HAL Veendam - Canada/New England Cruise - day #4 (7 july 2013) - Quebec City

Sunday, 7 July 2013 – Quebec City

I got up early again, stopped at the Lido buffet to get coffee (I had brought my own travel mug) and took my laptop back out to the terminal to do my Mafia Wars chores, upload pictures, and update my Facebook.  I was going to miss the wifi in the terminal - it was more than decently fast. 

When I returned to the cabin, I had forgotten that Amina had ordered room service for breakfast to be delivered between 8 and 8:30.  She had finished her breakfast of cereal and yogurt and had gotten back in bed again – we didn't have to leave until around 9:45 to be back at the Fairmont by 10:15.  I ate some fruit and put the box of granola cereal into my backpack to take with us to the aquarium. 

We walked back into QC and found the funicular, paid the $5 per person and boarded immediately.  It must have been relatively early because the funicular wasn't nearly as crowded as we had seen it before.

After the brief ride up to the top, we went into the Fairmont to the tour desk and paid the $5 per person fee for the green line shuttle to the Aquarium that we had reserved the day before – we were given green wristbands for the ride.  After a bathroom stop and buying a drink at Starbuck's for Amina, we sat outside of Starbuck's for a little bit until the green line shuttle arrived.  When the passengers got off the shuttle, the driver told us it would be a little bit before he left (10:30 am) so we had a seat on the bench and Amina noticed that the red double decker tour bus in front of our shuttle had free wifi so we both connected and I was actually able to upload some photos to Facebook while we waited.

The shuttle took an AWFULLY long time to get to the aquarium – I was watching the clock because I was a little worried about making it back to the Fairmont in time to walk back and re-embark before sail away at 4.  When we finally arrived at the aquarium (after stopping at one hotel twice and dropping some women off at the shopping mall), it had been almost 45 minutes!  I asked the shuttle driver what time he thought the next shuttle (2:25 pm) would arrive back at the Fairmont.  3:10 pm he said.  I really didn't think that was going to work for us – we would have to find alternate transportation back to the ship.  We waited in a pretty long line at the aquarium – only 2 windows of 7 were open.  It was also getting pretty warm standing in the sun.

When it was finally our turn, we presented our voucher and had our hands stamped and went into the aquarium.  I was looking for the information center to make transportation arrangements but the door signage was confusing.  It probably would've helped if we had spoken French.  The gift shop/guest services door said “exit” on them and I took that to mean that we needed to find the entrance so we went around to the other side of the building and walked in but it turned out to be the jelly fish and sea horse exhibit.

This exhibit was VERY interesting and the highlight of our aquarium trip, in my opinion.  They had so many different types of jelly fish in very cool tall displays – some reminiscent of Finding Nemo and some with tentacles longer than I was tall.  Jellyfish have no brains and are, well, beautiful but just plain creepy.  One display was particularly interesting comparing how poisonous a type of jellyfish was compared to the cobra and other poisonous animals.  The jellyfish won handily.  The last part of the jellyfish exhibit was a huge “wall” of jellyfish with alternating colored lights – it was just gorgeous and, well, creepy.

The sea horse exhibit was fun with some of the most beautiful sea horses that I've ever seen.  I learned that it's the male sea horses that carry the babies.

We made our way to the other large building which held the fish and sharks.  I stopped at the information booth to ask about alternate transportation arrangements and was told to have the guest service center just call for a taxi.  The highlights of this building included a very close up look at an octopus (they just look nothing like how they are depicted in cartoons and stuffed animals), a particularly pesky sting ray that seemed to beg to be touched, a blue lobster, and an underwater fish viewing tunnel.

We left that building and went outside for a little bit – it was probably in the mid 80's by now – not too bad in the shade but just a bit uncomfortable in the sun.  We hopped (ok, walked) some lily pads in the small garden pond and then made our way over to see the seals, walruses and polar bears.

At the conclusion of this portion of the aquarium, we were pretty much done and it was around 1 pm.  We went back to the fish building to check out the cafe but nothing really appealed to us so we decided to call a cab and go back to the ship to have something to eat.

We went back to the gift shop/guest services center and went in the door that said “exit”, asked the lady at the register to call a cab, looked around a bit then went outside to snack on granola cereal and wait for the taxi.  It wasn't but 10 minutes when the taxi arrived and took us back to the ship – the fare was about $25.  The taxi driver was very friendly pointing out a large pile of salt that they use on the roads when it snows and told us that the record was in 2008 when they received 17 FEET of snow. We don't even get 17 inches in Oklahoma let alone 17 feet.

We arrived back to the cruise terminal and after enjoying the free wifi for the last time briefly, we got back on the ship and decided to try the grill on the lido deck where they offered different types of burgers (beef, lamb, turkey, vegetarian) as well as hot dogs (beef and turkey).  The line moved very
slowly with just one cook in the grill filling orders and cooking the food.  While we were waiting in line, we met Tatiana and her family – she recognized us and introduced herself and her daughter Alex as well as her 2 younger children.  We had “met” on Cruise Critic and had texted each other prior to the cruise having a lot in common.  We enjoyed our food (beef hotdog for me and turkey burger for Amina) and then went our separate ways for the life boat drill.  I think this was the first drill that I've been to where they didn't make us bring our life jackets from the cabin.  Eons ago, they used to make everyone wear the life jackets and then more recently, they just had you bring them with you and now they just have you report in for the drill.  It was a little disorganized.  I think part of the problem was that deck 6 really isn't wide enough to accommodate everyone along with the fact that there were a bunch of people who arrived late.  The life boat drill captain repeated missing cabin numbers several times and eventually, everyone was accounted for in our group.  They gave the usual speech about using the life jackets, etc and then made a final announcement daring the missing passengers to report in for a "special drill" later.

We then headed to the Crow's Nest for the Cruise Critic meet and greet.  We weren't there very long but did meet up with John and Leslie who would be with us on a couple of our privately booked shore excursions.  We left the party a little bit early to go to the spa and attend the drawing for free services but we didn't win anything.  I had some time before dinner at 7 so I went back to the cabin and put on my workout clothes, returned to the gym, and got on the treadmill to run 3 miles. 

After showering and changing, we headed to the Main Dining Room (MDR) for our first dinner on the ship.  There were 2 lines at the MDR on deck 7 (people with assigned seating were on deck 8):  one for those with reservations and one for those without.  There was a pretty good group of people loitering around waiting for their pagers to go off.

The selection was really good – we actually had trouble deciding on what to get and agreed to order different things and split so we could try a few things.  I ordered the goat cheese with red onion jam and Amina got the salt cod and lobster cake.  Both were very good.

Amina then had the chilled cranberry soup which she described as melted ice cream – I had to agree.  I got the New England clam chowder which was good but a little too much like “soup” than a “chowder” for Amina.  As we were enjoying our soup, the older couple seated next to us raved about the lemon turkey spinach barley soup so we asked the waiter to bring us an additional cup of soup.  Amina ordered the bay scallops and clams over noodles while I got the Seafood Pot Pie.  Both were good as was the turkey spinach barley soup.  For dessert, we tried the banana chocolate tart and whoopie pie.

When we returned to the cabin, there was a stingray waiting for us on my bed.

 Amina went to meet some of the other kids at the Loft so I went to see the comedian by myself.  He was really good and did a lot of improv and audience heckling.   I was so tired after the show that I went straight to bed and Amina followed not too soon afterward.

HAL Veendam - Canada/New England Cruise - day #3 (July 6, 2013) - Quebec City

Saturday, 6 July, 2013 – Quebec City

I was probably still on central time because, like clockwork, I woke up at 6 am and tried to go back to sleep for the next hour finally getting out of bed at 7.  I showered and packed up my things, got on the internet for a little while to do my Mafia Wars “chores”, and then went out to walk around.

My first stop was the railing by the funicular because I wanted to get a picture of the Veendam.

I picked up a coffee at Starbucks (which was the one and only time I saw a business give a 1% “discount” for the exchange rate with USD) and then walked around the block in the other direction.  The closest restaurant to the hotel was a crepe place and I was shocked to see some crepes priced as much as $24.  I walked for about half an hour and then headed back to the hotel.  The weather was pretty nice – not hot at all.  I think by later in the afternoon it probably reached the mid-80's. 

I went back to our hotel but stopped by the front desk to ask about our aquarium passes that we were supposed to get as a part of our “package”.  We hadn't received them with the stuffed animal and it wasn't in our room so the hotel staff guy gave me a voucher for the 2 of us to get into the aquarium.  I asked about transportation and found out our options at the concierge desk – the green line shuttle that would pick up near the hotel at 10:30 am and return from the aquarium at 2:25 pm for $5 round trip per person.  I went back to the room and uploaded a bunch of pictures to our photo site, kidoctr.smugmug.com.  I had gotten a little behind in uploading pictures so I got caught up again. 

At around 11:30, I woke Amina up so we could get packed up, checked out and make our way to the cruise terminal.  My original plan was to just walk to the terminal because it was so close but because the hotel was in the upper part of town with steep streets, stairs or the funicular (like a tram on tracks where we had seen them squeeze people in like sardines), I thought it was just easier to take a taxi with our luggage.  We checked out via the television in the room and then made arrangements to visit the aquarium on Sunday through concierge but I was a little worried about how late the shuttle picked us up from the aquarium.  The Veendam was to leave at 4 pm so I was thinking all aboard was probably going to be 3 or 3:30.  Being picked up at the aquarium at 2:25, returning to the Fairmont, and then making our way back to the terminal was going to be tight.

We took a taxi to the cruise terminal and spent more on the wait to get into the terminal in the taxi than we did the actual ride from the hotel – total was $15.  Our taxi driver was pretty grumpy too.

I had attached baggage tags to our suitcases that morning – it was very interesting the way HAL was doing it now.  We never received our “docs” in the mail as we had for every other cruise we've ever been on.  I pre-registered us online and printed out our embarkation information as well as the luggage tags.  The tags were just folded up and wrapped around the suitcase handle and was to be either taped or stapled.  Since we didn't have a stapler, I had borrowed some tape from Dee and Jason's house putting a couple strips of tape inside my file folder and then a couple of shorter pieces over those strips so I could peel them off to use.  I filled out the tags with our cabin number and taped them on – it was very low tech, but it worked just fine.  The bell men whisked our suitcases away and we entered the terminal.

Up the escalator to the 2nd floor where we made a right turn and went around a couple of corners to the table where we filled out the typical health questionnaire:  are you sick; have you been vomiting or having diarrhea; etc etc.  We went through security check and didn't wait long at all before we were in front of an agent who checked our passports, my credit card, and issued us our key cards.  It was a very quick process.

We walked past the rows of chairs where there were a bunch of people sitting and using their various electronic gadgets taking advantage of the free wifi in the terminal.  After the obligatory embarkation photos, we walked the long passageways leading to the ship.

Our cabin was #588, large oceanview – we had been “upgraded” so our cabin was on the same deck as embarkation – Main deck, 5.  Unfortunately, we had to go all the way to the back of the ship and make a U-turn to reach our cabin because the doorway was blocked during embarkation.   I was so happy that our cabin was ready but when we entered, I saw right away that they hadn't arranged our room correctly even though I had called them a few days before we left. 

I had noticed on our embarkation papers that we had “requested” a single queen bed.  When I called to have this changed, the gentleman informed me that when we were upgraded, the default choice was for the single queen and that he would change it to 2 separate beds.  Amina's a kicker while she sleeps so I definitely didn't want to share a bed with her.  Our stateroom attendant was nowhere to be found so we went up to the dining room for some lunch.

One of the luggage porters gave us directions to the Lido deck for the buffet but I knew that the Mariners had an embarkation lunch in the main dining room (MDR) so we headed there instead and were seated right away.  We met Donna from Florida who was doing the back-to-back trip with her husband who was out in the city taking pictures (one-way from Boston to QC and then stay aboard for the return trip).  She was a former English teacher and we had a wonderful conversation with her over lunch.  I had made the decision to really try and avoid gaining the usual 5-8 pounds on this cruise so I just had water and a fruit plate (and a bit of Amina's hamburger and cole slaw).  Later, I had a special K protein bar too.  We had reservations at a really nice restaurant for dinner and I definitely didn't want to spoil my appetite.  I was very excited to have gotten this reservation and it was going to be Amina's first time at a AAA 5 diamond restaurant.

By the time that we got back to our cabin, our luggage had arrived – placed inside the cabin instead of outside the door which was very nice.  We spent some time unpacking and our room steward dropped by so I asked him to change our sleeping arrangements.   I called 88 on our phone to make dinner reservations. 

We were open dining but I had heard that on HAL, this really didn't mean “come by anytime to eat” dining as it was on our other cruises.   I had read that if you showed up without a reservation, it wasn't unusual to have to wait for a bit.  I was told that we could only make dinner reservations up to 3 days in advance so I only made reservations for 7 pm on Sunday night and then 6:45 pm on Monday evening (our day at sea – the first formal night).  On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, we had reservations at the 3 specialty restaurants.  I would have to call back on Tuesday to make dinner reservations for Friday night.  I was a little disappointed to find out that the 2nd formal night was on Thursday instead of Friday – the night that we had reservations at the Pinnacle Grill.  Oh well.  I didn't try to change our reservations.  What a weird and sort of messed up open dining system.

We gathered our things and decided to do a quick tour of the ship so we went up to the top and made our way down.  Our first stop was the Loft (teen club) which was deserted.  There were activities that evening until very late in the Loft but we had 8 pm dinner reservations so Amina wasn't going to be able to make it.  She wasn't really worried about trying to meet up with the other teens on board.  We took a spa tour and signed up for the drawings, walked through the lido buffet, found the hamburger station as well as the pizza station, walked by the ample number of bars, and made it back to our cabin to pick up a few things before we headed out to the city.  We found out that it was all aboard on Sunday at 3:30 so I thought we would have time to make it out to the aquarium and back. 

I had planned for us to take the walking tour described in the Tom's Port Guides that I had downloaded but it proved to be too much of a hassle with my ipad and trying to figure out directions so we just wandered for the next couple of hours, found the touristy streets, the entrance to the funicular, the wall paintings, and wandered into a few interesting looking stores.

We sampled maple water which was really good – low calorie with just a hint of maple taste and bought some.  We had also walked into a store selling nougat and sampled the maple one and bought a bar.  We picked up some chocolates from a chocolate shop that reminded me a great deal of the chocolate shop we were taken to during a tour of Paris.  We also followed the sign to a small shop where we decided to try the “beaver tail” which was essentially like funnel cake, deep fried into the shape of a beaver's tail and you could choose from one of 9 toppings.  We chose maple and it was quite good but the little shop was terribly hot even though we were able to pick up wifi in there.

We also wandered into a bakery and picked up a few macaroons.

A note on wifi and connectivity.  Prior to leaving, I had purchased 50 international text messages on AT&T for each of our iphones as a precautionary measure ($10 per phone).  International calling minutes weren't going to be worthwhile unless we planned to talk for more than 30 minutes.  I also added data to my phone to use while in the Canadian ports ($120).  Interestingly, in Quebec City, we were picking up free wifi right and left EXCEPT in the hotel.

It was getting really hot and we had been out for a couple of hours so we headed back to the terminal at around 4:30 pm and hung out there to get our internet fix.  I even went back to our cabin to get my laptop and was pleasantly surprised at how fast the wifi was (after all, I had more Mafia Wars chores
to do).  The terminal was freezing too and by the time we left, I was a popsicle.  I was kinda kicking myself for not noticing that we had an extra day in port at QC – we could have saved the $399 that I spent to stay at the Fairmont and arrived on the day of embarkation but I'm glad we didn't because we would have been arriving very late that night missing a day in the city and I noticed later that afternoon, the luggage porters were gone and people were embarking with all of their suitcases in tow.  We snacked on our macaroons and drank our maple water while surfing the net.  It was funny that after walking around in Quebec City, the only thing that we bought was food.

I headed back to our cabin at around 7 to get ready for dinner – rinsed off in the shower and changed clothes.  Amina was already wearing a skirt that she planned on wearing to dinner.  I went back to the terminal to get her and we walked the 1.5 blocks to Restaurant L'Initiale which we had passed a couple of times on our way to and from the terminal.

After just a bit of a language issue (my reservation was written as “Stewart” instead of “Switzer”) we were taken to our table in the corner.  The restaurant was nice enough – nothing really fancy and it wasn't terribly crowded.  We both ordered the Grand Menu ($129 pp) and I also got the wine pairing ($79).

I've been to a good number of AAA five diamond restaurants – it's on my bucket list to visit every single one in the world (there's around 50 of them in the US, Canada, Mexico, and a few other international destinations) – we've knocked about half a dozen off the list so far in Las Vegas (3), Florida (1), and Oahu (1).  Our most favorite AAA five diamond restaurant so far is at Disneyworld in Florida (Victoria and Alberts) but the one in Oahu is a very close second (La Mer) in my opinion.  This one in Quebec City was good but there were a few things about the restaurant that I was a little surprised at given the five diamond rating. 

After an “okay” amuse bouche of tomatoes and cucumber with an arugula sauce that was really strong, the flounder was delicious but after I had taken a few bites,  I realized that I hadn't been served the wine pairing.  Come to find out that they did not do a pairing with this appetizer.  Odd.

The roasted Cepes mushrooms with Jerusalem artichoke, nougatine, and chicken broth was very good although the nougat pieces were just a little too sweet in my opinion and the dish would have stood well just on its own without the candy.  The wine pairing was good.

The red tuna with eggplant and pepper was actually a 2-in-1 with some gently seared pieces of tuna as well as a tuna tartare.  It was also very good and paired well with the white wine but I was surprised that they poured the same wine with the next course, the lobster with fennel.  It did not pair as well with the lobster.

At this point I had to use the bathroom and went downstairs briefly and returned to find that our next course, the seared foie gras, had already been served.  Also odd.  The foie gras was absolutely wonderful and, of course, my favorite paired with a sweet wine that went well.

Amina commented that she was getting pretty full by now and I had to agree.  The next course was the “main” course:  veal loin with sweetbreads.  We joked a lot about the sweetbreads and the fact that Amina had recently dissected a sheep's brain in her University of Georgia brain, intelligence, and creativity summer studies class.  The veal was ok – definitely not my favorite and neither were the sweetbreads.  I had to take a 2nd picture of the sweetbreads because it was easy to see the sulci and gyri at this angle.  I can't remember the wine pairing – it was probably also just “ok”.

The cheese course was next and the hard cheese (I forgot what kind it was) was very good but the soft cheese sitting on top of the rhubarb wasn't as good.  The rhubarb was just too tart.  For dessert, we have chocolate flan with a cocoa bread, cherries topped with raw almonds and a side of caramel ice cream.  I'm not a fan of chocolate nor of mousse – this dessert more closely resembled a mousse than a flan.  I also can't remember the wine except that I liked it because it was sweet.

Our last course were strawberries with parfait cormier – it was good but there was no pairing with this last course.  The final odd thing of the night.

We finished at just short of 11 pm and were given some Madelines to take home with us.  Overall, I like this restaurant, the service was attentive, the food good – not a ton of creativity points.  Maybe just a smidge disappointed given the price because 2 courses were not paired with wine, 2 were paired with the same wine, and being served a course while I wasn't at the table is a bit of a faux pas.  (Yes, I'm that picky). We walked back to the ship and went immediately to bed.

HAL Veendam - Canada/New England Cruise - day #1-2 (July 4-5, 2013) - Dallas,Quebec City

Holland America Line Veendam
Canada/New England Cruise
5 July - 13 July 2013

Cast:  Me (Eve aka Momma, 43) and Amina (DD, 16)

Seth and Rhys were taking a Boy Scout Northern Tier canoe expedition for 2 weeks and were not going to accompany us on this trip - it was our first "Girls Only" trip.

Thursday, 4 July 2013 and Friday, 5 July 2013 – Dallas, Quebec City

The trip to Quebec City via Dallas was straight-forward enough.  We actually left Enid on the 4th of July to drive to Dallas but only after I spent about half an hour checking us in on Delta online.  Even though I had requested seats when I bought the tickets, we were seated apart on the flight from Dallas to JFK.  I had our boarding passes sent to our phones but then went back and looked at getting us re-seated.  $25 per bag to check in and then another $39 per person to upgrade to economy plus so we could be seated together.  It was all kinda fishy to me - pretty scam-like, really.

Amina drove us down to Dallas, observing the speed limit EXACTLY all the way down.  It took over 5 hours including a navigation mishap just a few miles from the exit to get to my sister's house.  The problem in Dallas is when you miss an exit, you have to drive at least 10 more miles to try and get back to where you need to go.  We finally arrived at my sister's house around 5 pm.  I only had to say something about her driving maybe half a dozen times.  That was the most highway driving she had ever done and there were still a good number of issues that came up simply because she didn't have the experience yet.

We went out to dinner a little bit early to Chuy's which wasn't crowded at all given the holiday.  The Southwest enchiladas were great but I could only finish half of it and saved the rest for tomorrow's breakfast.  We returned back to Dee and Jason's house and hung out until around 9.  The girls got in Amina's Prius and drove to Lake Dallas - mostly because the twins wanted to be in the car with Amina driving - and vice versa.  At just after 9, we piled into the car and drove just across I-35E to watch the fireworks from one of the subdivisions.  It was a pretty good fireworks show, the evening was cool enough, and we weren't eaten up by bugs while sitting in the parking lot of a closed shop.  The girls spent a good chunk of the night trying to learn the "cup song" from the movie "Pitch Perfect" - what a racket they made.

The next morning, we ate leftovers for breakfast and were out the door at 8 am to head for the airport.  Jason dropped us off after telling me about the total solar eclipse in 2017 and how I needed to plan our trip to enjoy it.  The eclipse will last for 20 minutes and will occur around 12:30 pm CST in the northern states.  It sounds like the makings of a fun trip.

On the way to JFK, I purchased each of us a wifi pass on the airplane - $14 each for a one day pass.  It was kinda fun having internet access while on the flight.  The speed was pretty darned good.  The flight left Dallas a little late.  We were just getting our boarding passes scanned when they sent passengers back from the boarding ramp because of a "maintenance issue".  We waited about half an hour before getting to board. 

We arrived into JFK at around 4 pm and were disappointed to see that we had arrived into terminal 2 - not terminal E as I had looked up online.  I had scoped out a place for us to eat in terminal E called the Shake Shack but the restaurants in terminal 2 were beyond pitiful.  We were told by a security guard that we were on a "domestic" flight to Canada and not an "international" flight which I thought was really funny. 

So, we left terminal 2 to go and look for something to eat since we had about 2.5  hours - found terminal 5 where the best rated restaurants (sushi, italian, and tapas) were located but were turned away because we weren't Jet Blue passengers.  What??  The only decent places to eat in JFK and we couldn't get in?  That's crazy.  So we made our way back to terminal 2 and settled for Wendy's.  The good thing about terminal 2, though, is the abundance of seating that had outlets and complimentary ipad stations.  We ate our dinner while playing hangman on the ipad.

The flight out of JFK was also delayed.  I'm not sure how long we sat at the gate and then on the tarmac because I fell asleep - it was at least an hour and a half - we didn't leave until around 7:30.  The explanation we were given:   there was some mix-up which resulted in a "missing passenger" and it took them a really long time to sort it out.  It was past 9:30 pm when we finally arrived into Quebec City.  Customs was a breeze - very fast and we collected our bags, caught a taxi and paid the flat $34.25 to get to the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac.   Our taxi driver, from Morrocco, was very pleasant and had never been in the U.S.  He told us his impression of the U.S. was of people who didn't work and had fun all the time.  Ha!

My initial impression of Quebec City at night was a little surprising as we had been to Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto before.  Quebec City is very different - the closest to being to a real foreign country while in Canada.  As Toronto is like watching an English movie with French subtitles, Quebec City is like watching a French movie with English subtitles.  There wasn't a single person we met who didn't speak at least some English but all of the stores, ads, signs, etc, were in French with very little English around.  People were mostly friendly but there's definitely that distinct "snooty" French feel to the city.

We were dropped off in front of our hotel passing a ton of pedestrians along the way - apparently there was some sort of art festival going on right now and even though it was 10 pm, it was very crowded and alive with activity.  We decided that even though it was late, we had to go out and walk around some after we checked in. 

Compared to the airport and customs, check-in at the world famous Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac was a different story.  Our suitcases were immediately taken by a bell man and we walked into the lobby and found what looked like the front desk just off to the right.  There were 2 queues - one that had a small sign for the Fairmont President's Club and another that was unmarked.  We naturally got into the unmarked queue.  There was a check-in desk on the left and the President's Club desk on the right.  The check-in desk to the left was empty.  There were 2 gentlemen at the President's Club desk busy with patrons who seemed to alternate between speaking English and French.  We waited patiently for someone to show up at the unmarked check-in desk while the people in the other queue were helped by the gentlemen at the President's Club desk.

After about 5 minutes, another couple joined us in our queue and I asked them to make sure they were also trying to check in.  I understand that it's a little late but nobody showed up to check us in.  I finally asked the staff member who had come over to the check-in desk and was busily emptying the garbage bins when someone would be by to check us in.  10 minutes had passed.  He directed us to the other desk to check in but there was a constant stream of people in the other "President's Club" queue.  It was really weird.  Finally, Amina hopped the rope and stood in the other queue while I stayed in my queue.  The couple behind us did the same.  We were tired of being passed by people in the other queue.  Finally, it was our turn and we were checked in.  The staff member, of course, never questioned whether we were club members.

When I had booked the hotel, it was really by accident.  I was tossing around the idea of staying at this beautiful hotel but it was very exensive and we were getting in so late and would have to check out the following morning to embark.  I was looking at a package and entered my CC information to see what the total would be and - VOILA - I was booked.  Oops.  So we collected our "free" gift which was a cute stuffed animal wearing a jacket that said Aquarium du Quebec and branded on the back with the Fairmont logo.

Our room had 2 beds and was a typical European type room.  We were greeted with a plate that had pieces of delicious nougat and dried orange peels along with a small bottle of locally made honey.

We snacked while waiting for our bags to arrive.  The room wasn't really special but the bathroom had a lot of marble and, though small, was very nice.  Internet via wifi was an additional $15 for 24 hours.

We got our luggage some 15 minutes or so later and decided to go out for a quick walk – maybe find something to snack on.  We strolled by the large statue where a guy was doing a show in French and went over to the railing by the funicular to peek at the cruise terminal and were pleasantly surprised to see the Veendam was already docked.  I had no idea that it was arriving the day before.  We then walked around the block and had stopped at a restaurant serving some nice pizza but we were told that they didn't do “to go” so we abandoned that idea.  I guess they didn't really want our business.  We ended up getting some gelato at a small shop a block over from the hotel and made our way back to the hotel to turn in.  I played some mafia wars for a little while and went to sleep.  Amina skyped with Bryce until about 3 in the morning. 

Girls Only Quebec to Boston - Holland America's Veendam, 5 - 13 July 2013

I was getting a little worried in March when I had not received any information regarding Amina's July trip to Barcelona, Spain where she was to play on an Oklahoma soccer team.  The trip looked fantastic and we were excited to receive word that Amina's coach had recommended her last fall and that she was accepted onto the team to travel to Spain where they were to practice for a week and then participate in a tournament.  After a few inquiries, it turns out that there were not enough players signed up (concerns with "player poaching" according to the trip organizer) and so the trip was cancelled.

I had taken 2 weeks off of work in July already.  The timing was perfect as Seth and Rhys were headed to their Boy Scout Northern Tier trip that same weekend.  So I started looking for something, anything, for the 2 of us to do during those 2 weeks.  I finally found a very cheap cruise on Holland America with the right timing and to a location that we've never been before.  Bingo!  On May 11th, I booked a cruise for the 2 of us:  the Holland America 7-day Canada and New England Discovery Cruise aboard the ms Veendam in an ocean-view cabin. 

Cruise Itinerary - 7 Days from Quebec City to Boston
Day	Port	Arrive	Depart
Day 1	Quebec City, Quebec, Canada	--	--
Day 2	Quebec City, Quebec, Canada	--	04:00 PM
Day 3	Cruising Gulf Of St. Lawrence	--	--
Day 4	Charlottetown, Prince Edward, Canada	08:00 AM	05:00 PM
Day 5	Sydney, Canada	08:00 AM	04:00 PM
Day 6	Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada	08:00 AM	04:00 PM
Day 7	Bar Harbor, Maine	08:00 AM	05:00 PM
Day 8	Boston, Massachusetts, USA	07:00 AM	--

 How cheap was it?  $894 pp including taxes, fees, and a $100 on board credit for booking.  We were set for a quick Girls Only vacation but booking a trip so late (less than 2 months to plan and make reservations) definitely has its disadvantages and is something I'm totally not used to.


Next step, book flights.  This was also a challenge given that I had gotten such a cheap price for the cruise.  I figured out that it was going to be much cheaper to fly out of Dallas than either OKC or Wichita.  Luckily, we had the time to drive down to Dallas, stay overnight at my sister's house, and then have them take us to the airport the following morning.  On our return, we would stay another night at their house and head back on the Sunday before I had to go back to work.  I also got to add 3 days of work back before we leave so that somewhat justified paying for this trip.  Hahaha.

Our flight from Dallas to Quebec City will leave at 10:30 am on Delta via JFK....$232 pp.  Our return will be on Spirit airline from Boston to Dallas (direct flight)....only $93 pp.  Totally worth it to make that extra drive to and from Dallas.  BUT.....here was mistake #1 in my haste to book/plan this trip...  I've never been on a cruise where you stay overnight in the same port that you cruise out of.  Out of habit and experience, we fly into Quebec City the day before to spend the night so we don't "miss the boat" on the day of embarkation.  On this cruise, however, we embark on Saturday, the 6th of July, and we stay another night before sail away the following day.  Oops.  We could have saved $399 that I paid to stay at the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City.  I'm still excited to be staying at this historic hotel, though.  At least this basically gives us 2 days to explore the city.

So, with cruise and airline now booked, it was time to dive into meals and shore excursions.  My first stop, though, was the Cruise Critic message boards - always a wealth of information for any cruiser, where I easily found the roll call for our particular cruise. Surprisingly, there aren't very many people in this roll call.  Maybe we'll have the ship nearly to ourselves.

First jackpot from the CC message board roll call was Tom's Port Guides - very very detailed information about almost all of the ports that we are going to.  I downloaded each of the guides for our various ports onto my ipad for future reference. 

With our itinerary and 3 restaurants to choose from on the Veendam (and taking into consideration the typical formal nights - probably Monday and Friday evenings), I booked dinners on board at:

Tuesday, 9 July, 6:30 pm - Canaletto, $10 pp
Wednesday, 10 July, 6:30 pm - Evening at Le Cirque, $39 pp
Thursday, 11 July, 6:30 pm - Pinnacle Grill, $25 pp

As for shore excursions:

Saturday and Sunday, 6-7 July, Quebec City 

Predicted temperature:  83 F

Saturday morning to sleep in and/or check out the hotel.  Check out of Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac by noon.  The pier is within walking distance of the hotel (0.5 miles) so I think we can just take our luggage and walk through the city to embark?

Welcome lunch on board is from noon - 1 pm in the MDR.  Afternoon and the next day free to explore QC.  We have complementary tickets to the aquarium du Quebec.  There is also the walking tour on Tom's Port Guides which we should probably do on Sunday, have lunch, then return to the ship.  The ms Veendam sets sail at 4 pm on Sunday afternoon.  

Monday, 8 July, Cruising Gulf of St Lawrence

2 pm - Elemis deep tissue massage, 50 minutes, $160
Formal night?

Tuesday, 9 July, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island (8 am - 5 pm)

Predicted temperature:  74 F

8:30 am - Duncan's Island Tours, Anne of Green Gables Adventure with Terry Allen ((902) 393-5758 cell).  Meet next to the information desk inside the cruise ship terminal near the exit.

4.5 hours

This tour is for the ultimate Anne fan but will also delight those fascinated by the beauty of PEI as described by The Anne of Green Gable author Lucy Maude Montgomery in her the Anne of Green Gables books, the first of which was published in 1908 to international acclaim.
Driving through the picturesque Island country side you will view rolling farmlands, coastal views and villages coming to life as she described them in her novels. You will enjoy your first stop of the day at Silver Bush, and the Anne of Green Gables Museum owned by the descendants of Lucy Maude, the Campbell family her cousins. Lucy Maud’s books have delighted generations with their colorful tales of the feisty, red-headed orphan with the big imagination. “Silver Bush" which was her name for the farm was the place where she was married and was the inspiration for four of her novels including "Pat of Silver Bush" and "Mistress Pat and her favorite book the Story Girl." The homestead was built in 1872 by her Uncle John and Aunt Annie Campbell. It is also the setting for her novel "Anne's Lake of Shining Waters." The house still belongs to L.M Montgomery's family, the Campbell's, and you will immediately see why she called it the "wonder castle of my childhood." You will have the opportunity to explore the beautiful flower gardens, the gift shop and enjoy views of the Lake of Shining Waters.
On our way to the next stop we will make a photo stop at French River, one of the most photographed sites on the Island. A majestic fishing village nestled at the base of the French River and surrounded by beautiful farmland. You will also drive by Montgomery’s birth place in New London which has been preserved as a historic site.
No Anne Adventure would be complete without a visit to the charming Green Gables House, the old farm site that inspired the first Anne of Green Gables novel. Located in Cavendish, the area that was inspiration for the village of Avonlea in many of Lucy Maud’s novels. Because of that you will be able to enjoy the well-kept gardens as well as tour the main farmhouse, barns, outbuildings and extensive grounds. If you're a fan of these classic novels, then seeing the island through the eyes of Anne is an opportunity you simply cannot afford to miss.
On your return to Charlottetown a trip through the national park and the fishing the village of North Rustico will complete your day.
Admission to the Green Gable sites are not included.

$270 for up to four passengers so we're looking for 2 more passengers to join us.  $135 pp right now

Wednesday, 10 July, Sydney (8 am - 4 pm)

Predicted temperature: 72 F

10 am - Tartan Tours
Fortress Louisbourg

Step back into the year 1744 and stroll thru the streets of the fortress and watch history come alive right in front of your eyes. The streets are a buzz with talk with the impending war with the English. Talk to Noblemen, Soldiers , Servants and get to feel for what the day to day life was like  (This tour is 4 hours and can be customized)
$373.75 for 4.5 hours
Taking this tour with John and Leslie Wilson as well as Tatiana and her daughter, Alex, from the Cruise Critic message board roll call.  $62.29 pp

Thursday, 11 July,  Halifax, Nova Scotia (8 am - 4 pm)

Predicted temperature:  73 F
We are booked for the Urban Scavenger Quest  after a few other options didn't pan out.  I was interested in the food tour in Halifax but it was already booked  up.

Urban Scavenger Quest in Halifax

Take the Quest in Halifax

Take a brain-tickling, puzzle-packed and fun-filled Urban Scavenger Quest in Halifax!
India Pale, Red Amber, Premium White, Light, and Dark. What are the varieties of Alexander Keith's ale? 1820. What is the year that Alexander Keith's was founded in Halifax? We hope you enjoyed that lightning round of Jeopardy. Now enjoy this Quest starting at Grand Parade.
Purchase your Quest here and be sent your code to enter at an online address provided on your E-Ticket. Register and schedule your Quest at that online address to set the ball in motion for you to "get your Sherlock Holmes on" by solving clues and puzzles while walking through interesting Halifax locations.
And, if you choose the "mystery restaurant" option when registering your Quest, you will get a secret password at the end of your Quest to figure out where you will be having lunch or dinner. The price of your Quest does not include the cost of the meal.

Cost:  $22.73 per team and we requested the "mystery restaurant".


Friday, 12 July, Bar Harbor, Maine (8 am - 5 pm)

Predicted temperature:  68 F

9 am - At Your Service tours in Bar Harbor (5 hours)

Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor Maine's Premium Sightseeing Tours

Cadillac Mountain, Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, Jordan Pond House, Asticou Gardens, Somes Sound, Bass Harbor Lighthouse, Park Loop Road, Mansions are a few of the many options available to you for your custom narrated sightseeing tour.

Our driver-guides create a unique narrated experience tailored to your time and interests. Ride in comfort in your own private van that stops when and where you want for as long as you want.

Consider us an extension of your family while you are on vacation. Our goal is to provide you with the best island experience available by providing distinct personalized tours. All of our drivers are from Mount Desert Island with extensive knowledge of the area. 

From the tour service:  "The total is $400 for the tour (five hours * $80) , plus $40 per person for the lobster lunch.

Thanks, See you on the 12th!  We will meet you where you disembark for the tenders, at street level.  We wear bright red shirts that say At Your Service Tours.  We will have Eve Switzer on a sign."

John and Leslie Wilson will be joining us on this tour as well.  We're looking for 2 more passengers to join us.  $400 total + $40 pp for lunch = $110 pp right now

Saturday, 13 July, Boston, Maine

Predicted temperature:  87 F

We arrive into Boston at 7 am and our flight doesn't leave until 6:40 pm so we have the day to explore.  I had to search hard to find what to do with our luggage when we arrive into Boston as there are no lockers at the airport.  We can store our luggage at the MBTA south station at a place called Package Express on the 5th floor.  I've read anywhere from $2-$5 per bag.  Apparently, the lockers at south station are only for Amtrak customers.  I toyed with the idea of booking a hotel room for the day - that's our backup plan in case we can't store our luggage at the station.  According to google map, the station is very walkable from areas of Boston that we are interested in seeing:  Emerson college, Chinatown, the Freedom Trail.

I put us on the waitlist for a Chinatown Market Tour at 9:30 am for 3.5 hours, $69 pp.  Dim sum lunch is included.  I guess the minimum for the tour is 4 person.
Boston Chinatown Market TourAre you intrigued, yet a little intimidated by the fascinating, colorful neighborhood of Chinatown? Crazy about Asian food, but easily confused by the huge variety of unfamiliar ingredients in markets?

Join us as we step through the Chinatown Gate on a walking tour through one of the oldest Chinese communities in America. Our Boston Chinatown Market Tour offers a glimpse into the daily routines of a Chinatown that, unlike many, has never been extensively developed for tourism. We'll explore a thriving ethnic enclave rife with colorful immigrant history and undiscovered "hidden gems".

The traditional Asian diet is believed to be one of the world's healthiest. Hippocrates said "Let food be your medicine, and medicine your food". Here in the West, this has largely been forgotten. To the Chinese however, there is a thin line between the two.

Follow your guide on this 3.5 hour tour of some of the best Chinese markets this side of Hong Kong.

• Slip inside a Cantonese barbecue shop and savor the        
  tastes and aromas of roasted and braised meats
• Check out the oldest traditional pastry shop and discover
  the origin of moon cakes
• Visit an herbal pharmacy and explore the concepts of
  Yin/Yang, the five elements , the twelve organs, and "qi".
  Learn why some foods are "hot" while others are "cold"
• Experience the textural curiosity of bubble tea
• Find out what the chefs are buying at a 70 year old family
  run grocery overflowing with exotic produce, the freshest
  fish, and an endless array of spices and seasonings
• Learn the hallmarks of regional styles of Chinese
  cooking and discover which "Chinese" dishes are of
  American origin and unknown in China

Complete your stroll with a delicious Dim Sum lunch hosted by your guide, where you'll be shown the ins and outs of ordering from the roaming carts, as well as the unique rules of dining etiquette.

South Station Luggage Locker Option

Another convenient spot where you'll find luggage storage is at Package Express, located on the 5th floor of South Station (700 Atlantic Avenue).  South Station is one of Boston's major train/subway terminals, and is near the Financial District, Chinatown, and the South Boston Waterfront.
Storage at Package Express costs $5 per bag.  Call in advance to make sure they're open: 617-526-1810.  They only take cash but there's an ATM machine in the 1st floor waiting area.
From Boston Logan Airport, you can have any of the water taxis drop you off at the InterContinental Hotel, one block away, or you can take Boston's subway (the "T" as we call it here) directly to South Station from Logan.  Check with the water taxi to make sure this will be considered a $10 Downtown stop - otherwise, the fare will be $20 each way.  T tickets will cost you $2 each way.
You can also take a land taxi to South Station, but you'll probably pay more.  However, if you're traveling with others, taking a taxi may end up costing less on a per person basis.
If, by chance, you're taking an Amtrak train from South Station and have a valid ticket, you can also store your luggage for $3/bag in the Amtrak Baggage Room (617-345-7458). 
From South Station, you can easily walk a few blocks along Essex Street through Chinatown (treat yourself to dim sum), and then to Boston Common.  From there, you can explore the Freedom Trail or cross Charles Street to the Public Garden and go for a Swan Boat ride or see the famous Make Way for Ducklings statues.
- See more at: http://www.boston-discovery-guide.com/luggage-storage-in-boston.html#sthash.kvgYbaTf.dpuf

South Station Luggage Locker Option

Another convenient spot where you'll find luggage storage is at Package Express, located on the 5th floor of South Station (700 Atlantic Avenue).  South Station is one of Boston's major train/subway terminals, and is near the Financial District, Chinatown, and the South Boston Waterfront.
Storage at Package Express costs $5 per bag.  Call in advance to make sure they're open: 617-526-1810.  They only take cash but there's an ATM machine in the 1st floor waiting area.
From Boston Logan Airport, you can have any of the water taxis drop you off at the InterContinental Hotel, one block away, or you can take Boston's subway (the "T" as we call it here) directly to South Station from Logan.  Check with the water taxi to make sure this will be considered a $10 Downtown stop - otherwise, the fare will be $20 each way.  T tickets will cost you $2 each way.
You can also take a land taxi to South Station, but you'll probably pay more.  However, if you're traveling with others, taking a taxi may end up costing less on a per person basis.
If, by chance, you're taking an Amtrak train from South Station and have a valid ticket, you can also store your luggage for $3/bag in the Amtrak Baggage Room (617-345-7458). 
From South Station, you can easily walk a few blocks along Essex Street through Chinatown (treat yourself to dim sum), and then to Boston Common.  From there, you can explore the Freedom Trail or cross Charles Street to the Public Garden and go for a Swan Boat ride or see the famous Make Way for Ducklings statues.
- See more at: http://www.boston-discovery-guide.com/luggage-storage-in-boston.html#sthash.kvgYbaTf.dpuf

South Station Luggage Locker Option

Another convenient spot where you'll find luggage storage is at Package Express, located on the 5th floor of South Station (700 Atlantic Avenue).  South Station is one of Boston's major train/subway terminals, and is near the Financial District, Chinatown, and the South Boston Waterfront.
Storage at Package Express costs $5 per bag.  Call in advance to make sure they're open: 617-526-1810.  They only take cash but there's an ATM machine in the 1st floor waiting area.
From Boston Logan Airport, you can have any of the water taxis drop you off at the InterContinental Hotel, one block away, or you can take Boston's subway (the "T" as we call it here) directly to South Station from Logan.  Check with the water taxi to make sure this will be considered a $10 Downtown stop - otherwise, the fare will be $20 each way.  T tickets will cost you $2 each way.
You can also take a land taxi to South Station, but you'll probably pay more.  However, if you're traveling with others, taking a taxi may end up costing less on a per person basis.
If, by chance, you're taking an Amtrak train from South Station and have a valid ticket, you can also store your luggage for $3/bag in the Amtrak Baggage Room (617-345-7458). 
From South Station, you can easily walk a few blocks along Essex Street through Chinatown (treat yourself to dim sum), and then to Boston Common.  From there, you can explore the Freedom Trail or cross Charles Street to the Public Garden and go for a Swan Boat ride or see the famous Make Way for Ducklings statues.
- See more at: http://www.boston-discovery-guide.com/luggage-storage-in-boston.html#sthash.kvgYbaTf.dpuf

In the afternoon, we can explore Emerson and the Freedom Trail before taking a taxi to the airport for our 6:40 pm flight.  We'll probably just grab dinner at the airport somewhere.

So, our final tally is approximately $2000 pp for a 1 week cruise including room, board, and tours.