Today is our last day at sea. We dock in Vancouver tomorrow morning at 7 am. Which means we pack today. But before all that, a celebration was in order. We met two other couples on this trip (from Massachusetts and Indiana), and we all agreed to have lunch together on the last day. And the fact that today was the husband's birthday was coincidental. But not unnoticed. Gag gifts were presented, along with some serious sentiments. The wifely half of the couple from Indiana (center, in the back) put the whole thing together, and we partied at the pizza restaurant. The pizzeria cooperated, and brought out a pizza with a candle in it. We were appropriately rowdy. We exchanged addresses and appreciations and headed off in our own particular directions to pack.
It was not an easy task. Everything that had arrived with us had to go back into the same bags, so it shoulda been simple. Add in the souvenirs and we had some very bulging bags. They had to be waiting outside before we went to dinner so they could be collected and off-loaded in the early am.
Then there was the matter of calculating the tips for the room steward, the waiter, the assistant waiter, the head waiter and the maitre d'. Their tips are paid all at once, at the end of the cruise. That totalled more than $150.
The final night's dinner featured balloons at every table, the usual excellent menu, and a Baked Alaska parade (the waiters paraded around the room, each carrying a flaming Baked Alaska. We pigged out, dispensed tips, bid farewell to our table mates from Texas, and took a last walk around the ship. We crossed into Pacific Daylight Time, sunset was at a more conventional time, and we returned to our room to watch The Thomas Crown Affair, and watch the scenery go by. The landscape is becoming more populous as we go.
We still have two days in Vancouver to enjoy, but the primary trip is coming to a close.
And we couldn't have asked for a better time.
Even if it cost extra.
Itinerary