22nd November 2009.
Hola (hello), from Gran Canaria, the third largest of the seven Canary Islands. We are docked at Los Palmas which was founded in June 1478. It was here that Columbus and his companions heard Mass before setting out for the New World on his famous voyage of discovery in 1492.
Talking about voyages of discovery, I am very, very excited, have you seen the itinerary for P&O Cruises Arcadia Grand Alaska Adventure 2011? It is mind blowing! Sorry to use such language but this cruises itinerary has to be one of the very best I have ever, ever seen! This cruise goes on sale on December 1st and if I am not mistaken will sell out that very day!
The cruise departs Southampton on 12th April 2011 and calls at Madeira before an Atlantic Ocean crossing, then five Caribbean ports. It then transits ‘THE’ modern wonder of the world, The Panama Canal before heading up the west coast of the continent of North America calling in another five ports before arriving at its first Alaskan port of call. Arcadia then remains in Alaskan waters for eleven days calling at five ports and cruising in and around some of its very best scenery! Arcadia then calls at another four ports back down to the Panama Canal which it transits again before heading up the east coast of the North American Continent calling in to eight ports including a two day stop at New York! It then heads east back across the Atlantic Ocean calling in at Ponta Delgada, before arriving back in Southampton 23rd June 2011. This cruise is full of superlatives, it has everything! Full marks to the P&O Cruises planning department for putting the itinerary together.
I am qualified to tell you all about Alaska as when I was working for Princess Cruises in the 1980s, I did three summer seasons there. Cruise Ships visit Alaska between May and September, just the same really as the Norway and Baltic cruising seasons in Europe.
I was in Alaska on the Sun Princess (ex P&O Cruises Spirit of London) in 1984, the Royal Princess, (now the P&O Cruises Artemis) in 1985 and the Island Princess (one of the Love Boats), in 1986. The Sun and Island Princess ships used Vancouver, Canada as their home port on seven night itineraries, but the Royal Princess used San Francisco USA on eleven night cruises.
I have a real soft spot for Alaska and it’s where my wife Mandy and I decided to get married! That is not altogether true as she was in England at the time in 1984 and I was on the Sun Princess! I would like to be able to tell you this was a very romantic story but sadly I cannot! We were avid letter writers, (this was before emails etc), and our wedding came about in 1985 due to letters being posted back and forth from a number of the same ports Arcadia will be visiting on her voyage in 2011, including Skagway, Ketchikan, and Juneau. I would like to be able to tell you I got down on my knee and proposed to Mandy with the sun setting over the Alaskan mountains, but no – it was by the US Postal Service and our Post Office that our wedding all came about!! Poor girl; she has had a lot to put up with over the years!
Alaska, what can I say? It is awesome, the scenery is breathtaking, and it really is ‘The Last Frontier’. It is one of the most environmentally protected areas on earth, and thank goodness for that.
A few facts and figures about this US State, it is 663,268 square miles in area, Great Britain is 84,556, so you could fit 7.84 UKs in to it!
It was purchased by the USA from the Russian Empire on March 30th 1867 for 47.2 million at about two cents per acre; big mistake!
Alaska has a longer coast line than all the other US States combined at 34,000 miles!
Russian and Alaskan islands are only three miles apart!
Alaska is larger than all but 18 sovereign countries!
Alaska has more than three million lakes!
Alaska is one of the most sparsely populated areas in the world, at 1.0 person per square miles!
The photograph below is of Oriana in the Panama Canal. Arcadia transits the canal twice on its Grand Alaskan Adventure, the first time is on 28th April 2011 on route to Alaska and then again on 3rd June when she makes her way back to the Atlantic Ocean from the Pacific Ocean.
Today’s photograph was taken on 16th November in my office on board Oriana; it’s of P&O Cruises Entertainment Product Manager, Morgan Van Selman and me. Morgan was just on board in Southampton for the morning catching up with me on how the last cruise had gone and discussing future cruises as well.
Maybe now I have got Morgan on the blog he will consider me for the above cruise!!
Adios, from a hopeful.
Nigel
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2 comments:
Hi Nigel
I heard about the Arcadia Alaska trip and just wished OH had won that 45 million on the euromillions so he could retire! Unfortunately he has quite a few more years at work before retirement. So to take 70+ days off work to do this is just not feasible. Otherwise I'd have made my phone call to my TA and booked us on this magnificent trip! Lets hope P & O consider doing this sort of cruise for many years to come. I'm sure it's going to be very popular. For now I will just have to watch via the webcam. But hopefully one dat it will be more than a pipedream.
Hope the weathers being kind to you down in the canaries. It's dreadful here at home today. The temperatures which have been quite mild have disappeared and it's now rather windy and chilly. Winter must be on it's way!
Elaine (aurorabore)
Looks as if Alaska will be too expensive. V. disappointing.
Wish I was in Canaries. Weather truly dreadful here today. The cats haven't bothered even to put their noses outside!!
Regards to all Judith
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