A Journey to the Last Frontier: Serenade of the Seas Alaskan Itinerary Review

[Travel R]

1 hour ago, island lady said:

 

Hoping for your continuing mend back to full health.  Bucky had his almost 3 weeks...long...long time to have a cold.  He was miserable.  Not a great way to start our summer up here.  😞 

 

He is feeling better now, and just returned from a nice kayak around the lake we are staying on. 

 

Yes, we have been to Acadia many times.  Actually preferring the north part of Acadia (near where we stayed the first 3 weeks).  The Schoodic Penninsula loop.  It's just as beautiful, but far less crowded.  Took the ferry from Winter Harbor over to Bar Harbor to walk around a bit and a nice lunch.  

 

We were a little bit closer to the Hubbard glacier, due to going there in August...which was a warm August.  Quite a bit of calving going on as well.  Pretty dramatic. 

 

 

 

 

 

Being able to cruise has been an amazing privilege which I have been very fortunate to do, and share with my family. Although there were some experiences that I am not sure I would have ever had if I was so fortunate early in life. Growing up my parents did not have much money, so our vacations began by my parents throwing us into the back of the station wagon along with tents and supplies and heading onto the road. I did not stay in a hotel until I was almost 10, and almost never ate at a restaurant while on vacation (either sandwiches, or the food cooked on a fire or a propane stove. Travelling up north through Maine to the East by Acadia or into the interior (e.g., Baxter)  and up to Canada was part of the experience. By the time I was 12 or 13 I had already visited most of the states east of the Mississippi. I have seen some incredible places and met a lot of nice people (I remember meeting tons of other campers (adults and kids) over the years.

 

I have spoiled my children. While on vacation, taking a shower meant walking 1/4 of a mile to an old hut-like structure near the campground entrance, and showring in an a then-ancient stall which usually had only one very dim light in the shower area. Of course, at night there was a light just outside the entrance, which had some of the largest bugs you ever saw buzzing around it.

 

My dad was an outdoorsman by heat (although lived in NYC his whole life) - so camping also meant a day trip walking along all types trails even when I was very little (and he would carry my younger sister in a carrier, like a backpack that he called a papoose.  Thinking about Maine and Acadia have brought back a flood some great memories and good times spent with my parents - thanks. [I am still kind of emotional when it comes to my parents.]

 

Although we were in (Southern Maine) last year, its been a while since I have returned to Acadia.  My DD17 will be attending URI, which opens up a whole lot of possibilities for some 4 day weekends while dropping her off, picking her up, or just stopping to say hi on our way up there. Yeah, her school is only about 1/3rd of the way to the Park, it is 1/3rd closer than we would have been if she did not go there - my DD22 went to school in the South. [If you were on our cruise, my family did sport our URI wear, along with Rutgers swag, and JMU; and we surprising did see another JMU family. Speaking of JMU - a nice detour to/from the school was driving through Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.]

[island lady]

2 hours ago, Travel R said:

 

Being able to cruise has been an amazing privilege which I have been very fortunate to do, and share with my family. Although there were some experiences that I am not sure I would have ever had if I was so fortunate early in life. Growing up my parents did not have much money, so our vacations began by my parents throwing us into the back of the station wagon along with tents and supplies and heading onto the road. I did not stay in a hotel until I was almost 10, and almost never ate at a restaurant while on vacation (either sandwiches, or the food cooked on a fire or a propane stove. Travelling up north through Maine to the East by Acadia or into the interior (e.g., Baxter)  and up to Canada was part of the experience. By the time I was 12 or 13 I had already visited most of the states east of the Mississippi. I have seen some incredible places and met a lot of nice people (I remember meeting tons of other campers (adults and kids) over the years.

 

I have spoiled my children. While on vacation, taking a shower meant walking 1/4 of a mile to an old hut-like structure near the campground entrance, and showring in an a then-ancient stall which usually had only one very dim light in the shower area. Of course, at night there was a light just outside the entrance, which had some of the largest bugs you ever saw buzzing around it.

 

My dad was an outdoorsman by heat (although lived in NYC his whole life) - so camping also meant a day trip walking along all types trails even when I was very little (and he would carry my younger sister in a carrier, like a backpack that he called a papoose.  Thinking about Maine and Acadia have brought back a flood some great memories and good times spent with my parents - thanks. [I am still kind of emotional when it comes to my parents.]

 

Although we were in (Southern Maine) last year, its been a while since I have returned to Acadia.  My DD17 will be attending URI, which opens up a whole lot of possibilities for some 4 day weekends while dropping her off, picking her up, or just stopping to say hi on our way up there. Yeah, her school is only about 1/3rd of the way to the Park, it is 1/3rd closer than we would have been if she did not go there - my DD22 went to school in the South. [If you were on our cruise, my family did sport our URI wear, along with Rutgers swag, and JMU; and we surprising did see another JMU family. Speaking of JMU - a nice detour to/from the school was driving through Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.]

 

Ahh...yes.  Almost the same as you, pertaining to travel when we were kids.   It was the station wagon with tent camping, and then later on....the little slide in camper on Dad's truck... my sister and I slept in a tent outside most of the time.  Dad did make sure we got out and traveled while we could.  Lots of fond memories for us as well.  

 

Boarded an airplane for the first time about two years after I got married.  And that was rare event not repeated again for years.  Still camped as travel trips....most of my early adult life.  

 

Probably how I got the travel bug, and still have it.  😉 

Edited July 12, 2022 by island lady

[familycruzinnewbie]

In Canada our visits to doctor, ER etc are no cost through our Medicare plan, and then we have private health insurance fo other stuff. There are services which are not covered - so recovery note, sick note, medical exam for work purposes, testing for travel purposes etc. I broke my hand at the race in Montreal and was seen at medical tent and had fingers taped and doc said to get xrayed at home. Silly like I didn’t have medical card with me and Quebec is a pain I’ve heard. So when I came home I went to ER for X-ray. Was casted and referred to hand clinic. Had surgery, 3rd temporary cast. Back to doctor again and now have fibreglass cast.  But fibreglass casts aren’t covered so I will get a bill for $15 in the mail (actual supply cost to the hospital). And my private insurance only covers drug cost, not dispensing fee( which is most of the cost). I’ll get free physio at the hospital once cast is off. 

[Travel R]

41 minutes ago, familycruzinnewbie said:

In Canada our visits to doctor, ER etc are no cost through our Medicare plan, and then we have private health insurance fo other stuff. There are services which are not covered - so recovery note, sick note, medical exam for work purposes, testing for travel purposes etc. I broke my hand at the race in Montreal and was seen at medical tent and had fingers taped and doc said to get xrayed at home. Silly like I didn’t have medical card with me and Quebec is a pain I’ve heard. So when I came home I went to ER for X-ray. Was casted and referred to hand clinic. Had surgery, 3rd temporary cast. Back to doctor again and now have fibreglass cast.  But fibreglass casts aren’t covered so I will get a bill for $15 in the mail (actual supply cost to the hospital). And my private insurance only covers drug cost, not dispensing fee( which is most of the cost). I’ll get free physio at the hospital once cast is off. 

 

$15 to get the fibreglass cast? The medical coverage in the US vs. Canada is a whole story unto itself.

 

 

 

[Kathscof]

I hear you about the cold....though the day we ended in Vancouver, my friend and I took a bike ride around Stanley Park in a light drizzle that became a DOWNPOUR for about 30-45 min in 65* weather.....got home 2 days later and I was SURE it was Covid (my friend tested positive on her recently test, but not me).  I luckily had 2 days of computer remote training the Monday and Tuesday following, was SURE it was covid when I wasn’t better, and i believed the test when it told me negative AGAIN.....

 

That was June 5 flying back, and I am still getting gunk out of my sinuses......(though I was mostly good a week after I got home)

[Travel R]

13 hours ago, Kathscof said:

I hear you about the cold....though the day we ended in Vancouver, my friend and I took a bike ride around Stanley Park in a light drizzle that became a DOWNPOUR for about 30-45 min in 65* weather.....got home 2 days later and I was SURE it was Covid (my friend tested positive on her recently test, but not me).  I luckily had 2 days of computer remote training the Monday and Tuesday following, was SURE it was covid when I wasn’t better, and i believed the test when it told me negative AGAIN.....

 

That was June 5 flying back, and I am still getting gunk out of my sinuses......(though I was mostly good a week after I got home)

 

I finally began to feel better yesterday. I was also sure I had COVID, but the tests disagree (and the odds are against so many false negatives).  I guess in 2022 it is okay to get ill and not be COVID-related.

 

We did not visit Stanley Park. Although it was a place we had listed, by mid-afternoon we were just too exhausted to go anywhere but back to the hotel for a short rest (I took a nap), then out to dinner.

 

Glad you did not get it and hopefully feeling better.

[Travel R]

UPDATE: I still have not resolved my photo transfer issues, so I will begin posting and then catch up with pictures later on. To tell you the truth, I went out for dinner with my DDs and one of their friends, came back, did some reading and fell asleep, so I did not even take a look at the camera.

[Travel R]

“A Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” [Lao Tzu]

 

B. Our Challenge: Arriving in Vancouver Prior to the Ship’s Departure

 

1. Flight Cancellation & Rescheduling

 

As I had alluded to in my colorful recount above, our travel to Vancouver was a harrowing experience.   Having been almost entirely packed Saturday morning, myself and DD22 went out to pick up some last-minute items, such as bread, cold cuts, and bagels for Sunday’s trip in addition to a few OTC “just in case” medicinals.  Our plan was to take it easy in the afternoon, maybe watch a movie (my DD17 arrived home after 3AM and was going not going to get out of bed if she did not have to) and then order in dinner, clear out the fridge, then get to sleep early. [But you know what they say about the best laid plans.]

 

I awoke early and after walking the dog, took charge of the kitchen and prepared an omelet with the remaining eggs, onions, accompanied by my faithful morning companion, a cup of coffee. We left the house around 9:30 AM and returned at around 11.  I logged into my computer to check something for work, but then decided to check my personal email (which I had viewed earlier that morning). To my surprise there were emails (in French) about cancellations, followed by one in English with a “change to my itinerary.”  To my astonishment both of our flights for Sunday morning were cancelled (due to pandemic-related matters – meaning they did not have enough crew), and their change was to new flights that would get me into Vancouver on Sunday evening at 8:59 PM (3 hours and 59 minutes after our ship was scheduled to depart).

 

Since my daughter’s graduation was on Friday evening, which included a late-night school-wide graduation party that was not going to be finished until the wee hours of the morning, and due to the fact that I booked this cruise during the height of COVID, I did two things I have never done before. The first was to schedule the flight into the port of departure on the morning that the ship was set to sail. The second was booking my flights through the cruise line. For Royal Caribbean, their air service is called Air2Sea. Although I had performed my research on this program and saw that most people had good things to say about it, I was still a little skeptical using an outsider to handle my reservations. However, I figured if COVID cancelled the cruise, it would take the hassle out of dealing with cancelling the air flights as well.

 

2. Air2Sea to the Rescue

 

I phoned the general Air2Sea number and an agent answered after only a few rings.  After explaining my predicament, she transferred me to the Emergency Department.  I knew that I was not alone – I had read about cancellations from other airlines (Delta had just 86’d 50 flights from Newark alone – the airport I was leaving from).  However, I did not expect to be on hold for over an hour (almost 1h 15min) – the longer I waited, the greater the fear and dread of not finding a flight had become.  While I was waiting, I had my computer open and was looking for possible flights. I was disheartened by what I was seeing. There were only a few flights still available, and all that I could see did not include four empty seats (at that point I did not care if they were on different parts of the plane, as long as all four of us were on the same flight). All of the planning, all of the time spent researching, and all of the money spent . . . . out amazing cruise vacation all seemingly taken away by the simple cancellation of one flight.

 

When an agent finally answered, she quickly sensed my fear and told me to calm down, relax, and she will get us to our cruise on time. That was a bold statement, but just like Broadway Joe’s prediction, she held true to her words. Her name was Barbara – she was very nice and helpful during the entire experience, which took almost 45 minutes.  She looked at various routes with and without layovers, even if they brought us to different (and quite illogical) parts of the country. For instance, one flight she looked at had a stopover in Houston, Texas. Although a wonderful city, it is in the opposite direction to get to Alaska when leaving from New Jersey. She looked at all of the airports in the tristate area until she final came upon one flight out of LaGuardia (LGA) with a 10+ hour layover in Montreal. 

 

I want to give a shout-out to everyone on the Serenade Facebook page – I had posted my predicament, and my fellow FB members either tried to provide encouragement, or tried themselves to find and recommend possible flights.  Thank you all!!!!

 

Sound good?  Not exactly.  LaGuardia Airport is about 1 ¼ to 1 ½ hours from my home on a good day but with traffic, the drive could literally the take over 3 hours; our flight was taking off approximately 4 1/2 hours from the time she discovered it. Since it was our only option, I quickly exclaimed “book it.” While this was going on I had been in contact with the car service (via text) and let them in on the entire situation – once I booked the flight, the driver arrived at my house within the hour. [Side note: I took a look at the cost for the new flight and it would have been over twice the amount that we had initially paid for the flight, and we were not charged the difference (not that I expected to be).]

 

Although we had to rush to get the sandwiches and bagels together and gather the last few items for our carry-ons, we got everything together very quickly (not being last-minute packers and being ready and prepared had major benefits), and I even had time to make a quick repair to the gazebo on our back porch. Believe it or not, for shorter trips 2-3 days I am that last-minute packer (I will throw everything together within an hour of leaving), but for longer trips away, I am sure to pack and be ready early.

 

[Did you Know?  Vancouver is a fairly young city, founded in 1886, named after English navigator George Vancouver (he surveyed the area in 1792).  It would have taken 5-6 weeks by horse/wagon to travel there from New York City in the late 1800s, but only 3-4 days by train. [My parents had been planning a trip via locomotive from (I believe) Toronto to Vancouver before my dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. It was a trip they put off for obvious reasons, and sadly never embarked upon.] Another fact: there are two cities named Vancouver, besides the more well-known city in Canada, there is also a Vancouver in Washington State, USA.] 

 

The worst part of the morning?  I did not get a chance to exercise that morning, which would have been followed by a nice long shower and some well needed rest and relaxation.

 

Next Up . . . . On our way to the Airport

 

[Hummingbird33]

Wow, I'm stressed just reading about your flight situation!  Looking forward to reading more about your trip.  We were on the Serenade the week before you.

 

For your photo transfer, there are many USB card adapters available on Amazon or you may be able to connect your camera directly to your computer via USB to transfer the files.

 

[Ferry_Watcher]

Thank goodness you checked your email and saw the last minute flight cancellation.

[Travel R]

22 hours ago, Hummingbird33 said:

Wow, I'm stressed just reading about your flight situation!  Looking forward to reading more about your trip.  We were on the Serenade the week before you.

 

For your photo transfer, there are many USB card adapters available on Amazon or you may be able to connect your camera directly to your computer via USB to transfer the files.

 

Good idea - and there is still a few hours to Prime Day. I'll take a look during my lunch break. Thanks!

[Travel R]

21 hours ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

Thank goodness you checked your email and saw the last minute flight cancellation.

 

Because of that I was quite paranoid for the return trip, and continued to check my email whenever I had internet access during the trip (and especially when we had returned to Vancouver for the final day of our vacation). As a teaser, although our flights were not cancelled, there was a rather lengthy delay taking off that morning which almost caused us to miss our second flight - we literally sprinted across the length of the entire Calgary airport and barely made it before the airplane hatch was closed.

 

We have been talking about another cruise for next year with my extended family (aunts, uncles, cousins). I am going to refuse any suggestions other than domestic ports, and if I fly, it has to be a direct flight. Although something out of NY/NJ would be ideal so I can drive, right now the most enticing cruise is out of Galveston (and will insist on a direct flight - and arriving a day or two beforehand).  

[Travel R]

Continuing to provide shorter portions of my posts while I try to get my photos (and I did take a few pics while on the way to the airport, and in the port).

 

3. Onto Newark Queens

 

Because my usual car service was experiencing staffing issues, I took my chances on a different service operating in the adjoining town - and their communication was superb (in fact my DW just used them on her quick trip across the lake to London; after being behind 3-4 hours two weeks ago, then being 5 hours ahead this past week, she does not know if she should be going to sleep or waking up). A late model Caravan pulled up to pick us up, and it easily held us and all of our luggage.  However, once we hit the highway, the engine began making all kinds of unnatural noises and the car was shaking, which I was trying to ignore while I prayed that this car would not break down on the way to the airport. One more layer to add to the stress - but thankful for every mile we came closer to the airport.

 

While fate tried to play a cruel trick by eliminating our flights for Sunday, it was kind to us in terms of traffic on that afternoon.  Although there was a few slow-downs (hey, it’s New York, you cannot avoid it), we arrived at the drop-off zone for the terminal within two hours, leaving us at the airport with just over two hours before the flight was to take off.

 

One costly issue about departing from LaGuardia is that the cost for the car service is three times greater than going to Newark. We could not really have the option to drive their ourselves (because it would have meant leaving our car in Queens, while our flight back was heading into Newark, New Jersey (long term parking is $32/day at LGA on-site, and although $8.50 off-site, not sure how long it would have taken us to get from the lot to the terminal). On the bright side, I was reimbursed for paying extra for the "convenience" of choosing our seats on the cancelled flights, which helped ease the cost difference. [In hindsight, I probably could have called a friend with a large enough car/SUV.]

 

When we arrived at the terminal there was no line for check-in and walked right up to the agent at the desk, in addition, there was a very short queue for customs, so we passed through very quickly.  However, they did stop myself and DD17 to ask us about items in our carry-ons; for me, they inquired about the “can” I had, which I responded was a can of nuts (a great snack for flying).  

 

I wanted to note that there is still a requirement to wear mask in airport terminals and on the airplanes (unless eating) – so myself and my family were masked up several times in our travels to and from Vancouver. Although masking requirements have eased the past few months, it was not too strange or difficult to mask up for the time we were travelling. I did keep a mask with me, in my pocket, throughout the entire trip, even while on the cruise . . . . just in case.

 

Although I had packed sandwiches and snacks for all of us, there was a Shake Shack less than 30 paces from our terminal.  We were stressed, tired, and hungry. Our stomachs outweighed our pocketbooks, and we were soon feasting upon burgers and fries to satisfy our hunger. I had the smoke burger (without cheese) – it was not bad, and it packed a slight amount of flavored heat. I've only been to Shake Shack once before many years ago in NYC - as my DD told me, one will be opening up close to where we now live.

 

Even when I lived in Brooklyn, I rarely took a flight out of LGA if I did not have to – Kennedy airport was closer and a lot more convenient (although there was (and still is) traffic to get to both, I knew some of the back-roads to JFK). The last time I was at LGA I was dropping off my DD to go to Costa Rica and the airport they were beginning their revitalization and there was construction everywhere. I have to say that they did a very nice job fixing up the place.

 

Our first flight was on American Airlines (originally, we were scheduled to fly exclusively on Air Canada). We did not all sit together, but my DW did have an aisle seat, and it was a fairly short flight. [Did you know: I was in row 18, which in some cultures, such as Judaism, is a lucky number – the numbers in Hebrew for 18 also spell the word which translates to like “life.” In some communities in China, the number 18 is associated with prosperity and success. I took this as a good omen.] Note, the screenshot is from a different flight showing how our seats were dispersed (in fact, on the second flight, the other two seats were not even in this section of the plane).

 

Up Next . . . . Layover in Montreal

 

 

[sadiwest]

Following 

[watertraveler]

On 7/7/2022 at 10:49 PM, Travel R said:

5x on the Serenade … I am jealous. If I had the money and time, the world cruise is a dream of mine. Loved the layout of the ship and how you can see outside from almost anywhere (although the windows in the MDR need to be cleared) - as mentioned above, my family enjoyed the MDR vs the WJ, but seating outdoors was nice (especially for lunch on that first warm day waiting for departure out of Vancouver). Service was  fantastic!

Well, I thought 5 x's was a lot until we attended the recognition party for upper tier passengers.  There was a couple who had been onboard since 5/7 and another gentleman who had been on the Serenade 17 times!

[Travel R]

12 hours ago, watertraveler said:

Well, I thought 5 x's was a lot until we attended the recognition party for upper tier passengers.  There was a couple who had been onboard since 5/7 and another gentleman who had been on the Serenade 17 times!

My parents friends have cruised over 100 times, and I have met these mega cruisers over the years - it's unbelievable that people have spent so much time on the seas without being a mariner or in the Navy/Marines.

 

Then there are people like Super Mario - had sailed 355 days a year on RCI ships for 23 years (until COVID), but from what I understand, as soon as the ships began sailing he is back to his old ways. From what I understand, he sails out of Florida, and has been on different ships over 100 times each. For a simple guy like me that has only 10 sailings and averages a cruise once every 3-4 years, what he is doing is almost mind boggling.

[Travel R]

4. Layover in Montreal

 

[PS: I may have a solution to my photo issues, so I should (hopefully) begin displaying the photos over the weekend, in the meantime, I will slowly continue with our (not too exciting) saga of getting to the cruise port. A saga I have titled "A Funny thing Happened to Me on the Way to Vancouver Port."]

 

When going through customs in Montreal they check your passports and scan your face.  My DD22’s passport did not scan and she had to go on yet a separate line, and my face did not scan (an “X” appeared on the printout – but they let me pass through without a word).

 

[Travel Tip: Have your boarding pass, passport (or other ID), and ArriveCAN verification code/info out and ready to be viewed whenever passing through any/all of the security & customs areas. You will be asked to provide these on multiple occasions.  It may also be wise to place all of your personal items (wallets, phones, belt, etc.) into your carry-on while going through security – it just makes it easier to keep track of all your valuables.]

 

One of the benefits of booking with Air2Sea was that they also reserved us a room at a hotel (they paid for it). We stayed at the Fairfield Inn Marriot, which was a very nice hotel even though it was not a very long stay.  The hotel was about ½ mile away from the airport, and a free shuttle service was provided, which was an additional nice perk. It would have been nice if we did not have a Saturday night layover and stay at a hotel, but since this was our circumstances, it is not the worst position to be in.

 

Speaking to people on our flights and in the terminals (on Saturday and Sunday), we heard many horror stories of how some passengers were stuck for two and even three days without any flights back home or to their destinations.  There were people sleeping in many terminals of the gates or telltale signs of passengers being camped out for many hours awaiting their flights.

 

One young woman we met was stuck in Nova Scotia for two days after travelling back (overseas) for business, and then stuck in Montreal that evening (for a third day of layovers) to finally (and hopefully) fly home the next day; she was also a young mother with two children she wanted to desperately see. One person we spoke to had slept at the airport the past two nights. Her tale was not unique, we spoke to many that had similar stories, and I felt lucky that myself and my family were able to get flights and make it to meet our ship before it set sail without us.

 

Although I had visited Montreal before, we did not get a chance to really see or experience the wonders of the city, it was the first time visiting the city for one of my DDs and my DW. We had arrived at the hotel after dark and the sun had only begun rising when we made our way back on the shuttle.

 

A quick note about the airport in Montreal. It seemed disorganized, and the structure itself showed signs of wear and tear and not properly maintained (especially the bathrooms which looked dated, dirty,  and the garbage was left to overflow).  At our initial check-in, we were issued luggage tags with Vancouver printed as our final destination, yet we were told to pick up our bags from Baggage Claim regardless of where we were travelling to next (even if we had connecting flights).  We went down to Baggage Claim and went to the carousel we thought was ours (according to the monitor), but they did not appear.  Eventually we picked up our bags after finding them upon a carriage that was not indicated to be ours. Fortunately, we marked them with silver tape to ensure that they are distinct from others, which is how we spotted them (I had posted a photo in an earlier post). We then searched the large room for someone to talk to about where to take out luggage.

 

The terminal was full of luggage not attached to people (literally, just piled or lined up in various areas).  There was also a very long line of people that snaked about 70 or 80 yards to almost the middle of the baggage claim area (of people not attached to luggage). Upon further investigation, we discovered the purpose of this queue, these individuals were in line waiting to talk to someone at the luggage claim booth. Besides all of the cancelled flights and delays, lost luggage was also another hazard for travelling during this tumultuous time. Unfortunately, we did meet passengers on our cruise that sailed without their luggage. [If you see a party or individual on formal night that is dressed like they are going out to play ball in the park, hold back your scorn; they may be cringing inside that they are not "dressed up" and their tuxedos and full-length gowns may be circling around a carousel at the airport in Newark, Miami, Las Angeles, Rome, or other location while these poor passengers only have what they had packed in their carry-on.]

 

There was no one to speak to in the huge baggage area (except for the two miserable and tired looking people in baggage claims, so we did not dare approach). We went upstairs to the next level to be greeted by another very long line of people waiting for their chance to talk to someone at the Air Canada counter (overhearing conversations - some were trying to reschedule their own cancelled fights).  My wife went ahead to see if this was the right line and simply asked an Air Canada worker walking nearby “what do we do with our luggage?”  Before my DW asked the question, the worked stated “there are no hotel rooms available” to which my DW replied, thank you, we already have a room, and quickly tried to give her our situation . . . we already have rooms, we just arrived from the US and have a connecting flight to Vancouver tomorrow; where do we put our luggage?”  The person the hastily answered, “just take it with you.” That’s exactly what we did (and in hindsight, it was better we kept the luggage in our possession that sending it into the tohubohu at the airport [tohubohu is a fun word to use; it is an archaic term which means "chaos"]. My challenge to each of you is to use this word in a conversation over the next week.).

 

So, we schlepped our luggage to the shuttle area and brought it with us to the hotel, then back to the airport again the following morning. We did not need the suitcases, we had already removed whatever we needed (change of clothes, toiletries, etc.) since we thought we would not have them again until Vancouver. It was just an odd situation.

 

[An article I read online in the DailyHive the following day summed up what was going on in its lead sentence: “Absolute sh#%show at the Montreal Airport. . . .”]

 

The hotel, Fairfield Inn Marriot, and room was nice, but it was already late when we arrived and we did not have much energy for more than was checking-in, showering, eating the sandwiches I had made earlier that day, setting the timers on our phones, and finally making our way to land of slumber.

 

The alarm rang at 3:50 AM and we all hopped out of bed and got dressed. The hotel provided coffee and some pastries (raisin bread) and fruit by the front desk, so I helped myself before the (free) shuttle arrived. The coffee was not great, but it began to unfurl the cobwebs of an exhausted mind after a restless evening (I was up at 2 AM playing games on my cellphone); I could not sleep worrying about whether there would be more issues with our flight the following day (also if I would have enough room in my inside seat and have an uncomfortable 5 hours of flying. I am not a “big” guy, but my shoulders are usually broader than most airplane seats.).

 

Upon checking out the following morning, they confirmed that the stay had all been paid by Air2Sea (I did not even inquire about receiving any Marriot Bonvoy points). If you are wondering, I saw the bill – the cost of the room was 306 CA dollars (kind of high (IMO) for a non-premium Marriot, but I was not paying).

 

As we made our way to the airport on the small shuttle, the sun began to rise over the Montreal countryside.

 

Next Up . . . . . Finally, Vancouver

 

 

Edited July 15, 2022 by Travel R

[dani negreanu]

On 7/14/2022 at 3:38 PM, Travel R said:

the numbers in Hebrew for 18 also spell the word which translates to like “life.”

 

  😉חי

[familycruzinnewbie]

If you are leaving the airport you have to take baggage with you. And then you can’t check it until 4hrs before your flight. The worst is we often have really long layovers, so we had Red eye Vegas to Toronto and it was almost 8 hrs before flight to NL. We were going to spend in one of those fancy airport lounges. But they made us collect baggage I. Toronto and then we had to wait hours before we could check it in and go through security - where the lounge was. I’m really considering just going with carryons with the current mess.

[familycruzinnewbie]

we leave in a week so I have lots of questions. Trying to figure how much time we will be up on deck and what kind of clothes are needed for that. We have a window no balcony. Inside passage- what times are there good things to view. Same with Tracey arm - it says 5am-9am so not sure what times there will be good viewing. Is there a naturalist or anything on board. I’m really worried about clothes cause fitting warm things over my massive cast is difficult. And I can’t get it wet. 

[Travel R]

On 7/15/2022 at 12:14 PM, familycruzinnewbie said:

If you are leaving the airport you have to take baggage with you. And then you can’t check it until 4hrs before your flight. The worst is we often have really long layovers, so we had Red eye Vegas to Toronto and it was almost 8 hrs before flight to NL. We were going to spend in one of those fancy airport lounges. But they made us collect baggage I. Toronto and then we had to wait hours before we could check it in and go through security - where the lounge was. I’m really considering just going with carryons with the current mess.

I've left the airport in the past during a layover without gathering my luggage. However, there was an announcement on my flight (and on the boards in the baggage claim area) that everyone needed to claim their luggage regardless of whether or where their next flight was headed.

 

Even when we checked out bags in in EWR, the agent said that our bags were ticketed through Vancouver.  As you mentioned, because of all the issues, they needed to do it this way.

 

[Travel R]

19 hours ago, familycruzinnewbie said:

we leave in a week so I have lots of questions. Trying to figure how much time we will be up on deck and what kind of clothes are needed for that. We have a window no balcony. Inside passage- what times are there good things to view. Same with Tracey arm - it says 5am-9am so not sure what times there will be good viewing. Is there a naturalist or anything on board. I’m really worried about clothes cause fitting warm things over my massive cast is difficult. And I can’t get it wet. 

 

I will be providing the following in more detail in a later post, but wanted to directly answer your questions . . . .

 

Hubbard Glacier - Although we had a balcony, I have read that the view is prolonged on the helipad (no matter which way the ship was turned, you always had a view of the glacier).  I arrived up there about 30 minutes prior to the time set for entering the bay (e.g., the Compass stated 11 AM, so I was out there at 10:30).  Note that most of the spots on the railing were gone by then. The glacier came into view within about 15 minutes and we stayed until approximately noon. Although magnificent, the ship was not going closer, and it was the same view, so after 45 minutes, we were cold and had enough. 

 

Note that we went up to the Windjammer and got a table by the starboard side of the ship and had a view of the glacier as we ate.  Also note that the catamaran docked on the starboard side, so the starboard side had a longer view of the glacier to allow for the pax to go to and from the catamaran.

 

We were all layered, including our "heaviest" jackets and wool hats. Also note, the temp in Alaska that week was unseasonably warm.

 

Tracy Arm / Sawyer Glacier - We had stayed on our balcony while sailing down the Tracy Arm.  I had actually gone out to the balcony a little while prior to the stated time (it also may have been 5 AM - I've already forgotten), but my DW and DDs showed up a little later (within 15 minutes after the stated time).  Our balcony was on the starboard side, and it received the first view of the Sawyer Glacier.  Once the ship began to turn so the port side could get its turn, we also had enough, and headed down to the MDR.  Yes, we technically only saw one side of the Tracy Arm, which was beautiful, but our stomachs won out and we went to breakfast (in the MDR) and figured it would be much the same on the way back. Although not near the window, we did look out from time to time.

 

[Note: The windows in the MDR have lost their translucency over the past two decades, so the view is not exactly clear.] 

 

Naturalist - Unfortunately, there are no naturalists onboard (which I have heard great things about over on the HAL threads).  For our sailing there was supposed to be an enrichment speaker, whose expertise was the Canadian Royal Mounties - but his talks were not correlated to the glacier viewings.  Unfortunately, he cancelled last minute and was replaced with Alaska Trivia.

 

Prior to the cruise I had performed research on the Hubbard Glacier and the Tracy Arm/Sawyer Glacier (there is a lot more on the former). If I were to do it over again, I would have printed out a topographical map of both so I would be able to identify the various mountain (mountain peaks) as we passed them.

 

Suggestions -

(1) bring binoculars for everyone in your party;

(2) if going onto the helipad, the earlier you go, the better your spot - use the bridgecam (channel 24) to assess the situation - you can see the people gathering, and some are there an hour beforehand;

(3) there are other locations to view besides the helipad: in front of the fitness center (deck 12) and the golf course);

(4) Most of my family wore the following while viewing: long pants, t-shirt, long sleeve shirt, sweatshirt, semi-light jacket (mine was actually a hoodie), wool hats (I did bring along a scarf, which one of my DDs wore, and gloves, which I did not take out of my bag). Luckily it also did not rain - but I had 4 ponchos ready;

(5) while sailing down the Tracy Arm there is an additional breeze from the motion of the ship (says Mr. Obvious), but when at the glaciers, the ship does (mostly) stop, except when turning from side to side;

(6) We did pack toe warmers and hand warmers, but did not use them (not knowing the temperature for your sailing, you may bring along a pair of each for both of the viewings (yes, they are okay to bring on an airplane and onto the ship);

(7) All the former being said - you have additional issues with your cast - and not sure what clothing you have, but may I suggest heavy vests and/or an outdoor poncho; an off-the-wall suggestion would be to bring and wear you blanket (from the stateroom's bed) around you - it might not be the most aesthetic outerwear, but you can wrap it around you and not worry about your cast fitting through any sleeves

(8) I brought a backpack with me to the hellipad with extra items (scarves, gloves, etc.) as well as a few snacks.

 

I hope this helps, and please let me know any other questions you may have . . . .

 

 

 

[Travel R]

Hope everyone had a great weekend. As is my usual MO, I do not post (or post as much) on the weekends. This weekend was no exception, lots of running around and doing things, and did not have much time (although I was up early, early Saturday morning and did write a few posts which I will put up in the future).  Part of my weekend was taking my DD17 to see the Weeknd at Met Life, which provided me with an opportunity to see the 2nd largest mall in the US (American Dream).  It was very cool to visit - beautifully decorated with some interesting tenants (water park, Ferris wheel, amusement park, ski slope, etc.) although there seemed to be many vacancies in regard to stores. [Figured I would share a few pics.] Whereas it was a pretty cool place to visit, unless I decide to go skiing during the summer (the amusement and water park seem to be more for younger kids), I probably would pass it up to go shopping.  There are many, many other shopping malls in NJ that have the same (and a lot more) stores and significantly less walking between each store/attraction.  However, there are multiple signs with this store or that store coming later this year or in 2023. For instance, and not that I shop at Gucci, but a 10,000 square food Gucci storefront is opening. [FYI - the Port Liberty Cruise Port is less than a half hour from the port, so if you have time pre or post cruise, it may be an option.]

 

Yes, I have found a way to upload my photos, although it will take some time to do so. In the mean time I will post the text and whatever photos I may have on my cell phone. It should hopefully suffice for now.

 

Edited July 18, 2022 by Travel R
Add photos

[Travel R]

5. Finally . . . .  Vancouver

 

We arrived at the airport before the complex begun to awaken. We wanted to ensure we were on-sight in case any new issues arose; although we were on foreign soil, this was a domestic flight (between two Canadian cities), we arrived 3 hours before flight time. After checking in via a kiosk (our boarding passes were already provided to us the day before), we checked in our luggage (self-service machine) and as previously ticketed, all four of us were scattered throughout the airplane, although my DDs were directly behind each other. The chaos from the night before seemed to have abated. [We went through security again, and it was very quick.] As I continuously mention, although this situation has not been ideal, we were booked on a plane heading to Vancouver, so I was happy.

 

Arriving early did provide us with an huge benefit. As it turned out, after arriving to the gate I received a text message that my seat number was changed to one further back on the airplane (it was only 20 minutes between arriving at the airport and walking to the gate). From what I had remembered, the aisle I was assigned to was the very last seat on the airplane, so I went to the nearby customer service desk to inquire. I am asking myself “how can I be in an aisle that did not exist?” – unless they changed airplanes or there was a huge error). My earlier guess was correct, they replaced our airplane with a larger one, so there were additional rows in the rear of the plane. I mentioned to customer service (who was luckily there that early) that I was travelling with my family (at the time were online for Starbucks (and not Tim Hortons)) and she very kindly re-ticketed all of us to the rear section of the plane where we were seated two abreast, with our DDs in window seats and myself and DW in aisle seats. [Thank you Air Canada!]

 

The flights themselves were uneventful (although this second flight was delayed two hours to allow for the replacement plane to arrive; compared to the rest of the weekend, this was a very minute glitch). Soon after the airplane was in the air I turned on a movie (there was a screen on the back of the seat in front of me) -  the Beatle’s A Hard Day’s Night. At that point, the hassles, trials, and tribulations of the past 20 hours had faded away – almost forgotten only to be drudged up in this recounting of this tale.

 

At that time, I thought to myself how lucky I am to be on an airplane with my family to begin an amazing cruise vacation to Alaska while watching the Beatles (my favorite band) at 30+ thousand feet. It does not get better than that.

 

We have all read reviews on Cruise Critic and elsewhere when the vacation begins to go bad at the beginning of the adventure, it sours the entire journey. I am glad that for myself and my family, we were able to put the transportation issues to pasture so we can enjoy the great times ahead. At that point, it just becomes a good story to be told and laughed about.

 

As I have mentioned, the writings of this thread are a culmination of my personal notes and memories, many times consolidated for the sake of brevity (although it may not seem so). What I actually wrote to begin my journal is as follows:

 

Life is good. It is a quarter to 11 on this beautiful morning.  What could be better? My wife is wrapped around my arm in the seat next to me. My children are in the seats directly behind. I am flying at thirty-five thousand feet to enjoy a week on a cruise ship with the ones I love. And to top it off, the Beatles are playing on the small screen before me.  It has been a hard day’s night to get to this point and the journey of the last 99 days has already been forged into the annals of time.

 

My path forward through the Northern wilderness of Alaska shall be scripted upon these pages and etched into my memory, but let us begin the story in a small ordinary town in New Jersey where myself and the [Travel R] family reside . . .

 

I will admit, as a movie, A Hard Day’s Night is far from a cinematic masterpiece – although the innovative ideas and techniques set the standard for all musical films/documentaries to follow. As a Beatle’s fan, it is fantastic to watch the Fab Four in their younger days when fame had just started to set in and was still years before the band begun to fall apart. 

 

I had time to view a second movie and chose the latest rendition of Dune. I am a reader, and because there is always such a long list of books in my queue, I will rarely read a book more than once. There are a few exceptions, and Dune is one of them.

 

I had read the full series many years ago (back in my college days), and re-read the first book about 10-12 years ago, then a third time when I found out that the movie was being filmed.  Although I was looking forward to the movie’s release, because of COVID I did not see it in the theaters – so this was my chance.  While the movie’s production, visual effects, costumes, and scenery were leap years beyond the 1984 version, and there were some exceptional scenes, overall, I did not enjoy the movie as much as I had anticipated.  It seemed that too much of the plot seemed focused on the relationship between the two main characters of the movie Paul Atreides and Chani and left the rest of side-plots hollow – maybe they will be more flushed out during Part II? [FYI – during the first flight the previous evening I spent most of my time reading, so did not watch anything. I am currently in the midst of the complete works of H.P. Lovecraft.]

 

I would also like to mention that flying over the Canadian Rockies was a beautiful and picturesque sight to behold (if you are seated near the window take a look down). On these flights there is no food served (except for a small snack – cookies or pretzels), although they provide soda service once (I received an entire can) and the stewards came around a second time with water (I was fortunate to have been poured water twice). However, I also had my own snacks and the sandwich which I had made the day before (yes, I kept it in the fridge overnight) and a drink I purchased in the terminal, so I did not go hungry or thirsty.

 

Finally, we arrived at our destination – Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

 

We had arrived!

 

     We arrived together!

 

          We arrived with all our luggage!

 

*   *   *  *

 

I know, I know . . . . the pre-cruise adventure of our first 24 hours is taking too long to get posted (even for me, and I am the one writing this thing) with an almost blow-by-blow description of our travels from home to Vancouver; and we are still not even on the ship. In hindsight, considering all the bumps in the road my family had encountered along the way, it really was not so bad (even when including the prior day's anxiety over “passing” the COVID test). I am very, very grateful that we were able to make the cruise – if not, then I would have been extremely upset . . . . and this review would be much, much shorter.

 

Up next . . . . Boarding the Serenade of the Seas

Edited July 18, 2022 by Travel R

[Travel R]

C. Check-in / Boarding

 

1. Shuttle Transfer to Port

 

After arriving at the airport terminal, we went down to pick up our luggage from baggage claim.  While walking down the corridor, we spotted a woman holding up a Royal Caribbean sign. We told her that we were taking the RCI shuttle, and she instructed us where we were to meet – it was all very convenient. [Interestingly, when we told her our names, she looked them up and even told us what baggage island we could be reunited with our belongings – however, she had our original flight info, which was on a different location.] We picked up our luggage and brought it by their kiosk/desk area where we checked in (they again sure our names were on the list), (and more efficiently) helped us secure our luggage tags (I brought tape to attached them, but they just quickly used a stapler), and then we waited a few minutes until others taking the shuttle had gathered (maybe 10 minutes).

 

[Quick Tip: A cab from the airport to the Canada Place (the cruise terminal) is less than $40 US (including tip) – however, I figured that it was worth spending the extra money ($25 per person) to avoid any hassles to get us to the ship. I you are a party of 3 or 4, and you know you have the time, you can save up to $60 by taking a cab yourself.]

 

The bus ride was convenient and relaxing and provided a nice view of the area; it travelled through some picturesque areas of Vancouver and its suburbs which were populated by some beautiful homes; although most were hidden behind high hedges. (note that the luggage is kept inside the bus, so you need to bring it up the 3 steps yourself – the driver did help those that could not lift their luggage themselves). As we travelled closer to port a large snow-covered mountain was the backdrop for the urban jungle we were entering on this gorgeous day (mostly sunny and in the mid-70s F (low 20’s C)).

 

2. Check-in and Boarding

 

By the time we had arrived at port we were exhausted from our travels.

 

We arrived at Canada Place at about 1:10 and made our way inside (our originally scheduled check-in time was for 12:00, so considering all the mishaps, this was not bad). [Note – Just like the airplane and the airport terminals, masks are also required to be worn while in Canada Place.]

Before arriving to the port, my family took out our Royal Apps and watched the safety briefing – it was a lot shorter than I remembered compared to the live version and was easy to do. [Tip: It is probably a lot more convenient to watch the briefing prior to arriving at the port, than having to try to watch it while moving through the lines. If you do not watch it by the time you get onto the ship and to the check-in area, they will perform the demonstration live; there is someone standing there wearing a life vest for this very reason.]

 

[Tip – have your COVID test confirmation letter or email ready so it can be shown/presented. This is the first and only time you will need it.]

 

After entering the building, we walked through the length of the port and then made our way upstairs to our first queue of the hour.  There were an immense number of people also making their way through this behemoth of a structure (three other ships were also sailing out of the port that day). The check-in and boarding process looked intimidating and chaotic at first sight, and after a long previous 24 hours I was not looking forward to this next set of obstacles. 

 

We finally arrived at the line for our initial check point.  This first line went very, very quickly.  A representative basically checked our passports and our letter indicating our negative test results in addition to our original COVID-19 vaccine cards (which I found inane, since our vax cards were uploaded to the Royal App (and the ArriveCAN app)), but as I mentioned, the process went very quickly, so no major complaints.

 

There was a second line for a stroll through security, which was longer, but was moving along.  Then there was customs, which sported the longest, and slowest line of all. [I almost remember that there may have been a fourth queue, but I was just so tired at that point that I am not sure.]  The line for customs included scanning our passports into a computerized system (it was similar to the one we had undergone while  at the airport).

 

Although there were a multitude of people they had to process, looking back, I can say that their system was very efficient.  It took us approximately 45 minutes to go through the bureaucracy from soup to nuts. [Fun fact: this term possibly originated in the 1930s to describe a full course meal that began with soup and ended with a nutty dessert.] There were “only 2400 people on our ship – I wonder how this system worked with over 4000 (the Ovation was sailing out of this port the following day)?

 

Once traversing through this autocratic maze, we made our way onto the ship and intended to make our first stop to be the Windjammer for lunch.  However, one of the people on the ship convinced us to go to check in for the safety drill (ourselves and the DDs had separate areas). This was a very quick stop to indicate we had watched the video (you get credit for it on the App itself), were at the check-in location, and did not have any questions. Although the full muster drills of the past were inconvenient, they always made for a good photo opportunity with everyone in your party wearing the safety vests. While the process for checking in was longer than the past, the new muster drill video and check-in beats waiting out in the cold or heat of the day waiting 45 minutes for those 2 or 3 people to show up so they can begin the drills.

 

After this brief detour, we made our way to Deck 11 and into the open arms of the Windjammer buffet. I am not sure if it was because we boarded relatively “late,” or because the boarding system had thinned out the number of passengers entering this eatery at any one time, but it was not very crowded. We surprisingly found a seat without issue.  Since it was so beautiful out, we went to the seating outside and sat down for lunch. It was a beautiful day in Vancouver, and we had a wonderful panoramic view of Vancouver and the countryside beyond. It could not be better, and to top it off was the beautiful weather - mostly sunny and in the low 80s.

 

Food and meals for this cruise will be discussed at a later point in this review. For now, I am going to focus on that first moment of bliss, sitting upon the cruise ship. After everything I went through this past year, and the obstacles we had hurdled the prior 24 hours, it was just very nice to sit there and not have to move myself to go anywhere (or do anything) with beautiful scenery staring back at us in the background. However, my DW was getting restless (usually it is the other way around) and we decided to do a little exploring and visit the spa to see what packages they had to offer. 

 

We also went to our stateroom to drop off our carry-ons, and subsequently went up to the Lido deck to lay back on some lounge chairs while taking in the scenery (our view was that of the Downtown area).

 

[Did you know: Lido deck is not originally a nautical term.  Lido is an Italian word and and refers to an areas with a swimming pool and lots of swimmers. Since the top deck of a cruise ship usually has the swimming pools, the name stuck (and makes it sound fancier than referring to it as the top deck).

 

After a while we returned to our room where we met our cabin steward, Maria (she walked up to us and introduced herself). She was from Columbia, and when I responded to her in (broken) Spanish, she smiled, and we had a brief conversation in Spanish.  Over the next few days, she spoke to me in Spanish whenever our paths crossed. [Unfortunately, mid-cruise she got sick and was replaced by two other stewards. I think they took care of the rooms on either side of hers and eventually shared the additional responsibility of also cleaning our room.] 

 

I asked two things of her when we first met – to make sure there was ice (I hate the taste of the ship’s water, but I do drink a lot, and the coolness from the ice helps remove some of the foul taste), and to provide two copies of the Compass each day. When I began receiving one copy on the last few days and did not see Maria, I knew she was no longer attached to our room.

 

Tip: Although I did not frequent the Windjammer often, there were always seats to be found in the outside area in the back of this venue.  Either it is too cold for many passengers, or they simply do not know about it.  My criticism of this area is that (1) it is further from the other seating areas, so you need to walk all the way back there, (2) further to walk for seconds (or thirds), (3) the drink/refreshment station is also further away and the one in the back never seemed to have anything.  However, to counter this, the view is worth it – both for the views, but also the possibility of seeing marine life, in addition, the wait staff will get you drinks, if you so desire. Note, from what I heard, while in Alaska it is possible to see orca, porpoise, or other marine mammals swimming in the wake.

 

Tipping will also be a topic of discussion later in this review, but note that your automatic gratuities go not only to the room steward and waiter, but also to the waitstaff and workers all over the ship, such as in the Windjammer.

 

Although we had unseasonably warm weather during the cruise itself, this was the first and last time we (as a family) sat outside – the girls either found it too cold or too windy. I did visit the WJ during an occasional morning and enjoyed the seating in the rear, but I can take the cool weather a lot better – it has been said that I have a little bit of the Stark’s blood in me.

 

Now that the security checks, boarding, pseudo-muster, and initial meal were over with, we were now “officially” on the cruise and ready to begin our vacation.

 

3. An Uncomfortable Moment – The Elevator Incident

 

With all that went on between 11 am Saturday morning when I saw the cancellation email until the delay at the airport on Sunday morning and going through multiple queues and travelling, there was one uncomfortable incident during the initial hours of the trip that sticks out to this day.

 

I forgot where we were going, but we decided to take the elevator.  We were one side of the elevator bank and there were five ladies, with one being in a wheelchair on the other.  An elevator came to the floor that was almost full, but was able to squeeze in myself, DW, and DDs.  However, one of the ladies from the other party started yelling about them fitting in. To tell you the truth, the wheelchair (which was on the other side of the elevator bay) would have barely made it into the elevator itself, much less the other ladies (who were larger than my DW and DDs).

 

When my DW first went into the elevator she did not see the lady in the wheelchair or else she would have let that person try to go in first. But when one of the women came down to that end to reprimand us a second time, I am not sure if I was embarrassed, guilty, or pissed that they did not realize that they could not fit and still wanted to make a scene. I am someone that always tries to do good things, I do it in my everyday life, I volunteer for causes, I raise donations for organizations, etc. I guess I was in a position that I was not comfortable with – but besides this singular instance, all my other interactions with my fellow cruisers were more than positive. Although there was that meal in the MDR where I reprimanded some man for wearing shorts during dinner – just kidding (I was not really looking, and really did not care).

 

As stated in the beginning of this thread, I am going to be doing this differently. Instead of providing a blow-by-blow retelling of the cruise, I am going to divide it into chronological sections so I may discuss various aspects of the cruise as one (e.g., cruise food in one place, instead of scattered all over the review). I break up the day and begin in the early morning and conclude at whatever time we were to fall asleep. Final comments and post-cruise activities will be included towards the end of this review.

 

[This photo is of a cow at the top of the elevator on deck 13.  From what I read, there used to be a pair of cows - I only found one of them. I wonder if the other exists elsewhere.]

 

Next up . . . . The Wake Up