Sunday Sea Day

no it isn't raining they were cleaning the deck

We wake to the feel of the ocean the swaying back and forth, don’t worry it isn’t rough well I don’t find it rough but it is a lovely motion like being rocked to sleep like a baby.

With the clocks going back and hour I feel like I have been given an extra bonus of sleep…. and as we slowly wake Bernie decides to dress and head down to get me my  latte so I don’t have to stir.  Ahhh the love boat truly is romantic!  I turn on the t.v. to catch Lee and Frenchie making me laugh as usual.  And then throw it on a channel that is showing a movie “Did you hear about the Morgans”  Iove that Princess has movies in the cabin – not like other lines that make you pay for movies in the cabin.  I watch, I drink my latte, I curl up in bed and glance at the Patter.  What more can I want.

Okay enough lazing around in bed, time to head down to the International Café to laze around there.  I am smiling right now cause I feel relaxed just remembering it.  Beverly sees me and comes right over and already knows what I want.  The crew here are so good, and such a joy to see every day.  You never hear them complain and they all work so hard day in and day out and we truly appreciate it.  Beverly fills me on her day and how her two daughters are doing back home in the Phillipines.

I am joined by friends Bill and Cathy, then Alice and we catch up on how we are all doing.  We remark on how the crowd this sailing differs than the previous one.  For some reason we get a little protective of our ship and crew and a little defensive when we hear the passengers commenting negatively we want to shout out in defense but we know that given a few days they will fall into their new routine and figure out the flow of ship life.

Bernie and I really want to get a work out in, it has been a few days so we both change and head up to the gym.  I know I haven’t written much about it mainly because I only visited it twice last voyage, mainly because we tried to do more workouts on land in the form of long hikes and swims.  Today we are up and the gym is busy, which doesn’t surprise us as the first few days are always busy but it soon dies down as the cruise goes on.  I see they have some new machines that must have been installed during the dry dock. 

I forgot to mention that I had a bit of a sinus headache (usually caused because of food allergies) and I was having trouble getting rid of it so my thought was after the work out to head to the steam room (that is accessible thru the women’s change room – note it is not unisex) and it does the trick as my sinus pain eases considerable and I swear I must of sweated off a pound.  I should spend more time in here.

But really this is what cruising is about – doing what you want to do.  Relaxing, enjoying the moment, disconnecting from civilization, chatting with strangers, learning about different cultures and trying new things.  I try every day to do something new or something I don’t do very often.  Today sitting in the steam room by myself reflecting on things.  I am saddened because a good friend has recently been told she doesn’t have long after being diagnosed with cancer that  has spread considerably.  It makes me appreciate today and all the wonderful people that have touched my life.  Getting a little sappy but I am happy today.

I head up to the Café Caribe for some salad and soup and chat with some of the staff before heading down to Crooners to meet up with Bernie who is just about to head to a trivia game.  This gives me a change to stop in and see a dear friend Johan who just got on board yesterday.  We are very proud of him as he has been promoted since we last saw him.  We will meet up with him for tea a little later and we have twenty days to catch up in person.

Tonight is dinner at the Crown Grill with our friends.  It is also formal night but I don’t think we will be dressing up to formally.  But champagne is in order!