Day 118: At Sea

Our wonderful sunny days continue, and we seem to have left the wind behind, too. Today the seas were smooth and steady, and for that we are grateful. 

Sea day/ port day...our breakfast routine rarely varies much (provided we awake in time); first to the International Cafe (this is dear waitress Ana's last cruise before she returns home to Serbia for vacation, and she can't stop smiling and hugging everyone), and then to the DaVinci Dining Room for breakfast. In a small departure from routine, I ordered a toasted bagel with lox and cream cheese today, but limited myself to just half. I also snuck chocolate frosted donuts from the IC to hostess Mihaela and waiter Alvin as a treat- but don't tell anyone. ;-)

G and I strolled hand in hand (does nothing for the heart physically but everything for it emotionally) on the Promenade Deck. Other than flying fish, our wildlife sightings have been non-existant this winter. Usually we see dolphins at least once, and so we continue to keep looking for them. Eventually, we returned to our cabin, where the ship was steady enough for me to give G an overdue haircut.  I'm going to get one on turnaround day in Fort Lauderdale. Remember when G thought I wouldn't need to use the discount coupon for Great Clips that expires March 1st?  Something about nutritious food and warm, moist air must be conducive to hair growth. 

I also backed up this cruise's photos from both our iPhones to my laptop, and then backed up my iPhone. I try to remember to do that every cruise, but this was the first time I've done it since January. You've not heard me mention having to do my nails lately; the glitter polish on my toenails continues to wear like iron, and my fingernails are back to their "at home" state (nubs). It does save quite a bit of time every cruise. 

We decided to skip lunch altogether today (it's much nicer to go into the evening hours hungry) and G went to a hot tub on Deck 17 and waved at me to cheer me on as I walked on Deck 19. What a motivator!  The jogging track offered beautiful 35-mile views of the no-foam sea in all directions, and lots of sun. It did not offer one wisp of wind. After 45 minutes, I was drenched with sweat and talked G out of the hot tub as I passed by. Neither of us needed another minute of sun. 

That's how we ended up showered for the evening even before the 3pm Grapevine Wine Tasting. A Gewürztraminer was on the tasting menu today for the first time, which made G especially happy, and we picked up shooter glasses in a new (this winter) design, which made me happy. 

We were dressed formally and in Skywalkers for pre-dinner drinks by shortly after 4:30pm. Although there were no islands to look at, the views were still impressive.  Look how smooth that water is!

On our way to dinner, we spotted the Piazza prepared for tonight's balloon drop. On the last formal night of every cruise, New Years Eve is recreated, with a countdown to a balloon drop at 10:45pm. 

We've stayed awake for it only once this winter. 

After hors doerves in Skywalkers, dinner (round 1) was simple, just a seafood appetizer and escargot for me. Dear Komang made certain I had a special flaky blue cheese roll in our bread basket, 'cause according to him, they're the best for soaking up the garlic butter in the escargot (he's right). 

We raced out of dinner to watch a beautiful sunset from the Promenade Deck...

...then went to the 7:15pm of production show I Got the Music. One of the dancers has had to return home early, and Heather, the crew chief, told us tonight that the singers and dancers have been spending an hour a day working to reblock the shows to accommodate his absence. Sounds painful!

We ended the evening with dinner (round 2) in the buffet, which included lots of shrimp for me, with a pavlova for dessert. 

Before I end tonight, I have a few miscellaneous thoughts:

Master Chef Commadatore Alfredo Marzi came on board in St. Lucia for a ship visit, and will be conducting the culinary demonstration in the Princess Theater tomorrow morning. I saw Alfredo do the culinary demonstration on the Royal Princess and know not to miss him tomorrow. 

There are new, electronic gaming tables in the casino, offering the opportunity for additional betting. In other words, they offer the opportunity for additional losing. We saw instructors training the casino staff on them today. 

And, finally, I overheard cruise friends / blog readers, who were seated by us last evening at dinner, ask our waiters which one was Darko, and told him his reputation from this blog preceded his introduction as their waiter. I asked Darko tonight if that happens often. Oh yes, he said, at least 15 times so far this winter. When I told him I hoped it didn't embarrass him, he tossed back his head and said it was simply the price of fame. And then gave us a big, sheepish smile. 

;-)