Bar Harbor, Maine

Today is the day we all have to clear immigration first thing.  I know it started very early.  I also know they had quite a few locations for people to go to.  However I don't know how they broke it down.  

We were assigned to Club Fusion.  There was a short queue, but that was for Americans.  We were directed to the right and there was no one.  The agent checked our passports and asked us when we would be leaving the US and we were good to go.  Then a crew member put a small yellow sticker on our medallion to identify that we had gone thru immigration.

Later those stickers would come in handy as crew walked around the ship and if they saw no sticker they asked to make sure you had cleared it already. 

Later in the day when there were a few outstanding that had not cleared there were paged.  And where the medallion comes in handy is they were able to track the few who had not gone thru immigration.  I know the couple I had seen that were approached by a crew member did not speak English but the crew member who did approach them spoke their language and they went right away. 

Thankfully they were able to send people ashore even though not everyone was cleared.

This ship is also using this new tender process that you go and get your tender ticket and then you can wait out in any of the public areas until your number is called.  They call out tender number over the PA system to all public areas.  After a while it gets annoying.   We are sitting in our cabin and every few minutes this is what you hear. 

Note if you are elite or in a suite you are informed to go to Wheelhouse Bar where you are directed to the very next tender.  Although they now call them water shuttles.

We are not going ashore today.  I really hated tendering, and we have been here a few times and I really need a rest day.  Plus Bernie and I are thinking of coming down this way for a visit as a road trip in the near future.

We sit in the International Cafe enjoying our coffees (love that they have almond milk).  We are sitting at a table for four and we have a few people join us as we sit.  Including Susan who we have sailed with before and comes by and says hi and we have a great conversation.

One thing we have noticed is about half the people we meet on board really lack in conversational skills.  A couple joined us and I must of spoke to them for over a half hour.  Boy oh boy.... I learned almost everything about them.  And it all started when I said good morning and where are you from?  But they did not even ask me one question!  Not one!  Not even where are you from! 

And this is not the first time this has happened.  It does not matter the age, the sex, or their nationality.  People seem to not understand that a proper conversation should be a back and forth.  Not you constantly talking while one listens.  And I am just so darn polite, I just nod.  I swear one time I am going to say something like "is there anything you would like to know about me?"

Does this happen to you too?

So as soon as I could tear myself away from them I did and went upstairs to take some pictures of the beautiful scenery.

Bernie decided he wanted to do a load of wash.  I am not going to say anything.  If he wants to go for it, more power to him.  He states he has pants that he needs to wash and that can not wait for the two day turn around. But this is his thing.  He seems to get an itch whenever he sees dirty clothes.  An itch to wash them.  Hey it comes in handy sometimes.

Laundries are very busy and he manages to secure one, but after it is done he needs to rewash it because the detergent has not dissolved completely, even though it has done a full cycle.  He even was able to get a dryer!  Time to go buy a lottery ticket.

Tonight there is the production show Broadway Ballroom at 6:30 - it was performed yesterday at 7:15 and 9:30.  Smart of them to do three shows and also to state when it will be replayed.

The comedian Scott Wyler performed three shows last night too.

Tonight is Branden and James with a show called "At The Corner of Symphony and Soul" at 7:00, 8:45 and 9:45.  Also Comedy Magic with Nathan Phan is in Princess theater at 8:30 and 9:45 for tonight only as he leaves tomorrow in Boston.

The movie Yesterday was shown on MUTS last night and in the Princess Theater this afternoon.  Bernie is talking about going to it.