Crossing the Pacific...Sea Day 1 of 5

 Wednesday, January 31, 2024

I would like to say I woke up with my knee much improved...but that certainly wasn't the case. Using the brace that my new friend, Jean, had loaned me helped some, but it didn't fit well and would slide down my leg. Having a cabin towards the front of the ship meant long, painful walks any time we went to the buffet or the dining room to get something to eat.

Breakfast was at the buffet and then Bob and I parted ways...he to pickleball (and then ping pong) and me to BB Kings for a class on making a lei from kukui nuts. I sat next to George from Minneapolis, one of the few guys who attended the class. One hundred and fifty kits were available and all were given out. Getting there 30 minutes prior to the class meant I got one of the better seats with a table to work on.

Kukui nuts threaded onto a ribbon to make a lei.

One of the Hawaiian ambassadors who taught the lei making class.

I debated about sticking around to watch (not participate!) in the hula class but decided propping up my knee was a better choice so I went back to our cabin and sat on the balcony. It was cool and a little windy, but not too bad. A lifeboat mostly blocked the view while sitting down, but the money we saved compared to booking a regular verandah cabin was worth the sacrifice. And having daylight and fresh air was certainly nice even if the view wasn't perfect.

Bob came back to the room briefly. He had been playing ping pong but left again to play pickleball. (What can I say...he likes to hit little balls with paddles!)  I went back down to Deck 2 to Billboard Onboard for the Cruise Critic meet & greet. The first person I saw was Mona and her husband, Ray, from Sioux Falls whom I had connected with online. It was nice to have someone to sit with and I enjoyed visiting with them. The meeting didn't amount to much (especially at first) since the invited officers never came. Attendance grew by a lot when people attending the morning lecture finished in the Main Stage. 

When Bob returned from pickleball he was excited...he had won the tournament! It was time for lunch and getting to the buffet right at noon meant we were dealing with larger crowds. As on most cruises, Bob went straight to the Asian station. I got a Cobb salad and a few other bits and pieces.

I had a couple of activities marked on the navigator app for the afternoon, but since Bob and I both had taken some meclazine to ward off any motion sickness, we were getting sleepy. We went back to the cabin and Bob proceeded to sleep for two hours! I also slept some and then listened to my audio book on my phone.

The blue skies that had appeared during lunch had disappeared and the sky was gray. The swells were growing just as the captain had predicted would happen during his noon update. The wind was blowing against our side of the ship to the point it was almost impossible to open our balcony door. Even opening it just a crack caused a huge roar of wind to go gushing through our cabin.

After eating at the buffet the previous night, we wanted to make it to our assigned dining table for dinner. Early seating at five o'clock is a little TOO early in my mind, but still better than the later time of 7:30 pm. Our table (#23) was in a great location, right in front of a large window. The table for two right next to ours remained vacant. As we ate we watched the huge swells across the water.

For an appetizer, I ordered the French onion soup that is on the menu each night.
I decided French "onion-less" soup would have been a better description. There wasn't a single piece of onion in the bowl!

Bob's appetizer...Thai Vegetable Spring Roll

Chili Prawns with Garlic Butter

Our view from the window next to our table. The swells were growing!

It was around 6:30 pm when we left the dining room. Nothing on the schedule at that time was of interest so we went back to our cabin. Bob finished up one movie and started another. He loves the movies on demand that Holland America has available on TV. As he watched, I caught up with my blog notes until it was time to go to the main theater for the evening entertainment.

The captain's welcome toast in the main stage was to have been followed by a Step One dance production, Move, but due to the rough seas the comedian Lamont Ferguson took the stage. He started out his act with a shout out to all of the pickleball players that he had been playing with (including Bob!) Comedy shows aren't my first pick for main stage entertainment, but Lamont was good! Clean and very funny.

Cruise Director, Kristen, and Captain Arno Jutten

The Step One dance show was postponed due to rough seas and Bob's new pickleball buddy, Lamont, took the stage instead. 

Comedian Lamont Ferguson

We went straight from the theater to Billboard Onboard to get seats for the all request show by pianists Clara Vee and James (from Scotland.) They had both just met the day before but had great chemistry together and were incredibly talented. (And listening to James' Scottish accent when he talked was almost as entertaining as his singing!) 

Clara Vee

I was in the mood for a late night snack so we ordered a pizza via the Navigator app. Bob agreed to go pick it up on Deck 10 at the NY Pizza & Deli which overlooked the lido pool. The pizza was a little too salty for my taste, but there wasn't much else available until the buffet opens for a short time at 10:30 pm.

As we crawled into bed, the bass and drums from BB Kings were thumping. The only positive was that the band's last set ended at 11:00 pm. Daisy, from guest services, had told me to call back if the music was a problem but I don't like to be a complainer. I convinced myself it wasn't too awful and it was my fault for not doing a better job of choosing our cabin. 

Boarding the Koningsdam

 Tuesday, January 30, 2024

We managed to get to breakfast at the hotel before things started to get really busy so finding a table wasn't difficult. (I knew a lot of cruisers were staying at the Best Western Yacht Harbor.) Scrambled eggs, fried potatoes and biscuits with gravy...not bad. I overheard a couple saying they were getting on the cruise so we stopped and visited a bit as we were leaving the dining room. They were from Wisconsin and this was to be their first cruise. Normally they travel in an RV and had visited all of the U.S. states except for Hawaii. They decided a cruise would be a good way to check off the 50th state from their list. Wonder if they will get hooked on the cruising way of travel?!

Bob did another long morning walk along the harbor while I showered and got ready for the day. When he got back we sat on the balcony waiting until it was our scheduled time to catch the hotel shuttle to the port. The Best Western Yacht Harbor hotel provides a free shuttle that runs every 45 minutes to the port starting at 10:45. Our original boarding time was 12:40 pm so we signed up for the 11:30 am shuttle. 

Around 11:15 we gathered our luggage and went down to the lobby and saw the shuttle being loaded. It pulled out just as we got to the front desk and I asked if that was the shuttle we were SUPPOSED to be on. The gal said there was a "problem" and they would call us a taxi and pay for it instead of sending us on the next shuttle. We never did find out what the problem was but there were no complaints from us...it was much nicer to have a private taxi than squeezing into a crowded shuttle. Ron and Jean (whom we had met the day before at the pool) were also being sent in a cab.

The Koningsdam pulling into the port of San Diego in the early morning hours.
Photo shared on the Koningsdam January 30th Facebook page.

The Koningsdam docked at the port of San Diego in the early morning hours.
Photo shared on the Koningsdam January 30th Facebook page.

The taxi dropped us off inside the port area where we dropped off our luggage with the porters and got into a line outside the building. People who had walked to the port from nearby hotels were waiting in a longer line just to get inside the fenced in port area. 

Cruisers lined up to get inside the port.
Photo shared on the Koningsdam January 30th Facebook page.

There were mountains of luggage piled in the parking lot. It only took a few minutes for our line to reach the door. I looked at my watch as we entered the building and it was exactly noon. The line snaked back and forth through roped off queues. As I was walking through the maze I felt my knee twist slightly and pain shot through the back of my leg...again. 😢

I hobbled through the rest of the line using my wheeled carryon bag for support like a cane. Once we went through the security screening and had our bags scanned there was another queue to have our faces scanned and compared with our passport photos which literally took seconds to complete. Finally at that point we were sent directly onto the ship with no further waiting. Boarding was on Deck A at the bottom of the ship so there was a bit of a wait for an elevator.

Our room (obstructed view cabin 4070) was ready so we quickly dropped off our carry on bags and backpacks and put our valuables in the safe. I was determined to get to the main dining room for lunch rather than fight the crowds at the buffet. Lunch in the main dining room was scheduled from 12:00 to 1:00 and we arrived at 12:50. With my knee (now more painful than ever) it was nice to sit and be waited on. An older man and younger woman (perhaps father/daughter?) sat at the table next to us and we had a nice visit while we ate. Bob had a club sandwich and I ordered the roasted cauliflower with a burger and fries. (I ordered the cauliflower out of curiosity but actually thought it was pretty good!) Bob ordered cheesecake for dessert which we shared.

 

Embarkation lunch in main dining room.

The burger was topped with bacon jam.

While we were in the dining room we took the time to check out the location of our table for the early fixed dining. We were pleased to see that we had a table for two right by the window! Another stop was made at guest services to have a hole punched in my keycard so I could attach it to my lanyard. Before going back to our cabin we also checked in at our muster station located by the BB Kings Blues Club.

I was in quite a bit of pain so Bob left me to unpack my carryon while he went up to check on the pickleball courts. My large piece of luggage got delivered shortly after and I got it unpacked too. When Bob returned he announced that he had played pickleball with Lamont, the comedian onboard the Koningsdam.

The ships at the San Diego Maritime Museum located next to the cruise ship pier.

The obstructed view from our cabin, #4070.

I was already feeling discouraged because of my sore knee when a deep bass music beat and drums started pulsing through the cabin. Rehearsal was happening in BB Kings (two decks below!) and it felt like the band was practicing right outside our door. There weren't many obstructed cabins available when we booked the cruise but I should have done a little more research. Even though BB Kings was two decks below our cabin the club has an open ceiling and the sound carried right up into our room. 

I might have dealt with the noise a little better if I wasn't tired and in pain, but it was more than I could tolerate at that point. I tried calling guest services on the phone but was put on hold for a LONG time. That just frustrated me even more so I gave up and me and my bad knee limped down to guest services (GS). When I left our cabin, two sets of neighbors were standing in the hallway also upset because of the music. 

As I was waiting in the long line at guest services a lady came up behind me practically hysterical because she didn't know where her room was. In fact, she didn't even know WHAT her room number was! I helped her pull up her boarding pass on her phone which showed her cabin number. She thanked me over and over as she left to go find her cabin.

The next lady that walked up behind me was beside herself because her luggage hadn't been delivered. I explained that sometimes it takes awhile, but she was sure she was going to Hawaii for 18 days with only the clothes on her back. Yes...cruising can be stressful...especially on the first day.

Eventually it was my turn to talk to one of the GS workers...a sweet girl named Daisy. She was very sympathetic with me and suggested she come up to our room so she could hear how loud the music was. Of course by the time we got back the music had stopped. She instructed me to call GS if it happened again. 

Sail away was supposed to happen at 5:00 pm (our assigned dining time) so we made the decision to skip dinner in the main dining room and eat at the buffet after the ship had left San Diego. We went to the aft pool area to watch as the ship left the port and on the way spotted Bob's luggage sitting by the elevator. Whew...glad to know it was on the ship. 

Sail away was delayed a bit but while we were waiting we experienced a beautiful sunset. By the time the ship started to move it was dark and getting quite chilly.

That outdoor stairway hanging over the edge of the ship was CREEPY.

Golden Hour

The city lights were starting to twinkle as the Koningsdam left the port.

As we were headed into the buffet we saw Ron and Jean that we had met at the hotel. I mentioned my sore knee and she offered to loan me a knee brace and actually dropped it off at our room while we were at dinner! (Our room steward put it in the room for us.) Aren't cruisers just the nicest people around!

Lido Buffet menu

After dinner we went back to the cabin long enough for Bob to unpack and then we went down to Billboard Onboard for the 8:15 show. Guess who was there...Ron and Jean! It was funny how we ran into them so frequently for a couple of days and then didn't see them for most of the cruise. 

Another surprise was "Sailor Steve" that we had met on our cruises last winter sat down right next to us. He pretty much lives on cruise ships but I hadn't realized he was going to be on the Koningsdam. It was also fun to see that one of the two piano players was Clara Vee whom we had enjoyed so much on the Zaandam in 2023. The Main Stage theater was featuring the "Origin Story" (the 150 year history of Holland America Cruise Line) which we had previously seen so we didn't mind skipping it.

The ship was starting to shake and shimmy a bit and the fog horn was blowing. The captain had warned us that we would be encountering large swells (4 meters) by tomorrow evening. I was feeling a bit of motion sickness (which is rare for me) and we decided to call it a night. At that point we both decided that bed was the best place for us to be. 

Hobbling in San Diego

 Monday, January 29, 2024

The two-hour time difference had us in bed early the night before...very early...but the night was not a good one. My sore knee was painful and I just couldn't get comfortable. A couple of Tylenol PM tablets around midnight finally did the trick. I was surprised when I woke up and it was past 6:30 am. I had been worried that I would be awake by 4:00 am.

The free hotel breakfast wasn't outstanding, but it did have a nice selection of hot and cold foods. Back in our room after eating we heard revelry being played at the Point Loma Naval Base across the street.

I knew trying to walk much with my sore knee would not be wise so I hung back at the hotel while Bob took off exploring. Throughout his walk he texted photos and videos and I followed his location on my iPhone...so that was sort of like going together, right? I iced my knee and sat on our room balcony enjoying the warm weather.

Following Bob's location via my iPhone...

A few photos Bob took on his walk...

When Bob returned, we ate a "snack lunch" on the balcony. Bob got particularly excited when a loud roar indicated a fighter jet was taking off nearby. Each time he would grab his binoculars and try and identify what type of aircraft it was. He had seen many of the military establishments on his walk and learned a little about the area from stopping and talking to locals that he encountered.

After a siesta, the two of us went downstairs and sat by the pool. We began in the sun but after about 20 minutes it was just too warm so we moved to the opposite side in the shade. Bob played many games of Spider Solitaire and I listened to an audio book that I had downloaded on my phone.

Another couple, Ron and Jean, showed up after we had been there awhile and we had the nicest visit with them. They too were headed to the Koningsdam cruise ship the next day. The time we spent together was what I've missed most about post-pandemic cruising...the social interaction. On our recent cruises we have kept to ourselves and tried to avoid close contact with others as much as possible to avoid catching Covid...or any other type of bugs. You really do meet such interesting people on a cruise!

Military jets continued taking off occasionally during the day. Each time the roar from the engines was so loud that it felt like the building was shaking. Bob called the noise "the sound of freedom."

My knee was feeling a little better after a day of rest and I was ready to get out of the hotel. Around 4:30 pm we walked across the street and meandered along the harbor looking at the boats and seagulls during the golden hour before sunset. 

We ordered dinner at the Point Loma Seafood Market and intended to eat on their rooftop deck but the evening air was just a bit chillier than what we dressed for. Instead we chose an indoor table by the window overlooking the marina.

Bob ordered the clam strip platter and I got a cod sandwich on sour dough bread and we were both happy with our choices. By the time we finished eating it was dark and the lights of the marina twinkled on the water and made for a scenic walk back to the hotel.

Best Western Yacht Harbor Hotel in San Diego

Bob occupied himself watching several movies on TV...all at the same time by flipping back and forth during commercials. 😒 I tried to organize my luggage (which was already a mess after only one day!) and looked forward to being able to get unpacked on the ship. Holland America had just changed their embarkation procedures from having specific assigned boarding times to instructing everyone to show up after noon. I crossed my fingers that the embarkation would go more smoothly than what I was anticipating.

The Travel Begins...MSP to SAN

 January 28, 2024

Although most of the time I wish our three sons lived closer to us, having all of them near Minneapolis comes in very handy when we schedule flights out of MSP. Just as most of our travels begin, we drove the three hours the day before our flight and spent the night at our youngest son's home.

After a good night's sleep, I awoke before 6:00 am before the alarm went off. Our two grandsons were already up, cuddled together under a blanket watching TV in the living room. Our daughter-in-law uses an old fashioned electric percolator which is set up in the kitchen on a timer so the coffee was ready when I got downstairs. I checked my email and flight status while enjoying a cup of the hot coffee. Fortunately there were no unexpected changes to our flight other than a gate change.

After getting dressed, Bob and I made ourselves at home and fixed our usual breakfasts...oatmeal for him and eggs for me. The only difference was that my eggs were compliments of our son's chickens and had just been layed the previous day. I chose one brown egg and one blue egg.

After a recent cold snap, the last few days had brought warmer temps and dense fog advisories every morning. Visibility wasn't the worst I had seen, but I was concerned that the roads might be slick. The drive to MSP was about an hour from our son's house and he took a slight detour to show us the office building where he works.

Lines at MSP were not very long and it didn't take too long to get our bags checked and through security. The good news was that my bag was NOT overweight...close…but under 50 pounds. Bob made sure to tell the gal taking the bags that even though my bag was heavy I still had even more stuff in his bag. 

The flight was totally full, but I didn't hear any coughers sitting around us. I had a mask in my bag but hated the thought of putting it on. I had brought along a couple of slices of left over pizza (I love cold pizza!) which was my lunch during the flight. Bob had planned to pick up something at the airport to take on the plane but most of the food places were only serving breakfast and he was too cheap to pay $12 for a small premade sandwich. 

The flight went by quickly. The free WiFi (thanks T-Mobile!) was strong enough to watch YouTube videos and I also played some Spider Solitaire and caught up with Cruise Critic posts from our roll call. Bob loves movies so he was quite happy with the large selection provided by Delta. He had time to watch one complete movie and got part way through another before we landed.

Once we collected our bags, I checked pricing for both Uber and Lyft and Uber was slightly cheaper. Our hotel, the Best Western Yacht Harbor, was only about a mile from the airport but it cost almost $22 for the quick ride.

The "we are on vacation" selfie!

Signs made it easy to know where to stand for Uber pickup.

I was pleasantly surprised that our room was ready when we checked into the hotel at 12:45 pm. The room was small, but fine for the two nights we would be spending there. I liked the location of the Hampton Inn where we stayed in 2023, but we did NOT miss the noise from the trains running next to that hotel.

Best Western Yacht Harbor Hotel in San Diego

With Google's help, we found a Subway restaurant a little over a half mile away for a late lunch. Bob ordered a foot-long sub but asked the guy to cut it into 9" and 3" sections. 😄 Since I had eaten the pizza on the flight, the small portion was plenty for me. The weather was absolutely perfect so we ate outside. In just the short time since we arrived my mind was already trying to trick me into believing that it was summer time and not really January!

Our al fresco lunch

I was intrigued with the bird of paradise blooms

In my pre-trip research, I had found that the USS Recruit was near our hotel. I could see the "ship" from the restaurant so we walked over to check it out when we finished eating. The Recruit had been built in the late 1940's as a landlocked training ship. The 2/3 scale of a destroyer escort had been decommissioned and sat empty for over 20 years before being opened as a museum last year in 2023. I use the word "museum" loosely because it was really just a single room with photos on display.

U.S. Recruit...a landlocked training ship from the 1940's.

Nearby was a foot bridge crossing over the harbor. We wandered over and looked across the water just in time to see two guys jump from the north harbor bridge doing a back flip into the water below. Once they were out of the water, they came up on the foot bridge and announced they were going to jump one more time from there...and they did. Only this time as they hit the water a large police boat arrived with lights flashing. With a loud speaker they were instructed to "GET IN THE BOAT!" The boat sailed off with the officers writing what appeared to be a citation for the two daredevils. 

Jump #1

Jump #2

In Bob's words...."those guys are in deep doo-doo".

Later, by the time we were ready for dinner, I was more tired than hungry. A nearby Denny's seemed the easiest and quickest. Certainly not the best food in San Diego but a pleasant meal overall with a very friendly server. Unfortunately as we were walking the couple of blocks to the restaurant something "popped" in my left knee and I was left hobbling. Ouch!

The two hour time difference and long travel day caught up with us so after eating we went back to the hotel (a painful walk for me...) and settled in for the night.