Author: Edward Thorpe

This wrap-up post is much later than I had planned it to be. During our trip north up the coast the application I use to minimize use of shipboard internet time became unusable for some reason and I simply postponed composing. Since returning I simply haven’t completed the task, but finally, here it is.

The trip back from San Francisco to Vancouver was two days of smooth sailing. We managed to dance our way back to the music of the Sun Shine Duo whom we got to know a little and learned they will be entertaining us again in December on our Christmas Hawaii cruise. We knew we were home as we passed under the Lions Gate bridge before dawn.

Our approach to finding a musical group on board is to determine which group plays music best for us to dance. The second criteria is the size and nature of the dance floor. A third criteria is how crowded the floor becomes. 

On this ship there are four entertainment venues where dancing is possible. The Wheelhouse bar has a small floor typically with solo or duo entertainers. The Explorers lounge has a larger floor where they frequently locate a “party band” of four or five musicians. Club Fusion has the largest dance floor which is only rarely used for dancing, sometimes with a live band and occasionally with a DJ. These three venues have wood floors. More recently dancing has been encouraged in the ship’s Atrium often referred to as the Piazza which has a ceramic floor that is harder on the feet. On this cruise the Sun Shine Duo began performing in the Piazza and  later in the Wheelhouse.

The party band and one duo played a variety of music but mostly rock and roll. We are versatile enough to dance to their music but the dance floors became overcrowded and while we enjoy dancing we do not enjoy overcrowded floors or being stepped on. The Sun Shine Duo played electronic violins, and when in the piazza tended to play more of a chamber music style. However, before dinner one evening, while entertaining in the piazza, they played a tango which Gail and I couldn’t resist. After talking with the ladies to thank them for the tango I told them that should they play “Lady in Red” we might be persuaded to dance a bolero. Later in the evening while we were listening to their music they did just that. From that time onward whenever they saw us in their audience they would play tangos or boleros for us. Fortunately for us we were almost the only couple  who danced to their music whether in the Piazza or the Wheelhouse.

Toward the end of the cruise as we were sitting in the Wheelhouse enjoying the music and dancing with the Sun Shine Duo there was a gentleman with his four year old daughter. The little girl was literally fixated on the two violinists. Occasionally, she would attempt to get her father to take her onto the dance floor but her efforts ended mostly in excited bouncing around. She also found our dancing of interest and she approached us. When I asked her name she replied: “Charmaine, with a C,” and she formed a “C” with her fingers. I offered to hold her hands and let her dance but she refused until the next evening when she was able to get approval from her Mom, after that she was good to go and here is a video clip to prove it.

The return flight from Kelowna to Hamilton was relatively easy. I had my first flight on a Bombardier Q400. A smaller airplane than the 737 with two seats either side of the isle and I got to sit beside one of the turboprop engines hanging below the high wing. The Rockies were clearly visible and snow covered as we approached Calgary. As we began the second segment of the return there appeared to be a brown haze over the prairie. Otherwise, the flight was uneventful until we approached Hamilton airport and found it shrouded in fog.  The pilot tried from the east and had to go around. The second try was from the west with the same result. We then took a leisurely circuit and made a third attempt, this time successful, from the west. Luggage was quickly off the plane but on the drive home I took a route to avoid most of the fog so arrival time at home was about 2 AM. Unfortunately, body was still on Pacific time. Next trip December.

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