COACH AND DEB'S CRUISE

After 37 years of marriage and working and working and working, we finally took a seven-day cruise aboard the brand new Carnival Splendor. After many days of pre-cruise stress, we flew out of Salt Lake City early on Sunday morning, June 7th. I had my normal airport stress attack, but things went pretty smoothly. When we got to LAX, my stress returned about finding our transfer and getting to the Port of Long Beach. When we got to the port, all I could see was this old ship with three big smokestacks. I thought this will be a bummer of a cruise, but it turned out to be the Queen Mary which was the Ocean Liner that brought my dad back from the War in Europe when it ended. Our real ship is pictured below. I'm a little less stressed, but still had to wait around and then go through the boarding procedures. While we were waiting for our luggage and stateroom, we boarded and went to a deck where they had a buffet lunch ready for us. We were able to relax on the deck in a deck chair and wait for the ship to sail. The speaker came on and sounded a life jacket evacuation drill, but we thought it was only for the crew. After awhile, we noticed everyone had left the deck and pools and we were alone on deck. I crew member came by and told us we had to go to this drill, so we got our life jackets and stood with 4,000 other people for about a 45 minute get off the boat if it sinks drill. That did not make me feel much better. Anyway, it turned out to be a good cruise, the weather was great and the ports were beautiful. Our cabin stewart told me Debbie had brought enough clothing and shoes to clothe her whole country, but it worked out. Below are a few pictures from the cruise.
WAITING TO BOARD IN LONG BEACH

WATCHING OUT OVER LONG BEACH HARBOR

BOBBY WAS OUR WAITER EVERY NIGHT FOR THE ENTIRE CRUISE. HE WAS REALLY GOOD TO US AND REALLY LIKED MOM.

MOM EVEN BROUGHT HER SCRAP BOOKING AND WAS THE HIT OF THE SHIP'S CLASS

SHIP'S DECK AS WE LEFT THE COLUMBIA RIVER AND WENT BACK OUT TO THE PACIFIC OCEAN.

LIGHT HOUSE BOAT IN ASTORIA

MOM ALONG THE HARBOR WALK WITH THE ASTORIA BRIDGE IN THE BACKGROUND

THE WHOLE POINT OF THE CRUISE WAS FOR MOM TO PUT HER FEET IN THE WATER ON A SANDY BEACH.....THE ONLY ONE SHE FOUND WAS THIS LITTLE BIT OF BEACH THE SIZE OF OUR LIVING ROOM. TO GET TO IT, SHE HAD TO CLIMB DOWN A CLIFF, AND FELL THE LAST TEN FEET.

MARINER MUSEUM IN ASTORIA

OUR SHIP DOCKED IN ASTORIA NEXT TO A HOTEL. THE SHIP WAS 900 FEET LONG, 240 FEET HIGH, AND 120 FEET WIDE.

VICTORIA BRITISH COLOMBIA CANADA WAS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE.

MOM IN FRONT OF SOME OF THE FLOWERS IN BUTCHARD GARDENS WHERE WE SPENT A FEW HOURS. IT WAS ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TRIP ALONG WITH THE BLOWER HAND DRYERS IN THE RESTROOMS ON THE BOAT....THEY WERE AWSOME.

GARY AND DEB NEAR THE FOUNTAIN IN THE SUNKEN GARDENS AT BUTCHARD.

I WAS NOT A VERY GOOD TRAVELING COMPANION, SO MOM FOUND A CANADIAN TO SPEND TIME WITH.

THE EMPRESS HOTEL IN VICTORIA.

VANCOUVER BRITISH COLOMBIA WAS A BEAUTIFUL PORT, BUT THE CITY WAS HUGE, SO WE STAYED ON THE BOAT AND ENJOYED A RELAXING DAY. MOM GOT THE ULTIMATE SPA TREATMENT, AND I RAN AROUND THE SHIP BRINGING HER CHEESECAKE AND DIET COKES.

VANCOUVER BRIDGE.....WE WERE NOT SURE IF THE BOAT WOULD GO UNDER IT BUT WE MADE IT.

LEAVING VANCOUVER AND HEADING OUT TO SEA.

PART OF VANCOUVER SKYLINE

OUR DOCK IN VANCOUVER

IT WAS A NICE RELAXING DAY.

THE STEWART WOULD MAKE OUR ROOM UP IN THE MORNING, AND TURN OUR BED DOWN AT NIGHT. SHE WOULD LEAVE A DIFFERENT TOWELL ANIMAL FOR US EACH NIGHT.

ANOTHER ANIMAL

THE KITTY

THE SEAL

MOM READING AND RELAXING WHILE I WAS SEARCHING FOR CHEESECAKE AND DIET COKE AGAIN. GOTTA LOVE THE HAT.

HEADING OUT TO SEA FROM THE VANCOUVER PORT

CANADIAN SUNSET

LATER CANADIAN SUNSET....IT DID NOT GET DARK UP THERE UNTIL ALMOST MIDNIGHT. WE ARE SAILING DOWN BETWEEN THE COAST AND THE COASTAL ISLANDS. WE SAW SEVERAL WHALES IN THIS AREA.

ANOTHER CANADIAN SUNSET WITH A MUCH BETTER LOOKING FOREGROUND.

DAD AND BOBBY AT OUR FORMAL DINNER...WE ATE EACH NIGHT AT THE SAME TABLE IN THE GOLDEN PEARL RESTAURANT. HE TAUGHT ME PHILLIPINO GANG SIGNS.

BOBBY AND DEBBIE AT OUR TABLE

AFTER DINNER EACH NIGHT ABOUT 11:00, WE WOULD GO TO THE DANCING LOUNGE AND LISTEN TO THESE TWO SING.....THEY WERE GREAT....I NAMED THEM LING LING, AND LING CHOW.

LING LING

ABOUT 2:00 IN THE MORNING ON OUR LAST NIGHT ON SHIP AND WE WERE PRETTY TIRED. MOM IS READY TO GO BACK TODAY ON ANOTHER CRUISE, BUT I AM NOT QUITE READY. OTHER THAN MY PANIC ATTACKS, WE HAD A GOOD TIME.