June 10, 2010: We began our 14 night vacation by flying to Seattle, as it saved us $300 versus flying to Vancouver, even after we paid for the Amtrak tickets for the scenic rail trip up the coast the following morning. (Be aware that the only true train trip is the 7:30 AM departure; the rest of the timetable says Amtrak, but they are really buses, which can have lengthy delays at the border.) We stayed at Ramada Inn Downtown, and as we only had to sleep there, couldn't have asked for more: a spotless room, comfy bed, cheap rate through hotels.com, and a great view of the needle.

Next morning, we took our first of 4 awesome train rides. From Vancouver's Amtrak, we took subway to Fairmont Waterfront hotel, an absolutely beautiful hotel, with a lot of richness, great pool and views, and right across the street from Canada Place.

We walked several of Vancouver's neighborhoods and really enjoyed ourselves. We ate alfresco in the evening and swam in the pool and enjoyed the whirlpool, all on a rooftop terrace. The next morning, June12, we awoke to see our ship, Coral Princess, out our window; we walked across the street with our luggage around 11 and boarded within 30 minutes; had lunch on board and explored the ship for awhile. We had upgraded to a mini-suite and really enjoyed the extra space, the balcony and the full bathtub-really, really nice. Our steward brought us champagne, and put balloons up at our door, as we were celebrating my retirement. Read more