Let the Pandemonium Begin!

Tuesday, August 11: day before cruise begins

We survived the ultimate airport endurance test.

Of course we packed light (maybe not) for our 14-night cruise through Alaska. Now we just need to make it through the Sacramento and Vancouver airports — hopefully in one piece.

We left early and made it to the Sacramento airport early. Parked in the East Economy Lot — nothing but the best for us — and caught the shuttle to Terminal A. “Hurry up, we’re going to miss our flight!” We got to the Air Canada check-in counter before 2:00 pm (it opens four hours prior to our 6:04 pm flight), checked our big bags, grabbed our boarding passes, and headed to TSA, prepared to disrobe, unpack, and decumbobulate.

After all my TSA prep planning, the agent told me not to remove anything from my carry-on or backpack, he tossed my carry-on in one tub and my backpack in another, and shooed me away. “Hey Becky, stop disrobing!”

Next, the body scanner: “No, don’t take off your shoes and belt. Any metal in your body?” “Yes.” The pleasant TSA agent said, “Yeah, I do too,” and guided me to the other scanner before sending me on my way. What, no recombobulation?!

Four hours early for our flight, we settled in to sit, wait, and read. Then they announced our 6:05 pm flight was delayed to 6:35 pm. We’d originally been scheduled to land in Vancouver at 8:05 pm. Two hours later, they announced another delay, this time to 7:05 pm.

We boarded at 6:50 pm and were in the air shortly after. Note to self: it’s a small plane — don’t be the guy who moved to the empty emergency exit row seat who played YouTube videos on his phone without headphones and all the passengers around him were not amused.

We landed in Vancouver at 9:10 pm, breezed through customs (all automated these days), tracked down our bags at the carousel, and connected with our Regent-supplied driver, who delivered us safely to the Sheraton Wall Centre for our pre-cruise night. WE SLEPT SOUNDLY!!!

Embarkation Day - Wednesday, August 12

After a tiring travel day getting to Vancouver, we attended a Regent Seven Seas Explorer breakfast at the hotel with a number of other passengers — just the beginning of another administrative day. Embarkation day for us was debarkation day for the prior cruise. Our embarkation began at 12:30 pm with a bus ride from the hotel to the docks. Since we’d just arrived in Canada the night before and done all the immigration-to-Canada stuff, today we had to undo it all and go through US immigration for our cruise to Alaska. First, cruise registration, then customs, then TSA.

We walked down the pier and up the gangway to our ship — there were at least three other cruise ships in port. Then, hurry up and wait in a lounge for our room to be ready. At 4:30 pm we were finally able to head to our cabin, but still had to wait until after 6:00 pm for our large suitcases to be delivered. Now the cruise could begin. The ship left port heading north at 5:00 pm.

Day at Sea - Thursday, August 13

You have to get to Alaska somehow. The first full day of the cruise was a “sea day” — not a bad idea, since there was plenty of paperwork, catching up, settling in, and relaxing to do. Finally got our ship Wi-Fi connected (I am Thomas Burgoyne JR, not just Thomas Burgoyne — they told me I had to add the JR to my last name to get it to work).

Now let the touring begin!!!