Bryan's Millennium Hawai'i 26 April 2009 Cruise - Plans

[DocJohnB]

Only found it yesterday . . . . . . spent some time reading it all. Couldn't wait for today's post.

 

What a wonderful travelogue, Byran. I have enjoyed every word.

 

Thanks.

[bryanwal]

Thanks John. I'll be posting the last two segments tomorrow, I hope. Then i hope to upload some pictures, just a few of the 2000 i think i've taken!

[nativetexan]

Loved the installments! I feel like I've been to Hawaii. Sort of.... We sail Millenium on June 26 and can't wait!!

[J & G]

Loved the installments! I feel like I've been to Hawaii. Sort of.... We sail Millenium on June 26 and can't wait!!

 

Hi Nativetexan,

You never owned a boat on Clear Lake named Native Texan, by any chance, did you?

[bryanwal]

I would be interested in hearing who the main officers and CD will be on the Millennium if they are staying on for the Alaska sailings.

 

The main officers are staying on. They are:

 

Master: Captain Zisis Taramas

Chief Engineer: Georgios Spyrellis

Hotel Director: Sheldon Thompson

Staff Captain: Captrain Leonardos Palaiokrassas

Cruise Director: James Calhoun

[DocJohnB]

Enough of the idle chitchat . . . . . get on with the rest of the cruise . . . . please :D:D

[baby]

thanks for all your reviews

 

can't wait to see your pictures

 

carol

[bryanwal]

Enough of the idle chitchat . . . . . get on with the rest of the cruise . . . . please :D:D

 

Sorry Doc. I'll have Thursday's report tonight and follow on shortly with Friday's. It's amazing once you get home how you get distracted from more important things!

 

- Bryan

[bryanwal]

DAY 14 – Thursday 5/7/09

Who: Bryan (49), Celebrity Captain’s Club

Elizabeth , Celebrity Captain’s Club

 

Plan: Day at sea, Cathy Ace lecture, lunch with the gang, games with the gang, dinner with the gang, show with the gang (LOL)

Actual: I arose 7am and saw that it was bright and sunny outside, cool but not cold. The weather crossing the North Pacific has been much better than I expected. I got dressed (no more shorts or sandals), and took the laptop up to the Ocean Café. I picked up a tray and, juggling the tray with the laptop, got a sticky bun, orange slices, pineapple slices, a mushroom coddled egg and some bacon. A chef saw me struggling with the tray and the laptop and offered to carry my tray. I asked about the fantail and he said I would get cold – I insisted that we step out there anyway and he was right so we took the food back inside to a table by the window on the sunny side of the ship. I snagged a waiter coming by and asked for a Diet Coke. He didn’t come back for a while. When he did, he apologized for taking so long with the DC but he had to go down to deck 5! I wouldn’t have asked if I’d known how far he had to go. I also needed a phone to call E to let her know where I was. He went away to look for one, found one by the aft elevator lobby and came back to tell me. Then Nick came by and we chatted. When I looked up, the waiter was still there waiting to show me to the phone. Unfortunately I didn’t get his name to put it on the comment card. At lunch, I mentioned this above and beyond service to our maitre d’ and he wasn’t sure who it was. He did say, though, that the Ocean Bar was open and the waiter could’ve gone there. It had looked to me like the bar was closed but the maître d’ said he opened it himself. I don’t think it was open in the sense that it was manned by a bartender.

 

At the room, we filled out the Canadian Customs form, then I realized I didn’t put the dates in the correct format. They want YYMMDD but I put MMDDYY. Oh, bother! So E went to get a new form down on deck 3 while I set up shop in the Cova Café (see below).

E came and said she wanted to go hear a physicist expound on “The Pleasure and Terror of Thinking”. So we went to the Celebrity Theater to hear him. It was OK but less than we expected – we thought it would be some tips on how to improve your thinking. We then stopped by the photoshop to see last night’s formal pictures. We found them and E looked great in every one. We bought two for us and two to give to my mom and her mom. We also had other pictures we’d set aside previously, some of which we now discarded plus the 8x10 lava flow pictures - $114. Och! We should’ve bought the package when we had the chance. Who knew? They get me every time!

 

Back to Cova Café to upload yesterday’s trip report, then E was off to the AquaSpa for a lecture on reflexology. She found it interesting but, typically, when you ask any questions or try go in depth on anything, they try to sell you something. Same thing with the trainers in the gym. Meanwhile, I went to the Cinema to save a seat for her at Cathy Ace’s last presentation on “Private Eyes’ and Super Sleuths”, including my favorite JB Fletcher. We sat with Ira and Ann. Ira informed me that he found a Galveston-Barcelona trans-Atlantic cruise that will take them to Barcelona next year for our cruise together – so they’ve got another B2B2B! Those crazy kids! The fare for a verandah is only $1200 apiece! I wish I had more time but alas, I’m still a working stiff.

 

I still had my laptop, so we swung by the room to drop it off, then went up to the buffet to lunch with the gang. I had Vietnamese meatballs, shrimp/pork wontons, vegetarian biryati and chick pea fritters. I took a big spoonful of wasabi and another of hot peppers. An Englishman behind me exclaimed, “OMG, you’re going to die!” I replied that if it’s not hot enough to make me cry, it’s not hot enough! Ann saw what I had when I returned to the table and said she never understood people who enjoy pain with their meal. I not only like thte hot peppers, but I believe it has health benefits, antibiotic properties, clears out your sinuses and the capsaicin causes the release of endorphins, a natural painkiller. I endulged in a chocolate mousse and a religious pastry for dessert. A religious is a large cream puff topped by a smaller one and both have icing on them. Fortunately all the desserts are small portions, so I’m not really as much of a glutton as it sounds. It gives you the opportunity to try more stuff.

 

After lunch we headed back to the cabin to pack some more and then down to the game room next to the Cova Café to meet everyone for games. There weren’t enough chairs there because all but one table were occupied so we went down to our old haunt by Fortunes Casino, where we played cribbage or scrabble until everyone went off to Cosmos to play bingo. I went up with them, but by the time we got there there was no more time to continue our games. Since I don’t play bingo I took the opportunity to go to the gym, where I rode the recumbent bike for 25 minutes. When I ride the back, I bring a book to read to help pass the time, while simultaneously listening to high power music with a good beat on my iPod. I checked out the elliptical trainer, which I like better than our one at home. However, after about 7 minutes my Parkinson’s got the best of me and my lower left leg and ankle got stiff. So I switched to the weight machines and did an upper body workout. I’m going to miss the gym here. Since my ankle was now stiff and my left foot was hurting on the bottom (another side effect due to the constant tension in the foot from my PD) I went down to the room to ask E if she minded if I had a foot/ankle massage at the spa. Sahira did such a good job last time. E said of course, so I called and got and appointment for about 20 minutes later. I took a quick shower and put on some jeans (not ideal but my shorts were already packed in a compression bag. Sahira (from Melbourne, Australia) did another fine job and said she thought the pain was due to the thick callous that had built up on the ball of my left foot (And which was not present on the right). She could give me a mini-pedicure to take care of that, so I got my very first pedicure. Very nice! She also recommended I see a podiatrist, since he could use a knife to get more of the callous off. She was only allowed to use a file. While this was going on Ann came in for her long delayed manicure and we chatted over the music and the bubbling of the foot bath.

 

Now Ann and I were cutting it close – we had dinner for 12 at the Waterfall Café in just 5 minutes, so I rushed down to 7084 to change, putting on my white Dockers and my black floral Hawaiian shirt. We went up to the port aft corner of Ocean Café, which had been separated off from the rest of the buffet area. A menu board and podium greeted arriving guests. The tables were covered with white tablecloths and set for dinner. Everyone was already there except for Ann and Ira. Service was somewhat uneven, though. We were the last to arrive and the first to be served and done. Still, the food was excellent and so was the company. We all ditched our assigned dining companions in order to be together one last evening. During dinner we slipped into the Strait of San Juan de Fuca, with Vancouver Island aport and the Olympic Peninsula starboard. The ship seemed to have slowed noticeably when the voice of James Calhoun came over the loudspeakers announcing the evacuation by helicopter of an ill passenger. He requested that there be no photography, people rushing to the bow, etc. so as not to hinder the evacuation. Not too much later we saw the helicopter flying to and fro on the port side, and then fly away. Ira, Ann, E & I were finishing our desserts when the other tables were just getting their entrees.

 

It was suggested that we go to the theater to save seats. I thought that was a good idea, since the plan all along had been to attend the show together but 8:50 turned into 9:05, and 9:10 into 9:20 and still we talked and savored each others company. Finally, with some packing still to do, Ann and Ira said a reluctant good bye. After hugs they started back to their cabin. Turning back and seeing us in conversation, Ann rushed back, exclaiming, “I didn’t want to miss anything!”. At last, though, we said goodbye and agreed to meet in the morning at 6:30 in the usual spot for breakfast.

 

E & I went back to our cabin to finish packing and set our suitcases outside the room. Though it was only 10pm when we returned, stewards were already sweeping the halls and picking up luggage. We usually take ours down ourselves but we bought so much stuff in Hawai’i that it would have been difficult to do so, with all our carry on stuff, too. After packing I made one last trip to Cova Café to post something. The ship is so sad on the last night – the musicians are playing, but saying their goodbyes. The venues are sparsely populated, as most passengers are packing or sleeping. Still, I’m reluctant to go to bed – I don’t want the cruise to be over.

[bryanwal]

I forgot to mention about the $2 tip at the Waterfall Cafe. We forgot to pay it the other night when it was just the four of us. We didn't know that you had to offer - they don't ask or present a check for anything. Gary asked tonight and, in a fit of generosity, put the whole thing on his card, refusing offers to pitch in. Thanks Gary!!

[WaianaeGal]

Bryan, many thanks for your postings, it has been a joy to relive the cruise thru your eyes.

We are settling in Ocean Park for the summer and will remember this cruise with the many wonderful people we met thru cruise critics.

 

Thanks again and Hi to E...

 

Carlene & Jim

[thelegand]

Bryan, many thanks for your postings, it has been a joy to relive the cruise thru your eyes.

We are settling in Ocean Park for the summer and will remember this cruise with the many wonderful people we met thru cruise critics.

 

Thanks again and Hi to E...

 

Carlene & Jim

 

I will 2nd that wish I could write half as well!

Carlene & Jim thanks for your note & info & pics of penthouse we enjoyed everyone so much.

John

[bryanwal]

Bryan, many thanks for your postings, it has been a joy to relive the cruise thru your eyes.

We are settling in Ocean Park for the summer and will remember this cruise with the many wonderful people we met thru cruise critics.

 

Thanks Carlene. We were so happy to meet you and Jim. Happy summer on the WA coast!

[bryanwal]

DAY 15 – Friday 5/8/09

Who: Bryan (49), Celebrity Captain’s Club

Elizabeth , Celebrity Captain’s Club

 

Plan: Breakfast with the gang, disembark

Actual: The alarm clock shattered our slumber at 6am, the first time on this vacation we’ve been so awakened. I had already been awake a couple of times when I noticed that our 91,500 ton bassinet was no longer rocking us to sleep and seen the lights of the Port of Vancouver. We got dressed and made our way topside to have breakfast with the gang. The Teme & Gary and Steve & Joey were already there but the tables next to them were occupied. We took a table 1 table away and presently Ann showed up, sans Ira. She said he was around somewhere but didn’t know where. In any case, I was looking for my morning Diet Coke. Our assistant maitre d’ wandered by and before he could escape I snagged him and made the observation that the bar looked closed to me. Rising to the challenge he disappeared and soon returned triumphantly with not one, but two Diet Cokes, almost warm, slightly flat and with no ice. Oh, well, beggars can’t be choosers.

Two girls who had been lingering over their coffee at a table next to the others got up and left so E & I swooped in to snatch the table from under some waiting passengers and deftly guided them to our abandoned table. Ira chose this moment to show up, wondering where we all ha been. He had swung by earlier, finding no one, and gone on to save 2 tables in another section, which he had been jealously guarding up until now. He abandoned his watch and joined us. We chatted like old friends, reluctant to part company. I found myself wishing I could cruise again this Fall so we could not have to wait until next May to see everyone again. Finally, we had to part ways – Ira and Ann were the first to have to go, since they had the earliest flight. After hugs and goodbyes, E & I headed back to our cabin to clean up and wait for our time. On our way we noticed that many rooms had all their soft furnishings stripped already, linens, bedding of all kinds, mattress pads, bed spreads, pillows, maybe even drapes. Only the mattresses were still there. After sitting in our room until 8:30 I realized we were probably holding up the works so I proposed we head down to the Rendez Vous Lounge.

At the RVL there was nary a free chair to sit on – people that should long ago have left the ship were still waiting to be called. We were soon informed that the crane used to offload luggage from the ship to the pier was broken and that they were doing all they could, whatever that was, to fix the problem. The crew member in charge at the RVL said it would be an hour before Purple 11 would be called. I called QuickShuttle, our ride to Seattle, to let them know we might be delayed past our 10:20am pickup time.

Finally, the crane was fixed and the tan (or ecru or eggshell or taupe, I can’t remember) people were called and left. So we could sit down. A man sitting by where I was standing got up and left and came back 5 minutes later to report that the crane had dropped a load of luggage in the water. The Celebrity guy, when asked, had heard nothing of this. So I went to look – there was no sign of any such thing – no luggage floating by the pier, no water pooling on the dock, no panicking stevedores. Either the fellow was a rumor monger, or, more charitably, he misunderstood what he had seen.

Occasionally there was a great noise of furniture being thrown about on the deck above us. I can only assume, the renovation had begun, with us still on board. They brought out coffee (but no pastries) and didn’t start a trivia game or Wii bowling, either. One woman, whose color (chartreuse, lime or pea, whatever) hadn’t been called yet was upset because she was a local Vancouverian who had ordered a limousine for a certain time and each 30 minute delay was costing her an additional $38 Canadian. Then everything stopped again – the dockworkers were taking a break, which makes me wonder what they had been doing all morning when the crane was broken. I called QuickShuttle again and they assured us they would not leave until everyone was off the ship. Slowly, slowly, the passengers’’ numbers thinned. I was beginning to wonder if they might open up the buffet as lunchtime approached. Finally purple (or mauve or lavender, mulberry, or heliotrope) 11 was called, last of all, at 11:30, 2 ½ hours late. We disembarked via deck 4, passing some of the 500 contractors who were hauling their own luggage aboard to live on the ship during the drydock.

Up the ramp, down a long hall, through passport control, where we assured the young agent we were passing straight out of the country this very day. Down the escalator, on to the big floor where only the purple luggage remained, quickly retrieved, passed through Customs Canada and out to the waiting bus. I apologized to the waiting travelers on the stuffy bus and thanked them for their patience in not cutting us loose and throwing us to the wolves. Someone asked, jokingly, if I had enjoyed my spa treatment. I replied, yes, thank you, these things always take longer than you think they will.

The bus was soon on its way, the last of the prodigals aboard. We did not stop at Canada Place, as presumably they had already dispatched another bus to pick up those cruisers. We drove through the Vancouver suburbs and made our way to the border, got into a special bus-only lane, where we entered an inspection station. When our turn came, the driver descended, went inside, then returned, asking us to get off with our carry on luggage and proceed into the building. Our passports were checked, our customs form examined, our luggage passed through an x-ray machine and sniffed by a bored yellow lab, who presumably also had the pleasure of nosing around the bus and its luggage compartment. The formalities completed the bus advanced and we reboarded and resumed our journey. We made a brief stop at Bellingham International Airport (who knew?) and then finally in downtown Seattle in front of an unlikely hotel without a taxi stand. I asked the clerk at the hotel to call us a taxi while Elizabeth retrieved our suitcases from the belly of the bus, which then resumed its trip to SeaTac. The taxi arrived within minutes and we were whisked home by a friendly Ethiopian driver to our home in Sammamish, where we were delighted to find that our home had not become a smoking hole in our absence.

 

Summary: What a wonderful cruise, the best ever. Our first visit to Hawai’i was wonderful. Highlights were the helicopter ride on Kaua’i, sailing by the Kilauea lava flow by night, and especially all the wonderful friends we made. Millennium was wonderful and I would not hesitate to sail her or her sisters again.

I will be posting a selection of pictures in a few days, as soon as I choose the most likely candidates from the 1350 digital photos I took. Thanks for reading along with me and for your comments and interest. I hope you enjoyed it.

 

I hope to see you on the seas,

 

Bryan

[2Canucks]

Thanks Bryan for sharing your cruise experience with us. We enjoyed meeting both you and Elizabeth. Looking forward to seeing your pictures!! Hopefully you have some good shots of the Lava flow...ours were not very good so I'm hoping you managed to get some good shots.

 

Pat :)

[bryanwal]

Thanks Pat. We enjoyed meeting you, too, and thanks for your work on the cabin crawl. My volcano pictures aren't very good, but Ira took better ones. I'll ask him if I can post some of his.

[DocJohnB]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, finished with reading your journal.

 

Thanks for the trip.

[monkeyinthemiddle]

Thank you Bryan for taking us all along on your trip. My only question is: how did you smuggle us all thru customs? ;)

 

 

I only have one regret on our up-coming trip to Alaska after reading your post. It is the fact that we will not have one complete sea day away from the coast with nothing to do but enjoy the ship. I promise to make the best of it.

[bryanwal]

Thanks Monkey. I'm surprised you don't have at least one sea day. What's your itinerary?

[bryanwal]

how did you smuggle us all thru customs? ;)

 

Customs wasn't so much of a problem as Passport Control - there was a certain amount of sleight of hand required!

[monkeyinthemiddle]

Well, we do have two sea days. One is the inside passage and the other is the Hubbard Glacier. As we were lucky enough to have scored an Aft FV corner cabin, I think I will be spending all my time at the rail, not wanting to miss a thing. How do you make it to the MDR for dinner? I am wondering when I will have time to sleep with all the daylight hours. I am sure I will learn how to deal with such a challange.:D

 

 

That being said, a sea day with no land in sight sounds very relaxing.

[bryanwal]

You'll only be at the Hubbard Glacier for about an hour. All the rest of that day is a sea day, much of which you may be far enough from land to not care to look at it. The Inside Passage will be more tempting. You'll be long gone by the time dinner rolls around.

 

True - the suffering never ends. :)

[monkeyinthemiddle]

Thank you for the good news. Now I can plan accordingly: naps, spa, pool, naps... I will think of you fondly during my idle moments.

[Coolcruise02]

I have really enjoyed your review. Thanks for taking the time to share with us!

[bryanwal]

Thank you for the good news. Now I can plan accordingly: naps, spa, pool, naps... I will think of you fondly during my idle moments.

 

LOL If you're thinking of me during your idle moments, you may be doing something wrong!