Well, we are still rocking and rolling with the motion of the ocean, but not quite as much as in the beginning of the 4-day run. On the plus side, the weather is warming up a little bit each and every day. Another thing of interest is that today happens to be Friday the 13th. Not that we are particularly superstitious, but maybe we can say we are cautious on days like this.
That kind of proved to be true when one of us went walking on the promenade deck this morning. As with any ship, there is always the need for maintenance inside and outside. So there happened to be a crew working on the promenade deck this morning repairing some piping overhead. Out of the blue, one of the 6-foot-long heavy pipes came crashing down, barely missing some of the surprised guests. All the more reason to cordon off the workspace or close the deck temporarily. It is not the first time something like that has happened and probably not the last.
In the meantime, our twice a month delivery of 40 sodas arrived with the gift cards saying "With compliments of the Mariner Society". So far we have not run completely out of our beverages. But now that the warmer weather is ahead of us, we may run out.
In case we forgot to mention this, the laundry service has been outstanding. If we turn in a bag in the morning, it has been returned by late afternoon. Sometimes we put a bag out before dinner, and that comes back early the next day. Most times there are cute messages in the baskets from the laundry crew saying that they hope we like their service. You bet we do. What is there not to like, with the exception of getting a stranger's underwear over a month ago.
We spent about an hour at the Seaview Pool getting to know the deck crew better. Today we tried the ice-cold lemonade, as suggested by Ramon. And it was just right. So far there has been no progress on the repairs to the aft pool. And it is still painted almost black & blue on the sides and bottom. The executive housekeeper, Metka, stopped by for a chat. It seems that noon is their time for lunch, and most of the officers and staff prefer the Lido, then dine out back getting some much-appreciated sunshine.
Captain Rens came on with the daily weather and position report. We are doing a speed of 19 knots with about a 6-foot sea swell. He remarked that the conditions are very good for this part of the Pacific Ocean. Overcast skies earlier, turned into mostly sunny skies in the afternoon. The temperature had climbed to 77 degrees with the sea temps near the same. There was also a mention that we are in the middle of nowhere with the nearest land being Easter Island…… another 825 nautical miles away.
For those who seek arts and crafts and related activities, there were plenty of them today. Water coloring had three sessions, sit and knit continued for a three-hour option, and craft projects had one class at 2:30pm in the Lido Marketplace. Creative writing was another option which was held in the Wajang Theater. Lectures continued with the subject of map makers and Easter Island and the mystery surrounding it. Trivia continues to keep the folks on their toes. Promotions for Valentine's Day were off the charts.
We had an invitation to another combined cocktail reception with President's Club, Pinnacle Suite, and Neptune guests held in the Explorer's Lounge. The room had been converted from chairs to individual tables and chairs for four beginning at 6:30pm to 7:30pm. We were greeted by a line-up of officers beginning with Jonah and several of the staff. Florin was there, but we did not see the Captain. We took a table where we could see most of the whole room and were joined by Amy. Officers mingled with the guests and we were graced with the company of Florin's assistant, a very lovely young lady from the Philippines. Then we were able to chat with Josh, we believe is the Travel Director, who graced us with his singing talents a few days ago at the awards ceremony. Turns out we were from the same area of the San Francisco Bay Area. Small world. Josh had some wild and crazy stories of his early life in the city, keeping the three of us well entertained. The party lasted well after 7:30pm, then we had to head to dinner.
Tortilla soup had been suggested in the Daily newsletter, but we sure did not see it on the menu tonight. So we both ordered different salads and mains of prime rib. That entree always comes with very generous slices of meat, veggies and a whopping Yorkshire pudding. No dessert tonight.
The entertainment was a performance called Supernova Duo vocalists with Fleetwood Mac type of music. And the movie tonight was appropriate with Freaky Friday.
We were happy to call it a night. Passing through the Mix and the Ocean Bar after dinner, we are always bombarded with plenty of super loud music….enough to last the rest of the evening.
Bill & Mary Ann
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