Boarding Regatta, Leaving Vancouver

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We were up early this morning worrying about Mom & Matt facing Hurricane Irma in FL. It turned out OK as the predicted storm surge did not happen. The storm was a direct hit on Bonita Springs, but it weakened quickly and did not produce the predicted flooding. It is still a mess but it could have been so much worse.

We got our first really nice weather today. It was about 70F and partly cloudy. Visibility was much improved as well today and we could see clearly across the harbor most of the day.

We called for service and got our 2 checked bags removed to be taken to Regatta before breakfast. They were waiting outside our 7051 cabin when we arrived after 1:30pm. That couldn't have been more convenient. Not so for the rest of the experience. We had decided to board after 12 noon as our documents instructed. Thinking we'd go back out between 3 and 6pm to get Clay's happy hour at Chewie's Oyster Bar if it did not conflict with the life boat drill. So after breakfast, we set off through Gastown to Chinatown to tour the Chinese Garden. I am not too sure about it. I didn't love it and found the guided tour more tedious than informative. I think I'd have been as happy just visiting the public park half with the house tour. Oh well. We got back to the Pan Pacific about 12:15pm and by 12:30pm we were checked out. At 8am this morning, there was a line of O passengers through the lobby entered a ballroom that was designated for checking in O passengers between 8am and noon. I can't imagine why anyone would want to check in that early. Our Concierge cabin was not promised to be ready before 1:30pm and normal cabins not until 3pm. They had shut down the lobby operation after noon. We were sent downstairs and to the far side and back of the building. Finally we found Regatta's check in room. Once quickly through that process we were sent into a giant room with zigzaging roped off paths with thousands of people. They mixed all 3 boarding cruise ships through one security clearance area followed by the same process through US Customs and Border Control. We thought it looked like in transit passengers were only by passing the line at security as we got tracked to their screening line, then they queued with all the rest for US Customs and Border Control. I asked the BP guy who was directing people there if we left the ship after boarding if we had to go through all this again to get back aboard and he said yes, that we'd be crazy to go back out and his advice was to stay on the ship. So, today there was no adventage to being on a ship with 600 or so passengers if there are another 5000 or so in line with you! We'd have boarded much later and made better use of our last day in Vancouver if we'd known. So, it was about quarter of 2pm by the time we got onboard and we had to insist we go directly to our cabin instead of being directed to the lunch buffet. Our room was ready and our luggage was outside the door so that was the upside of the hour plus it took us to get aboard. We did go to the lunch buffet. We drank our welcome champagne on the balcony as we waited for the 5:15pm life boat drill. All aboard was 7:30pm. Sailaway was scheduled for 8pm but we were away about 7:40pm. By 8pm we had sailed under the bridge to leave the harbor of Vancouver.

So far we are dismayed by the little differences between the Sirena and the Regatta. We had expected them to be more alike than different. We really still like Marina best of the Oceania fleet we've tried so far. Tomorrow is a sea day.

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