We moved our clocks ahead again last night, but we're wiser now...we simply never moved them back that last night before Fort Lauderdale. It saves us a lot of time. Of course, it does involve us asking each other, about 100 times during our day in Fort Lauderdale, "What time is it REALLY?", to which the other person responds, "Well, it depends what you mean by "really", which ends up frustrating the asker who ends up frustrating the answerer.
It would be easier, I think, to simply move the clocks back and then ahead again within 24 hours.
At any rate, this clocks ahead thing means that, while most of the ship is sleeping in on the first day of a cruise, we're usually wide awake, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and at breakfast in the dining room shortly after it opens (still from 7am to 9am).
And so we were today. At 9:30am I went to line dancing with Leesh, followed immediately by Zumba led by a fellow passenger. I guess I forgot to fill you in on what happened with Zumba last cruise. After mentioning it wasn't scheduled the first two days of the cruise, and that I wondered if Ryan was sick, I asked Frenchie (aka Caroline), the Deputy Cruise Director, and learned that Ryan had moved over to the Ruby to be Deputy Cruise Director there. As Zumba has to be led by a Zumba certified instructor, and there were no Zumba instructors among the cruise staff, we were Zumba-less last cruise, and would have been this cruise too (someone is coming on board to lead the classes, but I'm not certain when that is happening or for how many cruises we'll be Zumba-less). However, a fellow passenger who teaches Zumba on land was on last cruise and this one, and said she would lead some classes this cruise, and so that is what we had today, and it was great- not as crazy fun as when Ryan led it and changed out hats and wigs throughout, but excellent none the less.
Then I did a quick run to the fitness center to do some weights and then, finally, it was time for a shower and lunch in the dining room with G.
Does all this sound familiar, because as I'm sitting here typing it, it's sounding awfully familiar to me. It's hard to get a lot of variety on a sea day.
This afternoon brought some time poolside. Oh no, I don't mean to imply I got a lounger poolside after lunch...I laid my towel out on the wood border around the Terrace Pool and spent some time there. Much easier, much less drama than trying to confront chair hogs. With over 400 kids on this cruise, this ship is packed and it feels that way.
It would be easier, I think, to simply move the clocks back and then ahead again within 24 hours.
At any rate, this clocks ahead thing means that, while most of the ship is sleeping in on the first day of a cruise, we're usually wide awake, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and at breakfast in the dining room shortly after it opens (still from 7am to 9am).
And so we were today. At 9:30am I went to line dancing with Leesh, followed immediately by Zumba led by a fellow passenger. I guess I forgot to fill you in on what happened with Zumba last cruise. After mentioning it wasn't scheduled the first two days of the cruise, and that I wondered if Ryan was sick, I asked Frenchie (aka Caroline), the Deputy Cruise Director, and learned that Ryan had moved over to the Ruby to be Deputy Cruise Director there. As Zumba has to be led by a Zumba certified instructor, and there were no Zumba instructors among the cruise staff, we were Zumba-less last cruise, and would have been this cruise too (someone is coming on board to lead the classes, but I'm not certain when that is happening or for how many cruises we'll be Zumba-less). However, a fellow passenger who teaches Zumba on land was on last cruise and this one, and said she would lead some classes this cruise, and so that is what we had today, and it was great- not as crazy fun as when Ryan led it and changed out hats and wigs throughout, but excellent none the less.
Then I did a quick run to the fitness center to do some weights and then, finally, it was time for a shower and lunch in the dining room with G.
Does all this sound familiar, because as I'm sitting here typing it, it's sounding awfully familiar to me. It's hard to get a lot of variety on a sea day.
This afternoon brought some time poolside. Oh no, I don't mean to imply I got a lounger poolside after lunch...I laid my towel out on the wood border around the Terrace Pool and spent some time there. Much easier, much less drama than trying to confront chair hogs. With over 400 kids on this cruise, this ship is packed and it feels that way.
Tonight was the first formal night of the cruise, and since Skywalkers is STILL not serving hors doerves (which makes no one happy, including the bar staff), we skipped it once again. Our time will come; there are many good nights up there in our future.
Dinner was a relatively new appetizer, deep fried sushi with kimchee and seaweed, and then beef tenderloins which, of course, Sutti served to me with grilled shrimp on the side. Honestly...dinner literally feet away from the sea moving by, sunset viewed from our window, red wine with dinner, bananas foster flambé for dessert followed by the Welcome Aboard Champagne Party and people watching. A condo in Florida just pales in comparison.
We set ourselves up on Deck 5 in the Piazza and there was no end of entertainment. Lots of family photos: grandma and grandpa with everyone, grandpa with his granddaughters, grandma with the grandsons, the little ones all dressed up and looking generally adorable. Yes, a holiday cruise has its drawbacks but it does provide some entertainment that we won't get next cruise when the average age goes up by 40 years.
We opted for comedian Miguel Washington over production show What a Swell Party tonight (and weren't we lucky to actually have a choice?). We'd seen Miguel earlier this winter but his show wasn't exactly the same, and we enjoyed it very much.
We opted for comedian Miguel Washington over production show What a Swell Party tonight (and weren't we lucky to actually have a choice?). We'd seen Miguel earlier this winter but his show wasn't exactly the same, and we enjoyed it very much.
By then it was time for popcorn from the MUTS area (we simply can't hold off any longer, Noro or not), a fuzzy water and college football (Virginia Tech (G's alma mater) and Rutgers are tied) on our cabin TV. We can't wait for the college bowl games and NFL playoffs on MUTS. Football on MUTS...it sounds like cruising to us!
Photos for today: when I have nothing to show for the day's activities, I resort to food photos :-)
Photo 1: chicken korma for lunch
Photo 2: the new appetizer, deep fried sushi
Photo 3: beef tenderloins with Sutti's personal touch of grilled shrimp on the size
Photo 4: peanut butter chocolate pie on an Oreo cookie crust- surprisingly average...
Photo 5: but we returned to chocolate covered strawberries in our cabin tonight, so who cares?
