It was surprisingly warm and humid when we went outside for our morning walk. Did not expect that, since yesterday should have been more like today. The big difference was that we had a following wind, just about eliminating the possibility of a cool breeze. We will definitely have to take advantage of this warm day, since we know it will not last much longer.
There was a crew fire drill at 9:30am, which is when they normally do it. It seems to always involve hoses spraying out from the bow and the aft quarters. The drift from the spray soaked the lower promenade deck and all those guests who were sitting on the lounges. So much for the walk……
Good time to check out Kainoa's talk on the migrations of the Hawaiians, and their impact to the existing Polynesians. Later, Charlie Urbanowicz lectured on the research of Charles Darwin. He will have a two part series on the subject.
Something we usually see more often on a grand voyage, the culinary staff had a stir-fry on the Lido pool deck. It was not called a Mongolian cookout, but we expect it to be similar, if not the same. Woks are used to cook a meal of veggies, meats, and seafood right before your eyes. It is a very popular lunch for lots of folks as well as the staff.
The ship sales have been in earnest. Treasures of the South Pacific with pearls was something being promoted by Kainoa, who has been available at his desk for questions about pearls. We may be mistaken, but we thought we saw that he was selling pearl sets. Very highend sculptures were shown, and claim to be exclusive to the Amsterdam. These items are made from silver and come from Mexico. A grand finale art auction is slated for Sunday. Finally, we saw a table of items being sold for 75% off. They are left over from the Alaskan run.
We spent quality time at the back pool, and found it so hot, we had to cool off in the pool. Most of the morning, there were a dozen people in there that seemed to never get out. Another trick we discovered was wetting a couple of towels, then putting them over your lounge. They keep you cool as the air circulates through the chair webbing. We lasted back there until 2pm, then headed back to our room for lunch.
The weather turned on a dime later in the afternoon. It became cloudy, then dark, and it started sprinkling for the rest of the day. It still was warm and even more sticky than in the morning. Since there was not going to be a sunset, we ended up talking with our British buddies instead of doing our PM walk. Much more fun.
We needed to take our laptop to the gals at the front desk to help us download complimentary internet minutes. The format has changed since last May, so we were not too familiar with it. The girl was so helpful and patient as she helped us through the whole process. At least, with her help, we were successful with the transaction, and it followed through to our account onboard. In addition, we learned that we cannot update our new Kindle Fire with the expired games, as they are blocked here. This will be something we will need to do onshore during the next voyage when the apps expire.
Finally, the Mariner Cocktail Party was held at two times…..one at 4pm and the second at 6:45pm. Ducking into the back door on deck 5, we watched some of the ceremony and the medals being awarded at the early party. The bar staff is so nice, as they offered us drinks more than once. Even Roger, the beverage manager, wanted to give us a drink, even though we were not invited to this earlier party. We still find it odd that this party was not on a gala evening. Guess only the "grands" will have this on formal nights.
So at 6:45pm, we went to the entrance to the Queens Lounge, where we were intercepted by Jennifer, our special Mariner rep from the front desk staff, and Roger, our beverage manager and friend. They escorted us to the port entrance to the lounge, where we were met by Captain Fred and Henk, our hotel director. Gene, the CD, greeted us as well. Seated in the "corral", or the center of the room behind the dance floor, we joined Dolly, who was already present. Special appetizers, Black Label champagne, and our choice of beverages were already in place. There were only three of us at this later event, as the other President's Club members went earlier. Gave us a chance to visit with Dolly, who has a gazillion days with HAL. So many, that Gene announced that they do not fit on his page of notes. That is their way of saying that they have no idea how many days she actually has, since she has been sailing with them for many, many years. Dolly told us that she has been on 29 world cruises, so she claims perhaps between 4000 to 5000 pure sea days. Who knows…..maybe more.
As always, the two of us and Dolly were called up for photos with Captain Fred and Henk. Then the new medallion holders were announced. The platinum, gold, and silver were not too numerous. But the bronze medals for 100 days were the most awarded. Gene said well over 250 were given tonight. The good thing was that they had the biggest group stand up together for applause. By 7:30pm, the ceremony ended, and anyone that was interested, could have their photos taken with Captain Fred and Henk. The line formed rapidly, and they happily posed for many pictures.
Dinner for us was in the Pinnacle Grill, where we ordered one ribeye steak and one order of lamb chops. Both were excellent, but the steak was divine. That was the good news. The bad news was that the clocks had to be turned ahead one hour tonight, so we lose an hour of sleep. That can't be good. At least this is the last time change, since the clocks at home have already been put back one hour, ending daylight savings time.
Four more day to go………
Bill & Mary Ann
