Sunday, 7 July 2013

Sailing North from Vancouver

Saturday 6th July
We took a taxi from the station and arrived at our ship, the Diamond Princess, which was waiting for us at Vancouver's Ocean Terminal. It was weird to pass through Vancouver so quickly; we recognised many landmarks from our fantastic visit five years ago. When we went up to the top deck of the ship we had great views of the city and of Grouse Mountain. After the compulsory emergency drill we went up on deck for the departure; the ship sailed out of port and under the Lion's Gate bridge as we started to make our way north. It was really exciting! We had land on both sides of us and I realised that Vancouver Island was on our left.
We explored the ship and Davie was delighted that he is entitled to free drinks from any bar at any time during the voyage! Davie has not been all that excited about going on a cruise, perhaps assuming that it's aimed at older people, but I think he's beginning to see the benefits as he sees all the different areas. The ship is lovely with several swimming pools, a well equipped gym, a spa, an open air cinema, and lots of bars, restaurants and shops. Our cabin (upgraded woo hoo!) is a mini suite, so it's very spacious, with two sleeping areas, two televisions (why?), a bathroom (rather than a shower room), and a large balcony with table and chairs. We are on the starboard side which is recommended for this northwards cruise because we will be able to see the Alaskan coast and all the glaciers from our balcony. Like our ship last October in the Eastern Med, there is a big mix of nationalities and ages. After dinner and drinks (the Sunshine daiquiri is my drink of choice) we retired to our cabin in great spirits. 

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