San Diego to Montreal in 134 Days

[richwmn]

April 25^th, 2024 – Boston, MA

 

Well, we are not actually in Boston yet, that is still over five hours off, although from the map it doesn’t look like we are that far away. We are headed Northwest at 10 knots. The temperature is currently 39°F / 4°C under clear skies. The humidity is 54% and the winds are a little over 17 mph.

 

 

I already talked about my excursion yesterday. So we will pick up with the return to the ship. The tender ride in both directions was smooth, and upon returning to the ship lunch was being served in the Lido. All aboard was 1pm, but we didn’t get underway until around 2pm. Trivia at 1pm and 4pm was good. I had a Pinnacle Grill dinner scheduled with @catlet and met the others at the Crows Nest for a pre-dinner drink at 5. We made it on time to the Pinnacle Grill and had a good dinner and company. @kazu, Jacqui and Debbie had dinner scheduled at the same time and were seated next to us so we had a chance to talk to them as well. The meal went well, everything was cooked properly and was very tasty.

 

We left Pinnacle Grill and went to the World Stage where comedian Alan Yenser was again the entertainment. In truth, I wasn’t impressed with his first show, and since this is a different ‘cruise’, the show last night was an exact repeat of that show. To be honest, most of his audience hadn’t seen the show before so it was new to them and he got about the same response as last time.

 

 

I did leave the show a bit early and called it a night. All in all it was a nice day in Newport and on the ship. Here are today’s activities and menus –

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[richwmn]

April 26^th, 2024 – Portland, Maine

 

It looks to be a very nice day in Portland today. We are docked and about ready to have Guests leave the ship. It appears that there is plenty to do in the area of the dock.

 

 

 

I already went over yesterday morning, we didn’t clear for Guests to leave the ship until about 2:30 and we had a late sail away. Boston is a very nice place to visit, and I have done it several times in the past. Yesterday I just completed some errands.

 

No show in the World Stage last night. The Volendam Repertory Company was scheduled but it was announced that there was some kind of trouble and a movie would be shown instead.

 

Today’s activities and menus –

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Portland, Maine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[richwmn]

April 26^th, 2024 – Portland, Maine

 

A few views of the area around the Cruise Ship dock

 

 

 

 

 

 

[richwmn]

April 27^th, 2024 – Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

 

We are still a little way away from Halifax, it is a nice but chilly morning for our first day in Canada. We are proceeding toward the berth at 10 knots going Northwest. The temperature is 39°F / 4°C under clear skies. The humidity is at 74% with 14 mph winds.

 

 

Yesterday was a nice day in Portland, and I had a nice walk thru the town. It was a short day, so in some ways it was like a sea day. Trivia went well, and my group did ok.

 

Last night I had dinner in Canaletto with @k Jacqui and Debbie. It was a very good meal and I had a nice time getting to know them a bit. I don’t usually post food pictures, since I usually eat in the Lido and the meals are not really plated. However, in this case Jacqui took pictures of all three meals and I’m sure they were posted on her thread.

 

After dinner I went to the World Stage for the show. The entertainer last night was Michael Robinson with Terrance. I have always enjoyed this act and I looked forward to seeing him again. I have to say, though, that this is the third time in the last couple of weeks that Mike has been our entertainer and as I mentioned about another performer the act is pretty much the same each time. It is much better once a year, rather than once a month.

 

I now present today’s activities and menus –

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Travelexpert35]

Enjoy your day in Halifax. I used to live there and it’s a beautiful city. You can walk along the boardwalk from your ship and there will be shops and restaurants.

[richwmn]

April 28^th, 2024 – Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada

 

Like yesterday, we are still a little way outside Sydney. We should arrive in a short time and be ready to go ashore on time. We are currently moving at 10 knots, and heading Northwest. The temperature is 45°F / 7°C, the skies are overcast with a humidity of 92% and a wind speed of almost 14 mph.

 

 

Yesterday was a very nice day in Halifax. It stayed cool all day and everyone seemed to have a good time. We were a little late leaving due to an excursion returning late. Sail Away went well.

 

Yesterday the 4pm trivia had a theme of ‘1960’s’ and my team did well. After trivia was over I went to the Ocean Bar with Cathy & Jim, then joined them for dinner in the Main Dining Room. We arrived around 6pm and were quickly seated upstairs along the rail. I had a shrimp appetizer, followed by a salmon dish, and apple pie for dessert. It was very good and we spent about 90 minutes.

 

We finished in time to go to the show. Last night was a group called ‘Breton Thunder’ doing a show called ‘Heritage’. They introduced themselves as natives of the Sydney area and that they would do a show of local music. Later in the show the drummer announced that he is actually from Newfoundland, which is at least very close. The show was very good and they provided some interesting information about the area. They will do one more show on May 1^st.

 

 

 

After the show ended there was a short rest before the Orange Party started, which as we know celebrates Dutch heritage. We had the advantage of actually having it on the King’s birthday, which is on April 27^th. It was a nice gathering held in the Crows Nest. The venue was set up differently that previous Crows Nest parties and I believe the setup last night was better use of the area. The Ocean Bar band played and did an outstanding job with the songs they played while I was there.

 

Here are today’s activites and menus –

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[richwmn]

April 29^th, 2024 – Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada

 

We are now in Charlottetown, and will be going out in the town shortly. The big attraction here is the house from the book ‘Anne of Green Gables’. In one of my previous visits I saw the house but didn’t do the tour.

 

According to local weather it is 43°F / 6C° with rain. We have a nice day here as we don’t have to be back on board until 4:30.

 

 

 

Yesterday we had our normal trivia and our group did well. We currently have a group of three and have been playing together since the Canal cruise began. As a rule we do pretty well but tend to lose in tie breakers.

 

For the second time since I boarded I found that I had the wrong Cabin Card in my pocket. During trivia, Tom and I ordered drinks and our cards were switched. Luckily, since I knew where he was going it was an easy process for me to go where he was and swap cards. The first time I had to get a new card at Guest Services.

 

After running a couple of errands, I made it to the World Stage for the early show. I was a bit apprehensive because the schedule listed a comedian I didn’t recognize. His name, Flip Schultz and he has quite a list of his accomplishments. The act began with a short video that ended with the audience being encouraged to sing ‘Sweet Caroline’, which they complied with. After that was over, he came out and did a pretty good routine and got a good response from the audience. It ended up being a pretty good show. He did push his website and following him on social media.

 

 

The various music venues all had good audiences last night, and everyone seemed to be having a good time. The performing groups right now are all good.

 

Here are today’s activities and menus –

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada yesterday

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[richwmn]

April 30^th, 2024, at sea – destination Quebec, Quebec, Canada

 

It is only 7:30 in the morning and we have already tried and failed at an attempt to anchor and tender to Cap-aux-Meules, iles de la Madeleine, Canada. This was to be the only stop on this cruise that I hadn’t already been to. Oh, well.

 

 

 

So currently we are moving at 10 knots in a Northwesterly direction. The temperature is 48°F / 9C° under overcast skies. The humidity is 80% and the winds are almost 15 mph.

 

Yesterday morning I got off the ship and walked around a bit. I have called at Charlottetown several times in the past and it seemed pretty much unchanged. I got to a parking lot where several cabs were parked with a dispatcher selling cab tours. Considering the fact that it has been several years since I took one, the prices seemed reasonable. The day was cool, but comfortable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After returning to the ship, it was a typical day. We got our disembarkation information in the mailbox so I guess this is about over. Only one paragraph really applies to me, that says that I will receive another letter the day before disembarkation for 4* and above. I will be disembarking fairly late with Jim and Cathy since we have a short trip to the train station and don’t have to be there until around 11:00am.

 

We have had good turnout for trivia for this cruise and the questions have been pretty good. My small group of three has been relatively successful having won several times over this cruise. We continue to have three sessions each day, sea or port, with the first being general, the second being themed, and the third being music clips to identify by title and artist.

 

The show last night was the ‘Volendam Repertory Company’ in a show called ‘It Takes Two’. This is a very good show featuring the two lead singers in singing several duets, with each lead singer getting a solo song. Both lead singers are very good. We have another show with the troupe tonight and they leave the ship tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With that I give you today’s activities (subject to change) and menus –

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Alberta Quilter]

Oh, I'm sorry you didn't get to Les Iles de la Madeleine.  I really enjoyed our day there a number of years ago.  I've always wanted to go back but for a longer stay.

 

I'm sorry to hear that your cruise is almost over.  Thanks so much for posting!

[CGinMTL]

Not many cruise ships stop at iles de la Madeleine.

Was the issue the winds ?

[richwmn]

1 hour ago, CGinMTL said:

Not many cruise ships stop at iles de la Madeleine.

Was the issue the winds ?

Yes, wind and waves. It didn't take long this morning for the Captain to decide to skip the port.

[richwmn]

May 1^st, 2024 – at sea, destination Quebec, Quebec, Canada

 

This morning we are having our final day at sea, with two days in Quebec before finishing the cruise in Montreal. When we look out at the shore, we see snow capped mountains and it is rather chilly today. We are currently headed Northwest at 10 knots. The temperate is 47°F / 7° under overcast skies. The winds are at almost 16 mph and the humidity is 89%.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yesterday was a bit of a disappointment since the planned stop there was the only unique stop for me on this cruise. Oh well, it is expected at times when on a cruise. We ended up having a nice sea day instead.

 

I had a lazy morning again, it seems there have been several of those this cruise. After a lite lunch in the Lido, I had a nice conversation in the Crows Nest with a nice person introduced by @POA1. Later I watched bingo for a bit. I never really got the ‘thrill’ of bingo and even less now. Most of the people playing had at least a couple of boards being played on a table, which they were just watching the numbers highlight themselves. The winner of the final game took a minute to see that the screen had the winning coverall completed. Her prize was a little over $200.

 

After bingo I had a good conversation with Jacqui ( @kazu ), getting to know each other better. We have been friends online for quite some time, but this is the first time we have had a chance to meet each other.

 

After dinner in the Lido from the Asian station (last night was Korean) I headed to the World Stage to see the ‘Volendam Repertory Company’ in ‘Classique’. This is there last performance before leaving the ship in Quebec. I thoroughly enjoyed the show, even though it was the third time I have seen it. All the performers are very energetic, and the singers are really good. The shows have been well designed and were, to me, a pleasure to watch.

 

 

Kristen -- Cruise Director

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last night the clocks changed back an hour to get back to Eastern time and being synchronized with Ottawa and Atlanta so I won’t have another time change for a while.

 

Here are today’s activities and menus –

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited Wednesday at 12:55 PM by richwmn

[Hogladyrider]

@richwmn...I am curious, when did Kristen the Cruise Director join your ship?  She was the CD on our Koningsdam cruise in January of this year.

 

I enjoyed her talks and her background is interesting that she now works on a ship.

[richwmn]

2 hours ago, Hogladyrider said:

@richwmn...I am curious, when did Kristen the Cruise Director join your ship?  She was the CD on our Koningsdam cruise in January of this year.

 

I enjoyed her talks and her background is interesting that she now works on a ship.

She joined Volendam in Fort Lauderdale on April 21st. She seems to be very good, and seems to enjoy the job.

 

[Hogladyrider]

32 minutes ago, richwmn said:

She joined Volendam in Fort Lauderdale on April 21st. She seems to be very good, and seems to enjoy the job.

 

Thank you!

[Gsel]

Kristen was our director last year on Westerdam. She is the best I have seen in a while.

[Hogladyrider]

5 hours ago, Gsel said:

Kristen was our director last year on Westerdam. She is the best I have seen in a while.

I found it very interesting that her background was in new media on TV!

[Gsel]

Yes, but not surprising, she is so good on stage and connects with passengers on a personal level. Would love to sail with her again!

[richwmn]

May 2^nd, 2024 – Quebec, Quebec, Canada – Day 1

 

We are tied up at the dock and Kristen has announced that the gangway is ready on deck two. Security will be manning the gangway until our sailaway tomorrow at 5:00pm. The temperature is currently 43°F / 6°C under overcast skies. The winds are a bit over 18 mph with humidity at 88%.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yesterday was a good day at sea, with lots of activities for those who wished to participate. One of the highlights was the presentation ‘A City on the Sea’ which is now the farewell of the crew to the Guests. It shows a little about the construction of a ship, followed by a quick tour of non Guest areas. At the end, most of the crew is on the stage to say ‘Good Bye’. Not quite ‘Love in Any Language’, but close.

 

Of course I have to mention trivia. Two good sessions yesterday with my usual team of three. We have played together since the start of the Panama Canal trip at the start of April. We have done well, won a few and came in second a lot. We had the same outcome yesterday. The whole team will be leaving in Montreal.

 

The show last night was again ‘Breton Thunder’ with their show ‘Unleashed’. A friend commented that it was the liveliest show they have ever seen on a HAL ship. While leaving the show another Guest mentioned that ‘Breton Thunder’ will stay aboard while the ship is doing the Boston – Montreal run for the next 6 weeks or so. The show was very good and I enjoyed both times they were on stage.

 

 

 

 

Quebec is a nice city to visit and we are located within walking distance to several sites. It should be a nice day in this city. Here are the activities and menus for today –

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited Thursday at 01:36 PM by richwmn

[Seasick Sailor]

Rich are you too late to edit the date?

[richwmn]

May 3^rd, 2024 – Quebec, Quebec, Canada – Day 2 of 2

 

It seems to be a better day today than yesterday. It is clear and doesn’t feel as cold. I have already started packing. I have an excursion this afternoon, and need to have most of it done.

 

 

I spent a lot of the day yesterday preparing to pack today. Quite a bit accumulates over 4 months and I had to sort thru it. I did get to one trivia yesterday, we didn’t win, and had dinner again with Cathy and Jim. Due to discussions in the past about the ‘Rustic Lasagna’ on the menu I decided to try it. In truth, I think the lasagna on the Lido is better, and the one yesterday disagreed with my stomach a bit later.

 

There was no show on the World Stage last night, a movie filled the big screen instead.

 

Here are today’s activities and menus –

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[cunnorl]

 Safe travels home. Thank you for taking us along. I have very much enjoyed your detailed reports. Until the next time.....

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Rich, thank you for taking us along on your long cruise.  BTW, Kristen was the CD on Koningsdam when the Daily Four were on board.  She is very easy to talk to.  Safe travels home.

[kelliebiz]

Thanks for writing your blog, Rich. I appreciated reading along to see what you’ve been up to the last 134 days 😃

[puppycanducruise]

Thanks for sharing your cruise.  Loved the menus and info.  Thank you!