So, you’re going to Montego Bay

 May 20-21, 2022

So, you’re going to Montego Bay

Our COVID test results, both negative, hit my email about 11 pm Thursday night. I think that’s the last hurdle to get from here to there.

Online check in wasn’t available (Canada requires a special form on a special app that provides a special QR code) so we had to do it at the airport. The one time I used a kiosk was 15 years ago; I went to Paris but my luggage went to Chicago. Even though I know in my mind that the system has improved, if I have luggage I always check in with an actual person. When I got to the counter I told the agent, “Fisher to Montreal.” And after much fiddling and scanning of our passports he said, “So, you’re going to Montego Bay.” Uh, no. Montreal. More fiddling and scanning and looking at that special QR on my phone and then he cranked out the luggage tags. You better bet I inspected those v-e-r-y carefully for flight number and airport code.

No problems getting through immigration in Montreal. It’s all done on kiosks. (They’re taking over the world.) Luggage arrived, awful cab driver to our hotel but that was a delightful surprise. I booked it because it was across the street from the cruise terminal. Very small (33 rooms) and very quirky. The theme is Expo ‘67. Every room has different decor. We stayed in the Mayor’s room. Photos of the various mayors of Montreal through the years, a Jetson chair, an actual phonograph with a selection of vintage albums and a bright gold, rotary dial phone. Probably the cleanest room I’ve ever been in this side of an operating room!

Hotel Uville is in the Vieux Montreal, old city. Narrow, cobblestone streets packed with houses, shops, restaurants, and historic this and that. Very walkable. Lots of visitors poking around and natives jogging, biking or dog walking (it was the start of a 3-day week end. We never did figure out the holiday.) The hotel staff is young, personable, charming and bilingual. Except for the grumpy cab driver, everyone we encountered seemed to be young, personable, charming and bilingual.

At the front desk recommendation, we had dinner on the patio of a nearby bistro. You never know if you’re steered to a place because it’s owned by the desk clerk’s brother-in-law or said clerk gets a little something something or because it’s good. Lucky us, it was really good, emphasis on seafood. We had to try the Beignet Poisson if only because the menu translated it to Fish Donuts in English. I mean, how many times will you see Fish Donuts on a menu? They were quite delicious; donut shaped rings of potato and fish and who knows what else, fried and served with a zippy sauce. The evening was balmy, the patio was tucked behind the restaurant, walled off by very old buildings. Moules Frites, a glass of wine and Beignet Poisson. What else does one need?

Saturday morning, after breakfast was delivered in a clever basket (juice, coffe, muffins, yogurt and crepes with maple syrup and the now requisite bamboo silverware that sticks to your tongue) we walked the short distance between Hotel Uville and the Notre Dame Basillica to take in the acclaimed interior. Who knew tickets were only available on line? You could get them on your smart phone right there unless your name was Susan Fisher. In that case I spent 30 minutes trying to navigate the system before giving up. At least I wasn’t the only one to throw in the towel. We took pictures of the exterior and then walked across the street to a souvenir shop where everything seemed to be printed with either a maple leaf or “Eh?” Bought some silly stuff from the (all together now), young, personable, charming and bilingual clerk. I refuse to exchange US$ for Canadian, so any incidental expenses go on the Visa card. So far, so good.

I Googled directions to the ship from the hotel and was told to exit the hotel, turn right and walk 700 steps. Easiest transfer ever. We were earlier than our appointed check in time, but were waved through to submit the various papers, forms, tests. Lots of new people working. The Zaandam was the first HAL ship to dock in Montreal since 2019 so the staff was all bubbly and excited to be working again. 

HAL spent some bucks on the Zaandam during the two + year hiatus. We were last on this ship in Japan, August 2019. New furnishings, carpet, drapes everywhere. The on board crew is really excited to be back. They’ve all been “home” for two years. For people used to being away for months at a time, that was quite an abrupt change.

Another change: the ship is nearly paper free. They still deliver a printed “What’s Happening” schedule for every day and written confirmations of any special dining reservations but everything else is on a HAL app on your phone. Jim has already said that without me showing him how he’d still be standing on the dock trying to figure out which screen to use. Actually he’d still be at the check in desk at Hartsfield trying to find the ArriveCan app. I can’t help but think there have to be people on board with flip phone Jitter bugs. Probably those I see at the Front Desk no doubt asking for paper print outs of their itineraries! There’s WiFi all over the ship now but still only two electric outlets in our stateroom.

We left the pier Saturday afternoon a little later than anticipated. Took a while to get ship’s supplies and passenger luggage on board and then we had to wait for a passing squall ahead and the tide. I think the captain said the current was running eight knots (the tide fall is quite dramatic this far north—15 to 20 foot difference between high and low tides) so he was waiting for the ebb tide. (Cue the Righteous Brothers) In this tugless world, the ship pushes away using thrusters to move it away from the pier but still parallel to the pier until it is mid channel and then off it goes. Departure never gets old. The thundering horn (I timed it; each blast lasts nine seconds), roiling water as the thrusters start up and people in waterfront apartments, parks and streets waving good bye. 

As we headed down river, the winds also came rolling down from the hills, clocking 60 knots. All outside decks were closed and we were instructed not to open balcony doors. Didn’t have to tell me twice.

We had dinner in the Pinnacle Grill. Still a lovely, quiet place with excellent food but, much to Jim’s dismay, the lovely, elegant Indonesian female wait staff is no more, replaced by some not so elegant men. Still the engaging hostess and maître d’ who circulate and visit with the diners so all is not lost.

You know what is lost? Chocolates on your pillow every night. And the towel animals. Wibi , our steward, said they told them it was because of COVID. Huh? He said it didn’t make much sense to the stewards. When we got back from dinner there was a towel lobster on our bed. Thumbs up to Wibi!

Au revoir, Montreal. Tomorrow it’s Quebec.