I was invited to tag along with my husband to have lunch on the Crystal Cruises, Symphony that was docked in San Francisco yesterday. We arrived there at 11:30 had a tour of the ship, complete with live chamber music in the lobby, and then sat down with our friends for a lite lunch. While I can appreciate the beauty of the ship, and our friend's photography business on it, I was once again reminded that I do NOT like cruising. The minute I stepped on board, I felt that familiar slightly off balance feeling. I don't understand why anyone would want a hotel cruising around on the ocean more than soaring above the clouds and unpacking on LAND. But to each his own.
Our friends LOVE to cruise and spend almost half the year on a boat cruising the oceans blue. They seem in their element while cruising on this ship. They are a husband and wife team that run a photography operation strictly for Crystal Cruises. They produce expensive photo albums, as well as high end portraits, and other family keepsakes for the the guests while they are at sea. Their business is an international one with an international staff. I must say that their work is incredible and that the ship is equally so.
Our lunch was on the Lido Deck overlooking the city of San Francisco, the Bay Bridge, and the Golden Gate, which the Symphony passes under during the beginning of their journey to Alaska. That must be a sight to behold! The views from the Lido Deck were spectacular, but being in the company of a photography company, it simply didn't feel right taking pictures of anything. Most noteworthy was the view of Alcatraz off the stern of the ship during our tour. It was difficult for me to keep my camera in my purse, and I regret that I didn't at least snap a pic of that, especially since my own family has some history there. My grandfather was a guard on Alcatraz when it was a working jail, and he used to ferry to work there and back again.
I think I have an affliction for riding those ferry boats, and I've made it a point to include the link for the one that leaves a couple of blocks away from Pier 35, where the Symphony was docked. There are several ferries that depart from SF, but you won't be headed for Alaska, with a stop at Vancouver on its way further north. The thing that makes the ferry trip so fun, is that you ride it one way, and you may stay at your final destination as long as you want. In my opinion, that's the cruise ship's downfall. Once it departs, the participants must follow the itinerary of the cruise line, and get on and off again on a schedule. It's also one of the things our friends complained about. There is not enough time to have an adventure on your own when you take a cruise. If you miss the boat, you're sunk!
Hardy would not give a paw up to taking a cruise either. In fact, he would not even want to place a paw on deck. Since he had such a sensitive stomach, he would have likely become seasick too. He never liked it when I used hand sanitizer either, something required as you board. Hardy was, however, allowed on those wonderful ferry boats, but I'm also disappointed to note, he didn't like riding on those very much either. It was simply too loud and windy on the car deck, the only deck where the four legged animals are allowed. That said, Hardy would leap with joy to go on an excursion to Sausalito on the Golden Gate Ferry. I'm confident that he would em-BARK with delight.
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