Ketchikan to Port Angeles, WA

Tuesday May 9`th, 2018

Our departure from Ketchikan was very anti-climatic as all were concerned with what was to come in the next couple of days – the “breaking camp” in our stateroom, the packing of not only our clothes but momentous picked up during the past 57 days, our arrival in Vancouver, the dreaded disembarkation and immigration process, and the long bus rides home.

Barbara missed most of our transit through the inside passage, that body of water that separates Vancouver Island, BC from the mainland of Canada, as she was packing most of the day.

Here are some shots, even though the sky’s were cloudy, it was great to breathe the clean, moist air of the Pacific Northwest, and view the beautiful tree covered shores on our port and starboard.

As we approached signs of civilization (Courtney BC) the realization set in that ‘it is almost over’! For 57 days this beautiful vessel had been our home and it’s crew and passengers our family. To say we were sad would be an understatement.

It’s amazing how much beauty is missed by so many during the early morning arrivals in port, and today was no exception. Our transit under the Lions Gate Bridge and entry into Burrard Inlet was witnessed by so few on board.

Our disembarkation time was set off 8:15 so we sat and waited in the

Atrium on deck 3. When our time came, we took the log walk through the terminal, first passing by a cadre of crew who had served us so well, I walked swiftly by them so as not to share my sorrow. The dreaded process of entry into Canada was hardly worth worrying about as it was over and we soon were staring at this ‘sea of luggage’ “Now where is ours?” Within the past year, the Port Authority had decided to get rid of the small hand carts used to haul our luggage on as someone had determined that it was somehow a ‘hazard’!!! Better to put disembarking passengers at the mercy of the few porters and their trollies! (Only three ships were currently discouraging thousands of passengers at the same time!)

As I was the first in line for a trolly, I had to ‘stand my ground and drive my stake’ amongst those who were gathering waiting for the same trolly guy to show up.. Thankfully Barbara showed up while it went to retrieve our four bags + carryons.

These porters must make hundreds of dollars a day in tips and are worth every penny.

Since I did not know, in advance, how long the disembarkation process would take, I booked the 10;45 AM Quick Bus from Canada Place to the Seattle Tacoma Airport, where we would be picked up by Rocket at 5:30 PM and delivered to our home. However, I knew Murphy’s-law would intervene and mess up the whole plan, and he did, in the uniform of the Unites States Border Protection Officer. So we sat and waited while at least three bus loads of passengers, cleared “the border’. Thankfully our luggage did not have to be offloaded and scanned. I guess we were delayed there for close to an hour.

Bottom line? We missed our 5:30 PM Rocket Ride by fifteen minutes! Luckily we had time to ‘rest’ and grace a bit to eat before the 7:15 PM scheduled Rocket.

Home Sweet Home and ‘grass as high as an elephants eye’ greeted us, as well as our son Jon and his black lab Max. (Jon will be at the FLETC Academy in Glynco GA from June to October, so we get to keep Max till Jon gets settled again)

Inclosing this final blog entry, I need to reiterate what I have posted all along, that this was one of the best all around cruise experiences we have had in our years of cruising. The only negatives were those few incidents where some of the ‘privileged passengers’ treated their fellow ‘man/woman’.

Our final photo opportunity was on our last formal night with Captain Turner, the master of the ms Volendam

Jack W Cummings Far East Adventure 2018