Today was fabulous…..the weather looked promising, although still chilly, the sun was peeking out of the dismal gray clouds. After breakfast, we used the little time we had left to finish packing. No matter how we tried, the bags were still a tad bit over-weight. The only option was to clear out the almost empty toiletries, or papers, or things that can easily be replaced. As long as we didn’t buy anything else in town today, we should be OK.
Still having some shipboard credit to spend, we went back to the shops to see what we could purchase that did not weigh a lot. One of us had been looking at a watch, which we compared-shopped online. Knowing it could be bought for far less than what the ship was asking, we inquired about their price-matching guarantee. A little reluctant to get into details, only one of the younger sales fellows was willing to explain it to us. The bottom line was that it appeared we would have pay their price, then put in a request for the difference when we got home, if we could document the lower price. We immediately thought yeah, good luck with that. If anyone has done this sort of bargaining after-the-fact, we sure would like to hear about it.
Earlier in the morning, we had received a call from one of the front desk girls reminding us that we had ship board credit to spend. The big surprise was that almost half of the credit was cashable, which we did not know. In the first week of this cruise, we had inquired about this very same subject. How much of our credit was cashable, and how much was use-it-or-lose -it. We were told none of it was cashable. So naturally, we went right down to see the girl and get our cash. No questions asked. Next time, we shall go right to the source, and ask the purser, who knows all of these details.
The rest of the credit went towards some nice jewelry that weighed next to nothing, and a couple of t-shirts. We left a total of 27 cents in the account. In the old days, this amount would be sent back to our credit card on file. The shops closed at 12 noon today, since we would arrive to Victoria by 1pm.
Bundled up, we headed for deck six forward, and watched the sail into the harbor. Hoping to see some orcas, we never did. But we did see some gulls and some pretty fantastic mountain peaks full of snow. As the ship got closer to the pier, a pilot boat came out to us. We could also see another ship was already docked. It had a big X on the stack, so we knew it was a Celebrity ship. Turned out it was the Infinity, a ship we traveled to Alaska about 9 years ago.
The Amsterdam was alongside and docked before 1pm, although we were not cleared until 1:20pm. The sun was out, and the skies had turned blue. Could not have been better.
There were 9 tours offered here today from 2 to 4 hours, costing $40 to $120. Two of them went to Butchart Gardens, a wonderful park that is over 100 years old. The other excursions were city tours, some of which included high tea. Also offered, was a shuttle bus service that would run round trips to downtown for $13. Or you could have purchased this ride right on the pier. Nice idea for those who wished to go to dinner later this evening, as the all aboard time was 10:30pm.
Named for Queen Victoria in the late 1800’s, Victoria is one of the oldest cities in the Pacific Northwest. It has the second oldest Chinatown, with the one in San Francisco being the first. Most impressive are the British Parliament Buildings and Legislature built in 1897. The Fairmont Empress Hotel is also a beautiful landmark. Appropriately nick-named the City of Gardens, Victoria has a population of 78,055 (2006) English and French-speaking people. Most friendly, we can say too.
We noticed there was something called an “express lunch” in the dining room from 12 to 1pm. The menu was far different than what we are used to seeing. We were told that the format and the selections will be different for the upcoming Alaska runs. We would learn more later on.
We took off before 2pm, and headed towards town. Following the signs towards downtown, we saw the heliport where helicopters were landing while we were docking. Passing by the Canada Coast Guard, Fisherman’s Wharf, and historic Teahouses, we made our way past the copper-domed Parliament Buildings and the Legislature. What a sight to behold. Located right on the Inner Harbor, the Fairmont Empress Hotel is another iconic sight built in 1908.
We stopped many times to take photos of not only the buildings, flowers, gardens, and hotels, but also the horse-drawn carriages that circled this historic area.
Walking through the beautiful Empress Hotel, we made our way up Government Street, passing many shops and cafes along the way. We ended up at Earl’s, a fun restaurant and bar where we knew we could get great pizza and draft beers. Crowded, we did find the perfect table with the high stools we prefer. And even better, it was happy hour with meal deals as well. We ordered two pale ales and three types of 8 inch pizzas. Gosh they were good. We even saved a little room for a dessert of New York cheesecake with a strawberry drizzle. Excellent, and perfect to share. We left around 5pm.
Taking our time walking back, we took in the activity on the harbor front with all of the tourists enjoying a Saturday afternoon. Many folks were heading out to restaurants and bars, all dressed for the occasion. It sure seemed a lot more crowded with people as the afternoon wore on. But unknown to us, another ship had arrived in the harbor…..the NCL Pearl. It had taken the spot of the Celebrity ship. Then as we got within eye shot of the piers, another ship, the Emerald Princess was pulling in. Sure must be good for the local businesses and tourist sites.
We decided to take a different path on the way back, avoiding the crowds on Belleville Street. This pathway took us around the waterline, past the ferries and small boat harbor to the Laurel Point Park. Many benches lined this scenic viewing area of the Inner Harbor. Watching the seaplanes take off and land was cool, as the little water taxis criss-crossed the waters as well.
Just as we popped back up to the main street, we spotted a very large raccoon running across the road from Fisherman’s Wharf. There is a small park where the mudflats used to be, so that’s where this critter makes his home.
That’s when the most remarkable thing happened as we rounded the turn where the Coast Guard is located. Suddenly a car took a left turn into the parking lot, and out came a couple that we had met on this world cruise. They had intended to cruise the entire trip, but it was cut short due to the wife’s illness. Sadly, they had to leave in Perth, Australia. Now what are the odds that they would spot us as they were on their way home, which happened to be right out of the downtown area? Unbelievable, but so nice to visit with them. Gave us a chance to fill them in with the part of the trip they had missed. We wished them well, and we all agreed that we are now believers of fate. Feeling better now, they already have plans to cruise in the near future, but probably on a Princess ship, where they admitted they felt the most comfortable. We talked about our chance meeting all the way back to the ship.
Dinnertime came quickly, as we worked on photos and reports. Originally, we had intended to go to the Pinnacle Grill, but changed our minds when we realized that this would be our last evening with our waiters, especially Slam. He has taken care of us for 5 months now, and we did want to say a proper good bye. He has one more week for the first Alaska run, then he goes home too. Judging from his ear-to-ear smile, he is ready to leave too.
As we mentioned earlier, the format on the menu had changed. All of the regular celebrity chefs from different areas are featured on one page, followed with a section for starters, salads, and soups. Mains are the next group, with desserts listed last. Everything is on one menu, which is ordered all at once. This will continue through the Alaska cruises, according to Philip. He added that when the grand voyages begin, the regular menu will come back. We sure hope so. Too many changes too fast for us. By the way, the usual alternates, although not listed, were still available. Saying goodbye as always hard, but we will be back, and we hope our favorite waiters will also be back on the 2019 World Cruise.
A big screen movie, The Post, was being shown in the Mainstage. Again, at least the third or fourth time since we have been on the ship. Which was fine, because it was more important to put our luggage outside (before midnight), and get to bed early. Tomorrow will be a busy one for sure.
Bill & Mary Ann
A tanker coming from Victoria
Whiter in color than the herring gulls in SF
Homes right on the water
Terminal building
Helijet
An orca adventure
