The first post of each season:

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Day 98: At Sea

Today's Patter was chock-full of activities, and for once, I was feeling participative and enjoyed going to several of them. The fact that the sea was calm had everything to do with that. We slept well and long, and did our normal International Cafe/ DaVinci Dining Room routine. I was reminded today of one reason we enjoy these Princess cruises so much: the availability of healthy food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I never get mixed berries at home (it's one berry or another), but more typically fruit at home means oranges or grapes. To get mixed berries and oranges (already segmented) every day for breakfast is a treat I can't take for granted. 

Over breakfast, we worked out our schedule for the day, and it was a busy one. First, of course, we went up to the Calypso Bar to get fuzzy water for that 9am pill taking activity. Next up was a cooking demonstration by Executive Chef Michael and Maitre d' Generoso in the Princess Theater. G couldn't handle that; the smell of garlic was thick in the air, which I love but him, not so much. So I caught up with him on the way to the galley walk through. It's the first time I've done that this winter. 



While Jefferson was carving ice at that demonstration, his partner Napolean was in the galley displaying some fruit and vegetable carvings. 


We were finished just in time for the 12:15pm start of the Emerald Princess orchestra playing Dixieland Jazz for 45 minutes in the Piazza. 

Then it was lunch in the DaVinci Dining Room followed by an ammolite lecture and drawing in Facets fine jewelry store (of course we won NOTHING), and then this cruise's wine tasting at 3pm. The Franciscan Merlot was to die for. 

It's hard to believe that, despite the fact it was a sunny day, except for brief stints on the Promenade Deck, we really hadn't been outside all day. It's clear we have to choose:  be out on the pool deck or in the ship going to activities. It's hard to do both, but easy for us to decide which today. We have two beach days coming up and really need to watch our sun time. 

We got showered for the evening and went to Dinner with Darko.  On the way we stopped for a few minutes to watch the Piazza entertainment called Duo Push. Well, guess what!  It's Mr. Six Pack back again under a different name and doing balance tricks with another guy. I was standing behind him n the elevator lobby, so I couldn't get a frontal view, but I offer this deltoid view for your enjoyment. ;-)

The Michelangelo Dining Room galley was slow tonight and dinner ran long because of it. We decided to go to the 7:15pm performance of production show Disco: Blame it in the Boogie and then return to the dining room for Dessert with Darko and Coffee with Komang. There was no second show in the Explorers Lounge tonight; there was the 70s party and a Princess Pop Star heat. We lingered over coffee and chatted a bit with Darko as his evening finally slowed, and by 9pm were in the cabin warching TV shows from our laptop on the TV. I guess it's proof of how well the newly purchased HDMI cable is working out that I haven't seen even one episode of The Love Boat all cruise. Which means:

Life is good. 

:-)