and sweat towel at hand when the class began. It was expectedly crowded...the dance floor was packed, and people were spread out throughout the lounge. I have a space that I usually head to, toward the back, with enough room to salsa and merengue without rolling over my fellow passengers. Their class was so much fun, and I'm thrilled to have Zumba back on the schedule. Leesh told me that they were up until 3:00am this morning putting the final touches on the class, but I wouldn't have known it was their first Zumba class ever.
Yay!!!
I stuck around for Lexi's 10:15am line dancing class that followed (and learned another new one), so that by 11:00am, I was feeling really good but really sweaty. I was going to head to the fitness center to do some weights, but it was so sunny and pretty out that I instead went up to the jogging track on Deck 19 to walk for awhile.
When G opened the door to our cabin around noon, he found me laying on my back on the floor (head partially under the bed) rolling on a tennis ball. My back was hurting even before today, but working out impressed upon me the necessity of massage (via tennis ball, NOT spa) and then G working with me in doing some stretches I can't do alone.
I showered and we went to lunch in the dining room, again with Lorina. We found out that this is her 9th contract with Princess, and she just boarded the last time we were in St. Thomas, which explains why we hadn't previously met her.
After lunch, we did something that is becoming a favorite for us on sea day: we sat together on the sunny side of the Promenade Deck, just talking and looking at the sun sparkling on the sea, and the big clouds moving in two different directions. I took a photo from where we were sitting, just to give you an idea of what it's like and why we love it, but it's hard to convey the feeling of warmth from the sun, and the contentment in being with my best friend.
How lucky am I??
G then headed up to a hot tub, which he hadn't been in yet today. There had been something in the Patter called Cruise Critic gathering, or something like that, at 10:30am, so while I was line dancing, G had gone to that. No one had any idea how that got scheduled, but there were about 12 people there, which G said was really the perfect size to talk and he ended up spending over an hour there. To others (those who know our story and how long we're on for), G always refers to me as "that old lady who lives on a ship", which people find funny. So does he.
Yeah, right. Harious. Do you see what I put up with??
I went back to the cabin to give myself a little manicure. When we're cruising, I use glitter polish on my toes- it's totally fun and forgiving, very do-it-myself and it lasts forever, because it requires a blow torch to remove, so it's good for beaches- but I had just done the pedicure last cruise. It was past time to do my fingers. It's a good thing to do when G is gone, because he always has to comment on the smell of the acetone and polish, and not in a positive way.
So, two bathrooms and a little anteroom where I could attend to these matters in peace...THAT would be the perfect cruise ship cabin!
As soon as I was sufficiently dry, I changed into a swimsuit and went down to the spa again to use the sauna and steamroom. I'm sure you'll be amused, but I was freezing this afternoon, and by then the sun was largely obscured by those big fluffy clouds we'd been watching earlier. I just wanted to feel that dry heat of the sauna, then a cold shower, then the steam room, over and over. It was a good way to spend an hour, and, coupled with my morning workouts, left me feeling limp as a wet noodle.
We had had such an enjoyable time at Crooners yesterday (and today's hors doerve in Skywalkers was steak tartar- not a favorite), that we returned to the martini bar for pre-dinner drinks today. Tomorrow is Breeza Marina night in Skywalkers, so you know we'll be back up there for that.
Dinner was that new chili-spiced shrimp dish I first had last cruise. We lingered a bit, because we were skipping the 7:15pm show in the Princess Theater (vocal impressionist Michael Wilson) in favor of pianoman Kory Simon's 8:00pm show in the Explorers Lounge (the second night this cruise we've had an option!). We've seen Kory's show three times already, but, as I've said, we enjoy talented musicians (and Kory is as talented as they come) and don't mind seeing them multiple times.
Following the show, we stopped by Club Fusion for a few minutes to listen to band Sol Provider and dance. Yes, we danced! even to a slow once (a waltz- Can I Have This Dance for the Rest of my Life. I love that song!). Then it was fuzzy water (no popcorn tonight...too full), blog and bed, in that order. I'm tired tonight!
Tomorrow in Antigua, we're considering doing one of our "first time" things, but don't even know if we can get a reservation, so I'll hold off disclosing what it is until it's a done deal. Please pray that 24 hours from now we have no broken bones and all our teeth.
Mom- don't worry! ;-)
Photo 1: Zumba in Club Fusion. I had missed it so much!
Photo 2: Zumba instructors Pepper and Salt (aka cruise staffers Leesh and Lexi, both from Australia)
Photo 3: it was a three dessert lunch (NOTE: only one was mine!)
Photo 4: sitting on the Promenade Deck after lunch
Photo 5: pre-dinner drinks in Crooners martini bar
Photo 6: Kory Simon, in full Elton John gear
