Sep 27 - Oct 1

 Sep 27 - Southward on the Pacific Ocean

Five days to amuse ourselves!

After a great sleep we went to breakfast in the Lido around 7:30 AM.  It seems like that is a good time for us to find a seat with a place to park my ‘companion’, the walker!  Weather today is overcast, misty and about 18° - breezy on the outdoor decks.  We returned to our cabin for a bit and then went to a presentation on the next four ports and available excursions; we are happy with what we booked before we left home so no need to change.

We’ll spend the day exploring, perhaps trying out new delicacies and relaxing!  Tonight is ‘formal night’ and at 2:00 AM we set the clocks back an hour - the first of 3 time changes before we get to Hawaii. 

Nice dinner - Caesar salad to start, chicken breast for Mary and beef tenderloin for me.  We both had caramel pecan turtle cheesecake for dessert -  but I was so disappointed - no 🐢!!!

The show tonight is called ‘Encore’

That’s all for today!  Come back to this post tomorrow and read all about our ‘Special Event’😵‍💫

M&D

Sep 28 - sailing Southwest to Hawaii

A new day!

This morning we attended two presentations.  The first was an overview of Honolulu and the various attractions, and the second was called Life at Sea presented by the Cruise Director who talked about the process to get a job at sea, and what life aboard a ship is like. 

After lunch we went to our big event of the day - wait for it! - 

The Pub Crawl!!  This was organized by one of the Cruise Critic members!A  first for us!!!  Will this be the way we can get in our 15 drinks per day???

🍺🍷🍸🍹🍸🍹🍸🍷🍺🍸🍹🍸🍹🍷🍺

 TradeWinds was our first stop where Mary had Merlot and Dorothy had a Mimosa!  On to The Mix where Mary had more wine and Dorothy had a Bloody Mary!  Then it was off to Calypso where the recommended drink was a Lemon Drop something or other!  Couldn’t taste the vodka!  Mary had Baileys on the rocks!  

The next pub was The Outrigger where it was water on the rocks for us. The recommended drinks were ‘shots’ - with Tequila!   And the last one was Good Spirits where we ordered nothing and I never heard what others were drinking.  We need to train more for Pub Crawling ( where no one actually crawls by the way!!)   Maybe we’ll do better on the next one!

There were some interesting people out on the deck!  Some found it too bright, some found it too cold, and others thought it was just right!  LOL

It was a fun afternoon and a chance to meet some of the folks we’ve been chatting with online over the past few months.

Pub crawling is exhausting so we skipped the show tonight and came back to our cabin after dinner.  Who knows what tomorrow will bring?

The Tipsy Travellers??

Sep 29 - Another day at sea! 

We’ve had a noticeable change in the weather today - humid and hot!

Sorry for the glare on the photo, but hopefully you can see we are heading Southwest towards the Hawaiian Islands.

After breakfast Mary did a walk and then we went to a talk on Devil’s Island and The Dreyfus Affair.  This was followed by The History of Coffee!  With some time to kill before the next meal 🐷🐷 we watched an ongoing competition called Giant Ball Dart, which was a competition between Officers and Guests;  the Officers won!

It was a very relaxing afternoon - a nap, a little TV, some iPad time! Can it be dinner time already?

We had a pleasant surprise at dinner tonight. The Australian couple who sit beside us were celebrating their 58th Anniversary and shared their champagne with us!  We are so lucky to have great company each evening.  We are at the theatre now waiting for tonight’s show -a vocalist, Rechell Sears.

Two more sea days until we reach Oahu, our first Hawaiian Island.

Until next time…

M & D

Sep 30 - End of September!

It’s ’pay day’ today and here we are in the Pacific Ocean with no responsibilities!  We are so grateful to be travelling the world without a care in the world!  We are truly blessed.

After showering and breakfast, Mary went for her walk on the deck and we met up in the theatre for the talk on Maui, followed by an informative and interesting presentation by the hotel executive team.  They are responsible for virtually everything to do with ‘service’ on the ship - from embarkation & disembarkation, to loading of supplies, crew changes, meals, excursions, etc!  What a challenging and logistical task!

After lunch we find ourselves back in the cabin for our relaxation!!  I’m sure that glass of wine with lunch will put at least one of us to sleep!!

Dinner will come soon and then the show - Elvis (Dan Middleditch) is onboard tonight!

Check back tomorrow for the update on our last sea day before Honolulu!

The Satisfied Sailors!

❤️❤️❤️

Oct 1 - Cruisin’ Along!

Another beautiful day at sea.  No special programs of interest this morning so we are just people watching in Crooner’s Bar.  Mary will walk while I do  my morning brain workouts on my iPad; we may browse the shops, and pick up the daily Sudoku.  Ho hum!

After lunch we’ll head back to our cabin and get ready to watch the big Debate on MSNBC!  These two political junkies can’t help ourselves!  We are careful not to get caught in any political discussions with people, although some of the Aussies, when they find out we are Canadians, will raise the subject and just shake their heads in amazement at what is going on south of our border.

 Our next post will be tomorrow from Honolulu!

Stay tuned…

M&D

Sep 26 - Los Angeles

   Sep 26 - The City of Angels

It promises to be a beautiful day in Los Angeles with blue skies and sunshine!  Temperature is 15° at 7:00 AM and is expected to reach around 25° later in the day.   We are docked at the San Pedro terminal. After an early breakfast, we headed to the meeting spot for our tour - Easy LA.

This was a bus tour through heavy traffic at 10:00 AM to downtown LA. 

Los Angeles has a population of about 4 million people many of them housed in neighbourhoods with wide ethnic variation. Homelessness is a huge crisis. We heard about the homeless, the drugs and the veterans difficulties. They have built a veterans park where they have erected small shelters so the veterans at least have a place to sleep.   I guess the guide, needing to be politically correct, did not mention the topic of the US / Mexico border!

The tour took us through the downtown area around 7th Street and Figuera Street. Many of the hotels have rooftop bars where people can have a great view of the city and the Santa Monica mountains.  Our drive took us past museums, sports venues, etc. One of the highlights was the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. This cathedral houses, one of the largest pipe organs in North America.

After leaving the downtown area, we headed to Hollywood where this famous sign was visible in the distance. 

This was originally a farm owned by the Wilcox family and when it fell on hard times the property was sold and the Hollywood sign was rebuilt at a cost of  $27,000 per letter.

We  proceeded to Hollywood Blvd and saw the Walk of stars.  The guide took the group on a walk in the area to see Dolby Theatre where the Academy Awards are held and TCL Chinese Theatre, formerly Grauman’s.

 We then retraced our route back to the ship where we had a little sandwich at the International Cafe.  Time for an afternoon nap!!

Dinner was delicious!  But what dinner isn’t when you don’t have to shop, prepare, and clean up afterwards?  We both had pea soup,  Caesar salad, and for the main Mary had prime rib followed by cheesecake, and I had Grandma’s coq au vin and ice cream!  YUM!

We are now at the theatre for a comedian / impressionist, Jason Neistadt.

When we leave here tonight we’ll have a few sea days before we reach our next port of call, Honolulu!

Aloha!

The travelling’ duo

Sep 25 - At sea

 Sep 25 - First Sea Day!

Our first sea day gave us a chance to orient ourselves to the Crown Princess.  We have sailed on sister ships, but it always takes some time to get your bearings again.

After a good night’s sleep we awoke to overcast skies.  A leisurely start to the day with breakfast around 9 and then we went to the meet and greet on Deck 18!  A few of the ship’s officers attended and welcomed the group of about 50 people!  We met some other Canadians and also the guy who arranged a couple of private tours in Australia.  As the gathering ended we had blue skies, bright sunshine and warmer temps!

We skipped lunch in the Lido and instead Mary got us each a little sandwich from the International Cafe on Deck 5 and brought it to our cabin when she was out for her walk.   A little sun on our balcony, a little TV, a little reading and it was time for dinner!

We now have our permanent table for dinner with Cesar and Roldan serving.  The couple next to us, Allison and Allan, are from Perth, Australia.   It’s nice to have the same people to chat with intermittently during dinner, and yet still have our table for two to avoid close contact.  We are being very careful!

The show tonight was an opera singer, Kelly Curtin! Not really my cup of tea! Her last number was a medley of songs from The Sound Of Music - but the arrangemeant sounded all off key!  Oh well!

Early to bed tonight as we have set up a 6:30 AM wake up call!

More from the City of Angels tomorrow!

The travellers!

Sep 24 - Embarkation Day

Sep 24 -  Embarkation Day!

Today marks the beginning of our 31 day cruise to Australia!  31 days!  😱. We can hardly wait to get unpacked and settled in our new home for the next four and a half weeks!

We’re on our way to Los Angeles!  Boarding was simple as they had a dedicated section for ‘handicapped’ people like me!!  We were taken directly to our cabin where I had a walker waiting for me.  I decided to try this because of all the sea days and the amount of walking on a ship this size.  

There was some confusion about our dining time / location, but hopefully it will all be sorted out tomorrow night.  We had nice walters And would be happy to keep them for the whole cruise.  Dinner was delicious - garlic shrimp prawns, Greek salad, pork tenderloin and cheesecake! And of course, no meal would be complete without red wine and for Dorothy an Amaretto Hot Chocolate topped it off!!! 😳

Our cabin attendant is Sumeth and he is so willing to please!  He has already taken our laundry away.  We are all unpacked and ready to go.  Tomorrow is a  sea day and a Meet and Greet with fellow cruise critic members; some of the people we will meet are on for both cruises so we’ll be like family before we leave!!!

Hoping for smooth sailing as we head south on the Pacific Ocean!!

That after dinner hot chocolate is making me sleepy!  So will sign off for today!

Talk soon!

M & D

Sep 20 - Back in Canada

 Sep 20 - Back in Canada!

All good things must come to an end!  We thoroughly enjoyed our first cruise (except for the WiFi!) and now we are at the Holiday Inn until our flight to San Francisco tomorrow.

I thought today I would jot down some thoughts about the beautiful ship that was our home for the past week.  The Celebrity Edge is one of the newer ships in the Celebrity fleet with a different design than any other ship we’ve been on. One day we attended a presentation in the theatre where Captain Costas gave a detailed overview of the workings of the vessel.  Its modern design is definitely more environmentally friendly than other ships.

It has a very modern feel to it, more like entering an upscale hotel when you step onboard.  The subdued colour palette is gray, pastels and and silver; our cabin was gray and white, and our dining room, The Normandie Restaurant  was light gray with pale pink, white, and sliver accents.  Gone is the massive dining room of old, instead opting for smaller ‘restaurants’.  We chose to dine at the same table for two very near a window each night with the same servers.  The table next to us was right beside the window and for 5 of the 7 nights we had the same couple from Manchester, UK beside us. 

There are many bars, entertainment venues, a large coffee lounge, a buffet, three main restaurants as well as specialty dining venues. The only time it felt really ‘busy’ was in the Oceanview Cafe - especially on Sea Days when all the passengers headed for meals at roughly the same time!  There was a wide selection of food set out in ‘stations’ - in the morning it had breakfast items, and at lunch there were bakery, grilled choices, pasta, salads, ethnic options, fruits, desserts etc.  It was nice to be able to enjoy the variety of items.

Dinner in the restaurants offered a changing daily menu, and also some items that were available every night - salmon, chicken and sirloin steak.  There were 5  changing options for dinner each night as well as appetizers, soup, salad.  The dessert menu had several recurring choices as well as a couple of new offerings each night - all delicious!  

As far as the environmentally conscious design - all the engineering components meet high standards of emission control.  For example when we were in port, we could see other ships putting out black smoke from their stacks, where the Edge did not.  The ship burns a low emission fuel and that is one of the reasons we were allowed into the Endicott Arm to see the Dawes Glacier.  

When we boarded I mentioned our ‘infinite Balcony’.  All of the balconies are part of the cabin - with a huge window the width of the room that can be open or closed; it is operated by a switch on the wall.  The cabin felt larger and the balcony area provided a nice sitting area whether the window was open or not. In addition there is a blackout shade that can be drawn at night (or anytime) 

When the window is open, the air conditioning automatically shuts off and without a balcony that you would step out onto, the smooth design is more wind resistant; these two features save fuel.

There are several pools, spa, sports venues, a gym, a walking/ jogging track which we did not use.  We didn’t make any ‘deposits’ in the casino either!  

The service onboard is excellent!  The aspect that impressed me most was how well taken care of those requiring assistance were. In the Oceanview Cafe on the first day someone noticed me walking with my cane, and asked if I would like an assistant to carry my plate.  From then on, all I had to do was ask, and someone was immediately available to help!  This had an added benefit for me - it meant I didn't have to handle the tongs and serving utensils!  (We were extremely careful about handwashing etc as we didn’t want to get sick at the beginning of this marathon trip!)

I was also impressed by the availability of wheelchair assistance in all the ports to navigate the ramps to get onshore and the walking distances to the shore excursion busses!   I had not been expecting this and it was a very welcome service for me!

Overall, we were very pleased with what Celebrity Edge had to offer!  The Crown Princess, an older ship, will be different for sure, but hopefully just as enjoyable!

See you in San Francisco to begin our second cruise!

The Happy Wanderers

Sep 17 - Skagway

 Sep 17 - Skagway

Although we have been to this port on our last trip to Alaska in 2017, we have opted for the White Pass Railway again.  The scenery is spectacular and it is an experience to cross rivers and valleys on this narrow gauge railway.  Our excursion today also included gold panning and musher dogs!

Our tour began with  the train trip to the Summit where we crossed into Canada, made a loop, and then back into the US!  Our costumed guide, Klondike Mike, took on the persona of a gentleman from the Klondike era; he narrated the train trip, including some really bad jokes!  (It seems these groaners are part of the training for all of our guides!) We toasted reaching the summit (2885 ft) with sparkling apple cider and a little snack package containing cheese and crackers.  

After disembarking the train at the Skagway Depot we walked to a bus that took us on the short drive to the Klondike Centre where the program was set up with different activities.

Our first stop was the training camp where Klondike Mike talked about what it was like in the Gold Rush days when people dreamt of getting rich when they reached Dawson City.  The journey was gruelling; of the 100,000 people who tried to get there, only about 3000 were actually able to go.  The government had very strict rules, requiring potential prospectors to carry food for a year on their backs!  This meant taking provisions in loads of bout 50 lbs at a time.  If they couldn’t do this, they were turned away.  About 300 people actually made it, and for many, when they finally got there most of the claims had already been taken so their efforts were for naught!  So much for a get rich quick scheme!

The next area was an explanation of the sluices and how to know if a nugget was real gold.  Over time equipment got bigger enabling more gold to be extracted.

We then went on to a presentation about the musher dogs.  This was really interesting as Theresa explained what is involved in preparing for the Iditarod, an 1100 mile sled race from Anchorage to Nome that starts on the third Saturday in March every year.  

She showed us the equipment - the sleds, the gear, etc and a map of the route they take.  It is incredible that so many people actually survive this test of endurance and stamina with temperatures reaching as low as -75° F at some points!  BRRRR!!!   She demonstrated how the sleds are used for travel and for protection from the blizzards they encounter, especially in the last 250 miles! 

 They did a demonstration with 8 dogs hooked up to a sled on wheels to show how much the dogs love their ‘jobs’   The breeding of these Alaskan Huskies is a sophisticated process and it takes years to build a team and develop dogs that have the physical characteristics and stamina, dogs who work well together, and to find which position on the team each dog is best suited for.   This was such an interesting part of the tour.

Next we got to see the puppies!!  They just turned 7 weeks old and everyone got to cuddle an adorable puppy! 🥰

Here is a link to the website for Dark Horse Racing Kennel, the owners of the dogs we met: 

https://www.darkhorsesleddogs.com/the-dogs/

The last activity was a demonstration of Gold Panning and then everyone got to pan for their ‘fortune’!  I think Mary was the top prospector with a sample worth $35!  Now if only there was someplace to cash this in!!  LOL

This was another good excursion, but we were happy to get back to the ship and rest our weary bones!  

Now we have two sea days to relax and enjoy this beautiful ship.  We probably won’t have much to write about, but I will try and post an overview of this first leg of our Pacific Adventure over the next couple of days.

Love,

The Alaskan Explorers

Sep 16 - Glaciers and Juneau

Sep 16 Glaciers and Juneau

Celebrity changed our original itinerary and we are now doing scenic cruising in the AM, making our arrival in Juneau at 1:30 PM

A very early start today! We were up and dressed by 5 AM

ready to begin the journey up the Endicott Arm to a glacier neither of us had yet seen - Dawes Glacier.  It was still dark of course but people were already gathering, staking out their viewing spots on the upper decks. Mary went up to have a look, but we decided to stay in our cabin, warm and dry waiting on our balcony for the highly anticipated Dawes Glacier  We were not disappointed!

This experience is why people return to Alaska!  To me, it is a spiritual experience being with nature and being able to view this spectacular scenery, the serenity of it, and the sheer beauty.  The weather cleared as the morning went on giving us great views from our balcony.

The  captain turned the ship so each side got to see the glacier, and Brent Nixon, our naturalist gave a running commentary throughout the trip.  He told us that Dawes Glacier is rapidly receding, and that only a few ships are allowed to come up this fjord each year.  It was so worth getting up early to have a chance to see it.

I’m the afternoon we had our whale watch.  The bus was late arriving which meant we left 1/2 hr late.  Oh well!  

The boat was comfortable with all indoor seating which was ok but it meant that every time a whale sighting was announced, in their excitement, 15 or 20 people ran to those windows and stayed there, blocking the view for everyone else!  Mary finally got a window spot and simply stayed there, knowing that eventually the boat would turn towards the whales and she could take her photos.  This was probably the best strategy.  There were dozens of whales, humpbacks and orcas with young alongside.  It was a lovely sunny evening and the guide told us orcas are only seen about every 10 days, and we were there on one of them!

This was probably the least satisfying whale watch we’ve been on because of the set up for viewing, but it is still a great experience to see these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat!

Another great day!!

Love from the Two Nature Lovers

Sep 15 - Ketchikan

Sep 15 - Ketchikan 

Our first port of call is Ketchikan.  We woke up to light showers, but that didn’t dampen our spirits for todays’s excursion, Wilderness Exploration and Crab Feast!

A bus took us to George Inlet Lodge where we boarded a boat that took us past an old cannery, to an estuary where they had crab pots set.  Our guide, Chase, hauled up a pot that contained about a dozen Dungeness crabs.  He was a wealth of information about these creatures.  We learned how to hold them without getting hurt; we listened to them ‘breathing’, and several people got to throw one back into the water.

On the  return trip  hase pointed out a 25 year old bald eagle’s nest that has be tended by the same eagle pair, Harvey and Agnes, for the past 15 years.  We didn’t see that pair, but farther along we saw more eagles and one came close to the boat to retrieve a fish!

Back at the lodge we were taken inside for the feast!  Tables were set in groups of four or more - we sat with Teresa and Sarah, (mother & daughter) from Mt Hope, Ontario!  What are the chances?

Each place had a tossed salad with mandarin oranges, and the server came along to take our drink orders! - wine for us, of course!  After all, it was past noon!!  One of the staff gave a demonstration of how to tackle a crab and then out came the freshly steamed Dungeness beauties!  We all set about getting the sweet crabmeat out of the shells.  They just kept coming around with these huge stainless bowls of crab, a true feast!!

Each table had a task - to see who could build the highest ‘tower’ of crab shells!!!  Some  tables were very ingenious!  Ours was 28”!  The winner was 37”!!!  I wish I could post the photos!!!  If you look at Mary’s Facebook page she will probably put up some photos later today.  It was a lot of fun.  

We had to leave to get back to the ship.  Our next adventure happened on the way back when the bus ‘died’.  Our guide was in the middle of one of his terrible jokes, when he pulled over to the side of the road and exclaimed, ‘Oh no!  I’ve lost power!’ 

He tried ro get it started but no luck! So he set out his emergency markers and made a call to his dispatcher.  Soon another bus was on the way to get us.  Along came Matt in a ‘trolley bus’.  Another fun experience!

After dinner we decided not to go to the show ( a magician) and came back to our cabin for an early night.  Tomorrow we need to be up at 5:00 AM to enter Endicott Arm for what  we are told will be a spectacular glacier viewing!  It will be pitch dark as the sun doesn’t rise until almost 7:00 AM!  

This was a great day!  We seem to be having a lot of them!

The Happy Wanderers

😴😴

Sep 14 - At sea

 Sep 14 

Today is a sea day as we sail from Seattle north to Alaska.

I am totally frustrated with Celebrity WiFi!  It is not letting me upload photos into the blog and in my version (where I compose) even the photos from the first post have disappeared!  So the rest of this could be really boring to read!  Hopefully after we get off the ship I will be able to resume my normal way of posting!  Sorry about this!

We are having a relaxing day today.  This is a beautiful ship and there are a lot of features that I really like!  Simple things like, when you get off the elevator, signs point to ‘Aft’ and ‘Fwd’ and list what is in each direction such as ‘Theatre’, ‘Normandie Restaurant’, our dining room, etc.  On other ships we’ve always had to stop and figure it out as we stepped out of the elevator.  It’s a silly little thing, but makes it easy for an addled old lady!

Today there were presentations in the theatre.  Two were hosted by a wonderful marine naturalist, Brent Nixon.  The first was all about Alaska - the natural beauty and association with nature that awaits us, and the second was on Humpback Whales. In both presentations, the photography was stunning and he has a very engaging style that is both educational and humorous!

It is unfortunate that we are expecting cloudy, rainy weather over the next two or three days as we will be in Alaska at exactly the right time for spectacular Northern Lights; sadly we need clear skies in order to view them.  

Mary went to a third presentation on Ketchikan which was also interesting and informative.

Tonight is ‘formal night’ so I guess we have to try and look presentable!  Many people get quite dressed up, but that is not our cup of tea!  We have never been refused entry to the dining room, so I guess we pass!   After dinner we’ll probably go to the theatre for the Captain’s Welcome followed by the show called ‘Colors of Life’.

Tomorrow is our first excursion!  We’re looking forward to seeing some wildlife!  Since I can’t post any photos, I will publish this now!

Stay tuned!

Two Travellers

Sep 13 - Embarkation Day

 Sep 13 - Embarkation Day

After great night’s sleep in our little old hotel, we took the 11:00 AM shuttle to the pier.  Finally we stepped onto a ship for the first time in eighteen months; it’s been 11 years since Con and I took our last cruise with Celebrity, and this is Mary’s first time.

In a word…overwhelming!

Embarkation was a breeze.  We were directed to the wheelchair check-in ( even though we hadn’t preregistered) and they took us through all the fast tracks right to our cabin.

Here is our first look! 

Sorry… due to technical difficulties ( not the operator) photos will not upload!  GRRRRRRRR!  😡

The balcony is part of the room with a window that comes down to give access to fresh air.  So no more sliding doors and railing.  The window is motorized and has an electric black out blind as well. 

Lots of drawers and cubbies for storage, plenty of charging areas for our devices, and a nice sized shower jn the bathroom.  

Off for lunch in the Oceanview Cafe. Nice selection of food at the buffet and we snagged a window seat!

Cheers to be back at sea!

Off to explore a bit - first stop internet help to get our devices set up.  Then up to the rooftop garden on Deck 15.  We stayed up there for sailaway.

Dinner was excellent.  We have a table for two with the same servers every night.  This is the first time in my life i have had an ‘all female crew’!!  Lol. Daisy is our cabin attendant; Siti is our server, Arpanya is our assistant server, and Helena is our sommelier.

For dinner we both had shrimp cocktail to start, followed by perfectly med rare prime rib.  For dessert Mary had cheesecake and I had apple pie ala mode.

We definitely need to up our game in the drinks dept!  We each had only one glass of wine and a Kahlua liqueur with our coffee.

All in all it was a great day!  We are back on a ship and despite a couple of technical glitches I think we are both going to enjoy our Celebrity experience!

More later!

From the North Pacific,

The two retired ( and loving it) former teachers