I was eventually joined by G, and Suzan and Greg, then Phil and Jan, then Grant and Carol...well, it fact, it was a little comical. We managed to squeeze seven chairs around a small round table in the IC, and our game of musical chairs did actually work for the eight of us, as there was always someone up and about, either folding clothes or using a restroom or checking emails. In fact, we managed to make it work so long that morning turned into afternoon and G and I went to the DaVinci Dining Room for our final lunch of the cruise.
After that, we did turn our attention to packing. We were lucky in that we received a fourth suitcase from blog reader Jill, and, without the ability to fly with a tote bag hanging off of every finger, we sorely needed it. Luckily, we'll be flying home on Southwest, with their friendly checked luggage policy. In fact, when we had checked in for our flight today, exactly 24 hours before takeoff, we both managed to get in Boarding Group A, which any Southwest flyer knows is a very good thing. By the time the Super Bowl started at 4:30pm, we had most of our packing done.
While the Super Bowl was, of course, shown on MUTS (the big screen by the Neptune's Reef pool), Cruise Director Mike Witte had wisely divided up the interior viewing by team. The Seahawk fans had the Vista Lounge, the Patriots fans the Explorers Lounge and the smokers had the casino and Snookers cigar lounge, but, naturally, people were able to watch the game wherever they wanted. Football food was laid out on tables in all venues (chips and salsa, guacamole, wings, pizza and popcorn) and there were lots of buckets of beer being sold.
We joined Suzan and Greg in the Explorers Lounge and settled in for the game. And wasn't that just about the best Super Bowl in recent history (and certainly better than last year's game regardless of which team one supported in that debacle)? Frankly, I am hoarse right now; silent sports spectatorship has never been my forte. And I am most happy about the fact that tomorrow I will have unlimited internet and cable TV and will be able to read about and watch the analysis of that Seahawks play that resulted in the interception in the end zone in the last minute of the game. What the heck was that??
G had left me at the two minute warning to run upstairs to MUTS and catch the end of the game there (and take a photo). We reunited in our cabin (it was just so darn fun to ride up the elevator with the subdued Seattle fans wearing Richard Sherman jerseys. So. Darn. Fun!! I took me a full year, but I can finally laugh at that name.), and finished the last of the packing. After I get this published, we're heading up to the Horizon Court Buffet for a late dinner, our first meal there in nine days. We move our clocks back one more hour tonight, which is perfect. Though the day was, as predicted, mostly taken up with packing and football, we still have some time left in our evening to enjoy the last of our cruise.
