A Sunshine Kinda Day

We awoke very early this morning, after a few hours of sleep, at the Aloft Hotel – BWI for a 7am flight. We took their shuttle (that runs every ½ hour) to the airport at 5am. Once again, Pre-Check was my friend. 2 people ahead of me in the security line and I could leave all my stuff in my carry-on, my shoes stayed on my feet and only had to pass through a metal detector.

The goodness continued as I had an almond pretzel from Auntie Anne’s and an Orange Smoothie from the smoothie place. Breakfast doesn’t get much better than this!

Boarding was smooth and I ended up having a great seatmate and we ended up chatting for the entire flight! It even made me forgot about the child that screamed for the first hour of the flight! Our luggage was on the belt in about 10 minutes and we were out the door to catch our shuttle to the port. We used Coltran Shuttle. The cost was $20 per person each way. The driver was so nice. He carries a stapler because most people forget those dumb luggage tags have to be either stapled or taped on the handle of your luggage. He did all of that before we even left the port.

Now the port was an entirely different story. A complete clusterf@#k. There were 3 ships in port and we had to wait about 30 minutes in the van because the people directing the traffic were so inept. UGH But after that the good mojo continued as I have priority boarding and was directed to a completely non-chaotic, quiet area to get checked-in for the cruise.  Then a stroll past all the other folks waiting to be called and we were on the Sunshine !!! 

First up—food. I must say I was impressed. I’ve not ever been on this ship but I liked how they had the buffet set up in smaller stations. It seems like there were not as many long lines. I immediately made a beeline for the Stir Fry place. I found it tucked away at the front of the ship near the Havana Bar. Most people had not yet discovered this place but it’s one of my favorites. I had stir fry chicken and shrimp with fresh vegetables and cellophane noodles in a black bean sauce. OMG Food Nirvana!

Kolton and Betzi went for the Guy’s Burgers and fries. They said they were delicious. Then we had to have a cone of soft-serve ice cream. My stateroom was ready when we boarded so we put all our carry-on stuff in my cabin and set off to explore the ship a bit. Then it was nap time until the muster drill.

After the muster drill, I came back to the cabin and my luggage had arrived. I packed everything away. The cabin does have an ample amount of storage. It’s decorated in a more updated color scheme and the art work is different. The bathroom is a bit different than other ships I’ve sailed on. The shower is much larger than the typical ones and therefore, none of that nasty shower curtain cling if you attempt to shave your legs in there. Very nice. Overall, a very comfortable room.

I chose Deck 9 this cruise—which is the Lido deck. We have 2 forward, inside cabins. It’s too early to decide if this was a good choice. I’ll let you know. The main reason I chose this location is that it is 2 decks below the Serenity Area on this ship and directly below the Spa-so no noise above us in the evenings. And we thought we wanted to be close to Serenity. This ship has a 3 level, adults only Serenity area, with its own pool and waterfall, hot tubs and a big bar. It is in the very front of the ship and offers some nice views.

The ship also has “Dive-In Movies” on the Lido deck in the evening. A family movie early and a more adult feature later—around 10. The screen they have is gorgeous. During the day it plays videos of underwater scenery that is so crisp and clear, I’m sure the movies will be gorgeous as well.

I am just back from dinner. We chose late seating at 8:15. It’s a tab bit late but on port days, we won’t have to rush back to the ship to make a 5:15 dinner. They have anytime dining on this ship too but I prefer a set time.  Dinner was good however, I almost choked to death on a piece of grapefruit in my salad. Really. I think they were getting ready to Heimlich me when I started coughing. Not really the type of attention one wants to draw to ones self—but that’s life.

Lack of sleep and a long day of travel today has wiped this gypsy out and I’m going to call it a night at 10:45. Tomorrow is a sea day and they are also having the Sea Day Brunch, which is always quite good.

The ship is rockin’ and rollin’ right now. The ship information on the TV says that we are moving at 17.5 knots and there is quite a bit of motion as the winds are 50+ kts and gusting. But it’s just going to rock me to sleep.

I will try and add some pictures tomorrow. 

Ta-ta from somewhere off the coast of Florida!

Sea Days 4 & 5

Once again, I'm combining a few sea days together. Some differences we've encountered in the past few days:

Yesterday was the 1st rain we've encountered this cruise. We have been blessed with beautiful sunny days at sea. Yesterday was crazy. I'm not talking a few showers, I'm talking pouring rain and fog so dense you could hardly see the water unless you looked straight down from the deck. It was sort of creepy. However, an hour or so before sunset, the clouds disappeared and we were once again treated to a spectacular sunset.

Another big difference --the size of the waves started to increase. There is a definite roll to the ship now. Not uncomfortable by any means, but it does leave you off balance at times. It just rocks me to sleep. I love it.

We are now on Hawaii time. We moved one hour back three days in a row. I think that made it a lot more difficult to adjust. I think it would have been better to just do all 3 hours at once. But I am not in charge. Actually, I think they did it that way to keep sunrise and sunset appearing at normal times.

This is the ocean today:

Today was beautifully sunny once again. I did try to attend a few events today. I finally felt a bit sociable. Actually, I have not been solitary the entire cruise, I mean, I have dinner with my tablemates and we actually have had a few quite interesting conversations.

Look at this water...... OMG

I don't know if I've mentioned that this cruise is one of  Carnival's Journey cruises and they have special lecturers and events not normally included on a cruise. There is a naturalist on board giving lectures about Hawaii--both current and historical facts. There is also more of an entertainment type of lecturer.

Today I went to a lecture on Astronomy. It was entertaining but not at all what I expected. It focused more on how historical figures used it to navigate. I was hoping it would be more about constellations. But it was still Ok.

Another event I was determined to go to on this cruise was Afternoon Tea. I have to say I was slightly disappointed. Of course, I was comparing it to Tea last year on Princess. I would skip it all together on a future cruise. They served you a pot of tea, of course. Then the waiters came around with either cucumber sandwiches or salmon on a toast point. Meh. They also had a selection of pastries but their scones were pretty forgettable. So far, my 1st disappointment on the ship.

I also attended the Chocolate Extravaganza. It was just beyond decadent. All that chocolate just made my teeth hurt looking at it. LOL They did have something new that made me get in line though. In addition to the dark chocolate fountain, they had a WHITE CHOCOLATE  and strawberry fountain. I skipped right past all the desserts and went for the fruit that you could have dipped. YUM They even had apple slices. It was quite good.

I did read some reviews on Cruise Critic bashing this ship, but I have seen nothing that wasn't up to my expectations as far as the condition of the ship. I've been on this particular ship 6 times, I think and it's still my favorite. I love the way it's decorated. Some people say 'tacky', I say it's mostly elegant, especially all the artwork.

This is the lounge on the 2nd floor, before you enter the dining room. They also have a wonderful bar there. It used to be a martini bar but now they have these wonderfully original creations. I usually have a drink there before dinner and chat with a couple I see there regularly. Most nights they have a duo playing jazz.



This is the dining room .It's 2 levels.



This is the 2nd level but the sun was shining too brightly during tea today.. so not a great picture



This is just some random art in the stairway on the 4th floor. They even have art in the elevators. I really do love this ship.
Another gorgeous day!

Another view from my Balcony

Tonight is another elegant night. Many people are dressed to the 9s. It's really nice to see that. I've always enjoyed getting dressed up for dinner.

The demographics are not what you'd think for this cruise either. I was expecting a lot of retirees but surprisingly,  I've seen quite a few newlyweds, and I would say the biggest group of cruisers are mid- 30s to early 50s. There are retirees on the ship, of course, but they do not seem to be anywhere near the majority. I've also seen a lot of families or groups traveling together.

All day today was Throw-Back to the 80s. They had an old Carnival Capers printed and the events they held today were all geared to the 80s. They had Thriller dance classes, 80s trivia etc. They are capping things off tonight with a true Midnight Buffet. Hard to believe they used to do those all the time. I'm going to try and stop up and take pictures but we are in Hilo tomorrow morning. Plus, I want to get to the comedy club tonight too.

Random food shots:

I'll report back later.
TTFN
Jilly

PS, I went to the comedy show. It was very funny--but too short. The comedian had the crowd laughing so hard.

Now it's past my bedtime. Tomorrow we reach land! Hilo. Hawaii and the weather website says it's supposed to be beautiful. I'm looking forward to my tour. I'll post more tomorrow.

Sea Days 2, 3, 4

Not a whole lot to report on sea days.

This is pretty much the ways the days have gone:

I showered and made my way up to the Lido deck and got a large Iced Tea. I headed out to Serenity and really lucked out. A clam shell lounger facing the aft was open. I set down my backpack and drink and went to get a towel and blanket. Yep—the air is still chilly.

I looked at the map showing the ship’s position and we continue to move in a south western direction. Probably more west than south though. We appear to be parallel to San Francisco. The Captain came on a little while ago and said the ocean depth is about 7000 feet.

I am surprised at how calm the seas are (I hope I don’t jinx us by saying that). We are told the swells are about 2-3 feet.  From my perch on the Lido they look like small ripples. The ship rocks very gently. It’s so relaxing.

The ocean is that dark blue color that is indicative of really deep water. It’s gorgeous. I have not seen fish of any kind leaping from the water. I hope we will maybe see some whales along the way.

Once again, there is quite a bit going on all over the ship but I am choosing to spend my time out here on the deck just reading and watching the ocean.

New day, more of the same. I’ve read 3 books now and watched that deep blue ocean for hours.  A clamshell lounger, all mine again! I’m not sure I’ll be able to cruise without one in the future. They just feel like the epitome of luxury. 

Dinner was a semi-formal night. Of course, I had the lobster! As usual it was very tasty.  Plans to go to the comedy club were thwarted by the presence of the comfy bed when I went back to change clothes. All this relaxation is tiring!

Another new day and it’s fairly warm outside. Shorts and flip flops for sure. I’m once again chilling in Serenity. I did spend some time in a lounge chair in the sun, but wisely moved to the shade after an hour. The lily whiteness of my legs is about blinding.

Truly enjoying these sea days and I can honestly say, tension? What is tension? The biggest decisions I need to make are what to eat and when. It’s about 3:30pm here and still gorgeous. The seas are still fairly smooth.

I have been hearing people complain about the stupidest things and I am tempted to speak up, but have wisely been keeping my mouth shut. I sometimes wonder, when I was not the happy sunshine filled ball of happiness I am now if I sounded that way. God, I hope not

I expect I will have a lot more to talk about once we reach Hawaii and I am on excursions every day. For whatever reason, I’ve chosen to remain solitary on this cruise and enjoy my ‘me’ time. It’s been restful and restorative both.  

I’ve yet to make it to afternoon tea. I think I only have one more day to attend that.

A Clamshell lounger opened up and I am all comfy as I finish writing this post. I'm debating on whether or not I want to go to dinner tonight. I'm not really hungry. But the faint inner voice I've been hearing is getting a bit louder and I keep hearing the words "Casino"!!! We shall see.,.....

Tomorrow is our last sea day and I am determined to be up fairly early and walking around the track on the top deck. (Don't laugh too hard, it could happen)

ta-ta from the Carnival Legend, home of Champagne Kisses and Sweet Dreams.. or something like that.  

Seattle and Vancouver 9-12 and 9-13

NOTE: I figured out how to add pictures. For whatever reason, they do NOT load when I use the laptop but will load when I use the phone. Whatever

Rose at an ungodly hour to make the drive into Seattle to catch the Amtrak Cascade to Vancouver. Carren and I left at 6am while the rest of the house slept. My train documents said to be there 1 hour prior to departure which was 7:45am.

Off we drove into the approaching dawn. Lo and behold, the silhouette of Mt. Ranier was visible against the dark, clear sky. It’s quite impressive. As we got closer to Seattle, the traffic slowed and then stopped and started. It was after 7am and we were still not in the city. I was getting a bit worried. Finally, about 7:20 we arrived at the train station. I was hoping I would be able to make the train.

No worries! As soon as I walked into the terminal I saw a line snaking around with a sign that stated Amtrak Cascade boarding. I remained in that line until it got to a point where I could see there was a separate line for business class. I ducked the rope and proceeded to the counter. I was given a seat on the side of the train with only 1 row of seats. Cool Beans!  The station is just beautiful

I checked my luggage and off I walked waaaaaaaay down the platform to the business class section. There were 2 cars of business and 8 regular. Very roomy, comfortable seats. A tip here: pay the extra for a business class seat. It was $12 or $14 dollars more and worth it. We were also next to the restaurant car, which was convenient. And with your ticket you get a $3 voucher to use in the restaurant.

The ride up the coast was uneventful. We stopped in several small towns on the way. The first hour was beautiful views of the coast. After that, I couldn’t tell you what the scenery was like because that train just rocked me to sleep. I woke up when the conductor or someone stated they were passing out customs cards we needed to fill out.

When we got to the station in Vancouver, the business class cars exited first. All the luggage was neatly placed in 2 long rows. I grabbed my suitcase and headed into customs. After displaying my passport, handing over my customs form and answering 5 or 6 questions, I was out the door and into a cab.

Looking back, I now realize the cab driver ripped me off. The fare was $12.50 but that was Canadian and I gave him $15 US. He made out well. Karma… Karma… Karma. The fare was actually about $9 or 10 bucks and he got a HUGE undeserved tip.

I checked into the Holiday Inn Downtown Vancouver. It’s a very nice hotel. I was given room 501 which is a king suite. It was very large. It had a separate living room, bar area, bedroom, dressing area, a beverage area with a Keurig and pods and a decent bathroom. Oh and there were 2 ginormous flat screens – back to back. One in the living room and one in the bedroom.

I didn’t unpack much as I was only there for one night. I turned on the TV for a bit and then read the stuff in the room—sort of looking for things to do. I ending up asking a couple of staff members in the lobby where were some good places to eat. And also, was it safe to walk around. 3 people, 3 of the same answers. Safe? It’s Vancouver. It’s safe. So walk around I did. Very urban area. Medical marijuana dispensaries at regular intervals. Lots and lots of ethnic restaurants and a wide variety of ethnic types walking around. I enjoyed it quite a bit. I didn’t feel unsafe even after dark.

I ended up eating dinner at The Fish Shack



Although, even though I had no lunch, I was not super hungry. I ended up ordering a side order of fried rice and an appetizer of calamari and a beer. The food was interesting—especially the fried rice.  

After dinner, I walked back to the hotel and watched TV for a bit. I know now why I don’t watch TV. I wasted a couple of hours of my life watching Dancing with the Stars. That is the first time I’ve ever seen it and it will probably be the last. Just in case you are wondering though, I am rooting for the cute little gymnast.

I slept in and had a nice long shower before check-out. I took a cab to the pier about 11:30am.

I believe I can honestly say, I walked about a mile before I actually set foot on the ship and thank heavens for priority boarding. Canada Place is basically a multi-level warehouse. You drop your luggage with a porter. Then you walk through this cavernous room to the queue. There was a huge number of people waiting, but because I am platinum, I was able to walk right up to have my credentials checked. Then you walk and walk to Canadian Customs, and walk some more to an escalator which takes you to another area with folding chairs and people everywhere. Once again, Platinum Members walk on by and then go to US Customs.

Finally, you line up to enter the ship. This is the lobby area:

Carnival has eliminated a few things and I know they are trying to save money and all, but for GOD’S SAKE open the dining room for lunch. Platinum members can go to their rooms and drop off their stuff. They are ready. Everyone else has to schlep their stuff around until 1:30 or so. (Unless you have a suite)  They also gave their cabin stewards more cabins--from 24 to clean --now 34 cabins. And they now ask you if you want cabin service in the morning or at night or both. Sigh

I headed to the buffet and they had chopsticks open. Excellent Chinese food. The chicken was amazing. And thanks given again that there was no line as I was one of the 1^st to board.  I walked around a bit and then headed down to my room to check on my luggage. It wasn’t there yet so I went back up to the Serenity Area to check things out.

Ahhhhhhh No one under 21 allowed and I somehow lucked out and found one of the clamshell loungers overlooking the aft of the ship. I lazed there for a few hours just watching the goings on in this very busy port then headed down to my room.

The Aft Pool Area was turned into Serenity. It's my favorite of all the Serenity areas on the ships. It also continues up to the next deck. Lots more clamshells!

The View from my aft Clamshell/lounger

My luggage had arrived so I took some time and put everything away. I love my room! It’s considered an inside cabin, but has French doors and a Juliette balcony. Most of the rooms are obstructed by the life boats, but mine is between them so I have a beautiful ocean view.

After the required muster drill, I got an icy adult beverage and settled into a clamshell lounger again. Believe it or not, I got a bit too chilly and had to go inside. I’m not sure when the weather will turn warmer but it’s probably only in the 60s with a brisk wind as we are sailing.

The Port of Vancouver:

I have late dinner and it will be interesting to see what my tablemates will be like. I am hoping for a good bunch of people at a large table. 

I was assigned a table for 8 but only 4 people showed up tonight. The food was excellent as it usually is. Of course, I have food porn to share! This is the Tilapia with Mac n Cheese! I also had a shrimp cocktail and a Caesar Salad!