OUR SIXTH REUNION CRUISE

GRIDLEY59 CRUISE
For Fall 2024

What Princess calls a
Classic California coastal
 

The group of those in our class who line in/near Gridley and make up what we can refer to as the directing body have determined from the ballots returned to them, as well as from what is available and when it is available (cruises have 'seasons' due to weather, etc. ) that our next cruise will be the Princess Classic California Coastal. We won't discover any lost natives but we will have one heck of a great time. That is what reunions and cruising is all about. The Ruby Princess is the ship which sails that particular itinerary.

This is Ruby’s Sister Ship, the Sapphire Princess
 standing at anchor in Alaska

"Sister Ships" are extremely close to being twins... or triplets. Most laypersons cannot tell by looking the difference in them, unless they can read the name painted on her bow. We have sailed on the Sapphire Princess several times, but this is my  first sailing on the Ruby. I cannot say the name "Ruby" without re-hearing Sammy Davis Jr.:

 "Do the name Ruby Begonia mean anything?"

Similar to our last cruise, the plan is to have a commercial bus (private) pick us all up at Frank and Shirley's home in Gridley. We all ride to the pier and step off at the ship. Stewards will be right there to take in baggage. We will have tags for you to identify the bags. It is strongly recommended that a tip of a buck a bag would be welcome at this time. We can hand them all of it at one time if that would be easier. Hint: An extra buck won't really get your bag delivered any faster. They are handling close to 8,000 bags in a few hours.

The bus will pick us up at the ship to take us home to Gridley. Our option is finding a parking garage in San Franciaco somewhere close enough to the pier that you  can get back, and that is multi-hundreds for those seven days. Or... your grandson can drive you down and drive the car back. And return when you get off the ship at... oh... some time or other. No one knows exactly the timing. LOL.

At the pier in San Francisco the evening we sailed

This image was taken from our balcony cabin on the ship, while in port, for one of our previous cruises. That lettering is lighted letters on top of the terminal building. It is looking to the Northwest, with one of the Golden  Gate's towers just about mid image (above R). Telegraph Hill is climbing up to the left.

If you are new to sailing, when we are in port, we are free to leave the ship and check out the town where the ship is docked. You just need to be sure and be back on board half an hour before we are scheduled to sail. The rent Ruby is paying to sit at the dock is VERY expensive and she needs to keep her schedule. Making it to the next port of call is normally not a problem... it is that rent thing. I recall Frank Stenzel sailing with Rosalee and I way back when, and he had to ask about our trip overnight from LA to Santa Catalina Island. Can't you just hear The Four Preps singing that? "Twenty-six miles across the sea... Santa Catalina is a'waitin' for me... Santa Catalina, the island of Romance...Romance... Romance... Romance."

If you take an excursion, there are private ones, and some may be cheaper, but if they don't get you back in time, you may find yourself hiking to the next port of call. Excursions signed up for on the ship or online through Princess guarantee your return on time... or the ship will wait.

Take the time to click on "REUNIONS" at the top of this page, then click on "57th Year-2016". It includes the California ports that we will be hitting on this cruise, and it will fill you in on a lot of what you have to look forward to. And do be sure to read the lovely comments at the end of that entry.

After we visit Ensenada, we bid farewell to the Southwest and make a full day’s run Northbound, heading into our berth in San Francisco on the morning of November 2nd. We will each be home for dinner that evening, unless we decide to stay ‘n play in San Francisco… since we’re there, already. It should be beautiful that time of the year. On some cruises we may catch Ensenada first, then work our way up the coast. You can check the itinerary to find out.

At the pier in San Francisco on a beautiful morning

This is looking south from the ship. This was early morning, the morning we returned. That is the Oakland - San Francisco Bay Bridge.

My favorite image of the whole trip is always when we return, which is usually before the sun is very high, or even in the sky yet. It is when we pass under the beautiful Golden Gate Bridge. I have sailed under 'the Gate' a good number of times, but this is the greatest image of it I have ever seen. It was taken by our own Groverlee Dahl on the morning we returned from our fourth cruise... I think. Maybe the third.

That is the moon up there that you see.

Does any of this stir your travel juices? This will be the fifth Class of ’59 Cruise, and each and every one of them have been wonderful experiences. Each and every member of the group has experienced a beautiful rapport and bonding with people they have ‘known’ their entire lives… without really knowing them. And, let’s be honest here… we all have changed. Proudly, most have changed for the good, right? Certainly.

We really hope that you are in a situation where you can join us, because we want to share this wonderful experience with our entire group.

You already know how few of us there are that are still able to do things like this, and no one can predict which cruise will be our last, but the only guarantee we have is that if you join us on this run, it will be the best we have ever had. Beautiful ship… beautiful, natural Southern California… and beautiful people. How can we miss with that? A really spiritually lifting personal experience.

Oh... by the way. We need a passport for this trip, because we visit Mexico... well, Ensenada. It must be good to six months past our trip, so good to April, 2025. Have you checked yours lately?

OK. Time for business. You will need details. There is time for all of that down the road but let me fill you in on the most prominent questions that you have at this time. You already know who… and you know where and when… but you are asking How Much.

You have a choice of five general classifications of cabin. Each cabin holds two people. A person who wishes to sail as a single will have to pay for both people that fit that cabin, so team up with a classmate, a friend, a family member… make it a wonderful experience with a grandchild.

I am currently sailing as a single, in a handicap cabin that welcomes wheelchairs. Anyone in a chair, or any single that wants to share with me, you are welcome.

Some cabins can support three or even four people, with #3 and #4 paying much less for their ticket. They add beds in the evening (while you are at dinner) that hang down, so it is mostly kids that would be doing that. They put the beds away when you are at breakfast… or out catching your fare for dinner.

A mini-suite cabin will have a folding couch/bed that is OK for a youngster, but it is not a Beauty Queen… the regular beds are wonderful, but that couch thing is questionable. Doable but questionable.

There are a few full suites that can sleep more adults (on real beds) as they will have several rooms. Pretty pricey of course.

The lowest prices are the Inside cabins. They have two singles or a double bed, whichever you prefer.  It has a ‘Head’ or bathroom with a wash basin, a toilet, and a shower. No, the toilet is not in the shower like small campers. You have a closet and some shelves, a small safe where you place any valuables and your passport, a small refrigerator, a TV, a phone, a hair dryer, a desk and chair, and no window.

Next step up is called an ‘Ocean-View’ cabin that is exactly the same as the Inside cabin except that it has a large window and you can enjoy the scenes as you cruise… and the whales… and the sea lions… and the icebergs. No, the last one that was hit was in 1912 or thereabouts. It was in all the papers. Not too much worry off Mexico, although that is a popular breeding ground for whales from Alaska certain parts of the year.

Step three is the same cabin but the window is a sliding glass door and there is a balcony onto which you can step out and enjoy real ocean air. Some balconies are larger… they all are as wide as the cabin but some reach out further. There are cabins below them… and above them. Take care with your sun tanning. They are not sticking out like a diving board. These are referred to as ‘Balcony’ cabins.

In some locations they move that balcony and glass door out a little further and add a second ‘room’ between the regular cabin we described above and the sliding glass wall. This is a ‘Mini-Suite’ and it has a larger ‘head’ or bathroom, a tub with a shower, the extra room of the extended floor space which holds a second TV and a couch/folding bed. It is not visually divided from the rest of the cabin, just a larger floor space.

And then there are the ‘Full Suites’. These are totally different. A living room and a bedroom, a tub and a walk-in shower not over the tub. Lots more room and extra perks.

You can choose the type of cabin you would like, knowing that as you go up the scale, the ticket price gets higher.

Also, if you select an ‘Ocean-view’ cabin for example, you can select one in the bow, in the mid-section, in the aft (rear), or half-way between each of these. But the Mid-section cabin will be more expensive than the same cabin located in Mid-forward, and even more so than those in the forward section. The same thing happens going from the mid-section to the mid-aft and then the aft. This is true of any type of cabin that you choose. Supposedly the ride is a little easier in the mid-section, but personally, we usually book mid-forward and never have felt it was a problem. The Dahl’s booked a cabin that actually looked out at the wake in the ocean that trailed behind us and found it to be fine.

The ticket… that is everything. You register your credit card in the terminal building and they will issue a card that will open your door, and it will serve as a credit card when you purchase anything from the ship’s stores, or alcoholic or soft drinks. The Ruby Princess will have the “Medallion” system working where they issue you a chip that you wear like a watch, and it does everything, including opening your door. No card to lose. That card… or medallion… is what allows you back onto the ship when you come back from a walk-off into town, so it is important.

The ticket… when you pay for the cruise, you are paying for your ride, your cabin, as many meals as you can manage to eat (they serve food 24/7 in more than a dozen restaurants). You will pay extra for soft and alcoholic drinks if you want them, and they have specialty coffees you can purchase. Regular coffee is always available free. If you want a spa treatment or a beauty salon appointment those will cost a fee. If you sign up for tours off the ship, those will cost you. And they have several “fancy” restaurants that specialize in certain things that will cost you $25 or so, which is very cheap, but the normal dining room meals are very nice and are free… I mean included with your ticket. There is free ice cream cones, free desserts in the buffet you can take to your cabin, free snacks, except you won’t feel like eating them. Don’t eat too much… it can become overwhelming. The top deck has a running track if that is needed, plus a whole gym full of exercise equipment. Or, just enjoy a leisurely walk on the Promenade Deck… deck seven.

The Ruby has several swimming pools, multiple hot tubs, an outdoor movie with a huge electronic screen the size of a drive-in movie screen. Remember those? A casino that operates when at sea, a gymnasium, a kid’s club with stuff, coin-operated laundry on each deck, stores with things you can buy, multiple theaters, stages, and small-group entertainment all over the ship.

Am I succeeding in talking you into at least considering joining us?

If you would like to experience the previous Gridley59 cruises, take a look at our Gridley59.com website and relive them. http://gridley59.com/01Reunions/Reunions.htm   Click on the 50^th, 55^th, 57^th, and 60^th.

If you would like to join Rosalee and me on the cruises that we have taken to Alaska, I am delighted to share those on our website: http://kr.gridley59.com/OurCruises/Cr%20OurCruises.htm 

On each trip we have taken, some of the classmates have had friends or relatives or neighbors join them, and we include them into our group and enjoy their company.

The only “requirement” that we ask… and of course you don’t have to do this, but we hope you do… we try to schedule the entire group to eat at a reserved section of tables for the evening meal only… all other meals are eat when, where, and with whom you desire. This gives us one time in the day when we can all connect, and it is the highlight of the cruise in the eyes of many. We have several tables assigned to us in one of the main dining rooms, and you sit at any of them, ending up with different classmates joining you at your table each evening. We invite your friends to be part of that, but we certainly don’t push them. As it is, they have all joined in, and it was great. Just be sure to have them sign up through Suzy as one of our group, and for each 8 cabins we fill, we get reimbursed for the cost of a single cruiser, and we use that to help defray part of that bus ride down to the pier and back. If you don't join us on that, you get a portion of our gain individually.

OK… I know… the price. They are expensive. No way around that. We have used an agent that has done the cruises for Rosalee and me many times, and she is able to get the best prices that anyone has been able to give us. We trust her completely. Her name is Suzy, and her business is … um… “Suzy Cruisy”. LOL. Each time we do this someone will send me a quote from the internet that is cheaper than Suzy can provide. That is because on the internet they quote an inside cabin, all the way forward, up at the highest deck they have cabins, it is the worst, cheapest cabin, and they only have maybe six of them on the ship. So please do not be fooled by internet ‘specials’. You absolutely get what you pay for, and definitely so when on a ship. Suzy’s quotes are for cabins in the mid-forward part of the ship. You can ask her for one of the less expensive, or you can ask her to place you closer to the center of the ship for a smoother ride. It is your option, and you can ask her opinion… she will be glad to work with you.

The ticket includes everything. It includes the price of the trip with all the meals and everything. It also includes tax, and things that are called ‘port fees’. Also, Suzy recommends you add insurance, which pays for your cruise ticket if your mom ends up in the hospital just before we sail, and you are not able to go. Also, there is no tipping on the ship, but the cruise line does ask for ‘gratuities’ up front. A bit goofy but that is how that industry does things. It is usually about $14 to $16 per person cruising, per day of the cruise. So, on a ten-day run, all of the tips are paid with $140 per occupant of a cabin… $280 for a couple sharing a cabin. If you tell Suzy right away, these gratuities are PAID for us by Princess. Hint!!!

Here we go:

An Inside cabin is $1960.93 for one… a couple would be $3921.86 total.

An Ocean-View cabin is $2392.93 for one… a couple would be $4785.86 total.

A Balcony Cabin is $2652.13 for one… a couple would be $5304.26 total.

A Mini-Suite is $2965.33 for one… a couple would be $5930.66 total.

Suzy did not send quotes for suites, but there are several available, and obviously they are more expensive than the Mini-Suites.

Bonus: There is a very rare sale going on at Princess, and if you tell Suzy that you want to be included… and send her a $200 (for the couple) deposit BEFORE FEBRUARY 28^TH, 2024… in the next six weeks Princess will book you at the above prices, BUT they will take care of the gratuities for you… AND they will give you the complete Drinks Package, which gives you free alcoholic drinks, free soft drinks, free specialty coffees, etc. That is worth more than $60 per person, per day. FREE! AND… they will give you free internet service. We normally pay for that BY THE MINUTE     … it is tough to get internet at sea. But… it is free if you say yes before 2/28/24.

So… if you think that you would like to join us on this trip, let me know. I will give you the paperwork and information you will need to have so you can sign up. It is that deposit now, and the big money does not have to be paid until much later… I can give you that date when we know it. The important thing now is to make the decision before 2/28/24 and get signed up with the deposit.

If you find later you cannot go, you can still back out up to when you pay the big money. After that, only emergencies will let you out, and then only if you have that insurance. It is worth it. It is already figured into those prices Suzy sent us up above.

If you decide much later to go with us, you still can, as long as they have any available cabins on the ship. I would not wait too long though as many cruises sell out early.

I do hope that you decide to join us. It is a lot of fun, and a memorable experience.

Let me know as soon as you know what you want to do, and I will send you what you need to get the ball rolling. Remember… next month… 28^th… deadline if you want the free drinks, free gratuities, and free web access.

Ken

Ken Smith

Ken.smith1@comcast.net

From your Class Committee