereal cause we are not planning on heading out for breakfast till later.  Also he can get the freshly squeeze orange juice with the drink package and he gets two! He tells me later he loved it.

My foot is good, not great, but definitely good.  Swelling seems to have gone down but the colors are coming out.  I am so grateful it is not worse.  But I will be wearing flip flops ashore today.

So we have to head the Purser’s desk to give them the letter for our free dinner at the Crown Grill so they can credit our account.  Leilei Cao from China takes care of us.  It seems he is new to Princess but his professionalism shines thru.  Even though he is not entirely sure what to do he quickly ask someone for verification.  I love that he dealt with it without passing it on to someone else.  Right away the cover charge for the Crown Grill is credited to our account and he guarantees us he will pass the letter to the Crown Grill Manager. 

Here are some pics from right at the pier in Victoria that others may find helpful.

We head ashore at 10 am to meet up with our friends Kim and Norma who live here.  We met them a few years ago thru our friends Monika and Rick.  They were then on the Coastal Cruise we did in May, and now we are excited cause they are joining us on the Island for the Med too.

The best thing is Norma is bringing me a tensor bandage for my foot. 

We are heading out for Brunch, they are taking us to Kitty’s and it doesn’t disappoint.  Food is plentiful, fresh, and tasty.  It is the kind of place that is that gem that you go back to time and time again.  Where the servers know your name – gee sounds like a commercial for Cheers.  But we really did enjoy it and we couldn’t finish our plates.  Great conversation with Norma and Kim about everything!  And of course we are all so excited cause the next time we see them we will be in Rome.  Thanks again you two for today.

Evening On Board Grand Princess

Thankfully I was able to get into an elevator and Bernie took the stairs and we are in Explorer’s Lounge – well sort of in the lounge.  It is full and we sit on the ledge of a planter by the couches.  The place is packed and lots of people are in vacation mode.

their amazing deck

I almost forgot to tell you that we got two free drink coupons in lieu of the Captain Circle Party.  But since we have the drink package we just give them to Dolores and Laura.  We also are informed that we are the third most travelled on this ship.  We will get a free dinner at one of the Specialty Restaurants and a bottle of champagne too.

Back in the cabin after Muster and Bernie says he needs a nap and I head down to see our friends and enjoy sailaway from their cabin.

They get free dinner in a Specialty restaurant too and we have reservations for 8 pm in the Crown Grill. 

When I get back to the cabin Bernie has showered and is ready and says he will meet up with me a Crooners.  This is helpful so I can hobble around the cabin and get ready.  Only issue is I have to wear flip flops and looks a little strange but that is the best I can do.

Bosco shaking the martini and his great moves

Up at Crooners we sit and I see Bernie is enjoying a Cosmopolitan.  Our bar server is Bosco comes and asks what I would like.  I ask him for a recommendation and he brings me a lemon drop Martini.  Oh and his shaking is fun to watch and he has the whole group around us laughing.  I got some pictures of it and will post and share when I get home. 

Beside us is a couple Terri and Brent who are from Langley and we chat with them and about their voyage and then they are spending some time in San Francisco afterward.  Brent says he takes the 555 bus route for which we often drive and tell him to look out for us on it.

Time for dinner!  Glen is our server in Crown Grill tonight and he is very good.  Very attentive and knowledgeable and always a step ahead of our needs.  We toast to Dolores and Laura’s marriage – they got married this year and we wish we could have been there but we just couldn’t swing it.  But we are here now and raising our glasses to them.

Now we noticed that Joel Directo is the Executive Chef on board!  OMG what a treat.  We have known him probably the longest of all our friends on board.  We met him, I believe on our second Princess Cruise before he became Executive Chef.  Then when we were on our first back to back on the Emerald we did the Chef’s Table and met Joel again.  He had just been promoted to Executive Chef.  The first Filipino Executive Chef.  We occasionally sail with him but it is usually shorter cruises ironically.  We ask the hostess to see if she can let Joel know we are here.  

Joel and I - so nice to see him again

A few minutes later Joel arrives and we hug and catch up and I tease him cause he still only has one son, and I tell him he needs to have a daughter now.  He certainly brightened our evening by seeing him.  He of course asks us if there is anything we want and we are good, and then Bernie pipes up and says Halo Halo for dessert.  Halo Halo is one of Bernie’s favorite desserts.  It is hard to describe so google it if you are interested.  Joel smiles and says he will see what he can do.

A while later Joel comes back out with another head chef (sorry I forgot his name) and says tomorrow just ask our waiter at dinner and they will bring us Halo Halo.  Oh… how nice… and people wonder why we stick with Princess.  This is why.  We love these guys and truly appreciate all they do.

For dinner I start with the Black and Blue soup which is cooked perfectly.  Then the spinach and beet salad – again very good.  For my entrée is a filet mignon with Béarnaise sauce and many items to share including garlic fries, creamed spinach, asparagus, and mushrooms. The entire meal was wonderful and Glen’s service was outstanding.

Before our dessert arrives we are served a round of Limocello from the Maître D’ – oh nice. 

We order Sicilian Kiss’ for after dinner drinks along with the molten chocolate.  Oh so good and wow I am full, and a little drunk, okay more than a little drunk.  But the foot doesn’t hurt too much!

Back in the cabin we have a letter saying to bring the letter to the Specialty Restaurant for a free dinner.  Oh well, we will take it to the Purser’s Desk tomorrow to have them credit tonight’s dinner.

I lay on the bed and I crash almost immediately.  The bed is hard, but we asked for an egg crate (which is a foam) on the bed to help with the hardness. 

I sleep well but I wake often cause my foot is sore and I am confused at where I am.  Oh yeah on a ship.

Here is a break down of the officers on the ship:

Captain Ronald Wilson, Staff Captain Goran Favro, Chief Engineer Antonio Di Biase, Hotel General Manager Timothy Ellis (last time we sailed with him he with F&B Manager), Cruise Director Mike Witte, Senior Doctor Robert Schneider, Food and Beverage Director Barbara Pasching, Customer Services Director Luca Baudoino, Staff Engineer Officer Francesco Fillella, Executive Housekeeper Monico Reyes Jr., Executive Chef Joel Directo, Maitre D’ Hotel Silvio Zampieri, Environmental Officer Dimitar Mitev.

Movies Under the Star:  Avengers Age of Ultron, Far From the Madding Crowd, NFL and Inside Out.

Princess Theater: Magician Jeff Peterson, Comedian Steve White, Production Show British Invasion. 

Explorer’s Lounge:  Liars Club Game Show, Majority Rules Game Show, Jeopardize Trivia.

Vista Lounge: Zumba Fitness (I will have to skip this), Line Dance Mania, Ballroom Classes, Bingo.

All Aborad the Grand Princess

We walked down to the bus stop and jumped on the 160 that heads straight downtown in about 50 minutes.  Terry was driving and it was busy but it was lovely talking with him all the way there.  We promised to have a drink for him.

One of my Facebook fans Anthony runs into me at the pier

Arriving at the pier at 11 am we noticed that the Noordam is in port too.  Things are right away a little different.  We are asked what ship we are on and we are directed up an escalator to one of the large conference rooms.  There they have the lovely staff there giving out our health forms and then we are at the booth and collecting our key cards right away. 

Then we walk around the room to the exit and back down the escalator and back to the “normal” security area and thru there quickly too.  Now the Noordam is heading to Alaska so after security they had to enter US Customs.  But for us we are heading to Victoria first so we don’t have to enter US Customs.  We just head to the boarding area. 

Now all of this took 15 minutes!  Very impressive, but now we have to wait.  We sit in the Preferred area until they start boarding at exactly noon. 

We pose for the boarding picture but do have a giggle because the background is says Alaska – ahhh wrong itinerary but I guess they are limited to what they can put up.

As soon as we get on we see Victor who is right by the elevators escorting people up and down the elevator.  Huge hugs and kisses.  So lovely to see him again. 

We are in cabin C505 and since we just have carry on bags for this voyage we are able to unpack right away.  The cabin looks great.  I think this ship looks better than the Crown does inside.  This cabin’s walls are in perfect condition, and the carpets, chairs, woodwork look excellent. 

Again take note if you are coming on this ship that the closet is smaller, and the cupboard too.  But certainly enough room for two people.  The bathroom is a nicer configuration and a bit bigger.

After unpacking we walk down to the Promenade to Crooners to buy the All Inclusive Drink Package.

Then of course Bernie is excited because there is an Alfredos pizzeria.  We get two pizzas and two drinks – yup Bernie got the Blue Moon and I got Sangria, and then soda water too.  The menu here is limited, not as big as on the Royal/Regal but it is still substantial and good.  No salads or appetizers, but we never have room for that anyways.

Okay now what?  Time to explore and we are up on the pool deck and enjoying the beautiful weather.  The aft pool is quiet and we take a seat and enjoy a drink there.  Okay I have now had three drinks in two hours!  Time to slow down.

Soon I am forced to slow down – yup!

Back in the cabin I am in the washroom and I forget all about the lip in the floor (that is on every single ship) and I don’t lift my foot up and boom.  I go flying to the floor!  I cry out and Bernie comes running and I know something is wrong. He helps me up and hobble to the bed and ouch my foot.  Yup foot is starting to swell.  Hurts like heck (I wanted to saying something else buy this is a family blog). 

Bernie is giggling – well you have never done that before, he says.  I give him a dirty look. 

I am not sure if it is a sprain, it isn’t in the normal area of the ankle.  I have had my share of sprains and this feels different.  I am not too worried about it.  I have asked Norma who we are seeing tomorrow to bring me a tensor bandage.  But there is no way I am able to wear shoes. 

Dolores and Laura are on board and they are in a full suite!  They text me and we head down to their cabin – that thankfully is on the same deck as our cabin.  So I hobble, boy I now understand how it must be for someone who has an issue with walking on board cause boy this ship is big when you have trouble walking.

We are welcomed with open arms by Laura and Dolores.  Hugs, kisses and just joy in seeing such great people.

Earlier we got two small bottles of Korbel each and brought this down with us to their cabin.  We spend an hour or so catching up with them until we have to head down to the Muster Drill.