Day 103: At Sea

Was there a morning today?  I honestly don't recall. We've discovered a channel on our cabin TV called Prime US, and, as G was channel surfing this morning, we came across Special Agent Gibbs in an episode of CSI. For two people who have been out of the country for over three months, this provided a wonderful feeling of home, and we both enjoyed it very much. G did eventually get dressed and leave the cabin- I heard he ran into Suzan and Greg when he went for coffee in the IC- but I didn't leave until it was time to go the Most Traveled Passengers luncheon, held at noon in Botticelli Dining Room. We were seated with the Customer Services Director Luca and he indulged our questions about the things he has seen and done as part of his responsibilities on board. Multiple glasses of wine later, we were served another amazing dessert (I think the Princess pastry chefs are getting their chance to shine during this 50th anniversary year!), and somehow made it back to our cabin to rest for a few minutes.

MTP luncheon dessert

I managed to get on Internet long enough to order our transfers from the pier to LAX next Monday, booked through Prime Time Shuttle for $16 per person. I have to admit that I'm kind of excited at the prospect of spending a few days at home before we leave again, this time for the Caribbean. Now that we are as close to home as we are, and despite being on board with great friends, I am a smidge homesick. Of course, once we start wading through almost four months of mail and any associated issues, I may quickly move from homesick to sick of home. 

The Grapevine wine tasting to which we'd been invited as part of our Elite benefits was held at 3pm. Better to get all the debauchery over in one afternoon, I guess. I was really thrilled with the differerent (to us) wines served at today's tasting; I don't believe I've ever seen four of the five wines at a previous tasting. They were Gerwurstraminer Michael Leon; Donnafugata Anthilia (another white); Estancia Meritage Reserve (my very favorite); Melias Priorat; and the standard Errazuriz Late Harvest dessert wine. Feeling quite...relaxed, we walked out on the Promenade Deck afterward, my first time outside all day. Though it was mostly cloudy, it was warm and not windy.  This bodes well for our stop in Puerto Vallarta tomorrow. 

We were at the Elite Lounge with friends at 5pm for still more drinking and fun. It was Breeza Marina night, and we celebrated my belated birthday but, most importantly, the birth of Suzan and Greg's first grandchild, Savannah, the day after. It is so wonderful to have friends to share these things with!

Dinner was the Italian night menu (penne arrabiata with chicken breast for me) and we are quickly getting spoiled by wonderful service from Ciria (who makes it all look easy when it really isn't) and Sergii. We arrived early for the 7:45pm performance of Motor City in the Vista Lounge so as to score front row seats. It's not new news that Motor City remains our favorite production show of all, so to see it on both the Pacific Princess (in its adult length) and on the Grand Princess (with its 30-minute length for child-sized attention spans) was a real treat for us this winter. Prior to this, we hadn't seen it since (I think) the Island Princess in 2012. 

There was a lot more going on tonight. Once again, there was a second show to see...comedian Carlos Oscar in the Princess Theater. We're batting 1000 on having two shows each night. Also happening later on is the International Crew Show, something else the Emerald Princess abandoned almost two years ago. (I don't know why that ship seemed to be getting so shortchanged on entertainment compared to the other Princess ships.) And tonight is Country Western night with a party in the Explorers Lounge. Lots to choose from, and we're...going to bed. My cough is still nagging; I need Robitussin and sleep...and, maybe, another episode of CSI.