Cruise Departure Day

February 28th, 2015 - Saturday - Starbucks beckoned this morning so I went down and did the honors. We relaxed and planned out the morning arranging for a late checkout around 13:00.  Netflix released season 3 of House of Cards so a few episodes were consumed before we go dark with internet :-) We relaxed poolside and finished off those fantastic ribs from last night's dinner... it's a tough life! 

We checked out late at 13:00 and caught a quick ride down to the Long Beach Pier. This is the location of the old hanger that housed the Spruce Goose many years ago and is now Carnivals departure point. It is also right beside the Queen Mary display/hotel which is the most recognizable landmark (should I say seamark?) in the area. A Russian Submarine is also located close by and you can tour through the cramped inside. This submarine was in Victoria many years ago and we had already done that tour. If you're a marine buff in any way and not claustrophobic then it's a must see.

The Queen Mary

The new Carnival building... formerly the home of the Spruce Goose

We were told that there was a debarkation issue and there was a long lineup to board the ship. We joined the line and chatted with various other cruisers as we worked our way into the building, through security and then finally to the check-in desk. Quick and efficient processing at that point and we headed onboard the ship. Both Kelly and I had been on the Miracle back in July for a last minute Alaskan cruise so we quickly became reacquainted with it’s amenities. We unpacked our bags and met up with Kris to show him around as best we could remember. A quick lunch and then it was time for the safety drill.   

About to head off from Long Beach. Kris looks very comfortable:-)

And away we go!

We then found a nice spot to view the sail away but with the cool ocean breeze we didn’t stay too long. Our dinner time was 6pm in the Bacchus Room and we were quickly welcomed and introduced to our dinning room waiter and staff. Dinner was good then it was off to Guess That Classic Rock Song in the Phantom theatre. We teamed up with Kris but didn’t win :-(

A quick stop at the casino to try our luck and then a walkabout to burn off some dinner calories.
Off to the room to retire and a look see at the events for tomorrow’s sea day.

L.A. bound.

February 27th, 2015 - Friday - Up early and off to the airport to clear security, get though Customs & Immigration and then hit Starbucks for that morning blast of caffeine :-). Both Kelly and I are still awaiting the arrival of our Nexus Cards so we will try our best to get into the correct lines of people.

We took the shuttle and quickly went through both the security and customs sections. Funny thing the  line up for Nexus at US Customs was longer that the regular folks :-) We then joined the longest lineup at YVR… the Starbucks Line on the North side! Not sure what it is about this one particular outlet but fast and efficient is not used when describing it. Kris has his Nexus card and breezed in with lots of time to spare.

At the departure gate we met up with numerous other airline types heading down for various cruises and R & R in Los Angeles. Our flight was uneventful and we quickly found our town car for the 30 minute trip to the Long Beach Renaissance. Kelly found a good deal of course:-)

Lovely blooms along the promenade.

Once checked in, we headed over to Walmart via the promenade to get a few cruising supplies… water, sunscreen and wine. We went by some BBQ places along the way and the smell was fantastic. We dropped off the supplies and then had lunch at the Rock Bottom Pub next door. Very convenient and very good! We also grabbed a geocache right out front.


Lunch as we people watched.

After lunch we wandered down to the waterfront and strolled the nice boardwalk.  Numerous geocaches dotted the walkway and we had a good challenge with some nice hides along the way.



The Queen Mary was moored across from the park along with another Carnival ship. This will be our destination tomorrow for our departure. A quick cab ride away:-)

Kris messing with the Good Year Blimp

Back at the hotel we changed and enjoyed the hot tub and pool for an hour or so then it was dinner time. We all agreed that the BBQ place we walked by earlier would be perfect so off we went. The place was packed but we quickly got a table and enjoyed the brew and ribs! We underestimated the portions and had extra home :-)

We strolled back to the hotel and had a nightcap in the lounge before pulling the pin for the night. A great day all around.

 

The plan is hatched....

February 27th, 2015 - Thursday -  Those pesky Dargal emails that show up in my wife's email finally caught her attention! A great "last minute" deal was found and after some consultation with our son Kris, a little family arm twisting and presto.... we are booked!

We will use our passes (actually ultra low airfares charged by the airline) to work our way down to Los Angeles via Vancouver and board the Carnival Miracle for a seven night adventure to three Mexican cities. First up will be Cabo San Lucas then Mazatlan and finally Puerto Vallarta before meandering our way up the coast back to Long Beach, CA.

I am unsure of the connectivity that we will have in these ports but we usually manage to get the details out there!

We have made our way to Vancouver and Kelly secured a great deal with our Air Miles Card at the Hampton Inn right near... wait for it... the River Rock Casino!! Shocking I know.  We walked over and headed for the buffet where we met up with Kris and had a nice dinner. A little apres dinner gambling and we headed back to the hotel early.  Kelly was smiling as we left $$$.  We will be up in the morning to catch our Rouge 767 flight down to Los Angeles. 

I will add pictures and links when I can.