North to Alaska

Day 1 : Embarkation.

We met in the Marriot lobby at 8:15 for a pickup by LandSea Tours . Greg, our driver and tour guide, loaded a mountain of luggage into the back of his van and we set off for a city tour which would end at the cruiseport. For the next 4 hours we listened to Greg's entertaining narrative as he showed us around his city. With stops at Granville Island, Stanley Park, and several scenic lookouts, the tour was a great overview of this beautiful city.

After being dropped off at the port, we breezed through the embarkation process and were soon onboard. where we were warmly greeted by Dorothy and Barry, more of our extended Pirate family. We had lunch in the Windjammer, the highlight of which was , as always, the Honey Stung Fried Chicken. We then joined an informal Cruise Critic social with our 'Alaska Gold Rush' group at the Pool bar, where a familiar voice boomed out behind me "Hey, I'd know those tattoos anywhere!" I turned to hug Roger and Kathlene, more Pirate friends from Long Island.

At sailaway we greeted our Pirate buddies on our aft balcony for champagne and a chance to get re-acquainted. This was followed by more socializing in the Concierge Lounge before dinner, and carried on through an enjoyable meal at 7:30 in the Cascades Dining Room. After dinner Dave and I sat down at the Schooner Bar for a chat with friends from the Mariner Repo cruise, and finished our evening in the Centrum listening to the excellent City Lights Band. A great day and a great way to begin our trip to Alaska.

Tomorrow: A day at Sea