WELCOME TO LOS ANGELES - FINAL THOUGHTS - END OF THE LINE

Wonderful Dinner In The Crystal Dining Room ✔  Our Best Ever World Cruise Adventure  ✔  Final Thoughts  ✔


We have had over 41,000 visitors to this site since we first posted in December of last year.


We closed out a wonderful World Cruise adventure and journey on our last evening on the ship, starting with dinner in the Crystal Dining Room.


Before dinner we attend the variety show.  We sat with friends Bob and Glo. There were five acts and we enjoyed each of them.  The Crystal Dancers and Singers were one of the acts singing their traditional song to mark the end of the cruise; "Time To Say Goodbye".  Of course in our minds it is "Until We Meet Again."


Afterwards, we went to dinner in the Crystal Dining Room.  When we were seated, our Senior Waiter said "welcome to the last supper".  


We had pre-ordered a few items with Headwaiter, Augusto, as well as ordered some items from the menu.


We began the meal with salad.  For our next course we had Eggplant Parmigiana that Augusto made for us.  It was simply delicious but we ate less than half of it as it could have been an entree rather than an appetizer.

For our entree we had Veal Scallopini that Augusto also made for us.  This was also great and it was nice and light, especially in comparison to the Eggplant.

We each also had a dessert.  We gave our very best to the entire team including Maitre d' Leo, Headwaiter Augusto, Senior Waiter Salvatore and Waiter Marina as well as some of the other Crystal Dining Room Staff.   They took perfect care of us for the entire World Cruise.


After dinner, we attended the 2012 World Cruise Countdown.  This was held in the Crystal Plaza where the evening kickoff, including balloon and confetti drop was held to mark the kickoff of the World Cruise.  It was also the location where we celebrated New Years Eve and welcomed in the start of 2012.  This event was hosted by Captain Glenn Edvardsen, Cruise Director Rick Spath, and World Cruise Hostess Elise Ivy.  It also featured a Jam by The Galaxy Orchestra and Friends.


The event began with music and dancing and it provided a nice opportunity to talk with so many of our fellow guests and with so many members from the Crystal Crew.  We thanked Captain Glenn, Cruise Director Rick, Hotel Director Josef, and World Cruise Hostess Elise for  for making this an extraordinary adventure for us and for setting.  It has been a pleasure to sail with such professionals and all around good people.  We spoke with other members of the crew including on board booking consultant Nikki, both the Chief Concierge and the Concierge and too many others to name.  Likewise, we gave hugs to many of the guests we have come to know so well.


The Crystal Cove was filled with guests and so was the floor right above us.   


Cruise Director Rick kicked things off.

There was some singing.

We were standing just a few feet from the Captain, Rick and Elise.

Before not too long the Balloons and the Confetti Came Down.

After the countdown we wished many friends safe travels and all the best and then we went back to our room.  On our bed was a copy of the World Cruise 2012 Video that we saw earlier in the day.  We look forward to showing it to our family and friends and it will allow us to relive the World Cruise for years to come.


We placed the final items in our luggage and to then placed each piece outside our door.  


During this last leg of the World Cruise we sailed from Osaka, Japan to Los Angeles, California with a total distance of 6,368 nautical miles or the equivalent of 7,323 land miles.  There is no question that our visits to Alaska, sailing Glacier Bay and our visit to San Francisco were major highlights not only of this leg of the World Cruise but some of the most memorably highlights from this adventure.


We slept well for the final time of this journey.


Unlike all other days, when we woke up there was no exercise and fitness center.  Keith did stop by to the Lido Cafe for coffee and spoke for the final time of this adventure to Lido Deck Stewards, Nat, Alvin and Martin.  He brought some coffee back to the room for Anne Marie.


We then got ready for breakfast and then got ready to depart our room for the final time.   Rao set up our breakfast for the final time of this adventure and as we mentioned we changed things up for breakfast.  Keith had smoked salmon and a bagel and Anne Marie had pancakes.

We met in the Hollywood Theatre at 8:00 AM (15 minutes before the departure time as requested) with the other guests who had the same designated ship departure time as we did.  We departed the ship at around 8:15 PM with a few other guests including Friends Bob and Glo.  Melanie, one of the two concierges walked us to an escalator where we took it down to the other level.  We were greeted by a Crystal representative and with the help of a porter we went to the area where our luggage was mainly grouped together and between some ladies helping find the luggage and the porter we easily had collected our pieces in no time.  We exchanged hugs with friends Bob and Glo.  We will miss them dearly.


Since we had already cleared customs in San Francisco we just had to walk through one area where there were about four customs officials who potentially might spot check some luggage.  We were sending our luggage home with Luggage Concierge and two of their executives saw Keith and immediately recognized us and greeted us by name.  All we had to do was to go outside the terminal, turn to our right and there were several Luggage Concierge Representatives by a truck to collect our luggage except for our carry-on pieces.


Once outside we said goodbyes to James and Daniel (Manager and Assistant Manager of Shore Excursions, and then a Crystal representative took us to our waiting car.  
We were in the first group taken off the ship at approximately 8:30 AM.  We shipped all of our luggage home other than carry-on items so when we arrived to the pier we claimed our luggage and then handed it over to the company, Luggage Concierge, that is shipping our luggage to our home.  As part of the World Cruise Crystal Cruises arranged for a car to take us to the airport and then one to take us home from our home airport as they did when we began the journey so once outside the cruise ship terminal Crystal personnel assisted us into the car for the drive over to Los Angeles (LAX) airport.  As we were getting read to get into the car who do we see but Cruise Director Rick Spath who we each exchanged hugs with.


Everything had worked like clockwork and we arrived to LAX Airport by 8:45 AM, thirty minutes after walking off the ship.  That was certainly record time and we did benefit from it being a Saturday morning.


Our flight home left LAX about thirty minutes late but we recovered some of the time so we only arrived about fifteen minutes late.  Over the next few days we will get settled in at home and look forward to having our daughter, son-in-law, grand baby, son, daughter-in-law and new dog Kylie out to the house next weekend.


With the conclusion of this voyage we have now sailed to 205 unique ports of call, and visited 76 different countries over the course of 59 voyages.  We have sailed for the equivalent of more than two years.


For us this has been the best World Cruise yet and each time it gets better.  


We thoroughly enjoyed the itinerary, the people we met on land, along with the overall cruising experience.  The service, food, entertainment, enrichment and other related activities were better than ever and we enjoyed sharing this with so many wonderful people we met who were on for one leg, multiple legs, or this entire journey.  We have truly made many memories that will last a lifetime.


While Keith traveled extensively for business, and we both traveled together for pleasure, we have grown immeasurably from each of the World Cruises we have taken and the overall collective experience.


This has taken place not only from all of the places we have visited around the world on these adventures, but also from all of our experiences on the ship whether that was our interactions with fellow guests and crew or all of the enrichment and entertainment and other on board activities that we have been a part of.  


Seeing so many places in the world makes us realize how beautiful and special the world is but also makes us appreciate our own home that much more.


This is indeed a wonderful world. As we leave port a tradition of Crystal Cruises is to play the song What A Wonderful World with Louis Armstrong.

We hope that you have felt part of this journey through this Blog.

Until next time.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY........

"Twenty Years From Now You Will Be More Disappointed By The Things That You Didn't Do Than By The Ones You Did Do. So Throw Off The Bowlines. Sail Away From The Safe Harbor. Catch The Trade Winds In Your Sails. Explore, Dream, Discover." - Mark Twain

"If you want to have a great time you will and if you want to have a bad time you will". - Captain Glenn Edvardsen

"Travel allows us to see first hand the many wonders of the world and to create memories that will last a lifetime." Keith and Anne Marie

Keith and Anne Marie