Live From Crystal Serenity – A New Adventure – Vancouver to Los Angeles

[Keith1010]

We return to Crystal Serenity for the August 13 Vancouver R/T and the August 21 Vancouver to Los Angeles (San Pedro) cruises.  

 

We have sailed Alaska on Crystal Harmony, Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity and on a few other cruise lines.  

 

Our first Crystal Cruise was on Crystal Harmony in July of 2002 sailing R/T San Francisco.  I was Crystalized that first day shortly after boarding when I needed assistance from the Concierge.

 

Our last visit to Alaska was on Crystal Serenity in 2016 starting with one cruise before the Northwest Passage Cruise along with the transit of the NWP.

 

As many times as we have sailed this itinerary there is always something new to see and no matter where we sail, we always feel like we are back home sailing with Crystal.

 

Look for some posts from Vancouver during our pre-cruise stay, and posts after we board Serenity.

 

I know some of you will be on one or both of these cruises and some who are staying on board until New York.  Please feel free to post on this thread if you would like unless you prefer posting on a thread you start.

 

Keith

 

 

[rafinmd]

Safe travels and Bon Voyage!

 

Roy

[oakridger]

I'll be reading along Keith!  Have a great trip!

 

~Nancy

[nancygp]

Early bon voyage and safe travels

 

Nancy

[jimbri]

Looking forward to your review.  Have a great time!!

[ctjon]

Have a great trip. 

[USCAdventurer]

Looking forward to reading your posts.  BON VOYAGE and have a safe and beautiful cruise to the wonderful state of Alaska.

[360Guy]

Bon Voyage!  Looking forward to your posts along the way!  Safe travels!!

 

Bob and Ray

[BWIVince]

Bon Voyage Keith & Anne Marie!  Can't wait to read all about it!

 

Vince

[doglover214]

I am sailing on the r/t Vancouver as well! We’ll be staying at the Pan Pacific pre cruise. See you onboard!

[Contessa 925]

Bon Voyage !

[wearesiamese]

As you know Keith, I wiĺl be on board both segments,but not getting there until the 12th.I cant wait!

[Leejnd4]

So glad to see you cruising again, and looking forward to your detailed reports!

[bayonejoe]

Bon Voyage Keith

[Ibis]

Bon voyage! Looking forward to reading about your next adventure! Hope you two have a wonderful trip😊

[angiepange]

Oooh!  I'm coming with you .. just going to pack my "virtual" luggage! 🤗

[jtamchay]

Looking forward to your journey 

[Florida90210]

My wife and I will be on both voyages.  I believe this will be our 4th time visiting Alaska.  Our last time was the 2017 Northwest Passage cruise on Crystal.  The 2017 cruise was actually our first Crystal cruise ever.

 

Niels

[brody013]

As 78 years old racing towards life's end, my wife and I feel blessed to have retired from our public sector jobs at age 50. Following our retirement, we had the opportunity to raise our son and serve as caregivers to my wife's mother and my father.  

In 1996 we took our son on our first cruise aboard Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas.      Since then, we've sailed on cruises operated by nine cruise lines. Following our 1st

Crystal cruise in 2012, a majority of our cruises have been aboard the Serenity and the Symphony.

After spending one night at the Pan Pacific Vancouver hotel, we look forward to boarding the 

Serenity for the 14 nights cruise from Vancouver to Los Angeles. 

[mariners]

Bon Voyage, Keith and Anne Marie!  Wishing you, and everyone on these cruises, a fabulous time.  How could it not be as you are on Crystal?!!!!  All the best.

Caroline

[krb1000]

Bon voyage! I know you’ll have a terrific time…looking forward to your blog😊

[Keith1010]

I wanted to thank each of you for the warm wishes and I look forward to sailing with those of you who will be on-board with us.  

 

We started our travel today.  There are on direct flights to Vancouver on our preferred airline and with all due respect to Air Canada we opted not to take a direct flight with them.  Rather than change planes today we flew up to Dallas Fort Worth Airport (DFW).  When we lived in North Texas this was the airport we used and it was great for all my business travel and for our own trips. You could get a direct flight to lots of places.

 

Today had several first for us.

 

First was our regional airport. We were dropped off at 5:15 AM and I have never seen so many cars waiting to drop off passengers.  Maybe on the Sunday after Thanksgiving but at this hour it was unreal.  Not a problem for us because I believe in Murphy's law and with our driver arriving to our house 15 minutes early and the time I scheduled our pick up we entered the airport close to four hours before our flight.  

 

As we entered the airport it was a mob scene with long lines for coach but as we entered the first class check in no one was in front of us. It was a breeze.

 

Normally at this hour for TSA Pre Check I would say you'll find anywhere from no one in line to around ten people. Not today. I would say a couple of hundred people.  And the regular check in a lot more. Yes, this is summer travel.  Again, not an issue. We had plenty of time.

 

So here is a first.  We each had a 22" roller board and a back pack. They pulled my backpack for additional screening and did the same for Anne Marie.  In the end, what they checked was each of our computers.  Not sure why but maybe they didn't like the recent apple update.  LOL.  Again no issues as we had plenty of time and I said to the security person thank you for keeping us safe.

 

The club lounge had very few people in it. I've seen more on other visits.  Interesting given the number of people at the airport.

 

Flight was delayed about 50 minutes. The incoming flight from Charlotte, NC was supposed to take off last evening and arrive after midnight. It took off this morning, several hours after original take off time.  

 

We got to the gate about 15 minutes after it arrived and our flight crew was getting ready to board. So we have no idea if anyone was on that plane.

 

Even though our flight is less than an hour we made up some of the time.  As it turned out arrival terminal changed to the International Terminal. Happy Days.  The Hotel we are staying at is connected to the International terminal so this saved us from having to claim luggage and take the airport bus. Instead, we claimed our luggage, took the elevator up one floor and walked for maybe two minutes to the elevator for the hotel.

Speaking of baggage claim.  A lot of people flying into DFW are just transiting through the airport.  So often baggage claim isn't too busy.  Today was a first.  Only one other passenger picked up their luggage other than ourselves.  Our flight was full.

 

Earlier in the day I received an e-mail from the hotel asking if there was anything they could do for us and they provided a number to text. I asked them if they could have our room ready early and they wrote back to say they would do everything possible to make that happen. Upon check in the person who I was texting with checked us in and the room was available.

 

When I worked I probably was at DFW once a week or more flying to or returning back from business meetings. For most of the time flights were half full if that high and if we arrived to the airport early we could usually get on an earlier flight. 

 

Who knows what the future will bring.  Maybe one day someone will say beam me up Scotty and we will be transported to wherever we want to go. Or, maybe we will do what George Jenson did and just fly around ourselves.

 

Until tomorrow.  

 

Cheers,

 

Keith

 

 

 

 

[Emdee]

Have a great trip….has to be great as you are on Crystal! 

[Keith1010]

Many thanks for the good wishes.

 

What a difference a day makes.

 

Got to the airport today about the same time as our regional airport yesterday.

 

This time a one minute walk from the hotel to the airline counter. Very few people there and walked right up to check-in.  No crowds.

Went over to TSA. It was just the TSA personnel and Anne Marie and me.  They said we didn't need to use the bins for our carry ons.  

 

This time no extra screening for our computers.

 

This was the airport I used almost weekly for business travel. In fact, sometimes twice a week.  

 

We flew out of one of the older terminals which these days looks a bit dated as does the Airline Club Lounge but this airport has served me well and our family well.  Domestically we could get almost anywhere on a direct flight.  Internationally was good too.  

 

Photo from the Airline Lounge.

 

 

As I write this post we are about 30 minutes into our flight (we took off late due to many aircraft in queue) on our way to Vancouver.

 

Change since we last flew to Vancouver is doing a submission on line for Canada which is supposed to speed up the process upon arrival.  

 

Cheers,

 

Keith

[Keith1010]

We arrived. 

Well, that was yesterday afternoon.

 

Flight arrived about 10 minutes late to the gate.  

 

I think the gate was the furthest from where we would need to go to complete the customs and immigration process. While at home we completed use ArriveCan to answer questions ahead of time which sped up the process at the airport. Once we made it to the kiosk (about one hour walk from the gate - just kidding, but it was along walk) we each scanned our passport and posed for a photo which was matched against the photo taken when we boarded the flight and possibly our passport photo.  We took the receipt and got on line when we handed this over to an official and headed to pick up our checked luggage.  With luggage in hand we found our driver outside the customs hall and off we went to the hotel.  Lots of traffic so our driver took us on side streets. He was very entertaining. Originally, from the Caribbean and has lived in Vancouver for over 40 years.

 

We didn't expect our room to be ready when we arrived at 1:00 PM and we were right.  It was ready at 3:00 PM while we waited patiently in the hotel club lounge.  After we put away valuable and such we took a walk outside. It was a sunny day and warm. Well not warm like home but still warm for Canadians.  After returning back to the hotel with some wine we unpacked while we waited for a nice room service dinner.  Food was great.  We have wonderful views of Canada Place.  

 

We have stayed at Pan Pacific for all of our pre cruises but this time decided to change it up and are staying at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel which is across the street and less than a block from Canada Place.

 

Some observations:

 

This is still part of the Alaska Cruising Season so it is busy around Canada Place.

 

This area continues to be very vibrant.

 

Hotel staff is terrific.  Very customer focused and professional.

 

A couple of photos of our view and a food photo because for me it would not be a live report without one or more food photos.

 

Cheers,

 

Keith