Vanquished in Vancouver

Sunday, May 11, 2025 - Mother’s Day

I am skipping over the period from April 21-May 10, for now. I would like very much to come back to those days when I have more time. During that interlude, we sailed from Yokohama to Vancouver, aboard the Noordam. On the way, we stopped in Kodiak, Glacier Bay, Juneau, and Ketchikan. 

We arrived in Vancouver, BC early this morning. Our plan for today was to disembark from the Noordam with our large collection of luggage and boxes, drop the luggage off at our next ship, the Viking Venus, and enjoy lunch and dinner on our new ship as we got oriented.

The next part is basically a long rant about an unpleasant experience, and then a shorter rant. Please feel free to skip it by scrolling down until you see “End of Rant” or “End of Mini-Rant.” I have really gotten down in the weeds here, but I have to get this off my chest. You don’t have to live through it vicariously.

Right about the time we left home (at the end of March) we received a notification from Viking informing us that Viking Venus’s visit to Vancouver would be unavoidably delayed. When we booked this cruise, boarding was expected to begin at 11:00 AM and our ship was to sail at 4:00 PM. The new schedule called for boarding to begin at 6:30 PM, with sailing at 9:00 PM.

Viking vouchsafed to provide for the Vancouver passengers a hospitality room in the Fairmont Hotel, which is “across the street” from Canada Place (the Vancouver cruise terminal). No further information was given. Important details, including the time the hospitality room would become available, and which entrance of the Fairmont to use, were not volunteered in the notification.

We walked off the Noordam around 9:00 AM, retrieved our luggage, and ventured through Canadian Customs. There did not seem to be any porters about, so we reluctantly began our self-guided quest for “Hall B,” where, according to the Viking notification, we could drop off our luggage. I don’t have a photo, but please envision two large suitcases, one medium suitcase, , one carry-on size suitcase with the expansion zipper in service, one duffel bag, one flimsy wheeled cart bearing two boxes of ceramics, two backpacks, and one purse. 

We asked a few people (who worked there) where to find “Hall B”. Most of them either didn’t know or pointed to “Exit B.” Here is a photo of Canada Place taken late this evening.

Do you see how long it is? It doesn’t even fit in the picture. It occupies a very long pier. Who wants to wander around this very extensive Vancouver landmark while conveying voluminous valises and various other valuable accompaniments?

We did, eventually, encounter a woman with a clipboard who looked alert. She flipped through her papers and told us to go to “Hall C” and explained how we could get there. Upstairs, wouldn’t you know. “Not Hall B?” “No, Hall C!” Under her breath she might have muttered, “I have a clipboard, after all.” We found an elevator and schlepped all our stuff upstairs and to Hall C. There were collection points here for Holland America and NCL. And Viking! Victory! Yes, we were able to drop off the two large and one medium suitcases! Relief! The rest was unwieldy, but more or less manageable for two seniors with bad shoulders.

Okay. So now we can go to the Fairmont and check in for the cruise. We can stash the rest of our stuff in the hospitality room and go out and wander around Vancouver. Except it didn’t work like that. 

It was a long walk to get out of Canada Place - equivalent to at least two blocks. There were four ships in port today, and Canada Place and the plaza in front of it were packed with throngs of people. We valiantly waded into the sea of humanity and made it to the Fairmont, more or less.

We didn’t know whether to go to the main entrance of the Fairmont, which we couldn’t really see, or an entrance on the opposite side which was slightly closer to Canada Place, which looked more like shops and cafes than hotel access. We didn’t see any Viking reps or signs to help. We decided we should go around the corner to the main entrance. 

Inside, we asked the bellhops, and they directed us down a long corridor which went all the way back to that entrance on the Canada Place side, which we could have taken, but didn’t. We encountered a counter-current of people, also conveying carry-on luggage, who were coursing down the corridor in the opposite direction and were annoyed by our presence. We passed ballrooms with signs for other cruise lines. We passed one designated for Viking, but for a different ship. By the time we got to the end, we were hot, tired, thirsty, and bedraggled. It was around 10:00 AM.

At the end of the corridor we found a large, empty ballroom with dozens of set tables and the beginnings of a buffet set-up. We made our way toward one of the doors to the ballroom atop see if there might be a sign inside or someone who could tell us if this was the room for the Venus. Just as we reached the door, a loud voice ordered us to stop. Turning around, we encountered a virago who demanded to know what we were doing. She would not concede, at first, that we were at the correct ballroom, but she did not deny it, either. She told us we had to go to Canada Place to check in before we could come to the hotel. We said we had a letter from Viking that said to come to the hotel and there would be a hospitality room and we would be able to check in there. She told us the check-in location had been changed and was now at Canada Place. She told us they were not ready for us. She kept saying things were “fluid” and we needed to go with the flow. She told us very clearly that we would be able to check in at Canada Place at 10:30, and to go find a cafe somewhere and sit there until we could check in. By this time an assistant virago had materialized, and she echoed everything the head virago said. There was a lot of back and forth, during which we tried to extract more information from them, but things were starting to escalate, and we were getting nowhere. They virtually ordered us out of the building with their hostile and bossy attitudes.  They did not offer us so much as a drink of water from the voluminous stockpile of glasses and pitchers in the banquet hall. They did not suggest we sit and rest for a few minutes (or until 10:30) before going back to Canada Place. They did not suggest that we might leave our boxes and luggage there in a secure area while we went to Canada Place. No. Their attitude suggested that the sooner we vacated the premises, the better. Welcome to Viking! (No, they did not say that. I am saying it sarcastically.)

We reluctantly went back to Canada Place, with our tails between our legs, and our vigor evaporated. Back upstairs, back down the long stretch to Hall C, and back inside to see someone just now setting up signs and arrows for Viking. 

We arrived and found an area that was now designated as the Viking Check-In space. Just four or six people fellow passengers were already there. There were about a dozen other people in official-looking vests and blazers who were standing in a circle having a meeting, apparently.. 

We started to get in line and were stopped by two men who had ignored us when we entered the Viking space. They came running up to us and asked us to stop because they wanted to talk to us. I said we did not want to talk to them. They said it was important. I said I didn’t care, we were ready to check in. Finally, they managed to convey that check-in would not begin until 11:00. Not 10:30, but 11:00. We were told to sit down and wait. There were about 12 chairs set up.

At this point we didn’t know what to expect. When would we be able to board the ship? The passengers began to compare notes and share the rumors they had heard. One man said he had called the Viking HQ office, and they told him boarding would be “at the usual time.”  Another man was trying to call the “day-of-travel” emergency number, but could not get through. Soon the size of our group had doubled, and there were no more chairs. 

At 10:45, the blazer people finished their meeting and we were told to get in line so we would be ready when they opened. The blazer people went to their posts at the check-in counter and stood facing us. The passengers stood facing them. We all looked at each other in readiness until it was exactly 11:00 Am/ At that time, we were cleared to begin checking in. 

End of Rant

Beginning of Mini-Rant

Now, let’s back up for a minute. Why did this happen? Well, we learned that there are four ships in Vancouver today, and there are only three berths at Canada Place. So one ship had to anchor somewhere and wait till one of the three lucky ships left, before being able to dock. Guess which one. And this begs the questions “How did Viking disembark the passengers who completing their voyage today and needed to vacate the vessel?” and “Did any of them miss their flights home?” (Wikipedia says that I am using beg the question incorrectly, but also says the incorrect usage is widespread. And it just became spread a teeny bit wider.)

Do you see where I am going with this? I am going to be reviewing our experience with Viking. And the embarkation process is where a review usually starts. And there is one more question that is begging to be asked. It goes something like this:

How far in advance do cruise companies need to make docking arrangements? 

I would suppose it is more than a year in advance. People on CruiseCritic said this late embarkation happens frequently with Viking in Vancouver. One of the other passengers on our cruise told us she spoke to a supervisor at the Fairmont and was also told this happens frequently. Is this a “bait and switch”? Would we have decided to book this cruise if we knew there would be a whole wasted day in Vancouver? Probably not, because we were already booked to stay on the Noordam for another segment, all the way from Vancouver to Whittier. But we wanted to try a relatively short Viking Ocean cruise.

End of Mini-Rant

Check-in went very smoothly and quickly. We got an envelope containing our room keys and all of our tour tickets for this cruise. And we got the all-important boarding card which indicated our group number for boarding (Group 1) and which constituted our admission to the hospitality room.

Once more, we went to the Fairmont, entering near the hospitality room and being allowed in. A small victory, but vital. With our right to be there validated by our boarding card, we were victims no more, but became part of the vanguard of valid passengers waiting to board. 

The hotel staff provided delicious victuals. There was an open bar, too. More passengers began arriving. Someone with a microphone, who did not identify herself, made an announcement to the effect that we would be able to board between 6:00 and 6:30, but possibly earlier. In other words, if you want to go somewhere, don’t be gone too long.

Now that my basic needs (sustenance, hydration, and storage) had been met, I decided to do a little geocaching. There were a lot of interesting venues near Canada Place, and it was turning into a beautiful day.

This is a selfie I took at “The Cauldron” to post on a geocaching website to prove I was at the cache location while remaining anonymous. The Cauldron started out as a cauldron for the Olympics, and now it is public art.

And a pond for Canada Geese

A blurry orca that looks like it was made out of giant Lego blocks

The Marine Building, an Art Deco masterpiece

Float planes and a floating gas station

The Living Roof: a man-made system re-creating what was lost to industry over past decades, from micro-organisms in the soil to the plants, insects and birds found in typical coastal grassland.  A nesting Canada Goose seems to like it.

The Drop

The Convention Centre

I walked around for an hour and a half and returned to the hospitality room. There were more passengers there and the buffet had been attacked by a voracious crowd.

FINALLY, about 5:30, a voice announced that the first group could go over to Canada Place. No, not Group 1. The Priority Group could go first. The buses were right outside. Wait, buses? But it’s “only across the street.” Are these vehicles really necessary? Maybe there are passengers with mobility limitations? At this point I lack the vigor to protest or question. I give up. Group 1 will be called soon. We will just wait . . . And wait . . . And wait. Thirty minutes later, Group 1 was called and we were told to line up and proceed to the buses. 

When I got to the door I asked the bus announcement lady if we could just walk over to Canada Place. No, you have to take the bus. But we have all these boxes and carry-on bags. They can be stowed under the bus. But the boxes have fragile ceramics in them. And suddenly everything changed. I think Tanuki-san was casting some sort of spell from inside his bubble wrap and box. (See Tanuki Hunt 2025, April 18, for more about the Tanuki.)

“You can walk over there if you are escorted.” “Let me see if I can find someone to escort you.” “Ricardo here can escort you.”  And just like that we stepped out of the line with all our vagabond apparatus, and followed our lovely escort across the street, across the plaza, down into the vehicle entrance to Canada Place, and through a door to US Immigration. There was nobody in line. No sign of the Priority Group. And we had arrived well before the rest of Group 1, who took the bus. The agents were just standing around waiting for the next group. We breezed through. Then we went through the security screening. Same story - they were not busy. Then we were walking onto the gangway and onto the ship, where some of the ship’s company were waiting to greet us. It was over! 

We found our way to our cabin. It was so beautiful and calming.

We did get dinner, in the buffet. They kept it open later than usual. And the ship sailed at 10:30 PM.

Conclusion of the review:

This is a somewhat arbitrary scale of 1 to 10, and these are all very subjective categories.

(I am writing this halfway through the cruise and I am including things I haven’t written about yet. It seems to make more sense to put this all in one place. If you have questions about this part, email me.)

Embarkation experience              1

Ship Interior                                10

Cabin                                            9

Restaurants                                  9

Buffet                                             7

Room Service                                4

Overall Food                                  9

Port Information                             7

Included Tours                               7

Entertainment                                9

Guest Services Counter                6

Cruise Director                              6

Other passengers                          9 

Today’s fabric is, of course, velvet — a luxurious, soft fabric with a dense pile and rich drape. A photo doesn’t do it justice. Crushed velvet, due to its crinkled texture, has a more dynamic and lustrous appearance than regular plush velvet.

Crushed velvet, stock photo

I vehemently vow there will be no further alliteration posts until 2026, at least.

A Samurai’s Garden of Verses

Sunday, April 20, 2025

Tokyo has nine Metropolitan Cultural Heritage Gardens. They have survived the Great Kanto Earthquake, World War II, and urban encroachment. 

We chose to visit Rikugien Gardens because there are free guided tours in English today. Rikugien has been designated a Special Place of Scenic Beauty. As seniors, we paid only ¥150 (about US $1.04) for admission to the garden. What a deal!

We met our guide, Noriko, at the appointed time, and she did a fantastic job leading our small group around Rikugien. She pointed out the numerous varieties of azaleas: different sizes of blossoms, differences in petals, and of course, an array of gorgeous colors.

This beautiful landscape garden was built around 1700 for the fifth Tokugawa Shogun. The garden was acquired by the founder of Mitsubishi in 1878, and his family donated the garden to the City of Tokyo in 1938.

“Rikugien” means “six poems garden.” The garden is designed to portray 88 scenes from famous Waka poems, which are classic Japanese poems of 31 syllables. The “six poems” are the six types of Waka poems,

Noriko showed us some of these 88 scenes and the corresponding verses, which she had written out in beautiful calligraphy. She recited the verses for us from memory, almost chanting them, and explained what the old Japanese words meant. They were witty, terse, and pithy observations of the human condition or the natural world.

A bamboo grove, with new, dark-colored bamboo shoots emerging

A different type of bamboo in this grove

Camellias

Wisteria

The stone pillar (sekichu) marks one of the 88 beauty spots reflecting a scene in a Waka poem 

Tsutsuji-chaya (azalea tea-house) was built of azalea wood in the Meiji era (1868-1912). This is the original structure.

Fujishiro-toge: This is the view from the highest artificial hill in the garden, 35 meters. The soil removed to make the pond was used to make this hill.

Togetsukyo: The name of this bridge comes from a famous poem about the moon moving in the sky “as if crossing a bridge.”

This is the grave of a beloved falcon.

Following our delightful morning in the park, we chose a random sandwich shop for lunch. It was quick and very inexpensive. We chose some prepared sandwiches and climbed a narrow spiral staircase to a tiny pace with about five tables, one of them unoccupied. Some of the sandwiches in the refrigerated case were typically Japanese, but unusual by American standards.

Yakisoba with half an egg

Spaghetti sandwich

After lunch we took the subway to Nezu Shrine to see their azalea festival. It was a bit of a walk from the station and we knew we were in the right place when we encountered a barely-moving line more than two blocks long. Inside the shrine entrance it was crowded. It was jam-packed. It was not my thing. There were food booths, a parade of some sort, loud music, and vendors hawking all kinds of junky accoutrements that have tremendous appeal to children and can cause tantrums if denied. Sound familiar? Have you ever been to the Alaska State Fair? This was so not my thing. 

We could see a bit of the azaleas from outside the gates, and they did look beautiful, but we had already had a large dose of azaleas today, without the crowds. So we took a shortcut back via a closer subway station. Of course, it was not a shortcut, and we got a little lost.  My feet are so tired.

Today’s fabric is Japanese Wild Azalea Anime Manga Style - Tsutsuji Flower Festival - Medium Scale by kuriyamadesigns for Spoonflower.

Conjuring Conrad

Saturday, April 19, 2025

We took the shinkansen (bullet train) to Tokyo at midday. We are trying a new hotel this time, in a different section of Tokyo. We usually stay at the Hilton Tokyo, in Shinjuku, but this time we  have chosen the Conrad Tokyo, in Shiodome, which is near Shimbashi. Shiodome is a concrete and steel island of about 13 skyscrapers, surrounded by expressways and railways.

Shiodome and Hamarikyu Gardens
Photo provided by hilton.com

The JR trains only go to Shimbashi, so you have to know how to get from Shimbashi to Shiodome. Maybe we did and maybe we didn’t. You can walk - about 10 minutes if you know exactly how to get there - or you can transfer to a subway at Shimbashi (if you know which one), and ride one stop. This will likely take more than 10 minutes if you consider the time it will take to to get from the JR train to the correct subway line, and then the time to wait for the subway (up to 6 minutes). We eventually got pretty good at getting from the hotel to Shimbashi, but not today, not with our luggage. 

We might have taken a taxi if we had emerged from underground near a taxi stand, and if I was not afraid of finding out that we had walked two blocks to get a taxi to take us to a hotel that turned out to be  a mere one block away.

Once you have reached the vicinity of Shiodome, it’s still a little tricky to get to the hotel. There is a spaghetti-like bundle of  elevated roads, elevated tracks, and elevated pedestrian walkways which separate Shiodome from the rest of Tokyo. Not to mention a multitude of ways to get around underground. There are up escalators everywhere and sometimes there are down escalators. Sometimes there are small, slow elevators. 

Sometimes there are only stairs. 🙁

At ground level the street corners are blocked off so that it is impossible to simply cross the street. They really want you to go over or under. There is an obsession with safety in this country. (They are just not worried enough about the heart attack you will have climbing up to the pedestrian overpass  - with your luggage - using the one ramp that does not have an escalator.)

When you get to your destination building, you are very lucky if you can see the small sign indicating that this is indeed the right building. There is nothing suggesting that you have arrived at  the right door. It is a good thing that there are people inside to greet you, because the real hotel lobby is on the 28th floor. Thank you for letting me know. I never would have thought to look for it up there. 

The entrance on the ground floor is not used by the businesses on floors 2 through 27, and there is nothing inside that lets you know where you are or where to go. You are in a large empty space with a couple of greeters standing there and an art installation that looks like a giant chicken giblet. Suddenly somebody is taking your luggage and you are being led down a hall, past more large art, and around a corner to some elevators. These elevators only go to the 28th floor.

At 28 you arrive at the actual lobby, with a registration area and a lounge where a piano is being played and people are enjoying high tea and it smells really good.

When we check in we are offered an upsell. It’s a really good deal, so we take it. And now there is a little parade of assistant concierge and bellperson in spiffy uniforms, a cart full of shopping bags, duffel bags, backpacks, and luggage, and two bedraggled tourists, going to our Executive King Suite Bay View.

WORTH IT!!!

The living room - the shoes did not come with the room, the box of hand-crafted chocolate on the table did

Bathroom, with wetroom

Soaking tub with TV . . .

. . . And duckie

Toto toilet behind the frosted door

Closet and storage area opens to entryway and to bathroom

Powder room opens to entryway

Did you want to know the duck’s name? I named him Roy, because he looks like a king.

Best of all was the magical view of Hamarikyu Gardens, Odaiba, and Tokyo Bay.

Tsukiji-Ohashi Bridge

The amenities included some of those Asian face masks that prevent wrinkles. Am I too late?

Today’s fabric is embroidered silk, a wrapping cloth (fukusa), about 1769, Saint Louis Art museum.