Postscript to Day 16 - An update of last night’s dinner. We were out on the aft part of the Terrace Cafe on what was a spectacularly beautiful evening with a wonderful sunset sky. The sky was so spectacular that I am enclosing a couple of photos.
The evening was very convivial in this lovely setting until our 50th anniversary couple, Joan and Bill turned their discussion to what had been said at a New Year’s Eve party last year. Memories differed on the identity of the person who had uttered a particular remark. Leaving out the detail of the dispute, sufficient to say that a bet was laid as to who had said what and the stakes of this bet consisted of an indeterminate number of pairs of Ferragamo shoes, obviously, these were due to the distaff side, should she prove to be the person with the correct recollection. The pay out for the male party was not established. Michele agreed to be a stakeholder but her commission for this appeared to be a further pair of these shoes. Being married to a UN person I did my best to maintain a neutral stance although neutrality is not a position familiar to the UN. Phone calls to the Californian attendees of the New Year’s Eve party failed to connect and thus the we were left without a winner and we all dispersed with the outcome unresolved. It is to be earnestly hoped that the 50 year maturity of the relationship survives this wager! We agreed to meet for breakfast and open one of the jars of Diddle Dee jam that I obtained in the Falklands.
When I returned to my room, this is what I found.
Day 17 - This is our last full day at sea on this cruise. I am enclosing a few pictures of the ship
The pool deck. just above the deck itself is the running/exercise track which runs around the area and where 13 laps are equal to one nautical mile, (6,080 feet).
The bar at the entrance to the main dining room.
Part of the main dining room
A table setting in the main dining room.
The ship has four dining areas, two of which require reservations, a steakhouse in which the food is excellent, an Italian restaurant where the food is generally good but not always. Then there is the main dining room which you see above and which has an extensive menu of classic American and European dishes. There is also a less formal Terrace Cafe where the food is served buffet style at. At lunch time, in one corner of the pool deck they serve hot-dogs, burgers, salads and other lighter (?) fare. The staff are extremely helpful as an example; one of our number wanted some chicken soup which was not on the menu but it was produced quickly by the obliging cooks.
There are numerous bars and other lounges, a fitness center, a spa, a rather nice library, an internet center and, of course, the obligatory casino with slot machines and tables. There is no cinema but there is a huge DVD library and each room has a TV with a DVD player. As I write this, I am watching the Six Nations Ireland v Italy rugby union international live from Dublin, relayed, of course, via satellite.
I am also able via the new networks to see the huge snowstorm which is hitting DC and some parts of NJ. I just hope that by the time I arrive back, next Thursday morning the travel chaos has subsided.
Judging by the number of eateries, one hopes that there is a steady stream of people getting in their miles on the deck circuit, although if the ship is as lumpy in its movements as you described, isn't there a danger one could tumble off the track? Nice sunsets. Looking forward to getting a few of them in Thailand, where we (Nick and self) will also be playing some very silly golf in sauna temperatures. As for the bear and the penguin, it's your own fault for leaving a copy of Razzle lying around.
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