theliterateleprechaun

We headed to the Trident Grill on deck 14 for a burger and fries and were fending off a hungry seagull when we met @wallyj. It's always so nice to put a face to the name. He's such a knowledgeable cruiser and had lots of tips for us. I love talking itineraries with people who love cruising. We discovered we had a mutual friend, @YVRteacher. I wasn't surprised...cruise lovers enjoy spending time hearing about cruises and hanging out with fellow cruisers. Sailaway was earlier than expected. We have a tradition of throwing a coin off the ship at sailaway; not just any coin, we choose one minted in the year the ship was built. We tossed our 2004 Canadian quarter off the deck as we sailed under the Lions Gate Bridge. Apparently sailors did this as an offering to the gods, hoping to buy the wind for a favorable and swift voyage.

@hpeabody I'm pleased to report that our inside cabin near the stern DOES NOT have light sensors! Our cabin steward is Richard from the Philippines and he's one of the top stewards of all time. Within 10 minutes of asking for robes and extra pillows, he was at our cabin delivering them. When we returned to get ready for dinner, we had a stowaway bear! Richard had left us lots of hangers - both kinds. Cleanliness/room preparation: 5/5

This was the BEST embarkation ever! We are big transit users and are fortunate that the SeaBus (passenger ferry) is so close and convenient. This ferry holds 395 people and crosses Burrard Inlet from North Vancouver to Vancouver every 15 minutes. It takes 12 minutes to cross the inlet and an 8-minute walk from the SeaBus terminal to the Cruise Port terminal. Twenty minutes from terminal to terminal for $2.60 CAD is fantastic! We met Auntie Marg and got the 9:30 SeaBus and boarded at 10:30. That's correct. One hour from car to sailaway drink! Embarkation process: 5/5

Let's get this party started! 😊 @bill11 @wallyj and anyone else who wants to meet up... Steve and I will be having a frozen margarita and enjoying it at 3pm in front of The Mermaid's Tail Bar by Neptune's Reef and Pool on deck 14. Steve will have on a white baseball cap, shorts and a striped short-sleeved dress shirt. I'll have on white capris and a white blouse. Come say 'hi', even if you don't stop for a quick drink.

How exciting! You are so kind. I'm sure they'll appreciate it. We do that in Vancouver, too. It's so nice for staff to see a familiar face and have someone to take them around the city. We're heading to get some cookies at Ala Moana and find out if we can walk to Leonard's the malasada place @Gimer mentioned. Thanks for your well wishes for a smooth sailing.

How wonderful! As a general rule, I don't enjoy surprises. I'm surprised how well I took it this time. Thank you.

That sounds like a fantastic adventure! We haven't been on the Majestic yet.

Thanks for the info. Fingers crossed for your journey out here. See you on board.

We first sailed on the Ruby in October 2011 for a 30-day Med. Grand Adventure (Rome to Ft. L) and then in April 2024 we did a B2B Hawaii + Alaska. Each time, it's been a perfect combination of great ship, wonderful locations, and fantastic staff. Glad you've enjoyed your Ruby adventures and have more to look forward to next year.

Glad you had a positive experience. We find that getting a table at peak times is always a challenge in the buffet, so we eat either at the International Cafe on deck 5 or on shoulder times in the buffet. Yes, we love our sea days and the Ruby. 😊

I will check and report back! One of our cruises recently had those silly sensors and our cabin steward put bandaids over the sensor. Thank you. We love the Sapphire, too.

"Coughy McCoughersons" LOVE THIS. 😃

Fantastic! We did the Sapphire repositioning in April (Vancouver to Hawaii to Alaska to Vancouver) and loved it. It was actually better weather in Alaska than Hawaii!!!! Have a wonderful cruise. Thank you.

You just have mom, dad and me snorting! Thanks for the laughter. Glad you had fun.

Thanks for following! Reliving cruise memories is wonderful. We do it often.

ALOHA! 🌺 This cruise will complete my 55th birthday present - 55 nights at sea for this circle around the sun! We embark in our home port of Vancouver and will be with my husband’s three cousins for the first part of our B2B Pacific Coastal + Hawaii. We fly home from San Francisco. I’m looking forward to being on the Ruby Princess again. We met so many wonderful staff members on our April cruise; some of whom have already become great friends. In fact, two of them got engaged in July and they sent us a video of the proposal in the atrium! I wish Leo and Daniella all the best as they navigate planning a wedding and working at sea. When you book a cruise (couples who are reading), do you make the decision together? One of you find a deal and present it to the other? How far out do you book? Has your significant other ever surprised you with a cruise? We’ve been married 30 years and we always discuss big purchases together. My husband usually finds a great deal and we discuss it before calling our travel agent. THIS time, however, my husband surprised me on my birthday. The first clue was the Hawaiian flip-flop in my coffee cup. ….then when I went to have breakfast I looked over at my case packed for Alaska with Stanley in his plaid…and saw that my husband had decked Stanley out Hawaiian style. I loved the surprise! We checked in with Rowena and Brian Vasquez and they will be the Hawaiian ambassadors on this sailing. This makes me so happy as they bring such ‘Aloha’ to the piazza. I’d love to have you along for my second ‘live from’ and, as with our Alaska 'live from' on August 31st, I’d love any feedback and am happy to answer questions. Are the photos too small? Someone suggested I make them smaller to accommodate people using cell phones to access the feed. What about the font? This is size 14. I'm an avid reader (a book a day) and always choose location reads. I'll be reading books set in Hawaii and posting book reviews for this cruise. Since this was a short-notice cruise (LOL), I will be choosing books from Kindle Unlimited. If you are following my 'live from' Alaska cruise, I'll be reading books set in Alaska, posting reviews on them, and will have some to give away on board and/or place in the ship's library after I finish reading. I'm an eclectic reader so you'll see a variety. We usually include my parents and Steve's auntie in our travel plans as they are in their eighties, but this time we are on our own. After more than 500 sea days together over the years, this will sure feel different.

Great to have you following along! We love the Sapphire and Alaska. You've got a great trip ahead of you. 😃

Good Morning from sunny Vancouver! Glad to have you following along.

I can't wait to try mine! Great photos. 💙

Alaska governor declares disaster after Ketchikan landslide kills 1, hospitalizes 3 others | CBC News

I just checked the weather and it looks like a dry day for Whittier! Are you coming from the airport or the lodge? I'd love to stay at the lodge pre or post-cruise. One day .... Thanks for following. We'll have to meet up.

How exciting, Elaine! Thanks for following. Once we sail, if there's anything I'm not covering that you'd like to know, please ask.

Thank you! What a great cruise you've got lined up. If there's anything I can't fit in my suitcase, I know who to leave it for. 😅 Have you been to Alaska before?

Your 'open faced stack of yumminess' looks delicious!