“The Bay Area is
so beautiful, I hesitate to preach about heaven while I’m here.” Billy Graham
Having added a Panama Canal cruise to the beginning of our
“world cruise,” we had a 19-day head start. Our ship took some bumps and lumps heading into San
Francisco, with the roughest seas we’ve seen to date. At one point, just as we headed into SF waters, a large wave
hit the ship, with the result that the dishes in the Bistro (the ship’s coffee
shop) all went tumbling. Fortunately, I was able to lift my glass of wine (yes,
the coffee shop serves wine) in time to avoid spillage.
The sail-in under the Golden Gate Bridge was lovely, as was
the approach to the city.
But, alas, arrival in San Francisco meant departure of most
of our fellow passengers (and a few favorite crew members), from the Panama
Canal. I still keep looking for our
friends from that cruise on the ship. And our “social director”—a bar waiter
who has adopted us—doesn’t know what to do when we arrive for pre-dinner
drinks, as he is accustomed to immediately letting us know where to find our
friends.
But with the departure of that group came the arrival of the
new passengers. On Sunday, those
who are on for the full world cruise boarded. There are 368 of us. That night was the opening gala for the
world cruise, a spectacular event that consisted of cocktails, dancing and a
gigantic balloon/confetti drop, followed by dinner and then an opera-themed
show.
Our time in San Francisco was primarily spent with friends.
The first day, we had lunch with friends Ken and Shirley, and on the second day
with Suzanne and Mark. It was a
great time catching up, and a great feast at both restaurants.
On Monday, the passengers who are aboard for part of the
world cruise (primarily the segment ending in Sydney, Australia) embarked. Now with a full contingent, we are on
our way to Honolulu.
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