Kristin Reporting!
This post is a flashback because I already posted our official 'Bon Voyage' when we boarded the 'Pacific Princess' and set sail for Australia (via Hawaii, American Samoa, Tonga, New Zealand). It was the day after we were aboard the ship that I realized that I completely failed to report anything about our trip from San Diego to Long Beach, which is where we boarded the 'Pacific Princess'.
We rented a car to drive to Long Beach. We were given a complimentary upgrade to a Jeep Compass. It probably was not a gas mileage upgrade, but we weren't going far and we certainly had no trouble fitting our luggage into it!
The plan was to drive to Long Beach on January 19th and stay overnight in the Queen Mary hotel. The Queen Mary remains afloat and is permanently docked in Long Beach. It is preserved and maintained by the funds from visitors staying in the hotel and those who pay to tour it.
The original plan was to leave around 3PM and have plenty of time to explore the ship in a relaxed fashion. (This was Davin's plan, by the way.)
In reality, we left San Diego at 10:15PM because I (Kristin) was still working on vital things, like issuing W2s to company employees... and we packed our bags for our 4 month trip starting at 8PM. It is quite miraculous that, so far, the only somewhat important item that was left behind was my razor, and that will be easily purchased in Honolulu, Hawaii. I told Davin that I was actually more worried about the rush leading to over-packing than under-packing, and that seems to be what has occurred-- I'm certain I could have left some clothing behind, but since it fit in the bags it's nothing to worry about! Room for souvenirs? Not so much...
Erich is with us of course, having left his dearest love Laurel behind. For the trip to Long Beach, he was settled into his special bear-seat on the back of Kristin's backpack where he will be able to travel with us all over the world in complete comfort.
We arrived at the Queen Mary hotel at midnight and checked in. We enjoyed walking about the ship when it was shrouded by darkness and fog. Then we went to bed at 2AM-- I was completely exhausted from the day's activities.
The next day, after our 12PM check out, we got the free audio tour (free when you stay a night in the hotel). We did a whirlwind tour of the ship and finished at 2:15PM. It was an interesting tour-- most notable for the special propeller room (which Davin says he remembers seeing when we visited as children with our father), the grand ballroom, the 20 foot long cross section model of the R.M.S Titanic, the amusing Bath Water options that were once offered to passengers aboard the ship, and the interesting crescent or sagging design of each deck, so that the hallways literally bow from each end to the middle. The tour informed us that the Queen Mary was fast-- faster than even the modern day cruise liners-- it could cross the Atlantic in 4 days. We surmise that the modern cruise liner Queen Mary 2 was designed more for capacity, luxury, and stability than for speed-- as even 4 days crossing the Atlantic cannot compete with the airlines. Why bother maximizing speed when its customers would likely enjoy a few more days of relaxation before arrival anyway? More passengers, more luxury, more time-- a sound business decision. The Queen Mary was apparently known for being quite the "roller", which does not sound pleasant at all! I do not think I would have been happy aboard a ship known for its lack of stability! I'll mention for posterity that my sole memory from the visit to Queen Mary with our father when we were children, is that my Dad left my most beloved purple sweatshirt at the payphones (which no longer exist)-- I must have been about 7 years old and remember absolutely nothing else!
We enjoyed the tour but are determined to visit the Queen Mary again someday, as access to the Bridge, and Radio Room were closed due to the rainy weather. We also missed the Isolation Ward because someone forgot to unlock the doors. (?)
After we left the Queen Mary, it was a short 10 minute drive to the location where the Pacific Princess was docked. We dropped our bags at the ship, and turned in our rental car around 2:30PM. It was a short walk back to the cruise terminal. Just as we were about to enter the terminal at 2:55pm, our Mom called and said that the Cruise Line was frantically trying to find us. We were certain check-in was at least until 3PM! And I still think it was, because our Mom said that the person informed her that we had only 40 minutes left to arrive. It turns out that we were the last 2 people to board the ship. Our theory is that the private security at the terminal wanted to go home, so they were trying to scare us into arriving more quickly. The check-in lady asked, "Bad traffic?" and I replied, "Uh... not really..." "Oh, a late start then," she said, and I just smiled-- I guess most people rush to board their cruise ships! But we didn't see any reason to arrive any sooner than necessary. After all, we were having fun touring the Queen Mary!
And so, after the mandatory muster drill at 3:45PM, we called Scott and our Mom to bid them a cellular farewell, and sailed away from the United States of America.
Next stop: Honolulu, Hawaii
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