Day started with a nice breakfast and walk around the city centre. Vancouver is a really lovely city but a noticeably high number of homeless sleeping rough in the heart of the shopping precinct. More than any other city I have ever seen. The contrasts between high end shops and people asleep on doorways was quite sad.
Time to check out was 11am and boarding time for the ship was 12.
We arrived at the Canada Place terminal at 11.50. Two big ships in and boarding the Carnival something or other and the much larger Nieuw Amsterdam. As we alighted the taxi a guy greeted us, took our luggage and said "through the green door to the ship" . He lied. Through the green Door meant two and a half hours of 'processing'. Like a sheep awaiting shearing, we were sat in lines in the huge wharf shed that was the 'Welcome Centre' to await check in. ' Baaa!'. After an eternity we were greeted by Ronaldo who spent 3.6 minutes with us before we were shown the exit to the ship. Wrong again. We walked a labyrinth of corridors, stairways and rooms to be sat in another room to await US immigration. 'If you haven't got your ESTA in your hand you'll be turned away' yells the border collie rounding us up. Some time later we get near the head of the line where another border collie yells 'put away all the excess paperwork you only need your passport open to the picture page' . 'Greatcoats on greatcoat off' . At least we had a pleasant customs officer.
Then it was on to the ship. Welcome aboard. Here are the instructions for the room, here is the itinerary for the day, as first time sailors you need to be at the auditorium at 3 o'clock, lunch starts at 12 on is on deck 9 (but it's already 2.30) oh and the mandatory lifeboat drill is at 4 if you don't attend that you'll be kicked off the boat, welcome aboard we are here to help you.
As you might imagine I was in heaven, not. Went down to our stateroom, not bad, nice view of the water. Then to our first time sailors meeting, where Helen and I won the raffle, a free wine tasting function for two in the Manhattan restaurant. Very good prize as anything free on this ship is very rare.
4.00 pm arrived, lifeboat drill was fairly painless, given I was already over the cruise and we hadn't left the dock. 2,100 people trying to use the stairs all at once, we found our group at assembly point 13, ran through the roll call, thankfully everyone turned up, 150 in each lifeboat. Then it was get the camera for our departure from Vancouver.
Helen and I explored deck 10 and 11 in the fresh air, sun was shining, sea was dead flat and all systems go. The ship slipped quietly from the dock and we are on our way.
The evening improved as we glided through the waves dinner in the Manhattan Restaurant followed by a night cap in the Crows nest.
Thank god that was over.
Thank god that was over.
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