The dining room breakfast was handled differently today. The manager was greeting the guests, but not checking anyone into the kiosk computer, as they normally do. All of the headwaiters were in touch with him, locating seating for the guests. They could enter that computer info later. Now there could be two reasons for the smaller line this morning. We suspect that more folks went to the Lido instead, or there were more waiters to handle the larger crowd. Whatever the reason, it worked much better this morning.
Walking our usual couple of miles on the promenade deck netted us getting wet. By the way, three times around this deck equals one mile. There are no suggested directional arrows, indicating that the traffic should flow counter-clockwise. For this reason, we had to be careful not to cut the corners too closely to the left side, or we could have a head-on accident. No worries of that this morning, because we were about the only ones outside.
Many things were happening around the ship, as always. The main theme now is all about Hawaii, of course. Sarong tying, hula dancing, ukulele playing, and lectures kept the folks busy on this dreary day. We kept occupied with the internet on deck one, then started watching the Downton Abbey series on TV. It was disappointing to come to the end of season one of Game of Thrones. Certainly, there are more seasons, but guess we won't see them here. We are probably among the few on this planet that have not followed these sagas, but we missed both of them.
Once again, we had a light lunch of salads and a shared pizza in the Lido around 2pm. Since dinner will be in the Tamarind tonight, we wanted to keep it simple. For the first time this cruise, we tried a bit of ice cream in the sweet section of the Lido Market. Really wanting a small cone, we were surprised to find out they ran out of cones. A bowl would do.
There were a couple of people in the back pool, and also in the hot tubs. Rain or not, it did not matter to them. On our way through the Lido pool area, we discovered the cabanas for rent. There were a few occupied, but for the most part, they were empty. Looking through the curtain to an unoccupied one, we saw a small table for four, some chairs, and a round lounging bed. Since these huts are out of the sun, we are not sure the purpose of renting them. Maybe someone out there can enlighten us.
At 8pm, we headed for the Tamarind for another delightful dinner. One of us is hooked on the veggie spring roll appetizer. The Thai beef salad was a good second. We ordered entrees of pork bellies, and the wasabi-crusted steak. Seems that the steak is about the only main without the oyster sauce added. That can be a sneaky condiment, because you seldom know it has been added. Was going to try the duck, but learned it had that sauce cooked into it.
We both ended the ample meal with the Tamarind chocolate dessert. This was a good choice, not only due to the fact that the manager recommended it, but also for the fact it was a conservative size. A silky chocolate mousse was the filling in a dark chocolate shell. A row of sliced mixed berries lined one side of the dish. Another winner.
The entertainer in the Main Stage was a fellow by the name of Randy Cabral. Seen on the Tonight Show, his act was comedy and juggling. Then there were the everyday performances in the three other lounges, giving passengers many choices to spend the evening. This experience here is far different from sailing on the world cruise. Life is simpler there.
The clocks went back one hour this evening.
Bill & Mary Ann
