Commodore Burgoine pictured with Catharine Hooper, Inchcape Shipping Services, San Francisco exchanging plaques on our Maiden Call. Catharine worked for P&O Cruises and Princess Cruises for 15 years managing the POSH Seafarers Club as well as having been the building coordinator for the 'original' Royal Princess, now known as Artemis. Catharine works as a Maritime Consultant looking after passenger vessels calling in primarily US ports.
Kaitlin Ortega, on behalf of San Francisco Exchange.
James Callahan, President & CEO of NAUTILUS International Holding Corporation.
Michael Nerney, Maritime Marketing Manager - Port of San Francisco. 
We are have a chat after attending the Plaque exchange - Chief Engineer David Jewkes - not often we see the Chief in 'full blues' uniform!
Restaurant Manager Jan Bacon and her team are ready to welcome our guests for Lunch.
Do you recognise anyone? Jan and her Meridian Team of Waiters.
Nothing like a stroll around the decks as the ship sails out of port. 
The Golden Gate Bridge. 
The Golden Gate Bridge with Fisherman's Wharf in the foreground.
San Francisco Bay Bridge. This is just how I like my Christmas Lights to hang!
The Tower with the pointy top is The Transamerica Tower which is an iconic building.
San Francisco a City of seven hills - just like Rome in Italy.
Alcatraz Island formerly a Federal Penitentiary, now part of the US Park Service and one of the most popular Shore Excursion we offer on board.
Fisherman's Wharf - where the City never sleeps..........
Meet Ione and John Bantly who were working on the 'Meet and Greet' team at Pier 35. They have done a lot of cruising with Princess Cruises and P&O Cruises and wish to say Hi to Doctor Grant Tarling and Passenger Services Director with Princess Cruises - Martin Ford and his wife Louise.We are now on day 4 of our sea crossing to Honolulu, following the telephone and power cables which run from the Californian Coast across the Pacific. We have 325 nautical miles left to reach Honolulu. The outside air temp is 21/70 degrees F. We will make landfall around 0430 hours on the 6th February. The sea has calmed down today for comfortable cruising conditions.
That's it for San Francisco until the next time.....haste ye back!
Best wishes,
James.
Everything you can imagine is real.
Pablo Picasso
Posts
15 comments:
Hi James
Breakfast on a Saturday morning. Well I was so annoyed yesterday James. My ISP decided to have problems and I couldn't get on the internet. I think I must be addicted to the net, cause I was getting quite upset ;-0) Maybe I need to be admitted to a love of cyber clinic - Lol ;-0)
DD rang home about 1.30pm her time on San Francisco time, to say she was in the office waiting for the go ahead to go ashore. She said she'd only just got through immigration and there were some still waiting to be inspected as she left. I always remember doing US immigration inspections on QM2. It was a very early start! And as usual people just don't do as they are supposed to do they!! Certain decks were supposed to go at certain times, but the size of the queue I reckon they'd taken no notice. All I remember was how much of a pain in the backside it was, and if I were actually a US citizen I'd be even more annoyed having to go through all that to get back into my own country! I do think we can be accused of being very relaxed with our immigration, but the US seem to be very thorough. Don't know which is worse! One thing I should add though is we'd already done immigration a few days earlier actually in New York. But because we'd gone to Canada (shock horror) and was coming back to New York we had to go through it all again. They don't take kindly to our English humour either do they??!! ;-0) Actually it kind of puts me off wanting to go the US. When DD and SD (it's a joke thing between me and Nicole - she says I'm her English stepmum), went to Las Vegas on their last break, the US couldn't understand why a Brit was travelling with an Aussie! And then when they got home we had to wait for Nicole to come through immigration. Thankfully she wasn't too long.
Anyway, to your photos now. I thought it was cold in San Francisco at this time of year. It's odd because in some of the photos there are people in big coats and then some in jumpers/fleeces.
I loved the pictures of the sea lions, basking on the jetty. Beautiful creatures aren't they?
Your comment on the Wells Fargo Bank sign made me titter to myself this morning James. You tell em!!
Say hello to the commodore for me and I hope he has a safe journey home. Is he spending a few days in Honolulu?? Given half the chance I would ;-0)
Well better get by backside to the gym! I reckon I've put more weight on since getting home than whilst I was away. All that walking around on Arcadia is excersize in itself! It's a long walk from the aft to the bow!
I keep looking in the brochure James for a cruise in the summer. I'm sure I can persuade Tom to go on one. I've already checked out his holiday entitlement ;-0) Got some days left after our Xmas cruises have been taken off (his holiday year goes Jan 1st to Dec 31st). Because Xmas 2010 is on a weekend there are a lot of extra bank holidays. I can't go a whole year without my summer sunshine fix ;-0) Where are you off to next James after your next break?
Off to read your latest blog entry (I am going to copy and paste this reply there just in case you don't see this one) and no doubt add a little more to it!!
Bye for now and enjoy Honolulu today.
Best Wishes
Elaine (aurorabore)
Sorry James my PS made my comment go over the characters allowed, so I've separated the two messages.
PS - David and yourself look very smart in your "full blues". It's nice to see Jan too. When did Jan come onboard?
I love the night time photos of San Francisco. It looks very pretty. San Francisco is one of the ports of call isn't it on Arcadia's Alaskan voyage? Oh I wish we were in a position to do that cruise. But as you know Tom is a long way off retirement age, so the most we can do is a the 3 weeks at christmas in one holiday!
It's nice to see the guys from the restaurant. I like their wide smiles. And yes some of the faces in the photo do look familiar. I've said it before. One of the reasons I always look forward to coming on a cruise is seeing the familiar crew, who always make me feel like I am coming home (all be it my holiday home)!! ;-0)
Well that gym is definitely calling me James. Enjoy your day today. Keep an eye out for the inspectors! they may just turn up today! I guess it keeps you on your toes ;-0)
Bye for now (again)
Elaine
Hey, Norma should have got my word verification today - it's her husband's name - Lol
I am sure I recognise the waiter fourth from the left. I am going to look at our photos and menus that Iam sure he signed.
Sharon L (waiting patiently to join in Hong Kong.)
San Francisco looks even nicer at night with all the lights twinkling. There's something about US cities - so exiting - I love 'em.
Well by now you must be in Hawaii - lucky you. Hope you get to ride a wave or two.
Thanks for all the pics and comments - we all wait (not so) patiently for each entry.
Gill
Once again your pictures bring back "I've stood right there" memories! We certainly enjoyed our stop in San Francisco. Looking forward to Hawaii pics too. Regards to all Judith
Hi James,
Just a quick note, on the 6.2.09 my wife and i joined Arcadia in Singapore, and now it is the 7.2.10 it is a year until we join Artemis in HK.counting down the sleeps.
Off to work soon so just a quick note, we are off to see Cliff Richard and the Shadows tonight, so looking forward to that after a days work.
Regards to all on Arcadia, cant see many of the pictures as my computer is still loading most of them, what i have seen are brilliant as usual.
Geoff Witts Perth
Hi Geoff Witts Perth
Hope you had a fabulous time at the Cliff Richard and the Shadows concert, I went to see it in Birmingham last October fantastic show.
Keep up the good work James really enjoying your blog and the photos are excellent feel like I am there with you, only wish I were!! We have nothing booked "YET" until Christmas on Artemis, keep hoping.
Ros
Hello
San Francisco, a place we have always wanted to visited the photo's are really great. Cant wait until April 2011!!
Good to see Jan Bacon looking so well, it's ages since we cruised with her last. Also good to see the 'men in white' and waiter 2nd left in the photo.
Looking very smart in your winter uniform James.
Judith and Colin Atkins
Hi Ros,
Just got home from the concert, absolutely brilliant, for someone who is 69 years old, he is still very fit, and Hank Marvin what a great guitarist he is,I don't know if you know but Hank lives here in Perth,he came into where i used to work a few years ago a couple of times. He is a very nice person to talk with, and he did not mind giving me his Autograph. They finish up in Johannesburg on the 14th of March.They have not toured together in Perth since 1961.
Regards Geoff.
Hi James
From all at Roslayde.......
We missed your lights hanging from tree to tree in perfection this year. Hopefully you will be in Co Antrim next Christmas in competition to Co Londonderry!!
We very much enjoy your Blog -
You do work!
HI James,
Just looked at the webcam, the skies look overcast, hopefully it will get better as you head towards OZ,just looked at the itinerary and on the 28th of February you are in the Whitsundays,(New Zealand)Thought i would let you know but they are part of our great land here in Australia.
Looking forward to the update from Xmas Island on the 9th.
Do you know if Tower records are still in San Francisco, they were one of the biggest record shop i and most of the crew have been in.
regards Geoff Witts Perth
Hi Geoff
Sounds like you had a wonderful evening with Cliff. I like his songs and went to see him many years ago at Wembley. My friend goes to see him everytime. She's a big Cliff fan and has been since we were young - and we were young in the 70's, so my favourites were David Cassidy and Donny Osmond ;-0) Still are if I'm honest.
There used to be (not sure if there still is) a tower records up in London right in the middle of Piccadilly there! Not sure if they are the same group as the ones in the US. They did used to specialise in US imports from what I remember, so possibly were owned by the same company, but doubt they are now.
Well once again I have to report that it is snowing outside - not cold enough to settle, for now - fortunately.
Have a nice day! I think I'll stay indoors (again)!
Hi Elaine,
Hope you got all that ironing done - I was wondering if you can iron and blog at the same time?
Anyhow to answer your question my next tour of duty will be on the OCEANA from the 10.07.2010 to 25.10.2010. so hopefully I will see you on board?
Best wishes to you and Tom,
James.
Ian and Co,
HR have told me I will be home for Christmas 2010 so you had better get your lighs sorted now - as I do believe in competition - and you know how fond I am of my Christmas lights!!!!
Best wishes to all at Roslayde,
James.
Judith and Colin,
It is just not the same without you both walking the Prom Deck in the mornings - keeping fit - I miss your laughter and friendly smiles. You will be pleased to know that we have Choirs at Sea going on this RWC......I played for Captain Walters at morning service today and we had a full house.
Hope to see you soon,
James.
Post a Comment