The weather gets warmer (and more humid) every day, and today we even had more sun. Even without paying any attention to the navigational stats, it’s clear we’re heading south. I went to The Enclave this morning, and then, for the first time (can you believe this?) I made it out on the Lido Deck where the chair hogs were out in force. Something loud and Tom Brady-related was on MUTS, and despite the football theme, it’s like nails on a chalkboard to me. We were sitting off to one side where I couldn’t see the screen and it was no different than having the TV on as background noise at home (which cutting the cable has happily ended).
I mentioned in the last post that I was having a drink on the Lido Deck while G had a burger from the grill and I finished up yesterday’s blog post. Despite food all around, I still prefer to have lunch in the Allegro Dining Room, so we went there as soon as G was done eating, which led to this year’s first time commenting, “Hurry up and finish eating so we can go to lunch”. It never fails to be said at least once every year.
Today I had the summer roll
and the poke bowl, which I love.
Something fun (maybe last night’s Captains Circle party, or being on the Lido Deck) depleted my social battery completely, and I actually returned to the cabin, sat on the balcony (did I mention we have foot stools?), put on my sleep mask and slept for an hour or so, which was just what I needed. I awoke refreshed and ready to be social again.
Also signaling that it might be time to take a break is my Check Liver Soon light, which is flashing and alarming a bit more every day. I actually had eight drinks today, but didn’t finish half of them. Still, I now know quite clearly what my limit is (4 or 5). Much of my consumption is done while sitting in the Wheelhouse every evening listening to live music, so I just need to switch to Perrier while I do that. Or cut out Crooners before dinner. I really should just stick with wine at dinner.
G convinced me to accompany him to the third Captains Circle party tonight, but, it turned out, MTGuests 1 and 2 were also there. We used to not like it when none of the top three most traveled (and sometimes the captain, too) were not at the parties and so we make an effort to show up if we can. Apparently others feel the same, and it made for another nice evening.
After the party, we grabbed a quick dinner in the Concerto Dining Room (we had to…it was cioppino and key lime pie night), but skipped the Princess Theater show, because…magician. Instead, we chose to see one of the production show vocalists, Leo Rowell, do his own show in the Vista Lounge backed by the Regal Princess orchestra. It was the first time he had performed his show, called A Singer’s Journey, and it was excellent.
Sea scallion and shrimp cocktail
Cioppino (my favorite)
Key lime pie
I always want to ask them to save the leftovers for me
It was only 9:30pm when the show ended, but we were worn out. I think that’s the less familiar side of moving clocks back most days on a crossing. Yes, we get to sleep a bit more, but 9:30pm now was after midnight a few days ago and we feel it.
And before I fail to mention it again, as I did last night, we were at the Captains Circle party last night and who appeared in front of us but Cristian. Cristian, our best cabin steward ever (though Awesome Ambrish is a very close second). Cristian was our steward on our first long series of cruises, for 100 nights on the Emerald Princess 13 years ago. We saw him again on the Ruby in Australia in 2019 where he was a supervisor. Well, he is now Rooms Division Manager on the Regal and just started this contract, so he’ll be here the whole time we are. I can’t tell you how thrilled we are for him, and how happy it makes us to see that Princess is promoting good people.
(Now I’m a mission to get a certain junior waiter promoted to waiter. Fingers crossed this works.)
