Feliz Navidad!

[chefestelle]

Thanks for the idea Cruz chic. I have some pipe cleaners somewhere in the craft chest. I'm going to look for them tonight. Talavera-7 I have seen very festive photos on this forum. I gather Santa visits the kids. Also le cirque is Xmas eve so that's what we are doing. I think it will be very Christmassy on board!

[chefestelle]

Here it is, departure day! The flight doesn't leave til nearly noon but neither DD nor I could sleep in! We're all packed - probably with too much stuff. The vehicle is all gassed up so the house sitter can run us to the airport. There only remains the task of cleaning the dishes and weighing the luggage with the handy dandy luggage scale. And drinking coffee. And pacing the floor. I tried to check in online but apparently you can't do that with tickets booked through flight ease. No worries, though. We are going early to have breakfast at the Bread Garden at the airport. We will be checked in with plenty of time and our seats are already assigned. I am so excited that it is finally here!

[POA1]

Have a wonderful trip!

[Lizzie68]

Here it is, departure day! The flight doesn't leave til nearly noon but neither DD nor I could sleep in! We're all packed - probably with too much stuff. The vehicle is all gassed up so the house sitter can run us to the airport. There only remains the task of cleaning the dishes and weighing the luggage with the handy dandy luggage scale. And drinking coffee. And pacing the floor. I tried to check in online but apparently you can't do that with tickets booked through flight ease. No worries, though. We are going early to have breakfast at the Bread Garden at the airport. We will be checked in with plenty of time and our seats are already assigned. I am so excited that it is finally here!

 

I'm excited for you. Have a safe journey, and a fantastic cruise.:)

[chefestelle]

Ugh. Too much stress with these connections! The line up was too long at YVR for security and immigration so no time for a bite of lunch even though our flight is delayed by 15 minutes. That means we get to San Francisco 15 precious minutes later where we couldn't have our luggage checked through to San Diego because air Canada doesn't have a partnership with Virgin. So we have 75 minutes to disembark, collect our luggage, proceed to virgin ticketing, check our bags again (and pay again) and go through security again before blasting down to terminal 2 (the furthest from international terminal) to make our flight. [emoji33][emoji16][emoji22][emoji22][emoji22][emoji22]

Edited December 19, 2015 by chefestelle

[caltnl]

The 8 of us leave about 8:30 in the morning to drive from Orange County to San Diego.

 

We are are all ready to go. Including the two Grandsons.

[Foggy Bay]

Ugh. Too much stress with these connections! The line up was too long at YVR for security and immigration so no time for a bite of lunch even though our flight is delayed by 15 minutes. That means we get to San Francisco 15 precious minutes later where we couldn't have our luggage checked through to San Diego because air Canada doesn't have a partnership with Virgin. So we have 75 minutes to disembark, collect our luggage, proceed to virgin ticketing, check our bags again (and pay again) and go through security again before blasting down to terminal 2 (the furthest from international terminal) to make our flight. [emoji33][emoji16][emoji22][emoji22][emoji22][emoji22]

 

Did you make it?

[chefestelle]

No. I'm sitting here in San Francisco pretty much done in. Virgin America had no desire to help their stranded passenger. United fell all over themselves trying to book me on a flight but couldn't without Virgins co-operation. There is an angel named Caroline at the HAL emergency number who has got to have major karma credits. I have to say the stress and pressure really got to me but DD held up well and I am very proud of her. We are on a very early flight to San Diego but it's not the worst I've taken. We are holed up at the Crowne Plaza where we are going to have room service and go to bed. Tomorrow is another day and I'm going to be on that dam ship no matter what!

[Foggy Bay]

No. I'm sitting here in San Francisco pretty much done in. Virgin America had no desire to help their stranded passenger. United fell all over themselves trying to book me on a flight but couldn't without Virgins co-operation. There is an angel named Caroline at the HAL emergency number who has got to have major karma credits. I have to say the stress and pressure really got to me but DD held up well and I am very proud of her. We are on a very early flight to San Diego but it's not the worst I've taken. We are holed up at the Crowne Plaza where we are going to have room service and go to bed. Tomorrow is another day and I'm going to be on that dam ship no matter what!

 

Oh my gosh. You will make it in the a.m., and we will all sail away on our Christmas Cruise. Say hi when you see me--I'm a 6' tall lady and hard to miss. I hope tomorrow goes smoothly for you and we will see you on board!

[chefestelle]

I'll be looking, Foggy Bay! We are at the airport having arrived early enough to field any challenges. In the way of the dates, no challenges have presented. In fact, we even have priority boarding. I have my Peets mocha and life is good.

[TiogaCruiser]

We're getting ready for disembarkation to begin. CD just read the list of stragglers- about 10. (2 share a family name with me :( ). The Veendam is all decked out for the holidays. They finished the gingerbread village in the atrium last night. I will post some pix later this week. (Bear with me on that one- it's back to work for me tomorrow.)

 

Last night Captain came on with an appeal to everyone to observe good hand hygiene. There was an increase in noro-like symptoms and they were increasing deep cleaning. No code orange/red noted in the Lido. It was a great cruise. I'll post more comments later.

 

Of note is the On Location Team: Edgar, Armando (singer), Consuelo y Israel (dancers). They performed several times and were delightful. HAL really kicked it up a big notch with On Location.

[chefestelle]

I'm so excited! We will be on the look out for noro types so thanks for the heads up.

[chefestelle]

I'll be looking, Foggy Bay! We are at the airport having arrived early enough to field any challenges. In the way of the dates, no challenges have presented. In fact, we even have priority boarding. I have my Peets mocha and life is good.

 

 

Fates, not dates.

[chefestelle]

We made it! The extra room in the select seats on Virgin was well worth the effort. Ok, maybe not the grief of yesterday but certainly worth being at the airport bright and snarly. The temperature was even nice.

 

No one was here from HAL to meet us but that hardly matters when you are four hours early for embarkation and the cruise terminal is a hop and a skip from the airport. After about fifteen minutes, they arrived ready to bustle their charges together. The shuttle wasn't leaving til 10:30 so that was going to be a bit of a wait. However, we were told there is really nothing to do at the port and we had luggage to drag around. So a cab ride wouldn't have helped. It was a pleasant enough wait anyway and the HAL people were really nice.

 

The bus came and the ride was quick. No need to drag our luggage with us. It was all tagged before it boarded the bus. The processing was super efficient and quick although the waiting area reminded me of photos of immigration ports at the turn of the century. Built more for bolting than reclining. Everyone was very friendly. The health questionnaire just wants to know if you've been in contact with Ebola, been to certain African countries , or had fever and runny nose/cough or diarrhea in the last two days.

 

We were in boarding group 1 and it seemed as though we were going to slowly freeze before we embarked. Still, I don't suppose we would have gone so early if we had come in the night before. Once we got going, we boarded really quickly. DD's luggage was outside the door when we got there but mine never did show up til I went to the front office after dinner. The luggage tag had ripped off. A lady at the muster drill told me she saw them manhandling our luggage so it's no wonder. Guess you gotta be quick in this business!

 

We went on a quick tour of the ship just to see what was on our end. It is a lovely ship and the decorations for Christmas are wonderful. We had no trouble finding something to eat in the Lido. Buffets aren't really my thing but the salad I threw together was hearty. There was a sandwich making station tucked in amongst the other stations. I'm not really a sandwich kinda gal but it looked like there were plenty of fixings for all tastes.

 

Muster drill time was approaching so we returned to our cabin to rest our feet. We had been up for twelve hours after only five hours of sleep. We both drifted off until the blast warnings came. Nearly came out of our skin. The muster drill went mostly efficiently and we were soon on our way.

 

There was a sail away do on the Lido. There were Mexican performers and a superb taco stand going on. We had a lovely little snack of it to augment our salads. Then it was back to the room to settle in and unpack. At least DD could. My luggage was still missing.

 

We realized we weren't going to last well tonight so even though we just had that nice little snack, we went off to have an early dinner. I had the French onion soup, pork chop and creme brûlée. DD had the same soup, salmon and the lemon torte. We thought the soup was not that great but we both loved our entrees. DD enjoyed the lemon torte but found it too sweet even without sugar added.

 

After dinner I finally tracked down my luggage. After getting unpacked we bundled up to sit out on the deck. I was fairly comfortable with just a robe but DD was chilled under both wool blankets and my fall jacket! Still, she stuck it out.

 

DD is now off socializing at the teen meet and great while I write this day one novel. We will be early to bed despite the entertaining lineup around the ship. It's been a long first day, but we are on our way!

 

Tomorrow is gala night number one and a leisurely day at sea. DD is blasting through the Internet minutes I got (100 for $55. No unlimited plan on board yet). So I'm not sure how often I'll get to report in...

[TiogaCruiser]

Glad to hear you made it aboard ( though it means I'm off 😒).

 

Internet is really slow. I ran through an hour with a few emails. (It took 4-8 minutes for one to go). Seemed to get better connection on deck 6 amidships next to the Dutch shuffleboard. ( there's a cone right there).

[chefestelle]

December 21: a day at sea! we went ahead an hour so I ordered room service breakfast for an hour later than we normally eat. Then I got up early but DD was still out like a light. She made a few friends at the Loft and were cruising the ship - pun intended - while I relaxed with a good book. I really liked the rocking motion that took me off to sleep but I woke often thoroughly disoriented. I still felt very rested when I woke.

I enjoyed some quiet time on the deck. Yes, our neighbour smokes but it's just a light scent on the breeze. I like the faded smell of American cigarettes - like a mini cigar. I didn't enjoy the more up close smell in the casino. It was already unpleasant with barely anyone in it. I don't gamble anyway, so no loss. I can mange the smell on our deck.

I must say I'm not overwhelmed by the in room breakfast. DD's bennies were rock hard and her soy milk curdled in the coffee. We wanted almond milk but they had none. The coffee was very good though. I've never had it that good in any hotel room service. My omelette tasted fine but it was a mysterious yellow I've never associated with eggs. I wondered if they were powdered or something. The juices tasted real and were nicely chilled. So was it edible and good enough? Yes. Was it as good as last night's dinner? Nope. I'll live though and I'll have something else tomorrow!

 

For the regulars, our CD is Jude. Haven't seen her but her announcements are few and unobtrusive. Father Timothy O'Connell is doing mass and Pastor Roy Peacock has done the interdenominational service and Bible studies. Henk Hoeskstra is the hotel director and our captain is Eric Van der Wal.

 

DD left in the morning to sun with her new friends. I wandered the shops for deals as there was a sidewalk sale. I forgot my travel clock so I picked up a cheap sport watch for $10. They had lots of other watches there with varying sales. People were enjoying the sales on purses, dam swag and such. There isn't a huge selection but a decent variety. I didn't see a sundry shop for forgotten times but perhaps I missed it because I wasn't really looking. Last night the jewellery shop had a draw for a diamond watch but I was tucked snug in my room and you had to be there to win. Today, there was another jewellery lecture and associated draw but I was on a mission and skipped it.

 

DD and I planned to meet up for lunch again. I had hoped to skip the buffet and have lunch in the main dining room. It was closed for an invitation only event though so no luck. The Lido is ok, just not my cuppa. I found the pre made sandwiches just before the Asian station and custom made sandwiches were still being made at the other end. Something for everyone. I had a bit of chicken, some rigatoni and a salad. The salad was good but the rest is precisely what you would expect from a buffet. Not horrible. Just not fabulous. It was nice to sit out on the deck with our lunch though. DD has discovered virgin daiquiris and is sampling different kinds.

 

We had our pedicures right after. Our aesthetician was Yvonne from Zimbabwe. She was absolutely lovely and my feet haven't felt this fabulous in years. I'll say this. The pedicure was $65 US which is close to what I pay in a salon at home. You get the full soaking, massaging, scraping and polishing you expect from a good quality salon. I highly recommend this service. I feel immensely relaxed.

 

I managed to fit in some time in the sun afterward and then a relaxing drink on our deck before it was time to dress for gala night number one. We both brought a sparkly cocktail dress for this. I don't think gowns will be overdressing. Last night we ate around 5:30 and the young people version of smart casual was dress shirts and even ties and cute little dresses. The older crowd was much more casual though I saw not one pair of shorts. So I imagine people will be much dressier tonight. It is Christmas after all... If I get a chance before bed, I'll update on the food and dress but we are in the pinnacle grill tonight. I don't know if that will make it different from the main dining room.

 

Well, it looks like I forgot to post before dinner! It was just lovely. Too much food but all done so very well from the shrimp cocktail to the filet mignon to the cheese plate. We even went to have our photos done. Almost everyone was dressed in finery with only a couple of exceptions. I was facing the door at the Pinnacle so I was able to see many gowns and tuxes go by. Also many lovely cocktail dresses and nice suits. Only a few plaid numbers with khakis. No shorts at all. Only one person in a bathrobe (?!). I discovered pinnacle fizzes and am now a devout follower.

 

Foggy Bay, I have only seen one woman taller than my DD who is 5'8". She was at dinner tonight in the most chic gown. I wondered if it was you but she had no entourage so perhaps not.

 

Tioga, our inet has been good except for DD's usage level...

 

Tomorrow we are in Cabo!

[chefestelle]

December 22: I feel like this is going too fast! I slept very well last night except when DD woke me because I was making odd noises as I blew out of my mouth. Ah the joys of aging! I woke at 7:30 which would be 6:30 for me and my usual time. So I slipped out to the deck to read and enjoy the lovely morning air and rush of water as we coursed through it. We've been watching for whales and I finally saw one breach just as we were approaching Cabo! Very exciting. I saw several blows just before it happened so I was ready!

 

Cabo was lovely. We had a later excursion to the Chileno Bay Sail and Snorkel. The trip out on the catamaran is long but the crew are very friendly. You have the obligatory pictures taken at Lovers Beach so named because the sea and ocean rise up and meet over the sand in high seas. The rock formations are fascinating and I could see myself spending a leisurely day sunning on that beach - when the seas are not high!

 

At Chileno Bay you pop into the water off a ladder and swim in the warmest sea with tropical fish there for the viewing the second your face hits the water. Safety is well monitored here and you are watched closely. I know this because my claustrophobia gave me a panic attack when I had been in the water no longer than ten minutes. I was towed back to the boat and talked off the watery ledge. I have always loved snorkelling but this panic gets worse every time. I think my snorkelling days are over. DD was able to stay out though and had a marvellous time.

 

Once back on board you are treated to drinks, salsa and chips and literally the best tuna sandwich I have eaten since I used to make them myself! Simple and perfect. Wish I could have more. I will have to copy them at home.

 

You need cash if you want the pictures. $15 for one up to $40 for all (up to five are taken) plus the disc. I didn't have cash but I'll try to email them once I'm home.

 

We had dinner in the main dining room and chose to join others. We had the nicest group - especially Annie from California via New Jersey. She was one of the most cheerful, happy people I have met in a long time. Dinner was a bit odd, though. DD's chicken curry was pronounced delicious but my veal loin was really a very thin cutlet. It tasted good but just struck me as odd. There were several who had salmon. The portions were very tiny and, honestly, it looked like farmed Atlantic which we don't eat here on the Pacific coast...

 

There was a Broadway review on tonight. I gather last night's comedian was hilarious. I was tempted to pop in on the review but I used to go to the theatre so much in the past and I'm looking forward to New York in a couple of years so I decided to give it a miss. Even DD just wanted to relax and read.

 

December 23: Mazatlan! We docked at 8. DD and I had a simpler breakfast this morning that worked out much better than eggs. It came fifteen minutes earlier than our earliest range so I had literally just rolled out of bed! But the hot strong coffee was welcome. We dressed and wandered out to figure out how disembarkation would happen. We needn't have worried. Jude came on with simple instructions. We had time for almond milk lattes and a wander before we had to meet our excursion.

 

Walking out is a much more pleasant and quicker process than tenders. There was a canopied seating area we enjoyed until it was time to board. Freda the sniffer dog was on duty and caught contraband bananas while we were there. She was a delightful dog. The officer allowed everyone to pet her which is extraordinary for working dogs. DD was in heaven.

 

Our excursion was to the turtle sanctuary. This was a truly incredible experience. I have always wanted to see a turtle release but there were two problems here: it was daylight and we had received a notice that no turtles had been born in the last few days because it was so cold out. Trust me, these turtles don't know cold! The trip out is on an air conditioned bus. Our guide was the very knowledgeable Jesus. I learned so many things about Mazatlan on that ride, it alone was worth the trip. The sanctuary is set on the ocean. We had a briefing before we went on a boat ride through the mangroves. I had forgotten my insect repellent but it wasn't needed. The mangroves were quite the experience, being filled with odd bird nests, cranes, herons, storks, pelicans, warblers, alligators, jumping shrimp and fish - all of which we saw.

 

When we returned, we were treated to papaya and very tart oranges. There was a topping of chilli, dehydrated lime juice and salt that was a perfect condiment. This was followed by salsa and chips which had a bigger kick. The meal was rounded out with chicken fajitas brought with onions and poblano chiles. Awesome.

 

After lunch we visited the stinky humid incubation room where we were treated to the marvel of newly hatched turtles. Yay! We each got to take one down to the beach for release. This is handled delicately as we cannot touch the turtles.. There were turkey vultures in the distance. Had they been closer, we could not have released them. Even still, only 1 in 100 survive the journey to the sea.

 

Part of the excursion fare goes to the sanctuary and I highly recommend the experience if you are not mobility challenged! Or if you're not too skinny because the boats seats are not padded! That's not a problem for me...

 

Dinner is in the Pinnacle Grill tonight. I hope to report back before bed but I'm not sure what's going on around the ship or how much stamina I will have after all that sun!

[Lizzie68]

Sounds like you are having a fabulous time and I am really enjoying your reports.:)

[TiogaCruiser]

Gee, I had no idea there were gators there.:eek:

 

I thought several of the nights menus were a little strange. I prefer the previous menu and not the different featured chefs. It seemed like they were so similar from night to night. Gotta say the Angry Rock fish was good though.

[chefestelle]

Hmmm I haven't seen angry rock fish yet but we also won't be back to the MDR anyway. I had booked most nights in the Pinnacle and it turned out to be a wise choice. DD prefers the quieter and less frenetic pace as do I. I'm glad you are enjoying the reports Lizzie68! I've enjoyed capturing our memories here!

[chefestelle]

December 24: happy Christmas Eve! Dinner at the Pinnacle was again most excellent. Everyone was dressed a step above smart casual at a minimum just because it's the Pinnacle. DD had bought a poncho in Mazatlan at the terminal mercado because she had been chilly in the dining rooms. I have more padding and menopause working in my favour so it hasn't been a problem for me. However, tonight was not a chill issue. We were quite comfortable and dinner is made that much more enjoyable by the strings playing next door every evening. DD repeated her mushroom ravioli dish and I had the lamb chops. I ordered medium rare and they were more on the rare side, but quite delicious. The amuse bouche was a mushroom cappuccino I found delicious but DD didn't care for the after taste. I had the jumbo prawns to start. There were only four tonight but that's just less cholesterol. DD had . I finished with the cheese plate - always a favourite for me - and DD had the blueberry lemon torte brûlée. It came deconstructed so it looked just perfect. I may have to have that tomorrow night!

 

Now on to today's report. We were coming into port when I saw the last remnants of a beast of the sea diving under. No idea whether it was a sea lion or small whale or even a dolphin. I watched but saw no more of it. We sailed in to dock next to the Grand Princess. Their happy passengers were on deck waving to us. It seemed from that snippet to be a considerably younger demographic and lots more younger children. But that's just one side of a ship that was already docked. It was a bit like sailing past a city and, much to my chagrin, I could hear every word of the large screen on deck tv. I wonder if that's just an acoustics thing or if you are plagued with that volume any time you are outside on that ship.

 

I have to say our excursion at Puerto Vallarta was absolutely the best! Even the best of any organized tour I have taken anywhere. We boarded an inflatable speed boat and went for a hair shipping fun ride out to Quimixto, a tiny village on the shores beyond PV whose only business seems to be taking tourists on horseback to the waterfalls. I'm not a fan of horses but DD is a rider and loves them. This ride was for all levels because it is a slow traipse through narrow passages, winding up and down rocks and dirt til you reach a creek. Here you drop the horses off and wade to theories side. Climb a short path to a suspension bridge, settle your belongings on the cafe tables, and jump into the VERY refreshing waters for a chilly swim. DD and I chose to have a refreshing beverage, take our mandatory photos in front of the falls, and watch as some of our tour mates climbed around the falls to slide down. Then we mounted up and rode back to the beach where we climbed in our little tender for a ride back to our boat. Getting in and out of the boats at each stop is not particularly hard, but balance is important because there is no stopping the waves moving!

 

Our next stop was a snorkelling hole with a name that sounded like cauldron. I'll have to see if I can find it on google once I'm home. It is literally a cauldron of warm water and tropical fish. DD snorkelled and I swam. It was simply beautiful water in a wonderful setting.

 

After snorkelling, we climbed the ladder back in the boat, did a quick motor around the charming bay where Chiapas (? Again, wait for Google) is. This village has grass huts speeches right at water's edge and merits a further look some day. Just beautiful setting. Our captain lived there so we all waved to his mother.

 

Onward to another beach side stop at Pistolo (???? Where would I be without google?!) where we had a fairly decent lunch and time to sun. We were supposed to be able to kayak here but the waves were crashing too hard. We allowed ourselves to be thrown around the beach by he waves anyway. I even dedicated my sunglasses to the deep blue sea but at least I won't have a raccoon tan when I get home.

 

DD and I had dinner in the Pinnacle again. It was LeCirque night. Oh man, was that good! I had the escargot which was tender and garlicky, and DD had the Caesar salad. Then she had pea soup and I had the lobster salad. We only had this course because our server assured us the portions were small. They seemed pretty ordinary sized to me! I had the wine pairings with my meal and thoroughly enjoyed them. Our mains were the chateaubriand for me which was divine and the pasta PrimaVera for DD. She pronounced it delicious. We finished with with creme brûlée and a pavlova for DD. SHe was in heaven. Now we were thoroughly full and exhausted from our day. We headed back to the room hoping we could digest and stay awake til the 11 pm Christmas show. Did not happen!

 

Here it is Christmas morning! So merry Christmas and I hope you all have a wonderful day!

[chefestelle]

December 25: ugh. I should have proof read that posting. I was just luxuriating in the sunny morning too much! It was supposed to be a hair whipping ride, not shipping. We waded to the other side of the creek, not theories. And the grass huts were perched... Sorry!

DD and I had assumed we would sleep in on Christmas Day after all our adventures so we ordered room service for 9 am. We were up by 6 for me and 7 for her. After enjoying the morning sun for a wee bit, I had DD open a little Christmas gift I had packed along, then we went for a wander to the Explorations Cafe for a latte. Us and everyone else on the ship, that is! The lattes are lovely. We had enjoyed almond milk ones but they ran out of almond milk today. So we switched to rice milk. They also have soy if that's your preference. The service was very efficient but the line was too long to be pleasantly served by one machine and one barista. They did have a helper come along to take orders and keep stock moving but it seems they need to staff it up and get another machine in there. Jen remained pleasant and unflappable so good for her!

DD and I sat on our deck savouring our hard earned beverages while we waited for room service. It looks like we will have the perfect amount of sun for the whole trip back.

After breakfast, DD went off to find her pals while I stretched out on our one lounge on the deck. I slept and read my way through the most perfect morning. Then DD and I had planned to meet for lunch which was supposed to be a Christmas buffet in the Lido. Since it looked exactly like every other day, we changed course for the main dining room. We got a table for two so we could dine and dash.

After lunch I wandered off to catch some music, take in the shops and look at the photos. I had pre purchased candids but, for some reason, we never had any photos taken. However, our gala photos from the first night were truly awesome. I didn't care for the gala candids taken in the dining room or really for the staged photos I saw of others at the docks. So I will skip those next summer.

DD and I sneaked in an afternoon nap hoping to last longer after dinner. It was gala night number 2 and we had a great time dressing up in our gowns. We saw even more tuxes and gowns go by the Pinnacle tonight. Everyone seemed to make an extra effort for Christmas. We had another excellent dinner and left tips for our wine steward and server since it was also our last Pinnacle night. The only thing we didn't care for was DDs cheesecake which was more like a pudding.

Did we make it to stay up for evening entertainment? No. I even struggled to waken DD to meet her pals. She was done in though, so it was another early night for us. And fairly rough seas! We were tossed and turned through the night.

 

December 26: and we were tossed and turned all day! Quite the ride but still glorious weather by mid morning. I could get used to this lounging about. I even popped into the shops to catch the sales on a shirt I had my eye on. DD caught up with her pals and I had another enjoyable day wandering around to catch music between sunning, snoozing and reading. We met up for Indonesian tea which was a perfect afternoon repast. Our only issue was the very loud lady who joined to table next to us and proceeded to list her litany of complaints for all to hear. Sigh. From there, we went to order our portraits. She was quite young when we had some done for a school fundraiser so it seemed a great time to get these ones.

Our final dinner was in the Canaletto. The salumi and the marinated mozzarella were delicious as was the rigatoni with Italian sausage and the spaghetti pomodoro. I finished with the cheese plate and DD with pistachio ice cream.

Packing was a sad affair. I'm usually content to go home when it's time, but I wasn't ready this time. I suppose that's a good thing!

 

December 27: the seas stopped tossing us around 3:00 in the morning. I was grateful for the quiet few hours before we had to get on with disembarkation. That was a pain in the butt! Half a dozen cabins missed the memo about reporting to customs so we were forty-five minutes late leaving! No matter. It was quick and painless once it started. So now we are in transit home hoping we make it out of Calgary on time. We apparently had ten inches of snow overnight and it's been snowing for days as well. Back to winter!

[Lizzie68]

Wow, that was over too fast.:( Hope you had/have a safe trip home, and thank you for taking us along with you on your Christmas cruise.

[kftw]

Thank you for taking us along on your cruise.

[whogo]

Great report, thanks for taking the time.