Second Sea Day on our way to Antigua

Slept late again today and missed the Zumba.  Feel bad since I promised Leesh I would go but with it being at 9:15 it is hard to make it and I didn’t wake until 9:30!  But I feel relaxed and rested.

I tell Bernie to meet me down in the IC as he heads up to the Horizon Court and I head down and the place is busy.  The weather is a little overcast, it may have rained but I don’t know since I am inside.  Note the weather got hot and sunny for the afternoon.  Since the weather is poor and the $10 sale is going on in the room the place is crazy.  I grab a seat in Vines and Beverly takes care of me brining me my drink, she can’t chat much as she is busy.  I grab a yoghurt parfait and a donut for my breakfast.

We decide to find a quiet spot and our usual place (Crooners) is very busy, we say lets try the Wheelhouse, but since there is pub lunch today it is closed.  So we make our way to Explorer’s Lounge, the art is out but we sit at a table and read for an hour or so.  Jay the Art Guy is walking around answering questions and assisting people who may be interested in bidding at the auction this afternoon.

We agree to do the pub lunch this afternoon as it has chicken curry – it also served fish and chips too – and we enjoyed the curry but it is mild and we prefer a bit more spice but they do need to cook for the entire group on board so it is easier to make it milder. 

Interactive Trivia is happening in Club Fushion at 12:45 hosted by Frenchie and we head back there but bingo is still going on so we take a seat at the bar and we meet a nice couple from Alaska who come up to say hi and that they follow my blog.  Kelley and Scott tell us their daughter follows and got them reading the blog…. So hi to their daughter from us and thanks for following.  We join them and a British Couple for the Trivia and we win!  Yeah – we win a magnetic clip that comes in handy for the cabin walls and holding our documents. 

Princess Pyramid is happening now in Club Fusion but we want to see the movie in the Princess Theater this afternoon.  They are showing Lincoln which is nominated for an Oscar and we haven’t seen it so we are looking forward to it.

Tonight is formal night and the Captains Welcome Aboard Show is in the Atrium.  We are going to do formal tonight and attend the show, mainly because we haven’t and we also want to see them introduce Johan and get a pic just to tease him.

I decide to head back to the Thermal Suite for a bit and have a relaxing hour there then back to the cabin to change and get ready for dinner. 

The Captain’s Welcome Aboard Party tonight and the Atrium is packed, too busy for me, we look at each other and decide to head into dinner right away instead.

We go to our table in Da Vinci and Daniel welcomes us, but something seems off.  He has a new assistant waiter and he only has our table and two other two tops that are finishing their dinner and a six has just come in but things are off.  We order some wine and he fills our glass and we order and for 20 minutes we sit and look at each other wondering what is up.  My glass is empty but it doesn’t appear to be get filled.  Finally Bernie reaches behind and gets the wine himself and fills our glasses.

I order the crab quiche to start as my appetizer and it was very good but we once again see something is off.  We sit with our plates in front of us waiting for them to be cleared for nearly 10 minutes.  Daniel even clears the two tables beside us and glances over at us but the plates remain.  We get our second course which for me is the French onion soup which is very good and then service improves.

We both get our mains, Bernie ordered the vegetarian option and he loved it, sorry can’t recall what it was exactly called.  I had the Barramundi fish dish and it was cooked perfectly, very good!  We both are thinking the same thing and as Bernie looks at me he says “you want to move back to the Michelangelo Dining room and Elda don’t you?”  and yes I do want to go back.  I miss her and Nathan and the great service we got from them and of course the head waiter Rui is missed too.  Now don’t get me wrong, Daniel was good, but Elda is GREAT.

We head downstairs to ask Rui if we can come back and he quickly says ‘of course” ahhh I am happy again. 

Vines is calling, and after a trying dinner we are needing some friends and great service.  And of course Ryan and Christian take such great care of us.  Johan joins us for a glass along with Corey.  It is nice to catch up with both of them today.

What a Swell Party is on in the Princess Theater and it is one I haven’t seen in a long time so we head there and have a great time, but too much wine and the bed is calling.

I am NOT 29 Anymore

It all started out harmless.  Dinner was at Sabatinis we arrived with a bottle of wine that was given to us by Head Office, but the Maitre d’Hotel also had a bottle of wine there for us, so two bottles between three people.

Dinner was the usual calamari, pasta, then the lobster three ways which is great but really all I love is the risotto the most and should of just ordered that.  Then I had an after dinner cocktail. 

Lots going on after dinner and Peter suggests the British Invasion show, but on the way he buys us all Beverly Hills’ Ice Teas.  They sure taste good and the show is amazing, dancing in my seat the entire time. 

Off to the Atrium to enjoy the Farwell Party and the balloon drop, another Beverly Hills’ Ice Tea!  More dancing, more laughing, and well just fun.

Well I should of seen it coming!  When will I ever learn?  I wake up and oh no my head, my tummy, my entire body is sore with a huge hangover!  No more drinking I say to Bernie!  He feels good, go figure.

He suggests breakfast and I grumble but as I sit for breakfast the thought of anything turns me away and all I can manage is half a bagel and half a glass of orange juice.  Forget even thinking of have a latte.

Peter is at his desk and he looks great, maybe a little tired but otherwise he looks good and he says he feels good.  Pippa is hugely busy – always happens near the end of a voyage.

I was in such a rough state I skip Sudoku, yup!  I really want to see Mark’s lecture on turtles and I need to give our steward enough time to clean the cabin so we head to the Princess Theater.  I really enjoyed the show and loved his slides, and his talk was very entertaining but I was suffering and needed my bed.

We bolted out of there and right back to the cabin, slipped on my most comfy t-shirt and crawled into bed.  And I was out for the count!  Slept two hours and woke feeling refreshed.

We are to arrive in Ensenada around 4 and people are itching on board and are excited when off in the distance we can see land. 

I am hungry (guess that is a good sign) I head up to the Horizon Court and they have a Mexican themed lunch.  I get a few items, but not too much tummy is still a little off.  At the main pool they are doing the boat races.  You know the ones that you have to build then have it send a six pack across the pool.  I take a seat around the ledge of the pool and this guy about ten feet away screams at me that I am blocking his view.  He is laying on a lounge chair and there is a walkway between us.  I am shocked that he would actually think that his 20 feet from the chair to the pool would remain clear while he is laying down.  I just look and stare and then choose to ignore his comment.  Again that sense of entitlement from so many on board is sad. 

I need fresh air so I decide to walk around the promenade deck for a bit and watch for wildlife.  Although it is hard to get far before running into someone you know.   So you stop and chat, then move on and stop and chat again.  Met a lovely couple married 43 years and chatted with them for a good half hour. 

 

We do see lots of wildlife, birds, whales, dolphins, and then sea lions as we get closer to Ensenada.  I head up to get my camera so I can capture some of it.

But I need to find Bernie, he got up before I did and headed out on his own and I haven’t seen him for a few hours and we keep missing each other.  Plus I want to share the experience with him.

We dock early and we are off around 4 and just walk into town.  The main tourist street is packed, and the huskers are out in full force.  We have to giggle as one guy says to Bernie “The Best Titty Bar Right Here” and then he adds “and classy too” we are laughing as we walk on.  Lots of the usual “Come into my store”, “Come enjoy a meal”, “Cheap for you today”, “Welcome to my ship sponsored store”.  I know this is just how it is in this country, it is what they know and how they make their money, but many North Americans are just not use to it and often are put off by it.  We just keep moving.
 

We decide to get off the main drag to see more of the “real” Ensenada and head further inland.  Bernie stops me and shows me this poster ad, the building appears to be a strip club and the poster shows a beautiful woman in the poster and the tag line below should probably say “Floor Show” but it doesn’t someone miss spelled Floor and wrote Flour instead, yup Flour Show, I am hoping it is a spelling error – but maybe they do something with flour I don’t know. 

 

We walk along their main shopping street – no tourists here!  Window shopping, did get a few small items from their grocery store like water, and tried to find a birthday card for Ann but missed out on that.

 

Everything in Ensenada is walkable but you do need to be physically mobile.  A shuttle bus offers rides right from the pier if you need it for a small fee, but walking is flat but uneven so make sure you watch where you step.

 

Back on board is 7:30 but since we have dinner plans for Ann’s birthday we are on earlier and we meet up with our table mates at 7:45 for  a lovely meal.  It is the Chef’s Dinner theme and I had the fried chicken again – it is so good, especially like the coleslaw.

After dinner we head to the Princess Theater to catch Martin Lewis’ magic show.  It is very nice but I always find magic shows hard to stay awake for but I manage.

It is frustrating that just when the show ends and Martyn the CD is coming on stage to finish the show about 10% of the audience gets up and leaves!  I really find this odd, where are they rushing off to?  Is there another meal to have?  Bernie says they are off to get the elevator first!  Ha ha ha…. But I find this on every ship, I don’t see this at home when I attend events.  What is odder is they are trying to climb the stairs in the dark and many really should wait until the lights come up so they manage the stairs safely. 

For us we wait and enjoy Martyn’s comments (they are always funny) then when the lights come on we wait in our seats for the crowds to disperse.  Better this way, plus I am on holidays and there is no where I have to be that quickly.

It was a good day in the end, even though is started roughly.  I will add that someone was put off the boat yesterday for not following the rules.  I also can confirm a couple was put off in one of the Hawaiian ports too for also breaking the rules.  No reason to state what rule they broke but it is clearly laid out and warranted and I am proud of Princess for following procedure.