Cruising the Inside Passage" was the theme of the day, as we sail on back to Vancouver once more. We showed up at the regular time to the Pinnacle Grill for a 7:30am breakfast, only to find the doors closed. What's up with that? Turned out the restaurant opened at 8am this morning, but no one had informed us. Obviously, the Neptune folks knew, since there were no other guests waiting at the door. In the meantime, we went down to deck three intending to take a brisk walk for the ½ hour. Well, that wasn't happening either because all of the doors were roped off. What's up with that? Sure it was wet outside, but conditions were not all that bad in our humble opinion. It was still very cold, so we just watched the rising sun through the windows.
There were very few customers for breakfast, and that was probably due to the fact that there was a dining room brunch from 10am to 12:30pm. Two meals in one. We asked Endrian if the brunch was like the one they do on the world cruise, and he said no. This one was simply a combination of half breakfast half lunch items. Not the little shot glasses filled with a variety of tastings. We have been to the tastings brunch, but still prefer the traditional breakfast. Some folks love it though.
Still needing our morning walk, we went out a bit later to discover nothing had been opened up yet. All of the teak lounges were folded up and tied with twine to the railings. All of the chair pads were also tied down. This included the lanai rooms with the access to the reserved lounges. We would not be happy campers if we could not use the lounges on the last sea day. One fellow in a lanai room had brought his desk chair outside, covered up with a blanket, and stayed out there anyway. Good for him. Later on, we would find out the reason for the shutdown.
Today we had gifts of the two Delft tiles and an invitation to a Mariner's Recognition Event in the Crow's Nest at 11:30am. We figured this would be a small group, but we did not expect there to be only six of us. Captain Ryan Whitaker and Hotel General Manager Francois both stood and greeted us when we entered the room. There was one other couple that are in the President's Club as well as one couple that were approaching their 500 day level. Two other officers were in attendance and the Cruise Director Glenn Michael joined the group. Drinks of our choices were offered, and refilled without asking. We had a very pleasant talk with the Captain and then Francois before we were invited to take a photo with them. Glenn asked if he could share the number of days we all had acquired, and we all said yes. So one of the questions we asked was concerning the promenade deck being closed. Their answer was that there have been several accidents with people falling or getting their fingers caught in doors. Never thought about that. Then they added that while we are sailing in the channel between Vancouver Island and mainland Canada, the rules say that nothing can go overboard. Even by accident. It is possible that the ships can lose their right to sail here if the rules are broken. It was time for the Captain to do his noontime talk, so he left the room. Francois and the officers stayed on for ½ hour. And the photo was delivered, complimentary, by 4pm. Also at the same time, we got our intransit cards for tomorrow's stop in Vancouver. This week has gone by in a flash.
Lunch was a Dive In hotdog and burger with fries. It was very busy at the grill, since brunch had been early. By 2pm, the guests were out and about and eating again. Last day to do it. By 4pm, we were starting to enter the narrow straits between the islands. So we went back to deck three and watched for wildlife. We did see a few of the porpoise, which may be Dalls' porpoise. They were quite a distance away, but we did get a photo of their splashing. Their behavior is far different from dolphins as they do not leave the water jumping. We saw three sea otters, which is odd since they usually hang out in groups. There were a few assorted birds (no eagles) and a couple of small local boats passing by. Out of the blue, we spotted possibly a Silverseas vessel on her way north. Then we saw the Sapphire Princess and also an NCL ship with the artwork on the hull. Bet we see the Princess ship in port tomorrow. Regent's Seven Seas Explorer will also be docked at Canada Place.
Dinner for us was in the Pinnacle Grill, where we ordered very nice Caesar salads, one halibut, and one pork chop. Fries and mashed potatoes were the sides with a chocolate souffle and one scoop of mango sorbet for dessert. The room was full of guests who were trying to squeeze in everything in seven days. Lucky for us, we do not have to go back to the room and pack. Last chance to shop, the stores were full and the lounges busy. The entertainment this evening was The Step One Dance Company with Musicology, a show we have seen more than once.
Tomorrow will be another busy day for the crew as we will be getting mostly all new guests boarding.
Bill & Mary Ann
