Day 6: At Sea

Ah yes. Starting our day with breakfast on our balcony. At 10:00AM the weather was +24C, and the winds have picked up to 25 knots from the east (up from15 knots yesterday).

Today was another relaxing day. We slept in until 8:30, then had what has become our customary continental breakfast. While we've been eating inside, today we ate on our balcony since the temperature has warmed up considerably since we left San Francisco.

We then went down to the Piazza to join our fellow passengers in the activities there. We grabbed a cup of coffee, some soup, and hung out in this popular meeting place: 

We had lunch in the da Vinci dining room, poked around some of the shops in the Atrium. Although the winds were at 25 knots gusting to 30, it was warm enough (+27C) to go for a walk around the Promenade on Deck 7.

We went for our third Ukelele lesson at 1:30 in the Vista Lounge on Deck 7. Just when we thought we were getting the hang of it, our instructor threw a few more chords at us. Twisting fingers around to make them do what you want them to do at the right time is definitely an acquired skill.

We spent the rest of our afternoon relaxing at the Oasis Pool & Bar at the stern of the ship on Decks 14, 15 and 16:

And here's a picture of your intrepid travelers at the Oasis:

Tomorrow we cross into another timezone (Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time), so we get an extra hour of sleep. Then we land at Maui at around 7:00AM. 

Good night!

 

Day 5: At Sea

Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean - Today began with this beautiful sunrise:

We're moving further south into the tropics, so the temperature is really warming up. It got to about +24C this afternoon. Combined with the diminished winds we could finally sit in the sun up on Deck 15. Being it's American Thanksgiving today, NFL football was playing on the big screen: 

This morning was another very relaxing couple's massage for us. I tell you, we felt so calm and rejuvenated we could have floated off the massage tables.

As we gaze upon the vastness of the Pacific Ocean, we cannot help but be amazed at the ancient Polynesians who sailed on little more than longboats dug out from tree trunks. They emigrated from Melanesia and Polynesia to Hawaii with nothing more than the stars and a good bit of luck to guide them. No satellite navigation system nor any sophisticated radar system to warn them of inclement weather. Wow.

We wandered around the Grand Princess this afternoon, and found ourselves on top of the navigation bridge. Someone is doing his Leonardo DiCaprio impression here:

We took in our second Ukelele lesson this afternoon. My fingers are not tripping over them as much, but I'm still playing notes rather than music. Our instructors mumbled something about a recital later on during the cruise, so we'll need to be proactive some more.

Tonight was the first of three formal nights for dinner. Following dinner it was  the Captain's Welcome Celebration along with the traditional champagne waterfall.

Tonight we took in Movies Under The Stars. This is where the crew turns Deck 15 into an outdoor movie theatre, serving popcorn while we watch a movie on the big screen. Tonight it was Red 2 starring Bruce Willis, who once again saved the world.

Tomorrow is our last at sea day before we arrive in Lahaina, Maui. We have sailed 1,400 miles from San Francisco, and are just over 600 miles from Maui. We are now in the Alaska time zone, which is three hours behind Central time.

Good night all.

Day 4: At Sea

Last night we were reminded that, while the Grand Princess is a floating luxury five-star hotel, nevertheless she is an ocean-going vessel. The winds picked up overnight to 38 knots gusting to 46 off our starboard bow. Land-lubber translation: 70 gusting to 80km/h off our right front. Seas categorized as Very Rough with Moderately High Waves in this Fresh Gale mean a wave height of 21 feet. Captain Maresca announced today over the PA system these conditions are expected to persist throughout today and into the wee hours of tomorrow morning. He's reduced the ship's speed from the normal 19 knots to 15 to make walking about the ship a little easier.

I went down to the International Cafe on Deck 5 to get us our caffeine fix. I glanced out the window and the sight was astounding: the waves reached just above the height of the windows during a big swell. Wow! 

Like most cruise ships made recently, the Grand Princess has stabilizers that stick out just below the waterline. These are hydrofoils that mitigate roll during heavy seas. They do help a lot, but there's only so much they can do. Combined with the fore-and-aft pitch as we ride the waves, we need to hang on to railings as we move about the ship.

It's mesmerizing and humbling. Despite the technological marvel humans have created in te Grand Princess, it is insignificant when compared to the power of the sea.

We went for a workout in the gym on Deck 15 forward. Though I chose my usual Nordic machine, the experience was quite different. The pitching and rolling of the ship meant I had to hang on to the machine while I was pedaling. Dona made the wise choice of a recumbent bike. The good news was we had a panoramic view out the window, so we could see the swells and prepare myself. In fact, after the Grand Princess reached the top of a swell and moved downward, I almost did a zero-g  off the Nordic machine. It was intense!

We relaxed for a bit in our stateroom,

then I took in my first Ukelele lesson. Any of you who have taken guitar can easily guess how it went. Fingers trying to figure out where to move on the frets did not make for great music. Still, I can see where ingraining the muscle memory with lots of practice really helps, Eddie Van Halen has nothing to worry about from me.

We had a wonderful dinner, then we took in some of the entertainment on board in the Explorers Lounge. A band named Opus was playing, and these guys are from St. Lucia. We vacationed there last February. 

Tomorrow's forecast is for much calmer winds and tropical temperatures. We have our second couple's massage early in the morning. Getting up early won't be so bad because we move into a new timezone tonight - Alaskan Standard Time - three hours behind Central Time. It's also the first of three formal evenings.

Good night all.

Day 3: At Sea

Our day began with a continental breakfast delivered to our stateroom. Croissants, Danishes, juice and yoghurt. As we stepped outside on our balcony, we felt the slight chill in what was a rather strong breeze - 20 knots and +14C. And blue ocean as far as the eye can see. We're 400 miles from San Francisco.

Then we went for our couple's massage at the Lotus Spa. It was the most soothing, relaxing experience! After it ended, Dona and I felt like we floated out of the spa, we were so relaxed.

By noon the weather had warmed up some and the sun came out. So we grabbed our books, and headed up to Deck 14. As we were sitting on the loungers, having lunch, and gazing out at the sea all around us, the thought came to us: We could get used to this.

Here's a picture of Deck 14: 

Romancing The Stone was playing on the movie screen on Deck 14. We watched about half of it before it began to rain, so we headed indoors.

We wandered around the Atrium - the central place aboard the Grand Princess where there are all kinds of shops, boutiques, bars and restaurants.

 

We went for dinner at 5:30. We chose the Traditional dining on this cruise which means we eat dinner at the same time every day with the same table-mates. A cruising tradition that really appeals to us because we make six new friends for the duration of the cruise. We met two charming couples from California, and a solo traveller from Toronto. I received a birthday cake from our waiter, and a nice card from Captain Maresca, master of the Grand Princess. 

As we retire for the evening, the on-board video is showing Tora Tora Tora on its main channel. This is a movie produced in the early 1970s about the attack on Pearl Harbour.

Tomorrow is another relaxing and rejuvenating day at sea. Until then, always be travelling.

Day 2: Embarkation Day

We woke up this morning and this was the view from our hotel room at Omni San Francisco. That's Nob Hill to the left, and San Francisco Bay in the background.

I stepped outside this morning to see what the weather felt like this morning. Not bad, but what really struck me was the vibrancy of the city. Our hotel is across California St. from the financial district. You get a sense of the heartbeat of the city, a connection with its soul. Maybe that's because we're on vacation and everyone else here is working.

We had a couple hours to spare before we were to check in at Pier 35, so we decided to go for a walk. We wandered through the historic Financial District, down Market Ave. We did a bit of shopping, and Dona bought a Pandora charm for her bracelet. We then climbed to the top of Nob Hill by walking from Market, north on Mason up to California St. Anyone who is familiar with the area will tell you that is one steep hike uphill. Here is the view from the top of Nob Hill looking south down Mason: 

We then checked out of the Omni, and hired an Uber black car to take us to Pier 35.

Here is a picture of the Grand Princes starboard mid-ship looking forward as we walk up the gangway:

Now a gentleman doesn't normally say this about a lady, but the Grand Princess, she is huge! 915 feet long, 118 feet wide, and she displaces 109,000 tons. She can take a maximum of 2,600 passengers, and has a crew of 1,150. The crew by the way is like the United Nations, with people hailing from countries including Indionesia, Italy, Chile, Austraila, Croatia, St. Lucia, and Canada.

We had our muster drills, which is the equivalent of a safety briefing on board an aircraft. Lessons learned the hard way from the Titanic disaster of 1912 are why when the emergency signal sounds, we walk to our stateroom, take our life vests, and gather in one of a half dozen designated areas on the ship. We listened to a safety briefing, and practice donning our life vests. In a real emergency, we simply follow the instructions of the crew.

We cast off shortly after sunset, thrust off the pier, backed up, and heading west through San Francisco Bay. Yep, modern cruise ships can do that. The view was one of magnificent beauty as the Bay Area was lit up in all its glory:

We then slipped beneath the Golden Gate Bridge, it's towers ablaze in a rusty red glow of light:

I felt a sense of enormous gratitude being able to experience this. Is it any wonder I get few arguments when I tell people San Francisco is one of the most beautiful cities in the world? I gave Dona a kiss as we passed beneath the Golden Gate, and felt so fortunate to be able to spend my 50th birthday in this way.

Day 1: Depart Winnipeg for San Francisco

With great excitement and anticipation we began our journey on Sunday Nov 24. London Limos arrived with an immaculate Lincoln Town Car to take us to the airport. Our driver was hilarious. When you first meet him you think Santa Claus, but as you get to know him and appreciate his sense of humour, Jerry Garcia comes to mind.

Check in and security screening were a breeze. The CATSA staff were very courteous and professional. We hung out in the Maple Leaf Lounge for just over an hour, then boarded our jet - a Brazilian  Embraer 190 operated by Air Canada.

The service on board was just amazing. This picture shows what we had for dinner on board.

Chicken with a tomato sauce - delicious!

Up here at FL360 you get a real appreciation for the way the glaciers carved this magnificent landscape. In particular, flying over the Qu'Appelle Valley, it looks like someone stuck a knife in the ground and dragged it across the landscape.

We landed in Vancouver spent our five-hour layover watching the Grey Cup game in the lounge. It truly is a great day for Saskatchewan and all it's fans.

Our final leg today we flew at night from Vancouver to San Francisco. We used the Uber on-demand black car service to takes us from the airport to the hotel. What a pleasant experience! The car was a Lincoln Town Car, it was clean, and our driver was cheerful and very friendly.

We got to the Omni San Francisco just before midnight, and look what the staff left in our room: 

Yes, for my birthday they upgraded our room, left a couple pieces of double chocolate cake (my favorite), and a nice little note.

Tomorrow we board the Grand Princess and sail to Hawaii. Good night.