Who knew that we would put more effort into the Super Bowl today than the Broncos did?
6:30am: Alarm goes off for the first time
6:39am: Alarm goes off for the second time
6:48am: Alarm goes off for the third time. I get up and run to the bathroom to put in my contacts. By the time I return, G is throwing on clothes willy-nilly, and gathering up every pool towel we have. I simply bring my backpack. It contains enough sunscreens, hand wipes and contact lens solutions for an expedition.
7am: I join G by the Calypso Pool. It's obvious the system is different today; there are no loungers around the pool and no stack of loungers nearby. Loungers are being set up one deck above in Deck 16. He has already lay claim to the two loungers right in the center; others are laden with towels and shoes within 30 minutes. We know what this means: we are going to bake in the sun and/or shiver in the rain for the rest of the day. No loungers are set out under the overhang of Deck 16. We are on uncovered Deck 16 and prepare for a long day.
8am: We leave, one at a time, to get some food from the Horizon Court Buffet. G returns with bacon and OJ; I choose cereal and watermelon. Maitre d' Generoso sees me and congratulates me on our prime seating location. He knows we are diehard fans.
9am: The Wake Show begins to be broadcast on the big screen (MUTS). A brief, light rainshower has us offering slogans for a sunny day. We realize just how much The Wake Show has become one big informercial. Spa. Jewelry. Art. Drinks. Liquor. Repeat. Repeat again.
9:30am: Tables and chairs from the Neptunes Reef pool are moved to fill in the empty space where the loungers usually sit on Deck 15 around the Calypso Pool. This was a wise move...people would have soon been dragging loungers back over from the other pool.
10am: A triple feature of the Grand Princess revitalization (our previous viewings: 127 times), a history of the Panama Canal (fascinating) and a history of Europe (fascinating at first, but it's a looonnnnngggg history) play on MUTS and then the first two documentaries repeat. We abandon our slogans and start our rain dance. ANYTHING to cut the sun and bring in some clouds. It goes unanswered.
Sometime in here I start working my way through the gin mini bottles in our cabin. I'm blistering hot and thirsty; G&T's go down a bit too quickly. I layer on SPF50 with titanium oxide so that I look bright white...then pink when the skin below still turns a bit red.
12pm: The three documentary features end, and we are treated to a video of animals in the wild "speaking" humorous dialogue. This is tortuous. I continue to drink. G and I spell each other occasionally, just to move out of the sun and into AC to cool off.
1pm: A Lionel Ritchie concert is shown in MUTS. This is surprisingly entertaining; Lionel Ritchie's music marks my coming of age. It's good that I enjoy it so much, because it's hot. Stinking hot. And I'm greasy with sunscreen, which is running into my contacts.
2:30pm: People are arriving back from the island looking for seats, but it's a lost cause. Finally I see a deck steward removing towels and items from chairs that have been hogged. I can't help myself...the four chairs next to us have been hogged since 7:30am. Two couples laid their stuff on them and told us they were going on tour in Barbados. I helpfully point this out to the deck steward. Their stuff is gone and two new couples move in in seconds. I'm happy to see Cruise Critic friends Lew and Nan are now sitting next to us. They promise to cheer for the Broncos. Justice has been served and life is good.
3pm: The movie The Blind Side is shown on MUTS. It's probably my favorite movie of recent years and an excellent choice. I'm hot and sweaty and miserable, but determined to hang in there. A Broncos fan sitting behind us, a former teacher, is decorating the area with Broncos stuff. G hangs up our flag. This is starting to be fun.
4pm: The Emerald Princess sails from Barbados. The sun comes from a different direction, and then another. It gets just mildly breezy. It's obvious that rain is only a remote possibility, and, as the sun starts to lose some of it's heat, that's a good thing.
5:30pm: The Blind Side ends. I fry. I'm thankful for my sunglasses to cover my tears running down my face, and return to our cabin to dry my tears, wash off ten layers of sunscreen, remove my Tilley hat which was a permanent fixture on my head since 7am, and grab my fleece pullover. I return to spell G so he can do the same. Sports trivia is playing on MUTS, but most people are doing just what we are- making final preparations for the game. Buckets of beer are bought with increasing regularity.
6pm: Super Bowl PowerPoint slides announcing imminent coverage are shown. Generoso stops by to see if we survived the day. An interview with Peyton is aired, and he discusses the ESPN documentary The Book of Manning. My heart starts beating faster and my stomach hurts. Maybe the hardest part of the day is yet to come. (Added later: If I only knew...)
6:12pm: At sunset, huge black clouds appear overhead. It's instantly chilly, and I put on my fleece earlier than anticipated. Misty rain drops are appearing on my iPhone screen.
This can. not. be. happening.
6:16pm: The mist stops. I breathe again.
6:20pm: G turns to me and says, "Can you believe this? We've watched the games, the playoffs and the championships on the Emerald Princess. Now, our fav team is actually playing for the Lombardi trophy. Win or lose, this has been a thrill". I'm not certain I agree. I think winning would be a huge thrill; losing not so much.
6:30pm: Super Bowl snacks are available by the pool. Chips, salsa, guacamole, burgers, pizza and wings. There is an ice carving of the Lombardi Trophy.
7pm: The pre-game begins. We all rise for the national anthem. G leads some veterans in a salute.
7:25pm: The game finally begins, 12 1/2 hours after we claimed our chairs.
7:30pm: The game essentially ends (but we don't know it yet) with a Seattle safety on the Broncos first play.
We lasted until midway through the fourth quarter. We simply could not endure any more suffering today. The game was horribly reminiscent of the Broncos' performance in their unsuccessful Super Bowl against the 49ers 24 years ago, but, in the end, a Super Bowl loss on a cruise ship is better than a Super Bowl loss at home. And I should know, 'cause while I've had plenty of experience with the latter, I have now endured the former.
:-(