Evening, Day 13

Sunset tonight, as seen from Skywalkers, was one of the best (actually, the best) we've seen since our last sunset at home. Now we're getting somewhere!  The weather continues to improve...we did sail through a couple of very brief showers this afternoon (and we were notified by the bridge about 5 minutes beforehand- too funny), but the days seem to be improving, each one better than the one before.

There were filet mignons for dinner tonight, the only meat I eat each cruise. Since we had just had hors doerves in Skywalkers, we skipped the appetizers, soups and salad and, in a twist, ordered grapefruit sorbet as an intermezzo and then the beef (and, of course, my broccoli and spinach). G had bananas foster flambé for dessert, one of his favorites, prepared by a headwaiter right in the dining room. 

In a "who'd'a believed it" moment, there was a couple on several of our cruises last year with the same last name whom we sat with at a wine tasting before we knew their last name. As we later found out, they sat at our same table after us each evening for dinner, and Suttipong referred to us as Mr. and Mrs. Jones #1 and Mr. and Mrs. Jones #2. Guess who came back on the ship this cruise?  Guess who's sitting at the same table with the same waiter after us each evening?  On a ship that sails 365 days a year with 3100 passengers each night, those are pretty remote odds!

After dinner, we mingled with the masses in the Piazza drinking the free champagne offered at the Captains Welcome Aboard champagne party. We talked at length with one of the bridge officers who presented last cruises's navigation lecture and with a new deck cadet from England. The latter said there were 2000 applicants for one slot in the maritime training program in which he's enrolled.  And I thought the Michigan MBA program was competitive- no comparison. But then, being the captain of a cruise ship is a dream job. Being an investment banker...not so much. 

We also met three sisters from St. Lucia who are on this and the following cruise with us. How funny!  I asked if they were going to go home on Wednesday when the ship was in St. Lucia, and they are!  I can't imagine doing that. 

And...that was it for us for the day. We returned to our cabin and ditched the formalwear with the intention of going back out for a show or Monday Night Football on MUTS, but it's almost 9pm the final evening before six busy port days in a row, and we've decided to call it a night. 

Tomorrow:  Antigua, and, weather permitting, we may explore new territory.