May 9th, 2009 - Whistler, B.C.
We were once again up early to meet our guide from LandSea tours in Vancouver for our day trip to Whistler, ski resort village and home to many of the venues for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Christian, a friendly young Brit from Essex, met us promptly at 7:45 and we proceeded to pick up only 6 other passengers for the trip (3 people from Wales, a lady from Australia and a couple from Colombia). Beautiful weather and a small tour group was the perfect start to what would be a 12-hour day of touring.
Our first stop was at Porteau Cove for photos and a short walk around the provincial park there. Although we were scheduled for only a few stops to and from Whistler, we were soon to discover that Christian is very accommodating and that he would be pleased to take us to all of his favourite picturesque spots and 'not-on-the-tour-map' places.
Next we stopped at the small mining community of Britannia Beach, to shop at a family-owned jade business (they mine, cut, polish the stones and design the jewelry) and to observe with interest a convoy of movie trucks pulling into the next lot. The inquisitive Welsh lady was quick to find out that the crew was setting up to film scenes for "The Boy Who Cried Werewolf" featuring Brooke Shields and rumoured also to star the lady from the "Underworld" film series.
Our next stop was the majestic Shannon Falls, 1150 feet of rushing water amidst a lush green forest setting. We strolled up the path to the Falls to take some amazing photos, and then continued on the Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler.
Whistler is a wonderful skiing venue for the Olympics, with Whistler and Blackcombe Mountains
standing guard over the village. Restaurants, bars, shops, hotels and condominiums make up the Lower Village with its cobblestone pedestrian area. Ian and I had lunch a local beer at the Longhorn Saloon at a sunny table on the patio, passing our time watching the zipliners on a training line nearby and listening to the music from the bar. After lunch we walked through the Village, re-visiting shops we had seen two years ago and picking up a couple of Olympic souvenirs. Our last stop after our 3-hour stay in Whistler was for a smoothie and a frappachino at Mogel's which we took onto the tour van for the drive back to Vancouver.
Once again Christian had great plans for our tour group. He took us onto a closed road to the Olympic Ski Jump venue, along which he had seen a black bear recently. Sure enough we spotted a bear lounging on a roadside hill, sitting back on his haunches to scratch his belly and pose for photos. We were all delighted to take photos until we were chased away by a park ranger, to continue our trip to the ski jump venue. Christian then had us each in turn climb the stone Inukshuk, symbol of the Olympic Games, to have our photos taken with the icon. I doubt that the ranger would approve :) We once again spotted our friendly bear, and saw another one who declined to stay and be photographed.
We continued on our drive back to Vancouver, stopping at every vantage point and scenic lookout along the way for photos of some of the most beautiful landscape in Canada. Our next official destination was the North Vancouver Outdoor School for a nature hike among old and second-growth forests. Christian pointed out huge trees that were up to 800 years old , and we were encouraged to climb up onto the trunk of the largest for photos. A peaceful walk in the fresh air and a great end to our official tour. Of course Christian had one more unofficial stop to make, a drive to the lookout on Cypress Mountain, a magnificent view of the city of Vancouver, Washington State, and Vancouver Island. We also saw the Millenium heading to Victoria for her 2-week drydock, and a Princess ship starting her run to Alaska.
If anyone is ever interested in a day trip to Whistler, I highly recommend LandSea Tours and especially Christian.
Back at the hotel by 8 pm, we thanked our guide, dropped off our shopping bags and headed to the White Spot for supper. An early bedtime for a 6 a.m. flight, and we ended our wonderful vacation to celebrate Ian's graduation.
Where else can you end up with photos of molten lava and a majestic glacier in the same week?
Next: Prologue - A comparison of Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruiselines
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Hawaii 09 - Debarkation
May 8th, 2009 - Vancouver, B.C.
On debarkation day in Vancouver, Ian and I were out of the cabin by 7:45 and off to the priority debarkation lounge in the Olympic Restaurant. Our luggage tag color was called at 8:45, and we off the ship and through Customs and Immigration within 15 minutes. However, that is where the process ground to a halt. Due to the presence of another ship in port, and the malfunction of a crane used to unload luggage, we waited a full hour for our bags. To make matters worse, most of the people who waited with us were all "VIP"s with priority debarkation as well. So the cruiseline's most important customers waited the longest for their luggage. Maybe not Celebrity's fault, but not a good situation, with many older passengers waiting in a cold warehouse with no place to sit and no communication with the debarkation agents. We even saw a wheelchair which had been checked as luggage delivered at least a half hour late. Certainly something to be cautious about in the future.
Once all our bags had been retrieved we went through an empty taxi line to a waiting cab (noticably different than our last experience in Vancouver) and were off to the Best Western Downtown on Drake Street. Even though we were several hours early for check-in, we were given a room immediately and dropped off our bags for our first day in Vancouver.
After lunch in the White Spot restaurant we started down the street to the Granville Island ferry, $5 for a roundtrip ticket. Granville Island is a great place to spend an afternoon or evening, with buskers, shops, restaurants and a huge public market. We walked and shopped for a couple of hours (Ian came away with a woven hammock chair for his apartment from a great little shop called the HangOut) and then found our way to the Granville Island Brewery for a round of 6 oz. 'tasters' of their most popular brews. We both agreed on a favourite and I bought a 6-pack to take back to the hotel room. A return trip on the colorful water taxi brought us back to the foot of Hornby Street, and we trekked back to the Best Western to drop off our treasures and rest for a bit. After trip to the Pacific Mall (a walk of several blocks on a nice evening) for a little more shopping and some supper, we arrived back at the room to enjoy our Granville Island beer and a Blue Jays game.
Tomorrow : Whistler, B.C.
On debarkation day in Vancouver, Ian and I were out of the cabin by 7:45 and off to the priority debarkation lounge in the Olympic Restaurant. Our luggage tag color was called at 8:45, and we off the ship and through Customs and Immigration within 15 minutes. However, that is where the process ground to a halt. Due to the presence of another ship in port, and the malfunction of a crane used to unload luggage, we waited a full hour for our bags. To make matters worse, most of the people who waited with us were all "VIP"s with priority debarkation as well. So the cruiseline's most important customers waited the longest for their luggage. Maybe not Celebrity's fault, but not a good situation, with many older passengers waiting in a cold warehouse with no place to sit and no communication with the debarkation agents. We even saw a wheelchair which had been checked as luggage delivered at least a half hour late. Certainly something to be cautious about in the future.
Once all our bags had been retrieved we went through an empty taxi line to a waiting cab (noticably different than our last experience in Vancouver) and were off to the Best Western Downtown on Drake Street. Even though we were several hours early for check-in, we were given a room immediately and dropped off our bags for our first day in Vancouver.
After lunch in the White Spot restaurant we started down the street to the Granville Island ferry, $5 for a roundtrip ticket. Granville Island is a great place to spend an afternoon or evening, with buskers, shops, restaurants and a huge public market. We walked and shopped for a couple of hours (Ian came away with a woven hammock chair for his apartment from a great little shop called the HangOut) and then found our way to the Granville Island Brewery for a round of 6 oz. 'tasters' of their most popular brews. We both agreed on a favourite and I bought a 6-pack to take back to the hotel room. A return trip on the colorful water taxi brought us back to the foot of Hornby Street, and we trekked back to the Best Western to drop off our treasures and rest for a bit. After trip to the Pacific Mall (a walk of several blocks on a nice evening) for a little more shopping and some supper, we arrived back at the room to enjoy our Granville Island beer and a Blue Jays game.
Tomorrow : Whistler, B.C.
Hawaii 09 Day 8
Day 8, 9,10,11 and 12: At Sea
Sunday, May 3rd began the first of our five days at sea as we crossed the Pacific to Vancouver. While the activities staff had arranged a full schedule of events for each day, Ian and I took the opportunity each day to relax and sleep in. We started our mornings with a very late breakfast of fresh-made waffles or French toast with berries in syrup and whipped cream, and then headed out for whichever items on the Celebrity Today sheet that looked promising.
Our Cruise Critic Roll Call "Connections" Party was held in Michael's Club on May 3rd and was well-attended. A lot of us had already met at the party hosted by John Cheek in the Penthouse Suite on April 27th. James Calhoun, the friendly and likable Cruise Director, welcomed us and assured us that the Cruise Critic site is indeed important to the management at Celebrity. We then went around the room with introductions, after which Ian and I slipped out to attend a Cabernet Sauvignon Blending event for Captain's Club Select and Elite member.
That afternoon we spent some time in the sun and continued our late - afternoon tradition of nachos and beer from the Riviera Grill at the pool, a ritual which would continue throughout the cruise. The time spent sunbathing, however, would be limited as the weather after the first sea day turned cloudy and cool as we encountered a cold front which would accompany us all the way to the mainland. That front also meant that the calm seas that we had enjoyed around the Hawaiian Islands were a thing of the past. The Millenium rocked and rolled her way across the Pacific.
Also on the first sea day was our Cabin Crawl /Poker Run which was a great success. A group of 34 people visited each of 9 cabins, receiving a playing card at last 7 cabins from which we each made the best poker hand possible. The winner with a full house took home a pot of $340 while the low hand 'winner' was rewarded with a can of Turkey Spam ! Our Cabin Crawl concluded with drinks and hors d'eourves provided in the Penthouse Suite by our gracious host John.
Each evening we looked forward to meeting out tablemates for great conversation, laughter and the occasional bouts of silliness. Jane and Rhonda from Australia were a constant source of entertainment as they recounted their days at sea. On the second formal night, after having the traditional somber group photo taken, our little band of rebels had a second, free-for-all picture snapped. This turned out to be the favourite and several of us came home with copies. It just seemed to capture the nature of our evening meals together.
A word about the Captain's Club program on Celebrity : Even though a concierge lounge with complimentary drinks is not provided, as on many Royal Caribbean sailings, there are a number of cocktail parties for those who are Select or Elite status. Ian and I enjoyed an all-members Captain's toast in the Celebrity Theatre on the first formal night, and a party with the Captain, as well as a Senior Officers' Party for Select and Elite. We were also treated to a Champagne Breakfast (love those mimosas), a Galley tour and Backstage tour with complimentary champagne, and a morning Bridge tour with orange juice (no alcohol on the navigational bridge). All events were well done and well - attended. We also had priority tender tickets ( these came in handy when tendering into Lahaina for our private horseback riding excursion) and private breakfast lounge with priority debarkation on the last morning. More about that later.
As we approached Vancouver, the weather became even cooler and the pool area was virtually deserted during the day. Poolside entertainment was cancelled, and a planned poolside buffet was moved inside to the Cosmos Lounge. Ian and I lounged in the cabin during lazy afternoons, watching sports and movies, and napping. The balcony, although very nice to have for Hawaii, was used very little during the last 4 days at sea, and long pants were retrieved from suitcases.
A little extra excitement was added free of charge on the afternoon of the last day when some smoldering materials backstage in the Celebrity Theatre triggered an evacuation of the facility.
Those of us in other areas of the ship were unaware of the situation until the Captain announced that the emergency had been handled, saving needless concern by a decidedly older passenger population. Later that evening while at dinner we were alerted to a medical emergency which required us to come to a full stop to allow a medical evacuation by helicopter. The efficient handling of these two incidents, along with the breathtaking view of the Kilauea Volcano spilling lava into the sea, earned my deepest respect for Captain Zisis Taramas and his crew.
Tomorrow: Vancouver - Debarkation
Sunday, May 3rd began the first of our five days at sea as we crossed the Pacific to Vancouver. While the activities staff had arranged a full schedule of events for each day, Ian and I took the opportunity each day to relax and sleep in. We started our mornings with a very late breakfast of fresh-made waffles or French toast with berries in syrup and whipped cream, and then headed out for whichever items on the Celebrity Today sheet that looked promising.
Our Cruise Critic Roll Call "Connections" Party was held in Michael's Club on May 3rd and was well-attended. A lot of us had already met at the party hosted by John Cheek in the Penthouse Suite on April 27th. James Calhoun, the friendly and likable Cruise Director, welcomed us and assured us that the Cruise Critic site is indeed important to the management at Celebrity. We then went around the room with introductions, after which Ian and I slipped out to attend a Cabernet Sauvignon Blending event for Captain's Club Select and Elite member.
That afternoon we spent some time in the sun and continued our late - afternoon tradition of nachos and beer from the Riviera Grill at the pool, a ritual which would continue throughout the cruise. The time spent sunbathing, however, would be limited as the weather after the first sea day turned cloudy and cool as we encountered a cold front which would accompany us all the way to the mainland. That front also meant that the calm seas that we had enjoyed around the Hawaiian Islands were a thing of the past. The Millenium rocked and rolled her way across the Pacific.
Also on the first sea day was our Cabin Crawl /Poker Run which was a great success. A group of 34 people visited each of 9 cabins, receiving a playing card at last 7 cabins from which we each made the best poker hand possible. The winner with a full house took home a pot of $340 while the low hand 'winner' was rewarded with a can of Turkey Spam ! Our Cabin Crawl concluded with drinks and hors d'eourves provided in the Penthouse Suite by our gracious host John.
Each evening we looked forward to meeting out tablemates for great conversation, laughter and the occasional bouts of silliness. Jane and Rhonda from Australia were a constant source of entertainment as they recounted their days at sea. On the second formal night, after having the traditional somber group photo taken, our little band of rebels had a second, free-for-all picture snapped. This turned out to be the favourite and several of us came home with copies. It just seemed to capture the nature of our evening meals together.
A word about the Captain's Club program on Celebrity : Even though a concierge lounge with complimentary drinks is not provided, as on many Royal Caribbean sailings, there are a number of cocktail parties for those who are Select or Elite status. Ian and I enjoyed an all-members Captain's toast in the Celebrity Theatre on the first formal night, and a party with the Captain, as well as a Senior Officers' Party for Select and Elite. We were also treated to a Champagne Breakfast (love those mimosas), a Galley tour and Backstage tour with complimentary champagne, and a morning Bridge tour with orange juice (no alcohol on the navigational bridge). All events were well done and well - attended. We also had priority tender tickets ( these came in handy when tendering into Lahaina for our private horseback riding excursion) and private breakfast lounge with priority debarkation on the last morning. More about that later.
As we approached Vancouver, the weather became even cooler and the pool area was virtually deserted during the day. Poolside entertainment was cancelled, and a planned poolside buffet was moved inside to the Cosmos Lounge. Ian and I lounged in the cabin during lazy afternoons, watching sports and movies, and napping. The balcony, although very nice to have for Hawaii, was used very little during the last 4 days at sea, and long pants were retrieved from suitcases.
A little extra excitement was added free of charge on the afternoon of the last day when some smoldering materials backstage in the Celebrity Theatre triggered an evacuation of the facility.
Those of us in other areas of the ship were unaware of the situation until the Captain announced that the emergency had been handled, saving needless concern by a decidedly older passenger population. Later that evening while at dinner we were alerted to a medical emergency which required us to come to a full stop to allow a medical evacuation by helicopter. The efficient handling of these two incidents, along with the breathtaking view of the Kilauea Volcano spilling lava into the sea, earned my deepest respect for Captain Zisis Taramas and his crew.
Tomorrow: Vancouver - Debarkation
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