Take yesterday, do it almost exactly over again and you have a report about our day today. With just a couple of exceptions...
Following Zumba, I didn't lift weights; I walked on the Promenade Deck. As always, dear Ruby, a widow with about 900 days on Princess was sitting there in a teak chair, with her two new friends, Lily and Victoria. G and I spent some time talking with them. We've known Ruby for at least three years; she's frequently on these 10-night back to back cruises. And she is so friendly and so kind...I hope she keeps cruising for many more years.
I did line dancing this afternoon only because it started right after we finished lunch in the dining room. But by 2:15pm I was ready for a pool and some sun.
However, at 2:50pm, a cloud moved overhead and Dennis on the bridge made an announcement warning us that a shower was imminent. Damn. It was sunny and bright all day...until I got outside.
But, tonight was formal night, and dressing for the evening always requires a bit more time and effort than on other days. For example, I wear eyeshadow (wow!) and sometimes (but only rarely) blow my hair dry. Usually my hair styling is more along the line of standing under the cool air blowing from one particular place in the ceiling in the mid-ship elevator lobby on Deck 14 on my way to a meal.
Following Zumba, I didn't lift weights; I walked on the Promenade Deck. As always, dear Ruby, a widow with about 900 days on Princess was sitting there in a teak chair, with her two new friends, Lily and Victoria. G and I spent some time talking with them. We've known Ruby for at least three years; she's frequently on these 10-night back to back cruises. And she is so friendly and so kind...I hope she keeps cruising for many more years.
I did line dancing this afternoon only because it started right after we finished lunch in the dining room. But by 2:15pm I was ready for a pool and some sun.
However, at 2:50pm, a cloud moved overhead and Dennis on the bridge made an announcement warning us that a shower was imminent. Damn. It was sunny and bright all day...until I got outside.
But, tonight was formal night, and dressing for the evening always requires a bit more time and effort than on other days. For example, I wear eyeshadow (wow!) and sometimes (but only rarely) blow my hair dry. Usually my hair styling is more along the line of standing under the cool air blowing from one particular place in the ceiling in the mid-ship elevator lobby on Deck 14 on my way to a meal.
And talking about eye shadow reminds me of a funny incident from our last formal night...
Have I mentioned that the lighting in our inside cabin isn't the brightest? Well, it isn't. Couple that with the fact that I'm constantly assessing whether or not I need my reading glasses, I'm frequently doing things more from memory than from sight. A few days ago, G was showering while I was doing my makeup, so the bathroom mirror was off limits (too steamy). Using the vanity mirror requires leaning way over...not the best way to do eye makeup. So I was making do with the full length mirror in the hallway. I filled in my eyebrows a bit, then did my eye makeup, all without the benefit of reading glasses.
Thank God a thousand times over that, on that particular formal night, we left for Skywalkers together, and not one at a time as we usually do (leaving the remaining person in the cabin to get ready). We did a a quick check of each other just before we left the cabin. G hesitated a moment, and then asked, "The eyebrows...is this a new look? 'Cause I can't say I'm a fan..."
I had filled in my eyebrows with my jade eyeliner pencil.
:-o
So, anyway, back to tonight's formal night (where my brows were NOT green)...we took Bar Supervisor Rhea a "You Made a Difference" card today. Rhea is the supervisor in Skywalkers during the Elite lounge, but, really, she's so much more than that. She is the sweetest, most welcoming host imaginable, perfect in that role. I mentioned to her last night that we had not received the nightly drinks and appetizer schedule for this cruise (as we had for our first two), and asked where those came from. She wrote down our cabin number and a few hours later, when we were in bed, I heard something slide under the door. Sure enough- it was the schedule we had been missing. Very kind. To tell you how taken G is with her: many of you know that he is not a hugger; it's just not his thing. But he doesn't leave Skywalkers each evening without getting a hug from Rhea.
Have I mentioned that the lighting in our inside cabin isn't the brightest? Well, it isn't. Couple that with the fact that I'm constantly assessing whether or not I need my reading glasses, I'm frequently doing things more from memory than from sight. A few days ago, G was showering while I was doing my makeup, so the bathroom mirror was off limits (too steamy). Using the vanity mirror requires leaning way over...not the best way to do eye makeup. So I was making do with the full length mirror in the hallway. I filled in my eyebrows a bit, then did my eye makeup, all without the benefit of reading glasses.
Thank God a thousand times over that, on that particular formal night, we left for Skywalkers together, and not one at a time as we usually do (leaving the remaining person in the cabin to get ready). We did a a quick check of each other just before we left the cabin. G hesitated a moment, and then asked, "The eyebrows...is this a new look? 'Cause I can't say I'm a fan..."
I had filled in my eyebrows with my jade eyeliner pencil.
:-o
So, anyway, back to tonight's formal night (where my brows were NOT green)...we took Bar Supervisor Rhea a "You Made a Difference" card today. Rhea is the supervisor in Skywalkers during the Elite lounge, but, really, she's so much more than that. She is the sweetest, most welcoming host imaginable, perfect in that role. I mentioned to her last night that we had not received the nightly drinks and appetizer schedule for this cruise (as we had for our first two), and asked where those came from. She wrote down our cabin number and a few hours later, when we were in bed, I heard something slide under the door. Sure enough- it was the schedule we had been missing. Very kind. To tell you how taken G is with her: many of you know that he is not a hugger; it's just not his thing. But he doesn't leave Skywalkers each evening without getting a hug from Rhea.
Yes, Rhea certainly DOES make a difference!
Another touching kindness tonight came from waiter Suttipong. I ordered the filet mignon, my only beef of the cruise, but he delivered it with three large grilled shrimp on the side, because "he knew I really liked seafood more".
We followed up dinner with the Captain's Welcome Aboard champagne party (and I can attest to the fact that the schlok- er, champagne- actually becomes almost palatable after four glasses). Then it was to the Princess Theater for the production show I Got the Music. We decided part of the reason we enjoy this one so much is that the orchestra accompanies the show. And now that we've met several of the dancers, it's even more fun.
And still people wonder how we can cruise for four months?
We were going to watch the Saints-Falcons game on MUTS (Movies Under the Stars, the big screen by the Calypso Pool), but instead are watching it in our cabin. It's going to be ugly, I'm afraid. No need to see it 1000 times bigger.
Tomorrow: Aruba, our first visit since last January. We hope it's sunny; we want to go to the beach!
Photo 1: on a cruise, even breakfast features appetizers. Here's mine from today's breakfast.
Photo 2: tonight's dessert. Mine (pavlova) is on top. G's actually came from the International Cafe (IC). It has incredible desserts all day long, but since we don't snack in between meals, G keeps missing out on them. When G decided to skip the desserts on the dinner menu in favor of stopping by the IC after dinner, Sutti instead ran there and picked these up for him to enjoy in the dining room. Yes, we're spoiled!
Photo 3: Captain's Welcome Aboard champagne party
Photos 4 and 5: I Got the Music. Dancer Renato from Rio de Janeiro is in the middle of photo 4 in yellow. He told us he lives near the base of Sugarloaf Mountain, and was very excited to see my photos of that area from my trip there. He kept saying, "I live THERE; I run THERE, etc."
Photos 6 and 7: and, finally, in case I start feeling just a smidge homesick (and only because I miss friends. And Internet. And maybe cable. But, really, just people)...I always smile when I log into the ship's wifi and see texts from my buddies pop up.
