lauraodonnell86

@lauraodonnell86 Pinel Island looks like a good idea for Oasis in December...maybe we can get a group to go? 

Thanks. Glad you are able to catch them.   For the zipline, we got them in the cruise planner.  We didn't go thru their website.   Or tickets showed up here this morning so hopefully they are good to go.   I'll post pics since I can't scope from there. 

@TheHobbys Hey John! I haven't been able to read through this whole blog yet but I've been enjoying your scopes so much! I have been researching that the Loterie Farm Zip-Lining and was wondering if you booked ahead of time? I went on the website and they said that reservations aren't available and it's first come, first served. Thanks for any information! ?

good to know...because I never need to be the person in charge of my own boat.  LOL

Thanks! We had such a wonderful time and you can walk across the island and find a beach where you will be the only one on it! There was only 1 other couple on this beach where we took this picture! It was such a cool place! ❤️ Have a great time!

I almost cannot fathom that this is a real place.  So beautiful!
THIS is why I have fallen in love with cruising...

That looks awesome.  I'm going in December and wanted to go to a beach but didn't know which one.  I like the walking trails too.  Does it take long to walk around the island?

Thanks! We had such a wonderful time and you can walk across the island and find a beach where you will be the only one on it! There was only 1 other couple on this beach where we took this picture! It was such a cool place! ❤️ Have a great time!

I would suggest Pinel Island in St. Maarten. It is very secluded and you can snorkel, kayak, walk around the island and see a lot of wildlife, or just sit on the beach. We used Caribbean Paddling to get over there. Rented a double kayak from them and only took about 10-15 mins to kayak to Pinel Island. Here is the link for the website: https://www.caribbeanpaddling.com/rentals/kayak-rental-pinel-island  If you do not wish to kayak, they have a water ferry that can take you over there. I have attached some pictures so you can see our experience. We will be going back at the end of this year! 
 
 

I don't remember anything like that being a problem! It actually rained on us as we were kayaking over to Pinel but it was fine! They give you a dry bag to put all of your stuff in. You can spend as much time as you wish there. There was also a large grill where they were grilling shrimp, lobster and steak. It looked soo good! I think you will have a great time! 

I would suggest Pinel Island in St. Maarten. It is very secluded and you can snorkel, kayak, walk around the island and see a lot of wildlife, or just sit on the beach. We used Caribbean Paddling to get over there. Rented a double kayak from them and only took about 10-15 mins to kayak to Pinel Island. Here is the link for the website: https://www.caribbeanpaddling.com/rentals/kayak-rental-pinel-island  If you do not wish to kayak, they have a water ferry that can take you over there. I have attached some pictures so you can see our experience. We will be going back at the end of this year! 
 
 

I don't remember anything like that being a problem! It actually rained on us as we were kayaking over to Pinel but it was fine! They give you a dry bag to put all of your stuff in. You can spend as much time as you wish there. There was also a large grill where they were grilling shrimp, lobster and steak. It looked soo good! I think you will have a great time! 

Thanks! We had such a wonderful time and you can walk across the island and find a beach where you will be the only one on it! There was only 1 other couple on this beach where we took this picture! It was such a cool place! ❤️ Have a great time!

Your pictures are awesome!  I had been looking into Pinel Island and I think I may go for it ?

I would suggest Pinel Island in St. Maarten. It is very secluded and you can snorkel, kayak, walk around the island and see a lot of wildlife, or just sit on the beach. We used Caribbean Paddling to get over there. Rented a double kayak from them and only took about 10-15 mins to kayak to Pinel Island. Here is the link for the website: https://www.caribbeanpaddling.com/rentals/kayak-rental-pinel-island  If you do not wish to kayak, they have a water ferry that can take you over there. I have attached some pictures so you can see our experience. We will be going back at the end of this year! 
 
 

My trip back toward my hotel meant a transfer from bus to train at Waterfront station so I took the opportunity to walk downtown on this slow Sunday evening and to visit the Canada Place cruise terminal.

The side of the terminal that Holland America uses and the site of last weeks "kissing ships" when the two company vessels scraped balconies with each other.

Ovation was still setting lines when I arrived.



Beautiful skies tonight with the sun close to setting.


One of Ovation's smoking areas captured from an angle you don't see too often.



The proximity to downtown and easy access to the transit system make this a great port.





With that it was approaching 9pm and time for me to head back to my hotel. With nearly 10 miles under my feet it was time to grab a sandwich at Subway and watch the latest episode of Game of Thrones in my hotel.

After an hour or so to decompress in my hotel room I made plans to head downtown using the local transit system.  My hotel is in between two Canada Line light rail stations.  Using the transit feature of Apple Maps it calculated my route to my destination.   This included walking to a train station, transferring to a bus and then walking about a mile.
 
Walking a mile?  Well yes, given that my destination was the Prospect Point lighthouse through Stanley Park which is loaded with trails for biking, jogging, strolling, etc.
After sitting all day in planes a walk was perfect. 
At the train station I purchased an "All Day" Compass Card for ~$16 CAD which ended up on credit card at ~$12 USD.  This would get me there and back to my hotel so all in all a pretty decent fee for a day pass.
Stanley Park is beautiful and you could easily spend a day exploring it.  I was on a mission to reach the lighthouse so I'm hardly doing it justice with these simple photos.

First glimpse of the Lions Gate Bridge that separates Vancouver Harbor from Burrard Inlet and passages towards the Pacific Ocean.

I timed my arrival for low tide which today was 6:41pm.  Actually I was a little early so I could explore the area before the main event and the real reason I made this journey.
With tides on the way out I could see much more beach exposed compared to high tide.

The original Prospect Point Lighthouse was built here in the late 1800's.

Long before the bridge was built in 1938 the original lighthouse was in response to numerous shipping incidents like the SS Beaver that ran aground on the rocky shores in 1888.

These narrows have tricky tidal currents that I could see as the tide went out.  Looking out under the bridge there were patches of smooth water and areas with strong currents marked by swirling water and waves.

Interesting sea life including these purple sea stars.

Some seals playing or feeding in the water.

The large difference in tides is apparent and you can see the high tide mark along the wall.  Where I'm standing would be over my head at high tide.

This is important because technically there isn't enough height over water for Quantum class ships to pass under with the standard safety margins that are required for safe navigation.  However using the tides to their advantage the extra 12 to 15 feet of tidal differences allows ships like Ovation to pass under the bridge if they time it just right.
Before Ovation can arrive and dock at Canada Place, the cruise terminal in downtown Vancouver, a few ships need to get out of town.  This included the Star Princess and two Holland America ships, Westerdam and Noordam.


The area is popular with the outdoor type folks and the backdrop of the bridge made for a popular selfie station.  If you look along the waterline to the far left you see a tiny ship on the horizon.  Ovation of the Seas! 

A cargo ship also had to enter the port just before Ovation arrived.

As I waited the sun was moving lower on the horizon making pictures in this direction challenging so I used the lighthouse to block the sun and I hid in it's shadow as Ovation approached.

One thing I noticed was how the currents had settled down, the rippling and waves were gone, the water was smooth.  This too is important so any ship can stay within the narrow channel and pass under the bridge at it's highest level.


Ovation continued it's approach with a tug at the ready just in case.

Closer, inching closer...

Success!  Clearing under the bridge with a large safety margin North Star was under.  I could hear the roar of the crowd on the ship all cheering and celebrating which is rather ironic because it marks the end of their journey.

The bigger challenge was the funnels and aft part of the ship.

Also under with plenty of clearance.


Woohoo!  My cruise can continue as planned!

To be honest it was a bit anti-climatic.  I expected her to be closer to the bridge.  I was confident she would fit, they wouldn't risk the bridge or the ship but I feel like Anthem passing under the Verrazona-Narrows bridge in New York is tighter.

@twangster Thanks for letting me know that the ship stops in San Juan in a different spot than it ports out of. We leave out of San Juan every January but I've never actually stopped there as a port. I am doing that for the first time in December. Good to know that it'll be different than Pan American. You are a wealth of knowledge! 

I have one of these from Amazon.  $13.

It goes into the European power port so it leaves the North American outlets free, it provides two USB charging ports and allows a North American device that can take 220v to be plugged in as well.  You do need to validate that anything you plug in can take 220v.  Fortunately nearly everything I own can.  USB is USB so no worries there.
The only time I was asked about it was boarding in San Juan.  Security saw it on xray, pulled it out of my backpack and asked me if I was from Europe.  I said I was and that was my cell phone charger.  They let me go.  No other port has blinked at it.   

I'm on Oasis December 8th and booked solo because it's such a great price! I would be sad if it got cancelled because I've never been on Oasis class but I wouldn't be TOO devastated because I am sailing on Freedom December 29th for a B2B!

I'm debating booking this one as well...it isn't the first sailing after drydock so less of a cancellation risk.  
But the first scheduled sailing appears to actually be Thanksgiving..and that also has no solo supplement...whoa..that's less time off work for me..it's a little more expensive but not much!

I'm on Oasis December 8th and booked solo because it's such a great price! I would be sad if it got cancelled because I've never been on Oasis class but I wouldn't be TOO devastated because I am sailing on Freedom December 29th for a B2B!

Promenade over Centrum seems to be a big different. And good point, no ice rink on Brilliance
Jaymac Radio, thanks for the great photos!
 
Thank you!  This is a great summary. Sounds like there are more options for activities and things going on on Adventure vs Brilliance.
Good point about crowds, etc...for activities.  Guessing not a lot of kids on Brilliance (it's not a ship we'd consider with our kids)
And yeah, its a 4 day cruise with a stop in Cozumel.
Btw...Adventure has a stop in Grand Cayman, which from what I remember, has beautiful beaches.
 
Sounds like overall, the consensus is Adventure.

I would definitely recommend Adventure. That was our "home ship" for many years in San Juan and we were so sad when she left! She's a wonderful ship and I love the layout of Voyager class ships. Enjoy your cruise either way! ? 

Thanks @Galveston Steve, you are so helpful and awesome!