Dec 9 & 10, 2011 - At Sea

I wake up around 7:30 and as we relax for a bit Bernie heads out for the latte and tea.  There is zumba class today at 9:15 but it is back up at the Calypso pool, not my favorite place and since the weather is overcast and it had rained very early this morning it is very windy and doing the class up there in the sun and with the wind interfering with the sound is something I don’t enjoy so I think I am going to pass today.
 

For those interested events today are:  ping pong challenge, service club get together, scholarship@sea bridge lecture, morning trivia, bingo, pub lunch, movie Secretariat, paddle tennis, shopping show, slot tournament, free digital photography seminar, book club (book is One Day), wet, wild and wacky pool games, dance class, bar wars, art auction, water volleyball, line dance class, matinee movie: Bridesmaids, golf chipping, movie:  Arthur, afternoon trivia.

 

Tonight is a formal night and the show tonight is “What a Swell Party, Justin Flom (again the Patter is showing his name spelled wrong) and Jocelyn – comedy and magician perform two shows in the Explorer’s Lounge.  The casino is no smoking tonight, MUTS is showing X-Men, Jeopardized Trivia, Ballroom dancing and so much more.

 

For the first two days of the cruise there are some great specials in the stores, % off lots of items if you spend a certain $ amount so make sure you check it out.  The stores are all very busy right now, the open decks are very very windy so it is bringing a lot of people indoors.

 

The strangest occurrence today is seeing people slather on the sunscreen with Dean Martin singing in the background “let it snow, let it snow, let it snow”.

 

We hang out in the coffee bar and a few coffee drinks and reading and chatting with passengers and crew passes the time until lunch where we opt for the Pub Lunch (our first time on this voyage) both of us get the fish and chips,  very good and not greasy.  There are lots of different beers to get to accompany the pub lunch so make sure you try it out, and the meal is complimentary.

 

The options for the afternoon abound but I am so tired from getting little sleep again last night and the cold is slowing me down, just a bit though.  We head back to the cabin where we nap, well Bernie naps, I am sleeping off and on, sneezing in between and coughing.  So glad we did stock up on some cold medicine in Fort Lauderdale.

 

The cruise critic meet and greet is scheduled for 3:30 today and even though the bed is more inviting right now I feel the need to head up to say hi.  It is a much smaller group than last voyage but it is easier to get to mix and mingle with everyone and nice to put names to faces.  We hang out for about an hour before heading to our balcony to read.  It is still windy but warm.  The seas have been a little rougher, with water at moderate levels.  This is quite normal for the first and last days to and from Florida, doesn’t bother me but I could see some people being concerned about it if they are not use to being on the water. 

 

our cabin is the third forward cabin on the deck just above the open area at the bow

Although we don’t normally get a forward cabin (I think this is our third time up front) it really isn’t any different – motion wise – than the ones we have had aft or even mid ship.  The one nice thing I like about the location is we don’t get the smells from the galley aft – and room service galley.  However being all the way forward we are a long ways from the Horizon Court and Skywalkers, Bernie jokes we are sobered up after coming back from Skywalkers.  Our cabin is the third one from the front on Dolphin deck and even though it has been windy on days that it is windy, and it is windy everywhere, when the seas are calm and there is less windy we get the same on our balcony.  Another thing about cabin location is we know we wouldn’t like a cabin on Lido Deck aft as so many people have to pass by your room to get to the pool deck and the wind is always howling.

 

We have reservations tonight at Sabatinis, this is our second time there this voyage, we are going with Al Katz tonight and have a reservation at 6:30.  We are sat at a lovely table with a view and Gustavo was our waiter, he was very good and attentive, but we did notice the service slowed when he got busier and improved when he got assistance from junior waiter.  Tonight I had the calamari (very good, served with a garlic lemon dip), then the arthichoke dip again, I opted out of the pasta so I could have a second appetizer, then tonight I had the chicken which I have to say I wouldn’t order again, it was very salty, and didn’t finish.  I should have had the lobster trio again, which Al had and loved.  I had a drink there after dinner called the Sicilian Kiss, oh my it was good!

 

crab dish that Al ordered

chicken dish that I had, not so good

Justin Flom is performing tonight, two shows with a repeat tomorrow night.  We head over to Explorer’s lounge to see him and Jocelyn and take in their show.  The place is packed but we sit/stand to the side.  The show is great again and he gets lots of laughs and applauses.  Jasper is with us and insists on getting his picture with the two of them. 

 

It is early 10 pm but I am so tired, we head back to the cabin and watch a movie before crashing.

 

At Sea again.

 

The seas are once again moderate but the sun is shining and the wind is howling.  Now these weather conditions are what we have experience at other times of the year too.  Normally we sail the Caribbean in Jan/Feb and it is common to get very windy days at sea then too.  But you still need sun screen as that sun is strong.

 

Bernie delivers me my latte (I am lucky) I am lounging in bed, looking forward to a movie (The Accidental Husband) that is suppose to start at 8:15 am on one of the Princess  Romance Channel but it never materializes.  This is a common occurrence, many of the shows don’t start at the time they are suppose to, but we just go with the flow.  One thing I wish they would do is state in the Patter what the movie is that is going to be playing on channel 21 every night as it is usually a more current movie, I know other ships have done this.

 

Activities today are endless.  Zumba (again up at Calypso so with the wind and sun I am opting out), trivia, bingo, pub lunch again, ballroom dance classes, sexy legs contest, martini demonstration, advanced digital photography class, holiday snow and music in the atrium, rum tasting, Sommelier’s Wine Club, afternoon tea, red hat society get together.   Movies playing today are Green Latern, Just Go With It, Thor, and The Debt.  Tonight in the Princess Theater is Al Katz with two shows, and Justin Flom (again Patter has his name spelled wrong) for two shows.  It is also 50’s night in Club Fusion.