Getting on board (Friday)

Heading north I-5 on the way to Vancouver, we crossed the new temporary replacement span on the bridge over the Skagit River. They had just replaced it on Wednesday. It was shorter than I imagined, maybe only 2-3 car lengths. It held up when we went across.

At the border we had to get all our luggage off the bus and go through customs. It was just a cursory check. If we had put our cruise tags on our luggage, we wouldn't have had to take them off. I wish the bus company had told us that. We put our tags on while we waited to get back on the bus.

After a few stops in Vancouver to let others off, we made it to Canada Place Pier only about 30 minutes late. Well, they probably don't consider it late as they do warn you that the time depends on traffic and the border crossing. You aren't allowed to get your luggage off the bus. The stevedores have to do that. I don't mind ensuring there are good paying jobs, but it was a bit nerve wracking to walk away and leave the luggage and trust it would show up in our room later after we set sail.

When we got into the terminal, there was a long airport-type security line to wait through. You enter Canada to go to Vancouver where the terminal is and then you leave Canada to get on the ship. Almost my shortest trip ever to Canada. Except the time I came up to get a flu shot when they didn't have flu shots available in the U.S.

The line was a little different in that they were selling souvenirs at every bend in the line, including binoculars. Also, there were lots of cruise personnel all along the way, to keep everybody in line. But they were more friendly than the TSA folk usually are. Then after we cleared U.S. customs, we had to get in another line to get our ship ID card. The ship has a no money system. You give them your credit card number and then you use your ship ID card. I expect that makes it even easier to spend money than a credit card!

We finally made it down the gangplank and onto the ship. It's hard to really see what the ship looks like from there, it's so big and tall and you enter near the shore line. They greeted us onboard with champagne and mimosas. They said they would announce when our stateroom was ready, but Sandra checked and ours was ready, so after a long wait at the elevator, we went up to the 8th floor.