Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Interlude

There now follows an interlude as I will be away from the computer for a while...

We are traveling to Venice to join our next cruise on the Ocean Princess.

2 days in Venice then we visit Dubrovnik, Malta, Tunis, Sorrento and then Rome where we will also spend two days.

Thanks for following along this far!

Norris

Friday, September 12, 2014

Whittier to Anchorage

The motor coach trip from Whittier to Anchorage takes 90 minutes or what seems like three hours if you have a driver rambling on over the P.A armed with a few facts and a failing memory.  I have since become the proud owner of Bose noise canceling headphones for such occasions. The driver did his best but when I drive I am totally focused on the road and not killing people, especially myself, and so far I have done a great job of that. I haven't had a speeding ticket in 25 years and don't own a radar detector, just a pair of slowly fading eyes and focus on what I am doing.

The video following is our last day in Alaska, condensed into a few minutes.

We had a great escape from the everyday on the Diamond Princess and before we left her had put down deposits of $100 per person on future cruises with Princess. These we use rather than pay the 20% deposit normally asked and Princess gives us $50 onboard credit when we use them to book.

Our next cruise would be in January 2013 on the Ruby Princess from Ft. Lauderdale to the Eastern Caribbean islands of St. Maarten, St. Thomas and Grand Turk-a sunshine break from the snows of Chicago.

A seven hour flight in the dark brought us back to the reality of Chicago.

Video....





Monday, September 8, 2014

Anchorage

It's not Fort Lauderdale-it's Whittier so the hustle and bustle of 8 ships unloading 20,000 people isn't there. At 65 miles to Anchorage you won't see a lot of taxis coming. There is a train that pulls up to take those going on a Princess Land tour to Denali and their Wilderness Lodges and a fleet of coaches one of which had our name on it (not literally!)

The harbor is quiet and orderly.


There is an excursion boat visible as some like to take excursions in Prince William Sound if they are staying in Anchorage or have a late flight like us. Whittier is not a walking town as there is not much to see and it's not a tourist destination, just a practical port for Princess.


Early morning mists


One last walk on the wide promenade deck



The Industrial view from the coach which made a short circuit of the town . It's not a place that calls one back....


One last look at the great ship that had been our home for an incredible 7 days.

The coach had a 15 minute wait to enter the one way out of Whittier- a 2.5 mile tunnel blasted out of the mountain. Traffic is one way as the tunnel is only 8 feet wide.

It's a pleasant scenic ride up to Anchorage and it takes about 90 minutes. You have a view of the sea for most of the way.  Our young driver gave a rambling commentary as he drove.



I drifted in and out of a nap and if the driver hadn't been talking non-stop I would have slept most of the way.

As we had almost 10 hours until our 8pm flight we had decided to book a room at the Captain Cook hotel. This way we had a base with a nice bathroom and a place to nap if the need arose (and it did)
The room wasn't ready when we arrived there and we were told it would be an hour's wait. We gave the front desk my cell number and took a walk in the sunshine.  After 90 minutes the call still had not come through so I went back into the hotel and spoke to a different desk clerk and found that it had been ready 30 minutes ago. Not impressed by the front desk service.

Anyway we now had a room to freshen up in. We had already left our big luggage at the Princess drop-off in the vast Egan Center a few blocks away. It would be loaded on to our bus to the airport much later. We carried our hand luggage to the hotel.



The view


As it was now early afternoon it was time to eat and during my earlier walk I had come across a nearby restaurant with a sea view and I liked the look of it so I made a reservation for lunch.


As we were in Alaska we both had halibut on our plates, in different preparations. You could order frozen fish or fresh fish for an up charge so we chose the latter to savor the experience.


Fish and chips for me and both were delicious and were complimented by a nice cold Guinness.


Carol had a Thai curry preparation with hers.

After a fine lunch in pleasant surroundings with attentive service it was time for a walk and now and then I had to stop to take photos of the many beautiful flower beds that adorn this fine little city.



The damp climate and long summer days work wonders on the plants. Many are planted by the city each year. Walking in downtown Anchorage is a feast for the eyes as a result.


Although there are big hotels and high-rise office blocks much of the city is on a more human scale and views of mountains or sea are never far away.



We went back to the hotel for the much anticipated nap. A seven hour flight in the dark was waiting for us, up ahead, with a five a.m arrival in Chicago...

Friday, September 5, 2014

Last walk on the Diamond

We always opt for a late check-out on the ships as we are never rushing to an airport. On four of our 5 cruises to date we have arrived a day early and left a day late but on this voyage there were only direct flights to Chicago on the day we left the ship. We didn't have to fly until 8 pm so there was no urgency in disembarking.

So we could have a leisurely MDR breakfast and be served by crew we had never seen before, yet they were on the ship all week long, every step of the way. MDR favorites for me always include hot oatmeal with brown sugar, whole milk and raisins followed by a stack of pancakes drowned in maple syrup with a healthy (sic) mound of bacon or ham.

Suitably fortified I was ready to take a walk-one last walk-through the interior hallways that had been my thoroughfare from stem (Princess Theater) to stern (Club Fusion) for the past seven days of relaxation, fun and enjoyment on this beautiful ship.

For me it was the most enjoyable of the 5 cruises taken at the time of writing (3 more are in the works and one begins 16 days from now in Venice-Italy, not California!) due to the design and features of the ship, the stellar crew and the superb Captain, a great communicator and motivator.  Everything was "ship shape".

Being back in port after your cruise time has run out is not fun. Where did the time go? There were so many things I missed by my floating along through each day method (besides the busy excursions) but relaxing is a key part of cruising as much as trying to see it all and do it all. There will be other cruises (see above!) The Princess slogan then was "Escape Completely" and I was escaping from work and city life in Chicago and enjoying the company of 2600 similar souls with big grins on their faces, rather than scowls.

We slept well, even if briefly in my case (4 to 5 hours usually) and ate like Kings, when and where we chose to. The food was good and there was no dishwasher loading and grocery shopping.

So here is the video. The 2600 passengers are disembarked in stages according to their time of preference so many are gathered in public rooms to wait their turn. Our designated room would be Club Fusion a short elevator ride from our aft cabin. Most of the passengers are already off by the time I did my walk.






Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Last night on board

There follows a video which features a last-night tradition on the Princess cruises we have taken-the International Crew Talent Show. This was back in the day when I didn't record the performances in their entirety so it is just a taster. The balloons amuse the crowd as the theater fills up as many get there early to secure a good seat. We usually sit at the back for a quick getaway.

My getaway happened mid-way through the show as I had my packing to do and thought it best to have the cabin to myself. I missed some great comedy by the Cruise Director, Billy Highgate and so I hope to see him on another ship in the future. The Diamond Princess has since been moved to serve the Far East market and has had an interior re-model to suit the growing number of Japanese cruisers.

Carol was back by the time I placed my suitcase into the hallway for pickup. Hers had been taken hours before. When I went out onto the balcony at 12.30 a.m I was surprised to see we were in Whittier and the mooring crew were tying the ship up for the night.

Five hours of delicious sleep followed.

There would be no Sabatini breakfast in the morning-the waitstaff there are used to help people in wheelchairs off the ship, so we would be eating in one of the dining rooms.

In the morning I had planned to have time to take some last photographs and a video walk through the interior Promenade Deck.

For now, here is the video from the show and then the waking in Whittier which is Princess' own Alaskan port.