Ah Nexus

We are a little unnerved by our Nexus tour operators who have not yet demonstrated one iota of competence. When dropped off for our cruise we were exhorted to take the disembarking option of self serve, meaning leave with your own bags, so we would not get stuck waiting for bags and could head off en route back to Canada from whence we came. He also told us to meet the bus at the same place it dropped us off.

We all headed out wrestling our bags and headed for the place wed been dropped off. Nexus however didn't arrange bus parking allocation. So we stood around for several hours after being sent back into the terminal with our bags until all the other ship passengers had departed before we could board our bus. We even got moved along by the terminal staff before our buses were ready, leaving us feeling stateless and abandoned. The group started electing leaders Lord of the Flies style who mustered some semblance of organisation among us, albeit to no no end.

Once we  finally set off Chris, the guide on the orange bus (the bus on which Linda and I are travelling which is not really orange) happily regaled us with the same tour information about Seattle  that Jeff had only a week before on the way to our cruise. He also told us that we would soon each be moving 3 seats back on the bus to ensure that everyone had the opportunity for a different view, seemingly unaware that the people 3 seats behind us, say, would see the same thing we had seen just a poofteenth of a second before.

Even though all were keen to go directly to Harrison Hot Springs and start enjoying the wonders to behold there we stopped for 2 hours at the Seattle Premium Shopping Outlet which may be a little less premium than anticipated. At the allotted time for departure the bus started to pull away until our neighbours across the aisle became rather animated and pointed out that the Briggs family didn't appear to be on the bus.

In response Chris felt the highest priority activity would be for each passenger to hold their name tags to their faces mug shot style and for him to take a snapshot of each of us. Linda asked him what he intended to do with these and how they might remedy the lost people situation. Chris thought it would help him to learn our names. I suspect he will add a banner with 'have you seen this person?' In readiness for application to the back of a milk carton.

The Briggs family returned to the bus very sheepish and apologetic and asked Chris for his phone number to avoid future instances of getting lost. Chris advised that his phone doesn't work in Canada. We will very shortly be crossing the border into Canada for the rest of our tour which lasts another 5 days.

We wait with bated breath for what other joys Nexus brings to the tour. Royal Carribean - tick. Nexus tours - not so much.