Cruising Day 8: Oh, Canada!

Victoria, Canada was the destination today, but it wasn’t until 6:30 PM that the ship would dock. We spent the day on the ship trying to find things to do to keep us busy and entertained. We all slept in and when I woke up I went for a run, and by the time I was done running, everyone else was ready to go and out to breakfast since it was almost 10:00. I went straight to breakfast from the gym, but unfortunately I just missed the buffet. I was able to grab a few things to eat before they took them away. The food and the food schedule was one of the most disappointing aspects of the cruise, since the buffet was only open for certain times during the day. We lost an hour last night coming back towards Seattle, so that is why we all slept in and had such a late start.

While I was eating breakfast, Lori and Lauren attended the towel making class and learned how to make a towel elephant. I joined everyone in time to see the towel animal show. It was a puppet show with all the towel animals singling and being moved all along the stage. It was a little dumb; OK, a lot dumb, but it was something to do.

After the show we went to the cafe for the family photo scavenger hunt. I really enjoyed the scavenger hunt. We were given one hour to find a list of 24 things on the ship. Mom, Lori, Lauren and I took off in the pursuit. One of the things we had to find was an employee from Europe and take a picture with them and have them write their name, mom was really good at that one and found someone fast. Mom also happily obliged and got an ice cream and took a picture while eating it. We also had to find the sweet shop, Cherry on Top and get a picture there.

We ran up and down the ship looking for Medusa’s head, a glass staircase, a crew only sign, a red frog, a glass elevator and more.

The funniest part was when Lauren and I read “a red funnel”, what on earth is a red funnel?!? We asked an employee and he said, it’s red and huge and at the tail of the ship. Of course! It is the big carnival tail, so we ran up and got a picture with that.

We only got 23 of the 24 items because we ran out of time, but it was fun and it gave us something to do. After the scavenger hunt, we got seats at the Follies Theatre to watch the Lip Sync Battle. Two ship guests battled for the winner of the lip sync contest. The ships entertainment group joined the lip singers on stage for a fun show and competition. When the show was done, the entertainers stayed on stage for guests to take pictures with them, and this was moms turn to get her picture. We took mom up and she finally got her picture with all the entertainers. Lauren then wanted a picture on stage, so she gets front and center and the ships entertainers totally photo bomb! It’s the best picture ever.

We finish up the day on the ship by going to dinner, by this time all of us are pretty done with the food and dessert, Lori doesn’t even eat her special made dairy free chocolate lava cake. We head back to the room and grab our stuff to get ready to disembark into Canada.

The ship didn’t get into Canada until after 7 PM, and we were scheduled to be back on board by 11:30PM. I guess I expected to have tour companies off the boat and things to do with cruises coming in late all the time, but I was so wrong.

We decided to save $20 by walking instead of buying tickets for a shuttle.  The city center was only a bit over a mile away, so we figured walking would be fine and then we could find stuff to do.

We were disappointed to find that other then transportation to the city center, there wasn’t any other excursions offered. So a walk to city center it was. As we walked we passed by some docks, office buildings with geese in the field and a park.

We keep going and are excited to see a bike rental company, but then are disappointed because it is closed. We then come to a gigantic beautiful building with a huge lawn and a totem pole. After asking around we find out that the building is the parliament building.

The Canadian parliament building was neat at night because they had lights on the entire thing. There was also a large statue of one of the queens in front of Parliament.

After admiring parliament, we go across the street to the hotel The Empress. We find out that this is the hotel where the Queen of England has stayed and also the location of Prince William and Kate's honeymoon.

We go into a tourist center which is just across the street from The Empress and ask about things to do and possible tourist sites or attractions, and are disappointed to learn that everything is closed and the tourist building is closing in three minutes. There is literally nothing to do except go down the street a little ways where there are some souvenir stores that are still open for a few hours. So, souvenir shopping it is.

We find some super cute postcards and are able to find a post office in one of the stores where we buy stamps and then mail our post cards. It was crazy expensive to mail a postcard, like $2.00 a stamp. We spend the next hour or so just going in the stores and walking down the Main Street. It was disappointing after all our other amazing excursions and stops, to have nothing to do and see, but I did get a cute shirt that say “I Love Canada”, and since Kevin is half Canadian, and my kids are 1/4 Canadian, I wear mine with pride.
We walked back to the ship and called it a night since it as so late. It wasn’t an amazing day, but I can say that I have been to Canada now.

The next morning, we all enjoy our last breakfast on the ship together.  The ship docked early, so passengers were disembarking early.  We just carry our luggage off with us and get off the ship just as quickly as we got on, there wasn’t even a line. We also got a taxi right away too, and were able to make it to the airport by about 8:15.

The original plan was to drop Lori and Lauren off at the airport and then mom and I were going to check into our hotel, but when we got to the airport I saw a kiosk for Korean Air and made the comment that I really wished I could go home. Mom says, Why not? And convinced me to get in line and see if I can move my ticket from tomorrow to today. My mom flies standby because she flies free since my brother is a pilot, and she was saying she wouldn’t mind going home today too.

I get to the front of the line and ask if I can get on todays flight and show them my ticket for tomorrow, I am told it’s a full flight and unlikely, but asked to go to the last assistant, she looked at my ticket, made a few phone calls, then asks if I am checking in any bags and takes my bags and hands me a ticket. What!?! It’s too good to be true, I ask if this is for today and she laughs and says yes, if I want it. Heck yes!

Mom then gets online and starts frantically looking for a flight that she can get on. We wait with her while she figured out her flights, then all help her check into Alaskan Air. Lori and Lauren have to leave now to get to their gate, so me, Lori and Lauren move on to security while mom figures out her flight info. I thought I would be able to hang with them longer, but right past security we have to go totally separate ways. Big hugs were exchanged and we part ways.

I didn’t tell Kevin I was coming home, but I did tell Brianne since she was watching Monster for me. I take the long flight home, catch a city bus and arrange for Bri to pick me up. I walk into the house and surprise the pants off Kevin. He was on the couch reading a book to Monster and Little A, and when I walked in he is just staring with his mouth wide open in total disbelief, while Monster and Little A run and attack me with huge hugs and kisses. It takes a while for it to register that I am home, and Kevin is just saying, what the heck? How on earth? Are you really home, how did this happen?! It was a fun and great surprise, I am so happy I got home a day early, best surprise ever!