2012 Spirit of the West Cruise Diary and Photos

We're starting the count down, and we've started our cruise diary for 2012 - enjoy!

Below is some information on where the 2012 Spirit of the West Cruise is going.
We hope you enjoy the following diary of our trip as we head to Hawaii. See the map below (or scroll down).

We will sail on the Golden Princess - here's what she looks like on the outside.

Below you'll find our basic itinerary and a map of where we are traveling. Go to the Itinerary below (or scroll down).

Diary, Spirit of the West Cruise, 2012

You can also see a diary on our support crew, Mark and Kathy McMillan's, web site at www.meadowsprings.com.
The diary and photos on their web site will be different than the ones on this page.

The following photos will all enlarge if you click on them.

January 2nd & 3rd

1. Entering LAX
2. Spencer - check this one out - there's a guy steering the back axle ...
3. first glass of wine by the pool
4. dinner at the Airport Marriott
5. a misplaced cowboy ?
6. B & H with Kathy's Aunt in Santa Monica

January 3rd & 4th

1. This beach looked like it might go all the way to Canada
2. Billie & Hugh on their way back from the pier in Santa Monica
3. Hugh welcomes everyone at the welcoming reception
   Photos Left to Right
4. Ed, Eva, John, & Irene Romaniuk
5. Renate & Bruce Logan and Colleen & Bob Gowans
6. Mark and Patsy Borle

January 4th

1. Charlotte and Richard Preston
2. Terri Mason
3. Karen and Jim Bell
4. Anne Ayers, Irene and Peter Golinowski
5. A beautiful sunset as we pull away from LA
6. Maddie and Kathy Sagert

January 4th & 5th

1. Lance and Lori Dyke
2. Shorty and Sandy Schumacher's 49th anniversary
3. Look what Billie found ...
4. A pretty good turn out for our first conference session
5. Marion Hoffman telling us about Hoffman's minerals
6. Jim trying to get his Nikon to focus :-)

January 6th

1. Jim doing a presentation on cruises, which included a video that Hugh made, and the annoucement of where the 2013 Spirit of the West Cruise will be going. It will be a ten day Southern Caribbean cruise on the Emerald Princess from January 15th to January 26th, 2013. It will include a private group tour to Trunk Bay on the Island of St Johns.

January 7th

1. A little rough for some, but still a whole lot of R & R
2. Even the Galley had a warning ...
3. The meals have all been super ... really nice to have our own section
4. Larry and Linda Morrill from our sponsor, Morand Industries (their 6th cruise)
5. Peggy and Bob Robinson (their 7th cruise)
6. Another part of our section in the dining room

January 7th

1. Bud and Vivian Davies
2. Happy Birthday Lance
3. The Spirit of the West Band
4. Mark with ship staff trying to get a sound system working
5. A super turn out for a great sing-a-long
6. Leo Dumont taking a turn singing

January 7th

1. Everyone gathering for the group photo (see January 13th)
2. Try and get 110 people in place at the same time
3. Jasmyn Bibby, Maddie and Kathy Sagert
4. Hugh & Billie with Eva and Ed Romaniuk
5. Lorne and Bev Reay with Billie and Hugh
6. Joan and Everett Patterson

January 7th

1. Terri Mason and Fern Kornelson
2. Lining up for our own private galley tour
3. The chef never saw so many burgundy tee-shirts
4. Our favourite chef - the pastry chef
5. Thought this guy might join the next jam session
6. Mark Borle taking in some of the first sun we've seen

January 8th

1. Karen bought a new hat and was looking around ...
2. for Vern Elliott to help her shape it
3. Hugh and Billie enjoying a really nice warm pool
4. Jim doing a super presentation on the Parker Ranch
5. Shorty and Sandy Schumacher
6. David and Maxine McLeod with Billie and Hugh

January 9th

1. Everyone gathering in the Atrium to disembark at Hilo
2. One of two buses heading to the Parker Ranch
3. The Parker Ranch mall and store in Waimea
4. Hugh interviewing Keoki Wood (cattle operations manager)
5. The Parker Ranch Pukalani Stables
6. Nope no fire - that's the BBQs and our lunch!

January 9th

1. Everyone getting fed up ... and it was good!
2. Keoki Wood talking about their cattle operation - a great talk
3. Anthony Roberts from the Paniolo Preservation Society
4. Dr Billy Bergin, a retired vet, spoke of cattle health and feed
5. He seemed pleased to receive a copy of Canadian Cowboy Country magazine
6. Where in the World is CCC ? ... and it's editor?

January 9th

1. Wish we had grass like this at home ...
2. Hugh interviewing Billy Bergin
3. Everyone got their horse and cattle fix
4. Some really nice landscape and just a tiny part of the Parker Ranch
5. Loading up on Jack's Tours to head back to the Golden Princess
6. Billie showing off her new Parker Ranch dress

January 11th

1. Our TV star - Bev Reay in the Ukulele class (centre on the TV)
2. Trolley Market - Hugh, Billie, and Kathy watching the model train
3. A short walk to a hotel with this spectacular pool
4. and a great lunch - served in the grass baskets
5. Hugh catches Mark taking their photo, on his new Camcorder
6. Across one path a super beach ... we're at Nawiliwili

January 11th

1. We arrived to find Jim and Karen soaking up the sun
2. so we joined them ... Karen, Jim, Billie, Hugh, and Kathy
3. we saw this in the distance and wondered what it was ...
4. and then Hugh appeared in his mask and snorkel.
5. These cruisers have been on between 5 and 9 Spirit of the West cruises
6. Don and Betty Petersen (5), Ed (back) and Diane (front) Peake (8), Bev and Lorne Reay (9), Karen and Jim, Peggy and Bob Robinson (7), and Hugh and Billie.

January 12th

1. The sunrise as we enter Lahaina Bay on Maui
2. The whales were playing right behind the ship at breakfast time
3. A Banyan Tree that is just huge!
4. Betty and Don Petersen touring Lahaina on foot.
5. Lots and lots of stores here if you wanted shopping.
6. The ship in the background and the tenders at the dock - last day on land for a while

January 13th

1. We got a copy of the group photo today - an 8 X 10 in our mail box (thanks Karen and Jim)

January 13th

1. Photo shoot with Billie and Hugh ... Peter Golinowski and Ann Ayers
2. John and Irene Romaniuk figure we should do something special for Ukrainian New Years
3. Brian and Pat Birchall
4. Brian and Rhonda Roberts
5. Ken and Arlene Guzda
6. Ed and Eva Romaniuk

January 13th & 14th

1. Larry and Linda Morrill - Sponsor Morand Industries
2. Richard Preston signs on the dotted line to join us in the Caribbean in 2013!
3. Happy Hour, formal night, at Billie and Hugh's - seems to be a nightly event :-)
4. Fern Kornelson and Reg Evans on their way to dinner.
5. Billie and Hugh stop for a photo shoot with Srdjan (photographer) after dinner
6. Lynn and Bill Craig at an impromptu jam session that Ed Peake put together

January 14th

1. "Did someone say jam session?" ... where ?
2. Hugh, Dave Gibson, Ed Peake and Marg Gibson
3. Ed found this great little corner outside the Princess Theatre that worked great
4. for a jam - there was no notice but folks started to show up quickly!
5. Happy hour on Sponsor appreciation night with the Hoffmans and the Morrills
6. The sponsor appreciation dinner at Sabatini's - thanks Jim!

January 16th

1. They say you win on the way, and they take it back on the way home ... Jim would agree
2. Oh no ... Billie and Kathy found another jewelry sale ...
3. I like these - what do you think Kathy?
4. Hugh collecting stories from Marian Hoffman.
5. and more stories from Jim Simpson
6. The last pool side jam session ... a cold night but still fun!

January 17th

1. Hugh tries to get an interview from this very uncooperative Vaquero
2. The farewell reception was up on the Skywalkers Lounge - beautiful views.
3. Billie draws the first name - for a Morand Industries gift certificate
4. and the winner is ... Shirley Bryant !!
5. and second Morand Industries gift certificate ...
6. goes to .... Mary Hansen!! Thanks Linda and Larry!

January 17th

1. Terri Mason was the first name drawn for some Hoffman's Horse Minerals.
2. Mary Bodnaruk was second but donated it back to draw again - thanks Mary!
3. then we had Sherry Simpson
4. and Louise Velichka
5. and Dave Gibson
6. and Shirley Ellis. Thanks Marian and Lorne!

January 17th

The following all won $100 vouchures from Cruise Vacations towards a future cruise ...
1. Colleen Gowans
2. Brian Birchall
3. Fern Cornelson
4. and Harold Therriault ... Thanks Jim and Karen!
5. Irene Romaniuk won the Spirit of the West vest!!
6. The last photo is from the reception looking out at Ensenada, Mexico as we pull into the harbour.

January 17th

1. "Senorita, I have been waiting all day in the cold for you to buy something ..."
2. Some pretty cool Longhorn skulls.
3. Enjoying a sunset as we prepare to board one final time :-(
4. Bev Reay, front and centre at the final show in the Princess Theatre
5. Fern, Bev, and Terri were all part of the passenger talent show on the final night as
6. they had all been part of the Ukulele classes on the ship. In the morning we dock in LA and back to reality ...

January 18th we docked in LA at about 7:00am and disembarked at about 8:30. All in all a very enjoyable and relaxing cruise with a ton of compliments from a lot of happy people! There were numerous folks in our group that have already said that they'll be joining us next year. It'll be the 12th Annual Spirit of the West Cruise! We'll be aboard the Emerald Princess as it sails from Ft Lauderdale to visit six different exotic Caribbean islands from January 15th to 26th, 2013. See the details on the Cruise page.

Our Itinerary!         Top of Page

3 prior

• January 1st - Happy New Year everyone!

2 prior

• January 2nd - Early morning we head to the airport - 7:00 am flight to Calgary, change planes and fly to LA - arrive at noon and check in to Airport Marriott.

1 prior

• January 3rd - We get an extra day in LA ... laze around the Airport Marriott and start holiday mode!

Day 1

• January 4th Spend the day in LA and board the Golden Princess between 1:00 pm and 3:00pm. We sail at 4:00pm. 4:15 to 5:15pm is the Spirit of the West Welcome Reception in the Explorers Lounge.

Day 2

• January 5th First day at sea. 9:00 to 10:00am meeting in Vista Lounge - Hoffman's Horse Ration and Jim Bell World Wide Cruise Vacations presentations and past passenger awards. 9:00 to 10:00pm first group sing-a-long under the stars.

Day 3

• January 6th Second day at sea. 9:00 to 10:00am meeting in Vista Lounge - Larry Morrill of Morand Industries, and Jim Bell, Parker Ranch presentations.

Day 4

• January 7th Third day at sea. Pool day!!

Day 5

• January 8th Forth day at sea. Another pool day!! 9:00 to 10:00pm second group sing-a-long under the stars.

Day 6

• January 9th Arrive Hilo, Hawaii at 9:00am. Spirit of the West private tour to the Parker Ranch.

Day 7

• January 10th Arrive Honolulu, Hawaii at 7:00am. Beach day ... or excursions. Set sail 11:00pm.

Day 8

• January 11th Arrive Kauai, Hawaii at 8:00am. Beach day ... or excursions. Set sail 5:00pm.

Day 9

• January 12th Arrive Maui, Hawaii at 7:00am. Beach day ... or excursions. Set sail 6:00pm.

Day 10

• January 13th At sea - 9:00 to 10:00pm group gathering.

Day 11

• January 14th At sea. Pool day!

Day 12

• January 15th At sea. Pool day!

Day 13

• January 16th At sea. Pool day! 9:00 to 10:00pm group sing-a-long under the stars.

Day 14

• January 17th Arrive Ensenada, Mexico 4:00pm. 3:30 to 4:30pm farewell reception. Set sail 8:00pm.

Day 15

• January 18th Arrive LA 7:00am. Disembark Golden Princess and head to airport. Fly LA (1:00pm) - Calgary - Kamloops (arrive 8:00pm)

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Here's a route map showing all six of our stops.
The number on the map refers to the day in the itinerary. Click to enlarge.

14 days to Hawaii and back!

click to enlarge

2012 Spirit of the West Tee-shirt

click to enlarge

You can also see a diary on our support crew, Mark and Kathy McMillan's, web site
at www.meadowsprings.com. The diary and photos on their web site will be different than the ones on this page.

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