Come sail with me on a virtual cruise to Hawaii on Ruby Princess

[ellie1145]

🎶  I believe I can fly.

       I believe I can touch the sky.

       I think about it every night and day,

       Spread my wings and fly away.🎶

 

Shopping completed we see that our gate has come up on the board, so we quickly make our way there. It’s a long walk, down corridors and up and down escalators, but eventually we make it to the gate with a little time to spare. Flight LH 2485 is on time, and we board quickly, and with Germanic efficiency.

 

Someone once said that flying is ‘an everyday miracle,’ and it really is. I love everything about flying, which is strange as I spent the first 47 years of my life petrified at the very thought, and avoiding it at all costs.

 

But where else can you jostle with other passengers to cram your hand luggage into overhead bins, snack on pretzels, drink out of a tiny plastic glass, eat an inedible meal and think it delicious, sit with your legs rammed up against the seat in front of you, and trust that the plane doesn’t suddenly fall out of the sky?

 

I do my usual disinfecting of everything around me. I always buy the special Clorox wipes in small packs from Target whenever we visit the USA, and they are brilliant in this situation. We don’t have anything like it in the UK. I clean the window, blind, tray table, and seat arms before settling down for take-off.

 

The ‘plane is pretty full, but it pushes back promptly and we taxi down the runway before lifting off into the morning sunshine. It’s a beautiful morning and the sky is a bright blue. 

 

 

We are soon high above the clouds, but by this time we are both feeling pretty shattered due to a combination of our short night, and a busy few days prior to our departure.

 

Poor DH hardly ever sleeps on a flight but I only have to sit down and do up my seatbelt and I’m in the land of nod. I sleep for quite a bit of the flight, and we seem to get to Munich very quickly, as it’s a very short flight, and there is a time difference of an hour.

They give us a drink and a pastry during the flight, and in no time we are on final approach and descending into Munich Airport. It is on time and by 10.22 we are walking off the ‘plane.

 

 

 

 

[TeaBag]

Wow, I don't know how I would get my eyes open in the AM without black coffee!  How do you cheese haters manage with pizza or Lasagna, Caesar salad etc....I could go on and on?  I agree there are some horrible stinky ones.

 

Lucky you able to sleep on a plane.  neither of us do. even on 16 hour flights to Asia.  I always seem to get seated in front of the guy who uses his tray table as a drum.  Tap tap, tappity tap, till I want to smash him!  I guess people are sometimes nervous fliers and I have to think of that.

 

I can't wait till you get to LA, Ellie to see what you liked there.  I miss going to the US so much these days since the border has been closed for most of 8 months. 

[RLK33853]

8 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

Which entertainer?  Maunalua or Henry Kapono?  Maunalua used to come on board when Dave Cole was the CD.  Both are local "boys".  Strangely, not many Kama'ainas (residents) frequent Waikiki.  But we do have a lot of talent performing on that one mile strip of (previous) swamp land.  

 

I can't remember his name but I'm guessing Henry as it is more of a common name.  A couple of years ago we had a great conversation with him.  We had the table next to the corner of the outside patio/deck where he sets up to play.  I forget what year he said he started playing at Duke's but it was before my first visit.

 

And yes, you are certainly correct about Waikiki and the swamp.  I love the Makaha area.  Hooked up with some locals from there in 1979 and had adventures that most tourists couldn't even imagine.  Also spent a number of vacations in Kihei, Maui years before it became touristy, and without a doubt Makena Beach (Big and Little Beach) when it was just a dirt trail to get there was some of the nicest sand in the world.

[cr8tiv1]

17 minutes ago, RLK33853 said:

 

I can't remember his name but I'm guessing Henry as it is more of a common name.  A couple of years ago we had a great conversation with him.  We had the table next to the corner of the outside patio/deck where he sets up to play.  I forget what year he said he started playing at Duke's but it was before my first visit.

 

And yes, you are certainly correct about Waikiki and the swamp.  I love the Makaha area.  Hooked up with some locals from there in 1979 and had adventures that most tourists couldn't even imagine.  Also spent a number of vacations in Kihei, Maui years before it became touristy, and without a doubt Makena Beach (Big and Little Beach) when it was just a dirt trail to get there was some of the nicest sand in the world.

 

History is repeating itself.  Amazing to hear everyone's connections to the islands.  My father was a developer of the West Side of Oahu in the '60s.  He would drag us there from Friday to Sunday...during my formidable and resistant teens.  Looking back, it was the best time of my life.  We had a house on the water in Makaha.  Crashing waves kept me up all the first night.  Then lulled me to sleep on Saturday.  By the time we returned on Sunday, I missed the ocean.  Wonderful memories.

 

Trivia: Henry Kapono went to the same school as President Obama (different years).

[ellie1145]

12 hours ago, TeaBag said:

Wow, I don't know how I would get my eyes open in the AM without black coffee!  How do you cheese haters manage with pizza or Lasagna, Caesar salad etc....I could go on and on?  I agree there are some horrible stinky ones.

 

Lucky you able to sleep on a plane.  neither of us do. even on 16 hour flights to Asia.  I always seem to get seated in front of the guy who uses his tray table as a drum.  Tap tap, tappity tap, till I want to smash him!  I guess people are sometimes nervous fliers and I have to think of that.

 

I can't wait till you get to LA, Ellie to see what you liked there.  I miss going to the US so much these days since the border has been closed for most of 8 months. 

 

I’m afraid that it’s a bit of a problem. Teabag, so I just have to give pizza, lasagna etc a miss. It’s a real pain and I only wish I didn't have this aversion. Thankfully none of my children are the same, although It my son took many years into adulthood before he drank coffee, and usually only iced lattes. I think part of the problem is that I am SUPER sensitive to smells. The other day my DH brought me a cup of tea in bed, having drunk a coffee downstairs and as he came through the door I could smell coffee, and he was feet away from me! He says I have a super sensitive snout........🐷

 

Believe me, I really wish I could enjoy all those things like pizza. 😪  But I definitely don’t begrudge those who do enjoy such food. Just wish I did too. 

 

Actually, TeaBag, I can fall asleep easily in most places - except in bed! 🤣 It does at least pass the time on a long flight, and I often wake to see poor DH sitting watching a movie while I’ve been snoring away beside him! 😴

 

Oh I so agree about people being thoughtless on ‘planes. My pet aversion is the teenager who spends the whole flight playing on his game boy with the sound turned up! Put some headphones on for goodness sake! Drives me mad! Followed by the people who think you need to bash the controls on the back of the seat repeatedly, very hard.

 

It must be amazing to fly Business Class and have your own little bubble. Guess I’ll have to wait till we win the lottery, which will be a long time coming as we don’t do it! 🤣

 

However, none of these things would prevent me flying - I just feel lucky if we have a peaceful flight without the child in front using its seat as a trampoline. 

 

I hope I won’t disappoint you with my tales of LA as it’s not exactly what most people do there.....🙀

[ellie1145]

9 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

Looking back, it was the best time of my life.  We had a house on the water in Makaha.  Crashing waves kept me up all the first night.  Then lulled me to sleep on Saturday.  By the time we returned on Sunday, I missed the ocean.  Wonderful memories.

 

My goodness, cr8tiv, that sounds idyllic. How wonderful to have a house so near to the sea. I would love to live somewhere that close to the ocean. It might make up, just a little, for not being able to cruise

[AF-1]

When I was stationed in Hawaii in the mid 70's Cecilio and Kapono (ie, Henry Kapono), used to play the local hotels on the stip.  Also used to see Don Ho;  he performed on Lewers Street.  His daughers used to sing and dance in his shows.  Al Harington used to perform at the Hilton.  Once of my fav places to visit.  The weather is great year round.

Edited November 2, 2020 by AF-1

[ellie1145]

I believe I can fly

I believe I can touch the sky.

 

The airport is huge and very modern and clean, and we go straight to the gate, as we don’t have a lot of time.  Thankfully, our new gate is also in Terminal 2.

 

It is our first experience of Munich Airport, which is a hub for Lufthansa, and the second busiest airport in Germany after Frankfurt Airport. It handled 47.9 million passengers in 2019 and is (or perhaps was) the 9th busiest in Europe.

 

It was named after Franz Josef Strauss, and is located 17.7 miles northeast of the city of Munich. Today, like London Heathrow, it must be a former shadow of itself.

 

It is equipped to handle the wide-bodied Airbus 380, which is going to take us across the Atlantic to Los Angeles.

 

 

The Airbus 380 is a real behemoth of the skies, with it’s full length double deck, it makes even the Jumbo (Boeing 747) look small. Although it first entered service in 2007, it has not been the great success it was supposed to be. We have flown on one before, with Singapore Airlines, and it is a stunning ‘plane, with the largest operator of this aircraft being  Emirates, who have 115.

 

Production is slated to end by 2021, as it seems that passengers prefer smaller ‘planes. At one time it was even proposed that these giant aeroplanes would have beauty parlours, casinos, gyms and duty free shops onboard, but that never became a reality.

 

Built in Europe, the complexities of moving large structural components soon became apparent, and roads had to be widened and ships and barges were specially designed to accommodate its huge size. 

 

It’s fascinating how these A380s are constructed. The front and rear fuselages are shipped on a RORO ship from Hamburg to Saint-Nazaire, where they are exchanged for larger assembled sections, having picked up the wings in Wales. The belly and tail sections are collected from Cadiz in Spain, and then the parts are transported by barge to Landon, and then by oversize road convoys to the assembly hall in Toulouse. Its journey is not yet over as, once assembled, it is flown to Hamburg to be furnished and painted.

 

Although the Superjumbo burns 20% less fuel than the 747 it’s been a costly programme to build and design this aircraft - estimated at over $25 billion. Each plane costs a staggering $445 million, and airlines can specify its seat configuration and interior layout. The ‘plane could, technically, carry up to 868 passengers in a one -class configuration, but only Air France has come anywhere near that with 538 seats in a 3-class configuration. I simply cannot imagine being on a flight with 868 passengers!  

 

Having exited our ‘plane we must go through Immigration, where we have our passports examined by a very unfriendly officer who barely lifts his eyes. Then it’s off to the special area of the airport which is dedicated to the A380.

 

The area is gated, and absolutely huge, dedicated to those flying on the A380 only. With a plane the size of the A380 the logistics of getting over 500 people on board in a timely manner must be difficult. There are two separate gates and the ramp is on two levels so that both decks can be accessed at the same time. There is even an elevator to take you to the different levels.

 

Looking out of the window it is obvious that our ‘plane has not turned up yet. There is absolutely no sign of it.

 

Eventually, they announce that the plane has been delayed, and that when it does land it will have to be moved to a maintenance area for essential work to be done on an engine. Slightly worrying, and not likely to fill you with confidence.

 

There are no shops or cafes in this area, and you are not allowed to leave it. There is nothing but a little cart selling water, drinks, muffins and a fe sandwiches. All we can do is wait, and hope they can sort the problem out without too much of a delay.

 

My phone is dying so I walk round looking for a charging point, and eventually find one and get plugged in.

 

We continue to sit and wait, but there is no sign of our plane. Over an hour passes and we are all getting restless, and the lounge has filled up. Then, as I walk over to the window, I see an Airbus 380 moving slowly towards us, and at last it pulls up outside. Hopefully, we will now start boarding. We never do find out what essential maintenance was necessary, but it is a bit unnerving. Still, better to sort it out on the ground rather than in the air.

 

 

She is a sight to behold, with her four engines, huge wingspans and double height fuselage. She is beautiful. I still find it impossible to comprehend how these ‘planes ever get into the sky. 

 

[ellie1145]

 

                          

 

 

At last they announce that they are going to start boarding and we join the queue and make our way onto the plane. We accidentally end up on the top deck, and have to make our embarrassed way through Business Class, down some stairs, and back to Cattle Class.

 

The plane is absolutely huge, and completely full  with nearly 500 people, and not a seat to spare. It really is being packed like sardines, and I would say even Easyjet has more room between seats.

 

 

We had booked an aisle and a window seat, as DH likes to be able to get up easily, and I like the window, and sometimes we’ve been lucky and had nobody in the middle seat. But, unfortunately, a lady turns up right at the end of boarding, and sits down between us. Thank goodness she is slim and small. However, getting up will be a mission, requiring the skills of a limbo dancer and the flexibility of a contortionist.

 

Mind you, at least we don’t have an emotional support kangaroo, hawk or tarantula beside us! But even so, the seat pitch is pretty awful and we feel very cramped as we get ready for our 12+ hour flight. 

 

But my biggest disappointment is that we have seats right over the wing, 69K and 69H, and the view is virtually non-existent. I will only get a glimpse of the terrain below when the ‘plane banks.

 

 

 

So no photos along the way, which is hugely frustrating as we will fly right across America. I love looking out of the window and seeing the landscape below me, especially as this is our first time flying to the west coast.

 

 

The plane is fully loaded, the doors are shut and we pull back before the long trek to the runway. We are about an hour and a half late. The engines power up and we thunder down the runway before lifting off as if she is as light as a feather. What an amazing feeling it is as we bank steeply and rise above the clouds.

 

 

 

There are no hot towels, and it takes an hour or more before they bring drinks around.

 

Now those of you who have read my Fiji blog will know that I am a bit of a liability when it comes to drinks. Well, I have hardly got my drink (non-alcoholic!) when whoops, I manage to spill it, and whilst mopping it up I accidentally throw my open packet of German hula hoops over my shoulder, like some weird initiation ceremony. With some embarrassment we ask the lady in the middle seat if she would mind moving to the aisle seat so DH can come and sit next to me and keep me under control! Thankfully she is happy to do so. Poor DH has lost his aisle seat in the process, unfortunately. 

 

We’ve already been awake for nearly 12 hours and after that very short night I am really tired, so soon settle down for a nap, which turns out to be a bit of luck as they don’t serve the meal until just after 3.00pm.

 

So I suggest you join me in a little nap and then it will be time for food! 

 

Edited November 2, 2020 by ellie1145

[CruzinNoony]

I have caught up with you and am hunkering down for our long flight.  We have been on several 18+ hour flights (Singapore, Sydney and Cape Town) and it is grueling, but necessary if you want to get to those parts of the world.  Once you get to your destination, you soon forget the flight.  I loved your stories of your past cruises.  Our first cruise was on the Regent Sea (a now defunct Regency Cruise Lines) to Alaska.  The ship was old and rusty, but I didn't care.  Now, 80 cruises later, my favorite ship is the one I am on.  We have sailed out of San Pedro many, many times because we can drive to the port (we live in Las Vegas).

[ellie1145]

15 hours ago, CruzinNoony said:

I have caught up with you and am hunkering down for our long flight.  We have been on several 18+ hour flights (Singapore, Sydney and Cape Town) and it is grueling, but necessary if you want to get to those parts of the world.  Once you get to your destination, you soon forget the flight.  I loved your stories of your past cruises.  Our first cruise was on the Regent Sea (a now defunct Regency Cruise Lines) to Alaska.  The ship was old and rusty, but I didn't care.  Now, 80 cruises later, my favorite ship is the one I am on.  We have sailed out of San Pedro many, many times because we can drive to the port (we live in Las Vegas).

 

Good to hear that, CruzinNoony. I was hoping you were going to make it in time. 

 

As you say, flying is a necessity, and the pain is worth the eventual outcome. Bit like having a baby I guess. All that pain seems to disappear the moment you hold that bundle of joy in your arms, and in the blink of an eye you are getting ready to do it all over again! 

 

I know I can’t wait to be safely onboard a plane and on my way to a wonderful cruise (don’t care where it goes!) but realistically we have to be sensible and wait for things to improve. We are certainly not anywhere near that scenario yet. So for now I will just have to re-live previous cruises and imagine I am standing on the deck of a ship watching the wake. 

 

But what a joy it will be when that moment finally comes! 

 

[ellie1145]

‘Girls just wanna have lunch..... (With apologies to Cyndi Lauper)

 

I wake from my nap and am pleased to see that there is some activity by the staff, which probably signals that food is coming. We are pretty hungry by this time, as we ate breakfast just after 5.30 am.

 

 

The trolley arrives and it’s not too bad, with a decent enough roll, spicy chicken and rice, and a small square of cake. That’s the beauty of flying, any food looks good! The chicken looks a bit like India rubber, but it tastes better than it looks. We don’t bother with the salad which is very bland and unappetising, just some green leaves.

 

 

 

They also offer us drinks, but they’ve got it down to a fine art, as they don’t give you small bottles of wine or spirits, or cans of soda, but pour from large bottles.

 

After the meal is cleared away I decide to watch a movie, and pick ‘A Star is Born,’ which I really enjoy. Lady Gaga is superb in this movie, and I have to admit I hadn’t realised how talented she is. The music is great too. There is literally nothing to watch out of the window as the view is completely obscured by the huge wing, so that is really disappointing as I love taking photos of the journey.

 

The entertainment system is also rubbish, very difficult to use and not easy to navigate. Nothing like the amazing systems on Singapore Airlines. I’m so tired that I have to give up half way through the movie, and nap again, but on waking I manage to finish it.

 

We decide we’d better go for a walk so the lady kindly gets out of her seat and we manoeuvre ourselves out into the aisle. It’s not a pretty sight, and a recipe for a slipped disc. A few more trips to the loo and I could apply to be in the next Olympic limbo dancing team. We walk to the back of the ‘plane where I use the loo, but it is really disgusting, with a wet floor, and nobody shutting the lid.

 

RED ALERT - SOAPBOX COMING!

 

Now I have to say this is my ABSOLUTE PET HATE! Why on earth don’t people shut the lid when they flush the toilet? Don’t they realise that goodness knows what is sprayed into the atmosphere? Anyway, it certainly isn’t somewhere we are going to join the Mile High Club, especially as I haven’t packed my welly boots. 🚽

 

OK, rant over....😂

 

 

 

[ellie1145]

🎞️  ‘Are We There Yet?   🎬

 

It’s a little under 3 hours until we arrive, and I think this has to be one of the most uncomfortable flights we’ve ever experienced. It’s purgatory. There is so little room and the person in front has his seat fully reclined so it’s nearly in my face. The only good thing is that after lunch they dimmed the lights and we’ve been in darkness until just now. Everyone, without exception, put their blinds down, so it’s been nice and dark and I’ve slept a lot.

 

 

We are flying at a height of 37,487 ft (11428 metres) and we have 1338 miles to go. We should have landed at 15.05 but although we were an hour and a half late leaving, we have made up half an hour. Our ETA is around 16.00. There is still nothing much to see, apart from a slither of sky and a triangle of clouds.

 

 

They’ve just brought hot towels which is nice. Hopefully there will be some food soon, though I’m guessing it will be the usual pizza or something cheesy which I won’t be able to eat at all, as sadly I don’t eat cheese.

 

The staff are actually very good, very smart, mostly men who are in navy uniforms with epaulettes on their shoulders. Very military! Some of them are really quite hunky! They have happily made us a cup of tea during the afternoon, but there haven’t been many drinks offered. 

 

About an hour before landing they bring us another meal, a proper one, not a roll or anything. It is a sausage in curry sauce (I won’t describe what the sausage looks like, it might put you off your dinner, except to say that they remind me of the little cocaine filled cylinders drug runners ingest!). The alternative is some pasta dish with cheese sauce.

 

Unfortunately I don’t like either, but they say they will see if there is anything else. I wonder if maybe they will go up the First Class end and find me a spare Steak Diane or two, but a little while later they return with a bowl of asparagus soup, which actually tastes of nothing and looks like warm green snot. But hey, they tried. The pudding is some sort of chocolate slop and there is a roll which I eat.

 

Soon after this we start our descent into LAX.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 3, 2020 by ellie1145

[TeaBag]

Oh, Ellie the tears are running down my cheeks after reading your description of the asparagus soup.

hurry up and land so you can get some decent food!

[ellie1145]

3 hours ago, TeaBag said:

Oh, Ellie the tears are running down my cheeks after reading your description of the asparagus soup.

hurry up and land so you can get some decent food!

 

Well, TeaBag, the only thing you can say Is that I was glad I wasn’t paying Business Class rates!  🤣

 

 

[Loucat]

I am sad  to see what passengers are served on these long flights! The airlines seem to plan how to provide the cheapest slop to serve and people are on these planes for hours. Wow! So sorry you had to look forward to at least basic edibles and were served such inedible meals. No one should have to pay business or first class to have a decent, tasty meal.

When we fly (granted not for this length of time), we bring food onboard to avoid what little is served. I wonder if they fed the captains of the planes this same fare, how long that would last 😝 Better yet, the airline Presidents!

[ellie1145]

10 hours ago, Loucat said:

I am sad  to see what passengers are served on these long flights! The airlines seem to plan how to provide the cheapest slop to serve and people are on these planes for hours. Wow! So sorry you had to look forward to at least basic edibles and were served such inedible meals. No one should have to pay business or first class to have a decent, tasty meal.

When we fly (granted not for this length of time), we bring food onboard to avoid what little is served. I wonder if they fed the captains of the planes this same fare, how long that would last 😝 Better yet, the airline Presidents!

 

It is a shame. We don’t expect gourmet meals in Economy, but it does seem they pare the food down as much as they can. Mind you, Singapore Airlines food was good. 

 

We normally visit M & S Simply Food before we fly, to pick up some decent sandwiches and snacks, but it’s in Arrivals and doesn’t open normally until 6.00 am so we didn’t have time to go there before our flight. If you ever fly out of Terminal 2 it’s a good place to get some decent food for the journey. 
 

[ellie1145]

The Eagle has Landed....at Last!

 

The big bird glides smoothly down and lands just after 4.00 pm, as predicted. Now we just have Immigration and Customs, and we will be on our exhausted way to the hotel.

 

Well, it doesn’t go quite to plan, I’m afraid.

 

We are pretty quickly off the ‘plane and into the Immigration area, and that’s when it goes swiftly downhill.  The enormous Immigration Hall is jam packed when we get there, so we quickly join a queue to get to the automatic kiosks. The queue goes up and down the length of the huge hall, one row after another, and it takes an hour and a half to get to the kiosks. If you think the queues at Disney are long you ain’t seen nothing yet!

 

At long last we reach the kiosks which work very well, and we complete the process and think this looks promising, especially as there is a sign saying EXIT.

 

So we exit and ........ join another queue!

 

This one snakes round and round and round before turning into line after line which goes up and down the hall again, en route to the Immigration Officers, of which there are ridiculously few. Those that are there seem happy to chat to each other, or walk around doing nothing. OMG, we just can’t believe it!

 

After yet another hour and a half we eventually reach the area with a  yellow line, behind which we must wait to see an immigration officer. We feel so sorry for the poor families with young children who are either crying or have fallen asleep in their parent’s arms. We are utterly exhausted after standing for over 3 hours.

 

Hooray! We think, we’re nearly there! We can actually see the officer. But there are already people there and it takes him more than 20 mins to process them. He seems to be having trouble with his computer but he doesn’t flag it up or get help, just sits there pressing buttons and looking baffled. But at last he finishes and calls us forward.

 

After nearly three and a half hours wait, the actual process is pretty much of an anticlimax. We hand over our passports, and within a few minutes we are all done and dusted, fingerprints, photo, a rubber stamp and off we go. No ‘have a nice day’ or ‘welcome to California!’

 

As you can imagine, we are getting pretty worried about our luggage but when we eventually get to the vast baggage hall it has been taken off the carousels and is all lined up. Thankfully, there are people directing you to the  pile which is associated with your flight, as of course, dozens more flights have landed and followed our suitcases onto the carousel. 

 

So that is that. After 3 and a half solid hours in the queue at immigration we finally exit the terminal and get a taxi straight to the hotel, which is actually very close by. By this time it is after 8.00 pm here in LA, 4.00 am UK time. Wow, we used to think Miami immigration was a pain but this really takes the biscuit! After standing in the Immigration queue we are absolutely shattered, and just want to get to the hotel.

 

But we are delighted to be here in California for the first time, at the start of a new adventure.

 

[cnd crsr]

OMG Ellie,

 

What a horrendous trip you have had! Between the food which sounds terrible, the washroom that was filthy and the incredibly long queues, you must have been ready to scream!! Thank goodness you finally managed to get a cab and hopefully you are now relaxing for a bit in a clean and cozy hotel room before you begin exploring LA.

Air travel is nothing like it was in days gone by.

Gail

[ellie1145]

Crowne Plaza LAX

 

Outside the Terminal we find a taxi stand and are quickly in a vehicle. The taxi driver is a bit embarrassed at how close the hotel is,  as there is a minimum charge, whatever the distance,  but we tell him we don’t mind the cost as we are so exhausted we just want to get there. He delivers us swiftly to the entrance and unloads our cases. We’ve made it, hooray!

 

The hotel is located on West Century Boulevard, and there are several hotels nearby such as the Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt. It’s very convenient for the airport but it’s a very busy area, and down the road they are doing some major roadworks so it’s a bit manic.

 

We have no idea what the hotel is going to be like, although we did look at reviews of it, but thankfully, the hotel looks surprisingly good.  After quite a long wait to check in we are given a very nice big room on the 11th floor, which overlooks the runway.

 

 

 

 

We drop off our suitcases, get a quick wash and make our way downstairs where we get a snack in the lobby, which we take back to our room.

 

We have booked a car for the day after tomorrow but realise that we will need a car sooner than that, so I get on the internet and book another car for tomorrow, which we will pick up in the morning.

 

After a quick bath we fall into bed. By this time it 10.30 pm, 6.30 am UK time, and we’ve been awake for over 26 hours!  We sleep soundly until 2.00 pm, (UK 10.00 am)  which isn’t bad, then after an hour manage to fall asleep again until 5.00 am. We are going to have a pretty restful day, maybe driving to a Target, and the coast. It was an extremely exhausting day yesterday and we need to pace ourselves.

 

We have never been to LA before so everything is new and strange, but we are really looking forward to seeing pastures new. We know Miami, Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando like the back of our hands but this is a totally new kettle of fish. 

 

 

We are looking forward to exploring the hotel and the area, but for now, it’s time for some shut eye.

 

 

 

 

[ellie1145]

3 minutes ago, cnd crsr said:

OMG Ellie,

 

What a horrendous trip you have had! Between the food which sounds terrible, the washroom that was filthy and the incredibly long queues, you must have been ready to scream!! Thank goodness you finally managed to get a cab and hopefully you are now relaxing for a bit in a clean and cozy hotel room before you begin exploring LA.

Air travel is nothing like it was in days gone by.

Gail

 

Well, I have to say it was worth every minute, and I would willingly repeat the whole thing again if only we could.

 

But at least the hotel was clean and comfy and it’s all part of the adventure, so you take the rough with the smooth. 😀

 

Onward and upward! 

Edited November 4, 2020 by ellie1145

[TeaBag]

Poor you, Ellie having that long queue to endure when you were so tired.  LAX is THE ABSOLUTE WORST airport we have ever flown into from an International destination and we will do anything to avoid it. 

They just do not have enough personnel working to process the number of arrivals.

Vancouver gets a black eye from people embarking at Canada Place and some say they will never sail again from Vancouver.  The truth is, there are two few US customs agents once again. On the return to Vancouver we have had agents say "Welcome home" but that is the Canadian agents.

 

I agree the US agents are surly.  It wouldn't hurt them to welcome people.  After all, they're coming to spend money aren't they?

[ellie1145]

1 hour ago, TeaBag said:

Poor you, Ellie having that long queue to endure when you were so tired.  LAX is THE ABSOLUTE WORST airport we have ever flown into from an International destination and we will do anything to avoid it. 

They just do not have enough personnel working to process the number of arrivals.

Vancouver gets a black eye from people embarking at Canada Place and some say they will never sail again from Vancouver.  The truth is, there are two few US customs agents once again. On the return to Vancouver we have had agents say "Welcome home" but that is the Canadian agents.

 

I agree the US agents are surly.  It wouldn't hurt them to welcome people.  After all, they're coming to spend money aren't they?

 

 

To be honest, TeaBag, it was a bit surreal. We just kept expecting it to get better but it never did, and it certainly was very exhausting. As you say, there just aren’t enough agents available to process so many people. We used to think Miami was bad but this reached a whole new level! 

 

It would be nice if we received a polite welcome, we don’t expect a red carpet but as you say, we will be spending money, and tourism is a big part of the economy. 

 

We did hear people saying that it is the worst terminal to arrive into. 

[cr8tiv1]

It    IS   one of the worst airports to fly into.  Unfortunately, it's all we have.  With construction for the next few years, getting a "ride" will be a miserable experience too.  All arriving passengers will need to be "transported"/walk to an area to be picked up by taxi, ride share, etc.  Glad you are on your final leg before the ship.  Hope the next few days are wonderful.

 

Edited November 4, 2020 by cr8tiv1

[ellie1145]

1 minute ago, cr8tiv1 said:

It    IS   one of the worst airports to fly into.  Unfortunately, it's all we have.  With construction for the next few years, getting a "ride" will be a miserable experience too.  All arriving passengers will need to be "transported"/walk to an area to be picked up by taxi, ride share, etc.  Glad you are on your final leg before the ship.  Hope the next few days are wonderful.

 

 

Wow, that sounds even worse! But I guess when the building work is completed it should improve matters?

 

Yes, we have arrived and are looking forward to seeing some of the area. 

 

And yes, it was wonderful, but not quite what we expected.