California

Since Los Angeles the Emerald Princess has visited San Diego and Santa Barbara. We really had no particular interest in going ashore so we remained aboard. Today, Sunday, we arrive in San Francisco at noon and remain here until 11 PM Monday evening. There are a couple of things we may do while in port this time. As we approach the entrance to the harbour the Golden Gate bridge comes into view through the light mist so we may get a good view as we pass beneath.

The entertainment on this trip has not enthused. We enjoyed a comedian who did some shows early in the cruise but the other acts we had either seen before or were if insufficient interest to fight for a seat. For some reason on this cruise every venue seems packed. Even 30 minutes before a show seats are at a premium. We try to find a room with a dance floor and music. Thus far a duo featuring two women playing electronic violins has been of greatest interest. Most of the time they are located in the Piazza where the floor is ceramic but when they are in a room with a wood floor dancing is more enjoyable. The other groups seem more popular to others so while they fight the crowded floor we have enjoyed uncrowded floors with the Sun Shine Duo as they call themselves.

We entered San Francisco harbour sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge on a pleasant, sunny morning just before 11 AM. Many passengers out on the upper decks to see how close the ship is to the bridge. I’m not sure if some are actually anticipating a collision but there is lots of clearance. We can see a US Naval aircraft carrier pass under the bridge some distance ahead of us. I expect there will be more since this is the start of Navy Fleet Week. 

As we arrived at our pier there were two other cruise chips at their berths. Our berth was between the Holland America Volendam and the Grand Princess. The turn into the berth left no room for error as the ship appeared to pivot on the end of the pier as the bow swung into the slip. Today, Monday, Volendam and the Grand are gone and we have been joined by the Explorer of the Seas. Gone also is the sunny day seemingly promised by the beautiful sun rise. The morning has become grey, overcast and chilly but seems gradually to be improving. Indeed, the weather did improve and we got to wander around ashore.

On Sunday evening we began our dinner at a table with four other passengers and ordered a bottle of wine. Shortly thereafter our waiter returned with the news that our ship card had been “locked” and could not be used for purchases. After a little discussion we determined that this was a job for the Customer Service (formerly Purser) department. Apparently there had been a “computer glitch” which to me translates into “some idiot likely pressed the wrong button.” In our case there was no longer a record of a credit card to which on board purchases should be charged. After a trip up to our room, two stairs at a time, to retrieve said credit card for the Customer Service representative, all became right with the world once again. We returned to the dining room to resume our dinner only to find our table companions had very kindly waited for us to return. Our companions at this dinner were all from the Vancouver area as has been the case at many dinner tables. It seems that mare than two-thirds of the passengers are Canadian and most of them from within easy driving distance of the Vancouver cruise terminal.

Monday the ship remained in San Francisco. We did go ashore and walked along the Embarcadero having visited Pier 39 on Sunday and, believe it or not, purchased a couple of Christmas gifts. The area offers many touristy things to do and places to eat but what is most striking is the “grunginess” of the whole area. There are workers collecting debris but the combination of food spills, discarded chewing gum, bird droppings and other debris gives the area an uncared for appearance. In contrast, Circular Quay in Sydney, river bank walkways in Brisbane, numerous high traffic areas in Baltic countries give a cared for appearance. 

From San Francisco we sail north for two days and arrive in Vancouver on the morning of October 3. Here are a few photos.

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