For some reason, we never made it to any of the pools, since when it got really warm, we were in port. Normally, we would have been spending a lot of time in the sun, while catching up on reading books. Really books….paperbacks or hard covers. Many people we have spoken to are not happy to see the libraries on the ships dwindling. As we have stated, there are no librarians anymore, so the books are slowly being removed. What we found here were mostly research books that cannot be removed from the room. We think it has been assumed that a lot of people are reading books online, downloaded into personal devices. Even though we do own a Kindle with a few books on it, we find it is difficult to see while outside in the sun. Can't win. Except for being able to ship some books ahead on the Grand Voyages. That works well.
Lectures continued today, the new test kitchen had a session, and the Captain gave a virtual tour of the bridge and engine room in the Mainstage. As for us, we did our usual couple of miles totally alone on the promenade deck. Absolutely no one was outside. It was no- where near as windy as yesterday, but it had cooled down significantly. We suspect that the money-making activities onboard love these kind of days. People will stay inside the ship, and spend money at the art auctions, shopping, or gambling.
On this style of ship, you have to go out of your way to find the casino. On the Amsterdam, you have to walk through it or the adjacent Sports Bar to get from the dining room to the Ocean Bar. The casino here is off of the beaten path, so we have only gone through it maybe three times. Maybe because of its size, we feel almost disconnected from these venues. This ship has more of a hotel feel about it, than the smaller ships. The connecting hallways are more like a maze without windows, especially near the front end of the ship.
Since there was another Mariner Lunch, the dining room was closed this afternoon. We thought it might be easy to get lunch in the Pinnacle Grill, but upon calling for reservations, we were informed that it was fully booked, as were the next two days. Makes sense, since there are only three days left. Monday was open, so we booked a 12:30pm lunch then. Within 5 minutes, our phone was ringing, and we were surprised to find that if we came at noon, a table would be found for us. Really? A change of heart or sudden cancellations? In fact, she said we could come at noon on both days, and we would be seated. Guess being in President's Club does work for something, even though we never mentioned it.
Most of the afternoon, we stayed inside and watched more episodes of the popular Downton Abbey. We are determined to follow this series through to the end. We haven't even watched more than two movies that were available on the interactive TV. And there were scores of them. Gosh this would be great on a grand voyage. Hint, hint.
At 5pm, we did go to the Ocean Bar, much like we usually do on the Amsterdam. A band plays there from 5 to 8pm, which is nice. Except for the Lincoln Stage Center and the string music, the other music venues don't begin until after dinnertime. At least something is going on, and there is no dead time. It is working, since most all of the seats are taken in and around the Ocean Bar.
Back at our table in the dining room, we enjoyed entrees of carne asada and roasted chicken. Both were cooked perfectly, and served piping hot. Another favorite, split pea soup, was on the menu. We could make a meal out of that alone.
While we finished the meal with a little bit of ice cream, a very lovely couple from British Columbia stopped by to introduce themselves. They were not only avid readers of Cruise Critic, but also friends of our tablemates, Maureen and Jim, from Vancouver, who we had the pleasure of being tablemates on this year's world cruise. They said they finally recognized us at the Mariner's awards gathering, and decided to hunt us down today. That's one of the downsides of such a larger ship, you seldom cross paths with people you know. Sometimes, you can go an entire trip without meeting folks again.
It was still too early to go to the Mainstage show. This evening there was a medal-winning illusionist, James Cielen. Appears he uses a small dog in his act, which explains why the "doggie" grass is still in a corner on the promenade deck. Maybe tomorrow, we shall make an attempt to see the singers and dancers again. It will be the final gala evening, and possibly their last performance on this trip.
The good thing is that the seas have leveled out, and the winds have died down. Sure makes for a smoother sailing.
Bill & Mary Ann
