Sail Away Gang - in living Colour - a photo review

[1of4]

Here is the picture I got of one of the sea lions looking for a handout.

 

 

Perfect. Thanks Kathi! :)

[SilvertoGold]

Wonderful photos!

Thanks especially for the ones of the pelicans -- my fav!!

[1of4]

Wonderful photos!

Thanks especially for the ones of the pelicans -- my fav!!

 

Here you go...just for you ;)

 

 

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

Great pictures of the pelicans.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Here is the picture I got of one of the sea lions looking for a handout.

 

 

 

 

Love the picture -- priceless.

[1of4]

Great pictures.

Go to the French Riviera and places like that and you really see some yachts.

Some wealthy people have several yachts and several homes all over the world -- and none of them are cheap.

 

I bet KK! Hard to imagine from where I sit! :)

[1of4]

Look what showed up after dinner near the end of the cruise. I know it is only 2*, but it is a start! :) :)

 

[Himself]

More wonderful pictures.

[cruiseclues]

A really nice review with some very good photos...thank you so much. :):):):)

[1of4]

Even off the walkway that goes around the marina the water was so clear we could see fish. The heads are us and Vict0riann and her DH whom we bumped into on our way back to the tender.

 

 

It was such a lovely day. DD and DS used the Lido pool. They had done this many times before but this time people joined in playing with them. I brought some water balls which are spongy and there was quite a game going on. Instead of adults swimming into DD and DS which was usual no matter where they went in the pool, people thanked them as they got to play.

 

Some random pictures I took that day.

 

 

 

We never went to the Sea View pool (except for the swim the canal event), although that is our favourite pool. We asked the CD as the permanent sign said children 16 and under must be watched by an adult, there was a temporary sign (that was removed on the second day) that said no children in the pool. The cruise before ours had 300 children so I am sure the temporary sigh was for that cruise. The CD told us that children are not supposed to be the aft pool. I find it very hot around the Lido pool, even with the roof open. But there is more shade which is a real plus for us. We found that even if DD and DS were just treading water some adults would always swim or hang onto the side right where they were and then give them dirty looks.

 

[1of4]

The birds seemed to like the tenders as they were swarming the starboard side of the ship.

 

 

We were invited to our first balcony Sail Away. It was the last formal night of this voyage (there were 4 in total) so we couldn't stay long as we had early dinner. The views were fantastic. We were on deck 4 so the higher vantage point provides great subject for my camera.

 

 

 

[1of4]

Good Bye Cabo. Hope to see you again!

 

Last formal night so you know I had to take a picture...

 

 

April 26 was the final full day for DH and for others in our roll call. I packed up the cabin knowing that DH would take the bulk of the stuff home with him but I had to ensure I had space in the remaining suitcase for the items remaining.

 

The sunrise pictures changed as we headed north.

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

Look what showed up after dinner near the end of the cruise. I know it is only 2*, but it is a start! :) :)

 

 

 

 

Congratulations!!

 

[1of4]

We had a good-bye Meet and Greet scheduled at 11:00 in the Crow's Nest. Now had did 15 days go so quickly?

 

 

 

 

 

Drinks and treats were provided by HAL. It was a very nice event.

[Krazy Kruizers]

You took so many wonderful pictures.

You'll have memories for a long time.

[1of4]

You took so many wonderful pictures.

 

You'll have memories for a long time.

 

Thank you. But I only :rolleyes: took 2,400 pictures KK! :eek: :p

 

I use Shutterfly and create a digital scrapbook with the pictures and then order a 12 x12 book. We love to have one for each big adventure. DD and DS love to look at them. I also do one for each year since DD was born.

[1of4]

DH went up to Club Hal and collected DD and DS 30 minutes early (they reminded us anytime we went before closing time :rolleyes:) to attend. The captain was great fun and insisted they take a cupcake and then told them they had 2 hands each so they better take more! Then he started looking for pockets.... :p

 

 

The ship had included two varieties of juice for DD and DS. Fantastic crew and so attentive.

 

 

The balloon hat was compliments of Mumsy. She had a wrist corsage for DD.

 

[summer slope]

Your children will have memories to last them for a lifetime. What a great trip. Thank you for your wonderful picture review of the cruise.

[1of4]

I have pictures from San Diego, Victoria and Vancouver yet to come but I don't have them here at work. :o

 

DS is still talking about the school visit and the huge yachts in Cabo. It had a huge impact on him. The principal told DH at last nights parent council that there isn't a teacher in the school that DS had NOT talked to about his experience at the school.

 

It was a fantastic trip and now teachers from the school want to book for next year. Heck...I have sold two Alaska cruises to co-workers just by talking about this trip. :)

[Vict0riann]

I have to warn you, 1of4, that you are creating travelling fanatics! Our now grown up children have always had extremely itchy feet, and I imagine yours will have the same.:D

[Himself]

I enjoyed this latest set. Do DD and DS want an encore next spring?

[1of4]

I have to warn you, 1of4, that you are creating travelling fanatics! Our now grown up children have always had extremely itchy feet, and I imagine yours will have the same.:D

 

Fine by me...they certainly got an earlier start than I did! :)

 

I enjoyed this latest set. Do DD and DS want an encore next spring?

 

Thanks. They will go anywhere as long as it is on HAL! We are saving for my retirement cruise and hopefully to South America/Antarctica in late 2016. But I just saw some prices during a sale promotion that has me thinking that a cruise in the late fall early winter may be in our future. :D I hope to do this cruise again but it won't be for a few years.

[1of4]

So the day had come...April 27 and we were docking in San Diego. I always thought DH would change his mind and stay on with us. But no. He was really disembarking.

 

It was a beautiful sail in to port:

 

Turns out the building with the 3 green lines was DH's hotel. Originally his flight left at 8:50 in the morning so we booked a hotel. It was subsequently changed to 11:50 but we kept the hotel as I had booked it on points and DH is a huge baseball fan and there was a game that night.

 

We had heard horror stories about US Customs and Immigration in San Diego so we had no expectations of going anywhere quickly. But to our surprise it was smooth as silk and took perhaps 10 minutes start to finish, including waiting once our deck was called. I hope it continues but we were the only cruise ship in port so perhaps that was the reason. Other ships don't have the demands on personnel I guess.

 

 

 

I love San Diego. I was there for a week attending a conference years ago.

 

We watched the city wake up.

 

I had refrained from telling DH about the US Navy base as I knew he would love it. He is a huge history buff so I knew he would appreciate seing the US navy ships. I wasn't wrong!

 

 

In order to vacate our cabin we went first up to the Crow's Nest and then down to the Pinnacle Bar to wait for his colour and number to be called. It allowed us time to say some good-byes to some new by near and dear friends who were also disembarking.

 

DS is always willing to help.

 

[1of4]

It all went well although we were about 20 minutes later than expected getting off. No problem for us as we had no plans. Truth be told, DD, DS and I could have left 45 minutes before we did as we were in transit. But our plan was to take a taxi to DH's hotel and then make plans.

 

The only issue in the whole process, which we ignored, was that the hotel was just 2 blocks up the street but the taxi driver took us way out of our way. We didn't know it at the time. The whole time he was driving he was talking on his cell phone which I really hated.

 

If anyone is wondering I had booked DH into the Westin on Broadway. Dh said it was very nice and had a free shuttle to the airport. He was too early to check in but they held his luggage and we went out...shopping. We walked over to Horton's Plaza and managed to buy some cooler weather clothes and all on sale. That was a nice surprise.

 

Our ship was waiting for us:

 

 

But it was very sad to see the change in our cabin:

 

 

DH said he had heard the Captain's 3 horn toots which he know as the "come on home" warning. So he hightailed it down to the dock and emailed me that he was there so DD, DS and I got ourselves out to the bow as fast as we could. It was very sad to see him there.

 

 

 

He stood there until the ship turned. I had two very sad children.

[1of4]

Reality setting in.

 

 

 

The flag was flying high while in port but as soon as the Westerdam began to move it was taken down.

 

What to do with two sad children...make them play "king of the world" of course!

 

 

I know it has been done before...but it worked!