Vancouver – Friday, May 10, 2019

Alison woke up at 6:30, much to my disappointment since I was still jetlagged. Breakfast on departure day was outside Oceanview where we sat with an Australian couple. They needed help with directions to the Australian Consulate and then to the Greyhound station. After returning to the cabin to collect our bags we went down to the Tuscan Grill which was the lounge reserved for elite members. The lounge was crowded with no seats available, so we stood and talked to Dennis and Nanette. Also, there were Dale, Suzie, Wayne and Judith. We did not need to wait since we had an express departure, but we had some time to kill and it was nice to connect with people one last time.

Disembarking was easy and there was no customs check as expected since we were cleared in Victoria. The congestion point was in front of the buses where there was a crowd of about 1000 people blocking the exit. We tried to take the escalator but were told we were not allowed to use it with our cases – another pet peeve of mine! Eventually, we managed to weave our way with our cases through the crowd and out on to the street. From this point, it was an easy route to the Skytrain although a bit of a slog pulling cases.

We stopped at Stadium where I went into the Compass office to exchange my card for the concession card. This was done as a straight swap which couldn’t have been easier. Alison also requested a credit for coming out of the gate on our journey. After another 30 minutes, we arrived at Scott Road station where Rod was waiting by his truck. Driving home was very familiar and a pleasant relief after such a long absence.

Victoria – Thursday, May 9, 2019

Finally, after 6 consecutive days at sea we have docked and what a beautiful sight it was to see the snow-capped mountains of BC. We went down to the Metropolitan cafe for our last breakfast in the Elite part of the dining room. Service seemed slower than usual and it did not go as smoothly as other days – we think there were fewer servers.

We left the ship and began our walk into town. The weather was perfect and it was pleasant to be walking on land again in a very attractive area which contrasted significantly with our last port of call in Russia. There were lots of other passengers all heading the same way into town. Eventually, we passed the Washington ferry terminal and the legislature and continued on to the museum. From there we crossed the street into the conference centre and through the Empress hotel. We continued north past all the shops avoiding most including the Bay. Alison went into an Irish linen shop we liked before we spotted MEC. As we got closer to MEC we saw there had been a big fire opposite and the fire crew was still dealing with. We learnt that the fir had started on Monday and was still needing to be put out on Thursday. We then found that the MEC store was closed, presumably due to the fire although there were no signs on the store. Working our way back we called in Eddie Bower and then followed the harbour around and eventually made our way to the port. Alison wanted to check out the tourist shops before boarding and I wanted to check with CBSA on how we report our arrival in Vancouver having already landed in Victoria.

On board the ship for the last time, we had lunch out at the back of Oceanview where it was a fantastic sunny day. In the afternoon I slept while Alison went to the Persian Garden steam room. It was time to start packing before dinner. Over drinks we sat with our regular friends, Dane and Suzzie, then Nanette came over to ask questions about loyalty points. Just before leaving, Graeme made an announcement about the departure process and thanked us all. We went over to say goodbye and exchanged hugs. He has been the best Captain’s club host we have experienced.

Over dinner, our neighbours, Bill and Katherine, were missing so we talked to the BC couple about accounting and US property. Then it was time to do more packing before the final show. The entertainment was a singing group which performed many of the songs we had heard from others over the vacation. I would have left this average performance, but since it was the last, I wanted to stay and see what Steve, the cruise director, had to say at the end as it was his last day on the ship.

Back in the cabin, we did some final sorting ready to leave in the morning and watched TV for a while.

At Sea – Wednesday, May 8, 2019

With changing time zone every night, it is taking its toll. I am not sleeping well at night although got up for breakfast as usual. However, I went back for a nap and slept until noon. Meanwhile, Alison went to an interesting talk by Steve, the cruise director, on his life experiences going to sea. It was an emotional talk at times. Once awake, I decided to go for a walk around the track on deck 11 to blow away the cobwebs and later Alison joined me to tell me about the talk she had just returned from. As we get nearer to Canada the weather is improving and the sea is calm. Finally, it is warm and sunny.

We were able to sit outside at the rear of the Oceanview cafe for lunch in the first time after a week of staying indoors. I had a wonderful butter chicken dish. In the afternoon, I did some work in the cabin while Alison went back to the future cruise sales office to change our booking. We wanted to take out part of the package which was a very expensive and unnecessary option. I felt vindicated because I had been concerned that this could be a problem if we did not get a commitment from the company to make the change later and it turned out the package could not be broken out. We rebooked the correct package which had increased in price overnight, but fortunately had a written quote which was honoured.

In the afternoon, Alison sat on the balcony while I worked and she later went up to the outdoor pool which was open for the first time this week. I went up later, but she had already left for the sauna. The pool was heated and was so hot that it was uncomfortable to swim. At times, I thought I would not be able to continue but stuck it out to complete my lengths. Moving over to the hot tub, it was cold in comparison and I did not stay there long.

Going up for drinks we again sat with Dane and Suzie from California and discussed our future cruise plans. Over dinner, we discussed more worldly events with Bill and Katherine before returning to the cabin for a long call with Emma regarding her research project and plans for the summer.

The show was a performance of the singers and dancers in iBroadway which we saw on the last cruise. We sat near the front and the show seemed more enjoyable than the last time we had seen it. This was also the last performance by this crew before they leave the ship tomorrow. They came back out for a curtain call and Steve said encouraging words to them.

At Sea – Tuesday, May 7, 2019

In the morning we had a backstage tour composed of 15 minutes of Q&A followed by being taken back to see the change rooms. Compared to other ships this one is spacious. In the afternoon, there was a short talk on the refit of the cruise ship.

We have been discussing future cruise plans and went to visit the future sales office to arrange a booking.

In the evening, we sat with Dane and Suzie over our pre-dinner drinks. Then over dinner, we discussed a talk on the death of Maralyn Munroe with our dinner table neighbours, Bill and Katherine.

At Sea – Monday, May 6, 2019

A quiet day with most of it working on my radio software development project. In the afternoon, we went to the pool and hot tub. The water was rather tepid and the waves were high with the ship motion. The evening routine was normal with an extra event. We had a Captain’s club reception which was the first of two nights since there are so many loyalty members on the ship.

At Sea – Sunday, May 5, 2019

Pretty much a normal day, working on a radio development project. Alison went to the talks on the Secrets of Navigation. Emma called but the ship was rocking too much to sustain an Internet connection. In the evening we sat with Dennis and Nately over drinks and talked about their plans to get the Canada Line into Richmond. After dinner, we attended the show which was a singer, Nik Page, from the north of England who had been in the London production of Les Miserables as Jean Valjean. He was great and we asked ourselves, how did such a good performer end up on a cruise ship?

At Sea – Saturday, May 4, 2019 day 2

Having crossed the date line we are having the same day over again. With all of the hour changes, we could not wake up until 9:30. Breakfast was a little rushed as it finished at 10:00. After breakfast, I went back to sleep in the Solarium and missed the talks I was planning to attend. In the afternoon I started a software development project. We met up with Dale and Suzzie again for drinks and were about to leave when Haris, the safety officer stopped by. As a result, we were late getting down to dinner. The entertainer was an impressionist and I left after 15 minutes but could not find a suitable alternative so returned to the cabin. I had started to develop a running nose and decided to have an early night to recover.

Bridge Tour Crossing the Date Line – Saturday, May 4, 2019 day 1

It was rather rough today and I did not feel so well. We had breakfast as normal then sat in the solarium. I found a spot away from the door and it was a lot warmer than yesterday. I skipped lunch because I did not feel well and stayed lying down in the cabin. When it came time for the bridge tour, I was not sure I could make it, especially because the bridge motion can be extreme, but decided to give it a try.

We joined the large group waiting on deck 9 and needed to sign in then be scanned for metal. As we walked into the bridge, the captain was on duty and said we were about the cross the meridian, meaning the 180-degree anti-meridian. One of the crew took us to a wing to explain the navigation and propulsion systems. We found a navigation display and watched as it counted up through 179 E waiting for it to read 180. The captain made an announcement over the PA that we were crossing the meridian and sounded the ship’s horn. We then saw that we were counting down through 179 W. Alison asked about coordinating traffic with other ships and we were the last of the group to leave the bridge.

In the evening we sat with Dale and Suzzie from California who we had met on the officer’s dinner and talked about cruising plans. After dinner, we sat in Cellar Masters and listened to the string duo then went down to the Rendezvous lounge to listen to the house band and danced. The show was the singer and dancers performing Elysium, which I had seen previously and was not impressed by and gave it a miss.

At Sea – Friday, May 3, 2019

After breakfast, we sat in the solarium but it was very cold near the door. Back in the cabin, I did some remote diagnostic work for a client. Then after lunch, I did some more remote diagnostics and fixed a problem on my home laptop. We had drinks with Dennis and Nately. Over dinner, the California couple were back and explained they had bought smoked salmon so skipped dinner last night.

I skipped the show since it did not seem appealing, but Alison can back and said it was one of the best she had seen. Apparently, my absence always results in good performance. While planning our next day we realized that we had an invitation to a bridge tour on “Friday, May 4th” and I phoned guest services to check. Was it Friday, or May 4th and if May the 4th, which one since we cross the dateline and have it twice?

Petropavlovsk, Russia – Thursday, May 2, 2019

We docked at 7 am, but had been told the Russian immigration is very thorough and talks hours, so we should not expect to be allowed out until the afternoon. As a result, we had a slow start to the day with breakfast in the Metropolitan restaurant then got ready, just in case we were called early. Alison had just left the room to get a Sudoku at 9:50 when our number was called.

We went down to deck 4 to collect our passports and found there was no queue and it was quiet at the gangway. Once ashore we had another passport check but there were only a half dozen people in line. Alison was going to take a photo of the ship but was told that no photos were allowed. We were out by 10:10 am and stopped at the information desk where the girl spoke good English. On the way out of the terminal building, there was a group of natives singing and dancing.

Our first impression of Petropavlovsk was that there were a lot of derelict abandoned buildings. We saw what appeared to be wild dogs roaming the area. We walked into the centre of town and there were few shops and the ones we found were closed. Detouring to walk up a hill to a lookout, we found a new walkway that was still under construction and seemed out of place compared to everything we had seen so far. There were also a lot of families out walking up the path. At the top, we found an observation area that was closed off due to construction. There were workmen who seemed to be assessing the project and not actually doing any work. A little further on there was another observation deck where we could see out. Alison decided to hand out the Canada pins we brought with us to a young family. There was also a monument commemorating battles. After descending the hill, we continued along the road.

We soon came to a small open area with more monuments, then to a much larger open area with a statue of Lenin. There were more families on the beach and we watched a paraglider land almost on top of us on the beach. We decided to walk to a church that we could see on the next hill and it was quite a walk and slog up the hill. The area around the church looked like a junkyard and the church seemed out-of-place. Nevertheless, it was surrounded by scaffolding and being renovated. Around the side, we found a door and went in. Inside it seemed like a normal orthodox church, which was, in contrast, the outside where it appeared totally gutted. There was a lady cleaning the floor who tried to explain that it was Easter in Russian and Alison could follow some of what was being said. There was also a small church shop we looked out. Back outside, we found two rather large modern guns positioned to defend the town.

Walking back into town we passed a group of children playing soccer, then walked along another road parallel to the one we came in on. There were a couple of shops open and inside a general store, all of the products were on shelves behind glass. We dropped down to the first road and went into a church we had passed on the way in. The church was derelict, but there was a small log building in front that now housed the church. Outside we met a tour group and found Dennis and Nately. We listened to the guide explaining how the government had destroyed or abandoned the churches and they were now being rebuilt.

Making our way back to the ship, we found a tourist shop open which had been closed earlier. Alison spent a long time inside and emerged with a few fridge magnets which together had cost only $2. By this time there was a steady stream of people coming along the road away from the ship. We mad our way back to the ship and joined a long line to check passport before boarding. We also needed to hand in the passports for the exit check process. Back on board, we had lunch, after which I went for a nap in the room.

In the evening, we went for drinks in the Rendezvous lounge on deck 4. Our usual Cosmos lounge was being used by the Russian immigration officials. Over dinner, the California couple, Bill and Katherine, on the next table was missing and we talked to the other couple from BC. The show in the evening was a magician. His performance was okay but reminding me of a street performer.