Well, just when we thought we saw the last of them, we spotted flying fish once again all around the ship this afternoon. After passing Acapulco late yesterday afternoon, the Amsterdam headed northwesterly, across the bottom of the Sea of Cortez as we made our way towards Cabo San Lucas on the tip of the Baja Peninsula. Gone are the turtles, and back are deep swells and choppy waters due to winds and currents. One good thing coming from this, are the temperatures have dropped and the worst of the humidity is about gone. We suspect that Captain Fred is going about 18 knots or better, and it is causing a bumpy ride. Sort of feels like a constant earthquake, making walking a little harder. It is also a good excuse to use the elevators instead of the stairs.
During breakfast, we asked Presti about how many folks will be getting off in San Diego. His answer was about 600. However, another 500 will be boarding there, and another 100 boarding for a one day, one night cruise from Vancouver to Seattle. He admitted that this one night cruise is a nightmare for the crew, since most all of these guests will use the time to party, drink, and gamble all night. He even suggested that perhaps a better option for the staff would be to keep the Lido open for 24 hours, and cut off room service. So if people get a busy signal trying to order room service at ungodly hours of the night, it could be the phone will be off the hook. Or not. It depends on how well equipped they are to handle the traffic. Added to this, many of the regular crew members will be going home, and new ones will be taking their place. The problem arises when there is a gap between the time the travelers go home and the new crew members arrive. To complicate the situation even more, the ship needs to be ready for possible inspections that take place when a ship goes into a US port, such as Seattle. Now we are really glad we are getting off in San Diego, avoiding that scene.
We spent some time fine-tuning the last of the packing. You would be surprised how much little stuff we stashed away over 4 1/2 months. Before we knew it, the last suitcase was nearly full. We hope the other duffels settle and make some more space in the next day or two. Got to remember.....bring less.
While we took advantage of the pleasant conditions at the aft pool, life continued on the ship. Barbara H gave a talk on San Diego, while the port shopping guy, Chris, lectured on the tips to use while shopping in Cabo San Lucas tomorrow. Dancing With the Stars at Sea continued with teaching of the jive. Not sure when the final show will be happening, but it should be before we get off the ship in San Diego.
Dinner was in the Pinnacle Grill for us, our final freebie. We had a veal chop and a small filet mignon. Baked potatoes, mushrooms, and a caesar salad filled us up. For dessert, we asked for a naked Baked Alaska, meaning just the Jerry Garcia ice cream, but our waitress informed us that their freezer had broken down, and the ice cream was gone. So we had to settle for raspberry cheesecake and three tiny scoops of praline ice cream. Life is tough......
Here is a catch-up on the entertainment. There was a Ballroom Cabaret with Anastasiia and Sergii at 7:15pm yesterday. Following them was Avener the Eccentric. Not sure what his show consisted of, but he is famous for playing a ventriloquist in "Ghetto" on Broadway, although it was his dummy that was nominated for a Tony Award. More recently, although it has been many years now, he was the holy man in Michael Douglas' film "The Jewel of the Nile". This evening, Van-Ahn Nguyen, a concert pianist probably wowed the crowd. We remember her from last year and recall that she was quite talented.
Looking forward to tomorrow and Cabo San Lucas. If we are lucky, the restaurant we usually find excellent pizza will still be there.
