Saturday, January 14, 2017

Day 95: At Sea

The day started out sunny and calm, but around 10am the Pacific Princess entered the Gulf of Tehauntepec, near the border between Mexico and Guatemala. This is the area where Pacific hurricanes form, and Captain D, in his noon announcement, explained how the Tehauno wind actually comes from the Caribbean coast and is trapped between mountain ranges and exits on the Pacific side, rushing down the coast from the north. The ship got bouncy and the outside decks were closed off, but, honestly, it was nothing compared to what we endured around Greece on our final Meeiterranean cruise and certainly not nearly like The Crossing. 

But, backing up, we were in the Club Restaurant by 8:30am and I enjoyed poached eggs well done and six grain toast again. We returned to the cabin to sort through paperwork and start some initial clean up in preparation for packing (guess where we'll wake up a week from today?). I am finally feeling a little participative, or perhaps it was the draw of today's craft project (pilot flag bookmarks) that had me attending today's session at 10:30am in the Atrium. I went a few minutes early to get a seat; these craft sessions are proving to be very popular on this World Cruise and there is a couple on board whose sole responsibility is to conduct them. As you know, bookmarks are my weakness, despite the fact that I scarcely ever read a paper book anymore. This one involved needlepoint on plastic canvas and we will finish the second half in tomorrow's session. And then it will be added to my shoebox of life! ;-)

Speaking of needlepoint on plastic canvas, I was reminded of a set of twelve blocks I had stitched on 3" plastic canvas squares and constructed with a jingle bell inside. I had made them while I was traveling so much for business for my first nephew (now 34!) and they were used by three more nephews and several friends' toddlers and finally the twins. I wonder where I put them when they were returned the last time?  Note to self:  find them (though they will not fit in my shoebox of life). 

G and I were in our midship Deck 4 cabin just before lunch when huge splashes of water began hitting our window. We had felt nothing; our cabin is very stable.  But at noon, Captain D announced that we had entered the Gulf of Tahauntepec and that things would be rough until about 5pm. He said we were experiencing about 8 foot swells, which pale in comparison to the 17 foot swells we had around Greece during those three consecutive storms and who knows how high swells we had the night before we arrived in Bermuda. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch in the Club Restaurant (we both had pasta and wine AND dessert...we have some serious adjustments in our near future) and then returned to the cabin where we read and watched videos on TV.  There was no use fighting it; tomorrow is supposed to be much better. 

Captain D was exactly right; by the time we went to dinner at 5:15pm, things had calmed considerably. Not that we were hungry, we still enjoyed salads and an entree, and pineapple sorbet for dessert. Maitre d'Oscar made of point of walking around and reminding us that tomorrow there will be a large Sunday brunch served in the Club Restaurant from 10:30am to 1:30pm, in lieu of dining room breakfast and lunch. We didn't need to be reminded, of course. The opportunity to enjoy one of these World Cruise Sunday brunches was part of our motivation for adding this cruise. They are offered each Sunday that is also a sea day on the World Cruise, with a different theme for each of them. That, and the fact that they were very well regarded by past World Cruise passengers is all I know about them, but I'll make a full report tomorrow night. Production show Cinematastic in the Cabaret Lounge and music trivia with piano entertainer David Crathorne in the Casino Lounge completed our evening. 

Tomorrow should still be sunny and warm (we've had amazing weather) but much calmer than today and I predict some pool exercise time during my day.  I'll need it to work off that breakfast buffet!