I am starting this post hours earlier than last night’s, which kept me up until nearly 1am. That can’t continue, especially when we’re sitting in the DaVinci Dining Room for breakfast at 7:30 the next morning. Besides, what can I possibly say about sea days that I haven’t already mentioned?
Well, I can think of one thing: we’re already seeing Christmas movies scheduled around the ship in the Princess Patter, and I love having those options. The Side B Christmas songs that we’re hearing non-stop...not so much. I would love a playlist comprised of the usual songs with a Side A Christmas song sprinkled in every fifth song or so. Today’s stand out was a song called Merry Texas Christmas, Y’all.
Help me.
But, on a positive note, guess what made its first appearance this morning. Christmas stollen!!! The waiters all knew I’d been waiting for this. Except for the very occasional Breton (which I haven’t seen for a couple of cruises), I don’t indulge in any pastries... until the Christmas stollen shows up. Waiter Ricky delivered a slice to me first thing this morning.
Please excuse the tiny bite missing at the top. I just couldn’t wait.
After breakfast, we went to Destination Expert Dave Upton’s talk on Melbourne. Sure, we’ve been there before but this will be our first visit this year. We still have our Myki cards, similar to Sydney‘s Opal cards, from two years ago, each with a small remaining balance. We can’t wait to ride the historic trams for which the city is known. By the way, Sydney’s light rail became operational just today. We’ll have to ride that at least once when we get back there.
G went to the Cruise Critic Meet and Greet this morning, and ran into Nan and Anthony. We cruised with them on the Pacific Princess in French Polynesia a few years ago. Fortunately, I met them going up to Skywalkers for the Elite Lounge this afternoon, so we were able to get caught up. We all have wonderful memories of doing Patrick’s tour on Bora Bora. Days don’t get much better than that!
The DaVinci Dining Room is crazy busy for breakfast and lunch this cruise, and we make a point to get there when it opens for our little table by the window. This holiday cruise is going to require that we zig when others zag just to stay sane. No worries; we’ve done that on holiday cruises in the past. It works.
Day 2 lunch menu, page 1
Sorry for the shadows; the sun was coming through the windows last evening when I was scanning these menus.
Day 2 lunch menu, page 2
My lack of sleep caught up with me this afternoon. It was too chilly and a little too rough to be outside, and nothing appealed quite as much as a nap in our quiet cabin. We started getting ready for formal night # 241 of the season by 3:30pm. One of us could be quite content just eating dinner in the Horizon Court Buffet by this point in the season, but the other one loves dressing up. I’ll leave it to you to guess who is who.
Day 2 dinner menu, page 1
Day 2 dinner menu, page 2
Day 2 dessert menu
We went to the Princess Theater a full hour early to get the ‘extra legroom seats’ in the middle of the theater. Tonight’s performance was production show Stardust, and we really enjoy the orchestral accompaniment for that one. I’ve gotten smart; I use one of our new Most Traveled Guest tote bags (with the Most Traveled Guest label turned inward, of course; no gloating on my part!) to carry a blanket to the Princess Theater each evening, and others are envious...and cold. It’s freezing in there.
And, finally, (in the words of Captain Lewis)...now for something completely different.
I mentioned the new motion sensor lights in our cabin. We lived with them for almost 12 hours before we decided something needed to change. The nightstand lights are great, but the light between the bathroom door and closet is now only motion activated; it’s no longer controllable by the wall switch so it’s not possible to have it on all the time. Furthermore, it was set to stay on only for 15 seconds at a time. Both of us were caught hanging up or putting away clothes, or sorting through the contents of the safe when the light would turn off and we’d be standing in the dark. I quickly learned to do a little dance to get the light back on...and then I’d have to do it again 15 seconds later.
The guys making the electrical changes were still in our area yesterday during turnaround. We had gotten to know them a bit over the past few days (I’ve been teasing them mercilessly about the fact that their supplies were being carried around in a white tub with ‘PROPERTY OF THE US POSTAL SERVICE’ on its side). I mentioned to them that 15 seconds for that hall light was far too short, and helpfully demonstrated the dance I had to do to turn the light back on. That did the trick; never wanting to have to imagine that again, they quickly adjusted our light. It now stays on for 50 seconds. ;-)
Yesterday morning during disembarkation, G and I got in a nearly full elevator. As the doors were closing, someone in the back said, “Hey, you’re those oldest passengers who were in the Patter yesterday!” I grabbed my chest and squeaked out, “OLDEST passengers?”, and G said, “No, we just look like we are after all this travel”. Ah yes, the price of fame, like the toll of extended travel on one’s appearance, is high. :-o
Day 2 Princess Patter, page 1
Day 2 Princess Patter, page 2
Day 2 Princess Patter, page 3
Day 2 Princess Patter, page 4