Mission Statement
spacer
Client Comments
spacer
Promotions & Gift Certificates
spacer
Contact The Dandy Staff
spacer
Dandy Deb's Vacation Journal
Viking River Cruise
The Milan, Italy
The Dolomites
The Great Northwest
M, Repositioning Cruises
Maui, Hawaii
Seattle, Washington
Skagway, Alaska
Sedona, Arizona
Bryce Canyon, Utah
Vermont
New York, New York
New York, New York
Pinetop, Arizona
Repositioning Cruises
 

We had just spent 7 wonderful days exploring the Great Northwest, from Seattle and Olympic National Park to Whistler, Canada and then a final couple days in Vancouver. Dandy Dick found a unique way for us to get home stretching our vacation for another week and introducing ourselves to some beautiful places along the way. “Repositioning Cruises” are offered as a seasonal transition for the cruise industry when ships are headed to Seattle and Vancouver from Florida to begin the summer cruises season to Alaska, and then again in September when they return to Florida for the winter season of cruising the Caribbean. We boarded the Norwegian Sun in Vancouver and as all cruise passengers know all too well, suffered through the long line and process of actually getting on the ship – UGH! Once on board we settled in to our stateroom with our can’t live without balcony and awaited our departure for Nanaimo, Canada. Dick was smart enough to get us our room on the Port side of the ship so that we would see the coastline traveling south down the Oregon and California coast. Something to keep in mind on your upcoming cruises.

The 4:00 whistle sounded and off we went passing the lookout at Stanley Park where we were just 2 days previously and cruising under the famous Lion’s Gate Bridge. We were mesmerized as we cruised through island channels as the clouds hung low partially covering the islands, but leaving enough above and below to create a feeling of peace and wonderment. As the sun set, the cloud colors changed creating a lasting memory of why cruising can be mystical and joyous. The next day we had a nice day in Nanaimo highlighted by a stroll through their fabulous city park. Back to the ship and off we went to Victoria. We had been to Victoria once before so opted not to go to Butchart Gardens (a must see if you haven’t done it before) and opted instead for some time in the city and the incredible Empress Hotel. We came upon the Robert Bateman Museum and I’m very glad we did. This museum is an unbelievable display of his artwork bringing nature to life. Back to the ship for great food, beverage and relaxation as we headed south to Astoria, Oregon.

Astoria is where the mouth of the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean. This day proved to be the best day of our cruise as we did a shore excursion to Cannon and Seaside Beaches. The accompanying picture for this article is Cannon Beach with the Oregon cost and the sea stack rocks emerging from the ocean floor. In Seaside we had time for a quick stop at Norma’s for the best seafood chowder ever – UMM! As we made our way back to the ship, we passed through a small craft fair and couldn’t resist some hand crafted gifts and souvenirs. Our tour guide had mentioned that the channel in and out was hard to navigate because of sand barges, so they always bring on a navigator to help get the ship into port and back to sea. As we sat on our balcony enjoying our favorite beverage and recalling the beauty of the day, we saw a helicopter approaching the ship. He hovered over the top of the ship for a couple minutes and then, like out of a Mission Impossible movie, we saw the ship navigator sucked into the helicopter in literally less than 2 seconds time –Swoosh and he was gone – WOW! It was amazing. That evening we went up to the buffet for a quick meal and were fortunate to see quite a few whales splashing around not far from the ship. We decided to watch the sunset from the from the lounge area on the ship. Another beautiful sunset was happening when DD (Dandy Dick) decided he needed to run down to our stateroom for a minute to get something. He decided to take a peek out on our balcony and to his amazement he saw the most beautiful full moon rising over the mountains and ocean (Glad we had port side) He rushed back up to the lounge and excitingly said to me, “you are on the wrong side of the ship, check this out over here” and I too was amazed by the beauty created by God at this special time in this special place. Sometimes the beauty of Mother Nature is beyond comparison or comprehension; the sun setting with brilliant colors to the west and the full moon rising simultaneously in the east. – AWESOME!

As if that wasn’t enough, we awoke the next morning to the most beautiful sunrise as we approached the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. The morning turned cloudy as we entered the bay which created a beautiful look to San Francisco and the bay area. We had been blessed with incredible weather for our entire trip, but not on this day. We met our son, Ryan for the day and had intended to go to Muir Woods National Monument to see the giant Redwood trees. The rain was so intense that we decided that it was not the right day for Muir Woods, so instead went to the California Academy of Sciences Museum. What a gem that place is as we explored an enclosed forest full of butterflies, an aquarium and experienced the affects of an earthquake. I highly recommend visiting this museum the next time you are in San Francisco. We stopped for a late lunch at Boudin’s at Fisherman’s Wharf and then back to the ship for our last night at sea.

Overall the food was very good throughout our cruise with every imaginable option available to you and mostly available at no charge. We decided to splurge on our last night and did dinner at the Teppanyaki Grill on the ship which was an additional $25/person, still very reasonable. Of course, they get you for drinks which can add up quickly. Be creative if you want to bring your own alcohol on the ship. We found this cruise to be cost justifiable at a total price for both of us of just over $1500. There are gratuities that are extra along with the cost of drinks and pictures and shore excursions, which can easily add another $500. We decided this time to take out the cancellation insurance which was $134. Overall our Repositioning Cruise cost around $2000, but in our opinion a pretty good value for a week of travel and all that went with it. As always, glad to be home. If you are interested in taking a cruise like this or for that matter any cruise, please let us know and we will help you find the right cruise for you.

 
<home>

Follow Us: