Alaska Cruise Part 13.....

Or the beginning of the end.

Eight days on Golden Princess, one night in the Pan Pacific Hotel. We are about to embark Star Princess for the two day cruise home.

Star Princess at Canada Place, Vancouver B.C.

Golden and Star are two of the three Princess Grand Class ships. With a few exceptions they are the same. We were able to find our way around, many people can't. Days into a cruise we see couples arguing about which way to go. You know, guys don't like to ask for directions. When you see someone standing in the center of a passageway talking to themselves, you can bet, they're lost. Getting around a ship is really pretty simple. Some of the things that help.

Aft is back and forward is front. Port is left (each has four letters) and starboard is right. The cabin numbers run high (aft) to low (forward). The even numbers are port side while the odd numbers are starboard. Outside the elevators, or as they say lifts, the carpet has deck numbers (kind of like the hotel). The port and starboard passageway carpet runners have different color boarders. There are signs and maps and "you are here" placards everywhere. You can also carry a pocket size map of the ship. All this and people still get turned around.

As I mentioned before, a nice benefit to staying in the hotel is luggage handling. As in, you don't have to do it. First thing I did was check the carpet in the elevator to make sure it was Monday. When that checked out I called the desk and within twenty minutes a bellman picked up our suitcases. We didn't see them again until they were delivered to our cabin on the ship.

Since the cost of a hotel breakfast rivaled the national debt of several small countries combined, I got oatmeal and coffee at Starbucks. We went down to the lower level at eleven and got on line to board the ship.

The entire process at the time took an hour. Wil and Andi came down later and said it was ten minutes or so for them. The next time we do this I'm thinking one o'clock. Anyhow, picture two large and separate rooms with a ten foot opening between them. We joined the line of people snaking around the first large room. It was all very orderly and civilized, for the most part.

Just as Wanda and I were about to step into the next room a large group of people lined up against the wall in front of us. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out they were not American or Canadian since they were speaking Chinese. OK, maybe they were American or Canadian citizens but still, they were speaking Chinese. I assumed they were a tour group and the guide (she spoke English AND Chinese) was trying to bring them in at that point. Honestly, an hour or an hour and five minutes, what's the difference? 

The second large room that we were about to enter held the carry-on and people scanners. That tour guide was trying to get her people scanned. Like I said, I really didn't care but I felt I should say something, Mr. Smart Ass. So I did. "Hey, those people are trying to cut in line don't let them in." And the couple in front of Wanda both moved sideways, essentially blocking out the line cutters. The woman did a great hockey move (she was obviously Canadian) shoulder bumping an old Chinese lady to the side. In addition to squeezing the invaders out, the woman decided to give them a lesson in line etiquette.

"You can't get in front of all these people. This is not how we do it in this country. Go to the back and start like everyone else." Unfortunately, they only spoke Chinese so had no idea what the Hell she was saying to them. Before WW3 broke out the tour guide gathered them up and like a line of baby ducks they followed her out of the room. I saw them a few minutes later entering the scanner area through another doorway, still in front of many people.

Like other cruise lines Princess has a 'loyalty' program. The more you sail the better the perks. After cruise one through and including cruise five your status is Gold. From six through and including fifteen it's Platinum. The next level is, Elite. Currently I am Platinum, Wanda will be too, starting on this cruise. The Princess web site lists your status, both current and future depending on your bookings. When I checked Wanda she was not upgraded from Gold.

One of the Platinum benefits is free Internet time. A one to seven day cruise gets one hundred and fifty minutes. The process is very simple, or should be, simply log in, check mark a box, and set up a password. But Wanda was listed as a Gold member, Wanda would not get her minutes. I noticed this about six months before the cruise so I sent an e mail to Princess. I never got an answer so I called the dedicated Captain's Circle members number.

The Captain's Circle representative gave me a long (trust me you don't want to hear it) explanation as to why her status wasn't updated on line. Actually this was the second rep, the first one I talked with a few weeks earlier told me "it will be take care of" and it wasn't. So, the second rep eventually told me the issue would be rectified, fixed, taken care of (pick one) at check in for the two day Star cruise. Remember the card to your cabin door and your bank account? When Wanda got hers at check in, it would be Platinum (not really, it's only plastic, but it's kind of gray colored). It wasn't, it was Gold.

I told the check in lady Wanda should have a Platinum card not a Gold card. The check in lady told me to go to the Purser's desk as soon as we got on board (the longer we waited the longer the line) and they would change the card. Understand, it wasn't the color of the damn card, it needed to be changed in their computer system as well. As soon as we were on board we went to the Purser's Desk. (the front desk at a hotel)

English is a second language for the majority of the people at the Purser's Desk. Most of the time, when I speak to them, they look like the proverbial deer in headlights. I'm hard enough to understand or "get" for people that speak my language. So, I tell the nice person that the card needs to be changed and the check in lady sent me here, and she says, "Go to the Internet Cafe and the person there will update your wife's status." And, the fool that I am, believes her. So off I go to the Internet Cafe. The manager is on duty from one to three o'clock and it's not yet one.

Wanda and I see Wil and Andi so we join them while we wait for the Internet Cafe manager. Eventually he shows up and tells me to go talk to the Captain's Circle representative where this all started about six months before. The difference is this guy, the Captain's Circle Host is on board the ship, two decks up and forward. I found his office but not him. His office hours that day were 4 to 7. I figured to go back after the 3:15 Muster Drill.

I did, I went back after the Muster Drill and there were about twenty people milling around the desk. "Are all of you here to talk to the rep?" I asked. And they all nodded or said yes or made some sort of affirmative motion. "Is there a line?" And they all started telling me who was first and who was next (Damn, this reminded me of the Alice's Restaurant song) when I said, "Are you all here because your membership cards are wrong?" And they all did the nodding thing and I left. "It's not worth it now."

I went back to the cabin called and left a message. About eight that night he called back, "everything is correct now and Wanda can sign in for the Internet." Well, she tried and I tried and it didn't work. The Internet Cafe manager was on duty until ten. I went down to find out why we were still having issues. He said he couldn't help me because I wasn't my wife. I called Wanda, she came down, he helped her, and we all lived happily ever after.

As an after note, the Captain's Circle site still lists Wanda as a Gold member.

For this two day cruise Wanda and I booked a regular balcony cabin. After eight days in the Window Suite we were both a little spoiled. 

I didn't take a picture of the cabin bathroom, it's bigger than the one on the train and smaller, much smaller, than the one in the suite. Wanda and I sailed two weeks to and from Hawaii in a cabin very much like this and we were fine. The key is don't over pack. We take an over the door shoe rack, it's called the Shulak Shoerack, and it holds all our small odds and ends. One of our cabin stewards told us he could have sold them. When he was cleaning the cabin with the door open several people asked where they could get one. 

Yes, the cabin is small and the bathroom is basically one at a time. The shower curtain can get very friendly with your backside but you're on a cruise ship. You have fourteen or fifteen decks to explore. Inside or out there's room wherever and whenever you want or need it. The trick is travel with someone you know and like, or your space can get very, very small, very fast.

By the way, the bed can be in either the double configuration shown above or as separate twins. Depending on the cabin type and configuration one may offer a little more room than the other.

Since this was a new and separate cruise we had to go through the 3:20 Muster Drill. Remember, don't blow the whistle, seriously. The life jacket has a whistle and light attached to the front and believe it or not, some people actually put their lips on the whistle and blow. "You know how to whistle don't you Steve? You just put your lips together and blow." A little trivial pursuit, who said it and in what movie?

Sail-A-Way was scheduled for 4:15 PM And by this time we were back in the cabin. Usually we go out on the Lido deck and watch all the festivities but we decided to hang out on the balcony and take pictures. I took a picture of Wanda taking a picture of me.

Soon after sailing away from Canada Place the ship passes under the Lions Gate Bridge . 

We had plans to meet Andi, Wil, Ted and Catherine for dinner and it was getting to be that time. Although this had been a long and at time difficult (more on that tomorrow) day I was looking forward to a relaxing meal. The suitcases had arrived while we were down at the Muster Drill. Now, if I could find a change of clothes and clean underpants I'd be all set. 

more tomorrow.....Star at sea.