Tag Archives: Crossing-the-Pacific

TRAVEL IMPRESSIONS – Day 6 of 7 Crossing the Pacific

September 8th – Day 6 of 7 – Sea Day

I heard a group of ladies complaining today that there wasn’t enough to do. I am amazed. Let me explain why by listing some of the activities available: bingo, cruise talks, treasure hunts, hairy chest contest, bean bag toss, bridge, Mahjongg, backgammon, movies, books in the Spalibrary, art auctions, spa time (facial, pedicures, manicures, peels, waxing, hydro massage, hot stone massage, eyebrow threading, Swedish massage, couples massage), trivia contests, dance contests, swimming pools everywhere, a serenity deck for those over 18 years, dominoes, photo gallery, photo contests, professional photographers, lessons in just about anything you can think of (making those cute towel animals, how to create your own videography journey, wine 101, photography, dancing, arts and crafts), tours of the galley kitchens, the bridge, below decks, life as a crew member.

I can’t  recall all of the day activities, and that’s before we get to the night life. There’s a big show at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. in the theater every night (dancers, singers, a magician, a hypnotist, a juggler/acrobat, a ventriloquist, a talent show, comedians galore), specialty bars tucked away Casinoin all corners (blues, jazz, modern, piano, country), small venue comedy show (both for family and adults). And of course there’s always the casino (slot machines, poker tables, roulette, blackjack, Keno, plus a few I’ve never heard of … but there was nothing for these poor ladies to do.

In actuality, there is as much or as little as you want to do. The choice is yours.

Today’s’ towel animal … an Anteater!

Towel - Anteater

TRAVEL IMPRESSIONS – Day 5 of 7 Crossing the Pacific

Sunday, September 7th – Day 5 of 7 – It’s about time

We set our clocks back an hour last night – the third time in six days. And we’re not done yet!
It’s funny what a big deal we make over losing or gaining an hour of sleep back home. The groans in the springtime when your body didn’t like the lost hour. The blissful smiles in the fall, knowing you get to sleep in an extra hour before church on Sunday. We thought a gradual easing back would be a piece of cake, but it’s not. Guess what? Your body doesn’t adapt in a matter of days.

The morning after the first time change, I woke at 6:10 a.m. After the second change, my eyes popped open at 5:15 a.m. This morning, the third change, it was 4:05 a.m. Pre-dawn lightSunrise at Sea filtered in through the partially open curtains, gray and weak, but enough to illuminate the narrow walkway. I swayed my way to the bathroom, crawled back in bed, and then lay there with my mind racing. Fifteen long minutes was about all I could take, so up I got to hang out on the balcony for a most amazing sunrise over the Pacific.

One thing I know for sure after this past week, mind might work over matter, and you might fool your body’s internal clock for one hour, maybe two. Three though? Not so much.
I hate thinking ahead to our 20-hour return flights home, and how long it will take to adjust back to the 18-hour time change.

Towel beast of the day …  a peacock!

Towel - Peacock

TRAVEL IMPRESSIONS – Day 4 of 7 Crossing the Pacific

Saturday, September 6th – Day 4 of 7 – Ho Hum! Another Sea Day

This cruise has been an eye opener in many ways. Today, I want to share some things I’ve learned.

People—no matter where they hail from—are creatures of habit. At first, I thought it funny Lido Deckthat people scope out and claim “their” spots in the big dining area. Every morning, I see the same couples having breakfast in the same locations. Many will rise earlier that they would be willing to do back home, just to claim their preferred seats. (Reminds me a little bit of church. J )The only exceptions I’ve been able to find are those who come late to the feeding trough and have to take whatever is available. That’s when I realized – I’m the same way!

People, again across cultures, have a single focus on self and rarely see outside their space—unless forced to. How is that a man wearing a backpack that sticks out a foot or more will back up in the elevator to make room for a newcomer, only to squash you behind. Oblivious.

Another thing I’ve noticed, one that reassures my faith in the goodness of man, is that more people, by far, will put a limb in danger to hold an elevator door open so others can enter than will punch the close door button to keep them out. (Funny, at work it’s exactly opposite.)

In every crowd there are always a few loud, obnoxious people who know it all and want you to know they know it all. These people inevitably have voices that pierce every corner of their space, voices that cannot be tuned out.

People—some all the time, others only now and then—practice what I call the “ME NOW” philosophy. In other words, it’s all about me, my needs, my wants; now. The Library on this ship is a particular irritation for me. This is the first cruise ship we’ve been on where they put the Internet Café inside the Library. Now a library by definition means quiet. Right? Not here. People come in to use the internet and express their irritation loud and long—gotta make sure everyone knows their frustrations, right?—about the impossible connectivity problems. Rude. Bad manners. Obnoxious. Discourteous. Offensive.

And speaking of the internet, some of the things people say are plain ridiculous. “I can’t believe Carnival won’t invest in better technology.” “I paid good money and they’re wasting my minutes.” “This is ridiculous. It’s the 21st century, for heaven’s sake. We should be able to connect to the internet anywhere in the world.” – Get my drift?

The list is long and, while funny at first, it leaves a sour feeling when you realize there’s no end to selfish idiocy. Do your homework people. We checked with our provider  and knew going into this cruise we wouldn’t have coverage after Mexico until we reached Fiji. The ship’s bulletins spell it out. The Cruise Director has made repeated announcements. We’re in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean, no land for thousands of miles, not to mention civilization. The ship is totally dependent on satellites to provide internet connectivity. And satellites are tricky in this part of the world. I mean, think about it. Why would the powers that control satellites route them over an almost totally unpopulated area? And they require constant tweaking to maintain connection because, guess what? The ship and the satellites are all moving, each on a different course. But it’s still all about ME NOW.

Towel Art of the day — a Sea Monster!Towel - Sea Monster

TRAVEL IMPRESSIONS – Day 3 of 7 Crossing the Pacific

Pardon the delayed posting ….

Friday, September 5th – Day 3 of 7 – Just Another Glorious Day at Sea Day

On one of our many cruises through the Caribbean, we did a ‘helmet dive.’ That’s where you wear the ultra heavy (about 30 pounds) deep sea diving helmet with air hose attached, and nothing else. The guides take you down a ladder into the ocean about twenty feet. On the sandy bottom, you can walk around and view this amazing landscape first hand.

I mention this, not because we have one planned, but because the captain of the Legend told us in his daily announcement today that the sea we’re sailing over is approximately 40,000 feet deep. Forty. Thousand. That’s 39,980 feet deeper than I’ve ever been!

Pacific ocean - foreverThe numbers are difficult to wrap your mind around. The vastness is mind-boggling.
I look out over the ocean from the top deck on the panoramic view of … sea. Water. Ocean. As far as you can see. The distant horizon is a slash where dark gray meets blue, and in some places where puffy clouds dip low, white. This ship carrying 3,000 passengers and a crew of 1,800 looks … small. Tiny, even. A dot. A blip in the grand scheme of things.

I am reminded yet again of one of my favorite Bible verses from the Psalms – Who is man that thou art mindful of him?Pacific ocean - sunset

And yet, the Bible also tells us He knows the Sparrow’s every need and provides without being asked. He counts the number of hairs on our head. As far as the east is from the west …
Today is a day of humility and humble thanks for a God who is just and righteous, and oh so merciful. I, for one, am thankful to be sheltered in the palm of His hand.

TRAVEL IMPRESSIONS – Day 2 of 7 – Crossing the Pacific

Thursday, September 4th – A Letter of Complaint to Carnival Cruise Lines

We love cruising with Carnival and have had wonderful experiences with you over and over again,  I can’t tell you how much we’ve looked forward to this “cruise of a lifetime” to the South Pacific Islands.

The journey has been smooth and delightful, the crew is solicitous, the dining room staff most attentive (the best ever!), the cabin steward exceptional, and the atmosphere exactly what we hoped it would be. Except in the Library.

I have two complaints, one serious to me and another very serious for Carnival.

First, the one that impacted me directly. I’m a writer and I find cruising to be an extremely beneficial place to work. I always find a nice quiet little nook to settle in each day for the duration of my battery. One suggestion I would love to see enacted is more outlets for PDAs and other electronic devices to charge.

Since outlets are so few throughout the ship, I tend to hang out in the Library where I can plug in and continue working, but not on this trip – it’s been disastrous. Which leads me to the second, much more serious issue that Carnival has not handled well.

The infamous ETA.

Australia requires a visa for entry into the country and since the Carnival Legend terminates in Sydney, I cannot understand why CCL  would even let us aboard without the required visa.

Then again, yes I can. It’s called really, really bad publicity (and money) to deny so many Platinum and Diamond passengers. The CCL answer? Let them on … and then let them figure out what to do.

Now, Platinum and Diamond Carnival cruisers have been going to foreign ports for a long time. That so many of them to run afoul of the visa requirements tells me Carnival made a boo-boo. Let me list some of the ways:

  • My husband and I are seasoned travelers, and yet we also missed the visa requirement. Shame on us for not doing our homework, but hey, Carnival, you send a relentless barrage of emails about shore tours, and other buy this-buy that items. Why not a reminder about the visa requirement? In BIG BOLD letters?
  • We did all our check-in online. Hey, Carnival, why not have someone check-off the required information? You sure didn’t waste time letting us know we failed to provide a credit card number.
  • On the day of embarkation is the first we learned of the visa requirement — from the nice lady who processed us our onboarding, “Don’t worry,” she said. “You’re Platinum. Carnival will take care of everything for you.” That’s when she took our passports, gave us a receipt, and sent us on our happy way.
  • Two days into the sailing, the rumbling began. Some of the passengers, not content with the “Carnival will take care of everything” platitude, started asking questions. At the Guest Services desk these passengers were directed to the library (which also serves as the Internet Cafe) and the Australia website. That’s where the next problem came out. A potentially BIG problem.
  • Australian VisaThe crowds in the library increased by the hour and tolerance decreased. Passengers who had no intention of purchasing an internet package now bought one to access the Australian website … except no one pointed out the free website section offered by Carnival … and which included access to the Australian visa. Poor connectivity (likely due to bad weather) and inexperienced computer users contributed to the rising anger. Internet connections timed out, purchased minutes were siphoned away while waiting to connect, and frustrations grew – all very loud in what should be a fairly quiet library.
  • Passengers in the library tried helping each other since  they got little to no help from the Carnival attendants assigned there. Some of this peer assistance was helpful, mostly though, it was the blind leading the blind, trial and error, and a lot of hope.

Our visa “problem” turned out to be a minor glitch, one we worked through easily because my honey has tech savvy and figured it out. Some of the older, not-so-literate passengers, though, fought the battle for days. One gentleman had brought no credit card with him. He’d loaded his Sail & Sign account ahead of time, to avoid running up charges over what he’d budgeted. Since the Australian visa application requires a credit card, he’s now fighting with the Carnival purser’s office to get his credit card number from them – and they don’t want to release it. Others had to go back to the Purser’s office to get copies of their Passports turned in at boarding. (Can’t believe people don’t keep copies of these things!)

CCL Pacific CruiseI’m sorry Carnival, but this issue is so wrong in so many way. YOU have fostered the “we’ll take care of you” philosophy for years. The free laundry service is nice, the complimentary chocolates are nice, the relaxed boarding (which didn’t happen on this cruise) is usually nice, the discounts for milestone cruises is very nice. In fact, all the perks you offer for your loyal and experienced cruisers is great —  but when we needed you most, you went missing in action. We deserve better. Shame on you.

Solutions: (1) The Internet Cafe and Library are not compatible. Separate them. (2) Add more 110 volt outlets throughout the ship for passengers to recharge their electronic devices. (3) Make sure your passengers know ahead of time what is required for entry into one your scheduled ports — especially if the final destination is Australia who requires a Visa. (4) Don’t wait until your passengers become disgruntled to the point where you look bad. Step in and control the situation up front. YOU are the one who sets our expectations. YOU should manage them. AND live up to them. (5) You KNEW the internet coverage would be spotty at best. Shut the darn thing down so people don’t waste their precious internet minutes watching the cursor spin … and spin … and spin.

ON THE OTHER HAND, I have to admit that other than being annoyed with the raucous distractions in the library most mornings (an unnecessary annoyance), we’re loving this time on the ocean.

TRAVEL IMPRESSIONS – Day 1 of 7 – Crossing the Pacific

(Pardon the delayed posting…)

Wednesday, September 3rd  – Day 1 of 7 on the way to Tahiti

If you’ve seen one ocean, you’ve seen them all. So not true.

Not that we’ve sailed on all the oceans, but we have traversed the Atlantic and the Caribbean. Now we’re tackling the Pacific.

The Caribbean is exactly like all the post cards you see—an incredible turquoise or aqua blue and usually so clear you can see the fishes darting well below the surface. Placid more often than not, it hits you with sensory overload—brilliant sunshine that makes even the heartiest soul squint while reaching for the SPF 50; a color palette of every shade of blue and green; sand so white it dazzles and so smooth you barely feel the abrasion; gentle breezes that ruffle your hair; and salt, that seawater smell that takes you away to paradise.

The Atlantic is dramatically different. Sometimes separated from the Caribbean by only an archipelago of islands, the difference in coloration and temperament is dramatic. The Atlantic is a deep, dark blue, beautiful, like liquid sapphires. The waves on the Atlantic side are big and demanding. They crash with wild abandon against rocky coasts, intolerant of the smoother white shores on the leeward side. You can’t help but acknowledge the overwhelming power.

Now, we set sail on the Pacific. Pacific means peace or peaceful. Ha! This ocean is anything but.So Pacific Cruise We started out heading due south because of a depression building off the coast of Mexico. The captain wanted to skirt the storm by going behind it. The rocking and rolling we experienced through the night was lulling, like a baby rocking in a cradle. This morning, upright, it’s a little more offsetting. While we aren’t affected by the roll, I’ve heard many people are remaining in the cabins. The dining room is significantly lighter today. Of course, that could be attributed to the late night Mexican Fiesta Buffet the ship’s Food Service crew threw after we left port. (So, we did not participate.)

Regardless of the weather, this ocean has its own unique personality. Not turquoise, not blue, the Pacific is gray-gray-gray. It has a cold look to it, despite outside temps in the 80s and higher. Knowing we’ll sail for seven straight days without seeing lands flavors our perceptions. Sky meets water on a horizon that stretches forever in every direction. Are there words to even describe the feeling? Man is reduced to a speck in a world so vast, it’s overwhelming.

As I stare out at the endless sea I am reminded again of an earlier post I wrote. “Who is man that Thou art mindful of him?” A chilling thought … until you feel His comfort. I am His and He holds me in the palm of His hand.

Towel - Scorpion

(Today’s towel critter …

                a scorpion.) 

TRAVEL IMPRESSIONS – Second Sea day

(Pardon the delayed posting)

Monday, Labor Day, September 1st  – our second day at sea

We took our first trip on the sea way back in 1976, an anniversary gift to ourselves when we took the QEII (that’s Queen Elizabeth the Second of the White Star/Cunard line for you non-cruisers). Our firstborn was only 11 months old and took his first steps somewhere in the middle of the North Atlantic. Of course, once we hit land he couldn’t stay upright for nothing. Took him another month to find his land legs.

Our next cruise didn’t come until August 2001, but now we manage one or two cruises a year ever since.

Virgin cruisers often ask me about our trips. They’re intensely curious, some might even say envious, that we can go away from the world for an entire week, floating on the sea, unable to communicate with anyone back home (not really). I smile and regale them with stories of various of our trips, the sights and lands, natives and passengers, good and sometimes not so good experiences. Inevitably they shake their head and say, “I can’t imagine being stuck on a ship for that long. What if I hate it? What if I’m seasick?”

One thing we’ve learned over the years – you either love cruising or you hate it. Doesn’t seem to be any middle ground when it comes to riding the big ships.

Advice to the newbies – if you don’t think you’ll like cruising, you probably won’t. But, if you do find yourself propelled into taking one, by all means start out with a short one. A 23-day cruise like the one we’re on ain’t for the faint at heart!

I mean, you don’t have to wake up at the crack of dawn – unless you want to. You don’t have to make your bed, change your sheets, scrub toilets, wipe down showers, do laundry, cook, clean, etc. etc. etc. You receive 5-star meals every night served by a 5-star wait staff. There’s free Legend - Vernon-Andrea-Bagusentertainment of your choosing (a little something for everyone), games galore, interesting people always willing to chat, a crew that goes out of their way to be friendly and make you
smile. In other words, there’s as much or as little to do as you want. And in all the years of doing this, I’ve never gotten seasick. But that’s me. Some are more susceptible than others. And yes, the sea can get rough, but I can only recall three times that happened. If it worries you that much, see your doctor. Get the patch. It works. One more thing, the only mandatory requirements are attend the safety briefing before you set sail, obey the safety rules while on board, and follow the customs requirements when you disembark. The rest of the trip is yours to make of (or not) as you wish.

We love cruising! There’s a wonderfully, freeing sense of security with traveling on a cruise ship. You unpack one time. You can leave your stuff behind while you go touring strange, new lands. Everything will be there when you return, all neatened up. You have a major backer in Carnival if you need help while in port. There’s every service available on the ship if you require itSunrise at Sea—medical, phone and internet laundry service, room service, sports television, a casino, bars galore, dancing, comedy, big shows, movies, tons of dining, fancier dining for those special occasions, and FUN. Loads of fun. If you want it. If you’re brave enough to reach for it.

Oh, and don’t forget about those sunrises on the ocean. Awesome!

TRAVEL IMPRESSIONS – First Day At Sea

(Pardon the delayed posting)

Sunday, August 31st – our first day at sea

We’ve found that with most cruises, there’s a rhythm to sea travel. It’s in the way the passengers—really just a bunch of strangers—dance around each other as they make their way through life on board. It starts out a little herky-jerky, which is really not all that unexpected when you factor in the wide diversity of ages, genders, nationalities, lifestyles, and interests.

This cruise is different. First, there are no teens, as in zero. And I can count on one hand the number of children under what I think is age 12 and even fewer young adults 20-30. They are the ones with the kids, after all. For the most part. There’s a smattering of 30’s-50’s , but by far and away I believe the median age of the passengers on board the Legend has to be in their 60’s, maybe higher. Let’s face it, who else can take a month off from school or work, and if they can be able to afford a trip like this?

So the rhythm changes with this cruise. Instead of boisterous squeals and racing through the corridors, you’re on the lookout for a runaway motorized wheelchair. No drunken loudmouths here—just the inevitable loudmouths that don’t require alcohol. No smoochie-smoochie honeymoon stuff either, so the late shows have plenty of available seating. (I can poke fun at the seniors since we both fall into that category.)

The ship’s cruise director informed us with great enthusiasm that this cruise set a blockbuster record of having the most Platinum and Diamond VIP cruisers on a single ship at one time. It’s true. And we thought we were veteran cruisers with our 20 little vacays. We’re babies compared to some of these people who’ve taken hundreds of trips! Can you imagine? If we squeezed in just 20 cruises a year, it would take us another 4 years to reach the century mark. It would sure beat retirement home living!

Enough today. I’ve found a quiet little niche where I can do my writing. Paul has wandered off, probably to his own little private hideaway to read. Or maybe just muse. I find myself doing that a lot, gazing off at the ocean, a silly smile on my face. I think I’m going to like retirement.

TRAVEL IMPRESSIONS – Sailing Date

(Apologies for the delayed posting — blame it on the lack of satellite coverage in the Pacific!)

August 30th – I woke somewhat late, still being on Atlanta time, but what was really early for Long Beach time – 7 a.m. Paul, of course, slept on and on and on.

Somehow we managed to laze the morning away until it was finally time to head for the ship. Giddy doesn’t begin to describe our feelings. We have been looking forward to this cruise for so long, until you reach a point that you’re constantly looking over your shoulder and wondering when whatever’s going to happen finally does … and the plans fall part. Thank you, Lord Jesus, not this time!

We arrived at the Carnival terminal to find throngs of people already queued up. Imagine our snobbish reaction when we realized our superior VIP status gained us nothing more than a somewhat shorter line. We waited once more with everyone else. Now we could have groused and grumbled for the next hour plus as we inched forward—and I do mean inched. But everyone around us had arrived with the same euphoric anticipation for our cruise of a lifetime. We met several nice people and Paul, as always, was touting my book. The man is Tahiti - Carnival Legendsurely a gift. He talked it up to 3 ladies on the plane coming in and watched them each download copies from Amazon as they taxied to the terminal! He’s already given out ordering information to several more people, handed out my business cards and rack information cards, too. He has such an easy-going style, loves talking to everyone, and finds a way to seamlessly work in a plug every time. I can’t do this. At all. I am so blessed to walk by his side.

Anyway, we finally made it to the front of the line. Long Beach sends out only two ships a week, so their operation is nothing like Miami and Fort Lauderdale where multiple ships from multiple cruise lines go out every day of the week. The mega-centers have loading down to a fine art. Not so much in Long Beach. But you know – it didn’t matter one whit! The staff—local residents who do this work as a part-time job—were amazing! Friendly, beyond helpful, courteous, and obviously happy in what they do. I cannot give a finer testimonial than to say how much we, as seasoned travelers, appreciated their kindness and consideration. Kudos again, Long Beach.

We sent a text to our kids saying how it felt like coming home. That’s how much we enjoy cruising with Carnival. A long lazy afternoon getting acquainted with the newly furbished Legend (which looked nothing like we remembered). Even the layout had changed, with the Promenade Deck on Level 2! Dinner was excellent as usual. I still can’t believe they gave us the Crème Bruleè (my very favorite) the very first night out! The Maitre ‘d warned us about the 1-pound per day rule. NO WAY! I AM NOT gaining 23 pounds on this cruise! Looking for the exercise room and walking track next.

To cap off the night, we sailed from a night-lit Long Beach around 8:30 p.m. An hour later I headed off to the Casino (I won $48!) and Paul off to the theater to save me a seat for the 10:00 show. We were both very impressed with the dancers – who were also singers! And wonderfully talented. Back in our cabin, we made a pact to indulge in as many activities as we could and not our typical reclusive behavior. This is one trip we want to savor and remember—our trip of a lifetime. Maybe if I stay away from the lunch buffet, I’ll miss out on those extra pounds. Maybe. If.

TRAVEL IMPRESSIONS – Puerto Vallarta

(Sorry for the delayed posting – no internet connections in the Pacific!)

September 2nd – Land ho! For two days now, there’s been land off our port bow. For you non-seafaring folks that’s the left side as you look toward the bow (front) of the ship. The Baja Peninsula. And then Mexico. This morning we woke to a considerably slower speed and land close in. Lush. Green. Very tropical.

Puerta Vallarta - Blue Agave PinaWe took a tour sponsored by Carnival, one that took in the sights of the city of 350,000 and included a visit to two tequila factories and two shopping districts. I learned about the Blue Agave plant, the ashy soil it prefers, the pina (pineapple) shape at the core of the plant, and distilling! If the process is done with patience and quality control, the taste of tequila is quite nice. Not at all like the horror stories you hear of blinding headaches and rebellious stomachs for days after imbibing. Nice as it might be, though, I doubt I’ll become a connoisseur.

As our guia (guide) pointed out, Mexico is a land of extremes, particularly in the very, very rich and very, very poor. Pepe (“don’t call me PeePee!”) made a point of stressing that the terrible drug-related violence filling the news lately is on the wane, and confined to specific regions. He was quick to let us know that Puerto Vallarta (PV as the cruisers call it; Vallarta as the locals call it), a city of just over a quarter-million people, has the lowest crime rate of the country. We Puerta Vallarta - Shoppingpassed a massive prison, complete with guard towers and concertina wire topping 25-foot brick walls which he proudly proclaimed only 946 inmates resided. Impressive.

I enjoyed our time in Puerto Vallarta. The tour was interesting, the bus very comfortable (air conditioned!), the driver very capable, and Pepe, our guide, one of the most enjoyable ones we’ve had. I would give it 5-stars for sure.

Fire OpalsOh yeah, my honey bought me Mexican Fire Opals. Stunning!

He got a tee shirt.