As I write this last installment of cruising in Mexico, it’s worth noting that there are ten inches of snow in our yard and it hasn’t been above freezing for days. The other night our mercury recorded a temperature of 5.2 degrees Fahrenheit. As cold as I’ve ever seen it here in the Puget Sound. An encore visit to Mexico would appear to be in order.Okay…cruising. This was our second cruise. The first was a few years ago and departed from Seattle with stops in Juneau, Ketchikan, and Skagway, Alaska. That was on the Sapphire Princess. Overall we found that Princess Cruises tend to be a cut above Royal Caribbean in pretty much all ways. But then Royal Caribbean’s prices were a bit lower, and would have been even more so had we elected to go the “last minute” cruise route.
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Top deck of the Vision of the Seas
After spending the first night of the trip in Long Beach, CA, we departed from the World Cruise Center (Port of Los Angeles) in San Pedro, CA on a Sunday morning. The only cruise ship we actually saw there was ours, The Vision of the Seas. But there were an incredible amount of cranes, rail cars, and shipping containers. If this isn’t the busiest port in the country then it’s mighty close.
Boarding the ship was uneventful. A good thing when thousands of your closest friends are also trying to get onboard and settled. Our stateroom was less than 100 square feet in area, the smallest and least expensive. For us, having a large space and/or an ocean view wasn’t a priority since that’s what the rest of the ship is for.
After spending the first night of the trip in Long Beach, CA, we departed from the World Cruise Center (Port of Los Angeles) in San Pedro, CA on a Sunday morning. The only cruise ship we actually saw there was ours, The Vision of the Seas. But there were an incredible amount of cranes, rail cars, and shipping containers. If this isn’t the busiest port in the country then it’s mighty close.Boarding the ship was uneventful. A good thing when thousands of your closest friends are also trying to get onboard and settled. Our stateroom was less than 100 square feet in area, the smallest and least expensive. For us, having a large space and/or an ocean view wasn’t a priority since that’s what the rest of the ship is for.
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Viviana and Charlie: great dinner companions
At dinner on the first night we were assigned to a table after some initial confusion on the part of the staff. If there is only one or two of you and you’re not traveling with family or friends, you’ll be randomly assigned to a table of four, six or eight. This is a lot like playing the lottery as there's a decent chance that you could be seated at the same table as Gilbert Gottfried. We were offered a table for four, and felt like we won this particular lottery with the couple who joined us every night to swap stories about what we did during the day. Charlie and Viviana are younger than us and opted to do more adventurous shore excursions such as riding zip lines and swimming with dolphins. I’m sure that if they had the chance to spend a half-hour in a shark cage they’d have been up for that, too. They’re from Livermore, CA (near Oakland) and we ended up exchanging e-mail information and promising to show each other around our respective towns should the situation ever come up. Charlie even offered to drop us off in the middle of Oakland at midnight on a Saturday night so that we could see first-hand what the city is really like. What a pal!
At dinner on the first night we were assigned to a table after some initial confusion on the part of the staff. If there is only one or two of you and you’re not traveling with family or friends, you’ll be randomly assigned to a table of four, six or eight. This is a lot like playing the lottery as there's a decent chance that you could be seated at the same table as Gilbert Gottfried. We were offered a table for four, and felt like we won this particular lottery with the couple who joined us every night to swap stories about what we did during the day. Charlie and Viviana are younger than us and opted to do more adventurous shore excursions such as riding zip lines and swimming with dolphins. I’m sure that if they had the chance to spend a half-hour in a shark cage they’d have been up for that, too. They’re from Livermore, CA (near Oakland) and we ended up exchanging e-mail information and promising to show each other around our respective towns should the situation ever come up. Charlie even offered to drop us off in the middle of Oakland at midnight on a Saturday night so that we could see first-hand what the city is really like. What a pal! .
BowlingJoe and BowlingWidow at dinner
When we were out at sea, there were always things to do on the ship, from trivia contests to rock climbing. And if you don’t want to do a damned thing, just find a lounge chair in a secluded area of the boat, bring a book, your favorite beverage and you’re set. Food and drink are everywhere (you do have to pay extra for some things such as alcohol….dang!) and you can eat your way through the day if that’s what you want to do. Good thing there are exercise classes available, too. Speaking of the food, cruising is an ideal time to enjoy meals you don’t necessarily partake on a regular basis at home. Every night there are numerous selections to choose from on the menu. For example, on successive nights I had prime rib, lamb, lobster, and duck. I even got brave and tried some escargot that Charlie had ordered up. Not bad at all. Tastes like mussels.
There was nightly entertainment on the ship as well. The results were mixed. The live orchestra was a nice touch, but as a captive audience it’s easy to see that the Royal Caribbean singers and dancers have their good nights and their bad nights. One of the shows was a musical tribute to the 1970s. I mean, we had to live through K.C. and the Sunshine Band and The Bee Gees the FIRST time for crying out loud. And the comedians? Well, let’s just say that they’re veterans of the cruise circuit and nothing else.
When we were out at sea, there were always things to do on the ship, from trivia contests to rock climbing. And if you don’t want to do a damned thing, just find a lounge chair in a secluded area of the boat, bring a book, your favorite beverage and you’re set. Food and drink are everywhere (you do have to pay extra for some things such as alcohol….dang!) and you can eat your way through the day if that’s what you want to do. Good thing there are exercise classes available, too. Speaking of the food, cruising is an ideal time to enjoy meals you don’t necessarily partake on a regular basis at home. Every night there are numerous selections to choose from on the menu. For example, on successive nights I had prime rib, lamb, lobster, and duck. I even got brave and tried some escargot that Charlie had ordered up. Not bad at all. Tastes like mussels.There was nightly entertainment on the ship as well. The results were mixed. The live orchestra was a nice touch, but as a captive audience it’s easy to see that the Royal Caribbean singers and dancers have their good nights and their bad nights. One of the shows was a musical tribute to the 1970s. I mean, we had to live through K.C. and the Sunshine Band and The Bee Gees the FIRST time for crying out loud. And the comedians? Well, let’s just say that they’re veterans of the cruise circuit and nothing else.
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Fifty-one countries are represented with the ship's crew
Cruising isn’t for everyone. And BowlingWidow and I certainly wouldn’t want to spend every vacation doing it. But it’s a decent choice and relatively inexpensive way to relax and see a lot of cities without a lot of taxis and hotel stays. The optional land excursions usually have something for everyone. Or one can just get off the ship and wander around independently. But be sure you’re back in time for the sailing. They WILL leave without you and one way flights home aren’t cheap.
Cruising isn’t for everyone. And BowlingWidow and I certainly wouldn’t want to spend every vacation doing it. But it’s a decent choice and relatively inexpensive way to relax and see a lot of cities without a lot of taxis and hotel stays. The optional land excursions usually have something for everyone. Or one can just get off the ship and wander around independently. But be sure you’re back in time for the sailing. They WILL leave without you and one way flights home aren’t cheap. .
Sunset on The Vision of the Seas
Next time we’re thinking that a cruise to Nova Scotia would be alright. I’m sure it’s far balmier in Nova Scotia than it is in Seattle now.
Next time we’re thinking that a cruise to Nova Scotia would be alright. I’m sure it’s far balmier in Nova Scotia than it is in Seattle now.
3 comments:
So did you get to sit with Gilbert Gottfried or not? I'm sure he makes a charming dinner companion as long as you remember to bring ear plugs.
I saw Bowlingwidow briefly this morning before they closed the Service Center and kicked us out. Fortunately we both found rides home, so you won't have to stop and pick her up on your way home.
No Gottfrieds on this trip, thank goodness. A smooth vacation in all aspects.
I did hear the news about the closure this morning. There goes my excuse to leave work early!
Stay warm and dry. I'm sure you won't get bored at home since I know you have a couple of video games you can play.
Unfortunately all those Nazis and monsters in my computer had to remain unslain yesterday, but I did watch a few episodes of NewsRadio on DVD.
Now I'm waiting for the parking lot at work to be plowed and wondering if I have time to go out and build a snowwoman to go with my snowman.
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