Today was the first time we ever did taxes on a cruise ship. And I feel fairly confident in saying that we were the only people on this entire ship doing taxes today.
Aren't we special? ;-)
We really did do taxes; at least, we started doing them. We had purchased Turbo Tax using Staples rebates in late December, and wanted to get the program downloaded before any more time passed. I noticed this morning, once most people were off the ship, that wifi was fast, and so it was the perfect opportunity to start the download. Within 15 minutes it was done, and that's another thing off our "to-do" list.
After breakfast in the buffet, we walked off the ship with the intention of finding wifi to check the webcams at home and then to walk along the waterfront to the south side of where the ship docks. Last year I had found some beautiful pieces of sea glass on the black sand next to the sea wall and wanted to try again.
Aren't we special? ;-)
We really did do taxes; at least, we started doing them. We had purchased Turbo Tax using Staples rebates in late December, and wanted to get the program downloaded before any more time passed. I noticed this morning, once most people were off the ship, that wifi was fast, and so it was the perfect opportunity to start the download. Within 15 minutes it was done, and that's another thing off our "to-do" list.
After breakfast in the buffet, we walked off the ship with the intention of finding wifi to check the webcams at home and then to walk along the waterfront to the south side of where the ship docks. Last year I had found some beautiful pieces of sea glass on the black sand next to the sea wall and wanted to try again.
I've always been fascinated by sea glass. It has an entire history wrapped up in one little piece of glass polished smooth by the ocean. Sure, the genesis of some pieces is a beer bottle littered along a beach, but it's the uncertainty about where each piece comes from that intrigues me. I have them lined up on a window sill over the kitchen sink at home, and they bring me great joy during those months when I'm NOT on a ship and I'm washing dishes 37 times a day.
On our flight down to Fort Lauderdale in November, I sat next to a lady from Islamorada in the Florida Keys who designs and sells jewelry made from sea glass. I asked where she gets her sea glass from and she said the best places were near dumps on these islands (no, thank you!) and near piers. There is a small pier near the ship on St. Kitts, and that's where I've pretty reliably found several pieces in the past. As it turned out, I had even better luck today, and found a piece of glass with some writing on it that I'll have to try to figure out.
We continued down the sidewalk along the sea wall towards that same supermarket we'd gone to last winter, the one with the shocking prices. What amazes me is that the locals, who generally appear to have almost nothing, can afford to shop there. I guess that's why so many do subsistence farming, and there is certainly a lot of locally grown food. Fish, fruits and vegetables...those are plentiful and cheap. Meat and household supplies- not so much.
We continued down the sidewalk along the sea wall towards that same supermarket we'd gone to last winter, the one with the shocking prices. What amazes me is that the locals, who generally appear to have almost nothing, can afford to shop there. I guess that's why so many do subsistence farming, and there is certainly a lot of locally grown food. Fish, fruits and vegetables...those are plentiful and cheap. Meat and household supplies- not so much.
After getting our exercise, we came back to the ship for a late lunch in the buffet. You know I'm not a fan of the buffet, but I've learned to just stick primarily with the salad bar, and I do okay. Actually, it's better than okay; the variety in the salads I eat for lunch would be difficult to replicate at home.
After that, I used the laptop and the still relatively fast ship's wifi to cancel our flights from Fort Lauderdale to home for both February 15th and 25th. You might recall that we weren't certain, when we left home, just how long we'd be staying on the Emerald Princess. We had used Southwest Rapid Rewards points to hold flights for 100 days of cruising, and 110 days. I guess there's little doubt now we're staying for the full 120 days. Again, thank you Southwest! The points we had used to book the flights are already back in our Rapid Rewards accounts- no penalty at all.
By then, the back of the ship was calling for me. Hot, sunny and uncrowded...I spent the remainder of the afternoon alternating between a lounger and the Terrace Pool. Life is good!
I don't know why I bothered to shower before going to Leesh's party line dance class in Club Fusion at 4:15pm, because I needed another one afterwards. I met G up in Skywalkers but didn't have any of tonight's sushi hors doerve...I was hungry and wanted to go to dinner that way (it was Italian night).
Sutti has a lot of tables to serve (the waitstaff is spread much too thin), and most of his first diners arrive right at 5:30pm. If we arrive at 6:00pm or 6:15pm, he's in the heat of serving the others' entree course, and we have had a bit of a wait this cruise having our order taken when we arrive after everyone else. We hadn't said a thing about it...Sutti is the best and we know it. But Sutti himself must have been bothered by it. Tonight he had the appetizers he knew we'd order to us almost immediately, and then took the rest of our order when his other tables were eating their main course.
A good waiter can adapt to whatever a situation demands, and Sutti is a very good waiter.
I take back all the good things I've been saying about the improvement in entertainment choices on the ship. I don't know what's going on tonight, but we don't have two show options tonight; we barely have one. For the first time I've ever seen, the crew talent show, which is usually scheduled at 10:15pm one of the last nights of a cruise, is scheduled tonight. At 7:15pm and 8:30pm. And that's it as far as shows tonight. This puzzles me...most crew members can't even begin to get away from their jobs during the early evening, and especially not for two shows. Maybe an entertainer didn't show up? I don't know. G said it best...where's (comedian) Rollin Jay Moore when you need him? At any rate, we've seen the crew talent show already this winter and are waiting until Sutti, Surasit and Nicky finish making new costumes for their Thai dance to see it again. Hopefully next cruise...Sutti says he's getting tired of drinking Fanta soda, but he needs the cans for the costumes!
Also tonight is the Tropical Deck party. It's a beautiful evening for it. The distance from St. Kitts to St. Thomas is short, just over 100 miles. We're cruising at a slow 14 mph, and this ship is as stable as it gets. I was just out on the Terrace Deck to get fuzzy water from Outriggers Bar, and the lights of some island (St. Eustatius? Saba?) are off the back of the ship. Gorgeous!
I want to go the party tonight. I really do. But we arrive early in St. Thomas tomorrow, at 7am, and our alarm is set for 6:00am and our bags are already packed for a day on Honeymoon Beach on Water Island. Our plan is to catch the 8:00am ferry over, and perhaps the 2:15pm ferry back, giving us a nice long day on the water.
It's 9:00pm and my contacts are out. Does anyone really think I'll make it to the party? Of course I won't.
And, two other items of note for today. Friend Martha had sent us a box of first class mail at the port agent's address in Fort Lauderdale. She timed the mailing so that we'd have the box on the last turnaround day. Well, it didn't show up. We really weren't concerned...after chasing after my Drugstore.com shipment last year, we know that these things do generally eventually show up. Finally, two days ago, we stopped by the Passenger Services Desk to inquire, and were told that the box was not on board and we should check again next turnaround day. No problem.
Then this afternoon, we received a phone message from the hotel clerk: were we expecting a package, because he had one for us. We haven't opened it yet, but it's heavy! I'm hoping for Christmas and birthday cards and no bad surprises.
Also, on the Steward Nazi front, relations are continuing to thaw, if only the slightest bit. Still, we know our place. Our laundry has been getting slower and slower to be returned. It's supposed to be that laundry turned in by 9:00am will be returned the following evening, but that's been stretching to the morning after that and sometimes the following evening. We just turn in our dirties and wonder if (and hope that) we'll ever see them returned. We don't question...we're better trained than that.
G was looking at the Princess Patter this morning when I asked, "I wonder if we'll get laundry back tonight?" Without looking up he remarked that it said in the Patter that we would. Huh? "It's right here" he said..."LGBT get together in Adagio at 5:30pm". At my questioning look, he explained. "LGBT: laundry gets back today. They're having a party for us to celebrate".
That's my guy!
:-)
Photo 1: G's work for today: helping to raise the Bermuda (where the ship is registered) at the back of the ship
Photo 2: an egret we saw on our walk
Photo 3: today's sea glass finds
Photo 4: this salad from the buffet was so pretty, I'm going to have the photo printed, so when we're home and I'm hungry, I can eat it.
;-)
Photo 5: the Wind Star Wind Surf was in St. Kitts today. Photo taken at sailaway through our dining room window.
