Well, today was Sunday, and a day at sea. So would there be a Sunday brunch? That question was answered when we saw the menu of the special brunch in place of the regular lunch menu outside the dining room this morning. So our guess is that this Sunday-at-Sea Brunch is possibly fleet wide these days. We would find out later in the day whether it was well attended or not.
Even though it was still plenty warm and humid, the weather seemed a lot more tolerable today. What helped was a nice breeze blowing on the outside decks, something that has been missing this last week. Ever since we left the Panama Canal, and sailed up the coast of Central America, it has been sticky and hot. With every degree north we sail, the weather has improved.
The Explorations Central team from Mexico presented everything you wanted to know about tequila, as it is the national drink. In the same theme, all you need to know about diamonds and gemstones was discussed in the Ocean Bar. Yesterday, we received a coupon worth $250 to spend towards jewelry bought at Diamonds International in Cabo San Lucas. The port shopping ambassador, Daniel, will take a group interested in buying this jewelry tomorrow at 9:15am. Guess they will go over on the same tender boat.
Speaking of tender boats, we did not get any information regarding priority tendering while in Cabo tomorrow. Usually the Neptune and Pinnacle suite folks along with the President’s Club members, as well as 4 and 5 star Mariners get to board first, without getting the tender tickets. We would find out later in the evening that the rule is still in place. They just failed to put it in printing. As for us, we will not be the first ones off, since at 7am, not much will be opened. And we are not on any tours.
While we were enjoying probably the last of the heat of the sun at the Seaview Pool, Captain Eversen was taking the passengers on a virtual tour of the bridge, as well as answering questions. This was held in the Mainstage, and we certainly hoped it would be televised for viewing later on TV. We are still looking for it, but so far…..nothing. In fact, the reception on the TV has been spotty, as we have been losing the signal off and on for several days now. Could be there is continuing work happening with the recent upgrades. Shiv mentioned last night that we still have about 30 workers onboard finishing up the last of the details.
During his PM talk, the Captain mentioned that we will be extending our stay in Cabo from 2pm to 5pm. That was great news, since we had planned on going to lunch, and did not want to have to hurry back for the last tender ride. He did say that it sort of made up for our missed port in Nicaragua. Works for us…..
Not all that hungry for lunch, we picked up a few slices of pizza, and a couple of mystery sandwiches in the Lido. Mystery, because they were not labeled, and there was no server present to describe them. Turned out one was a club and the other was a veggie sandwich. Perfect to munch on while watching a movie about little league baseball back in 1957 between teams from Texas and Mexico. True story too.
We have one big objection with the photographers on this cruise. On the longer trips, the deck five photo sets are put up on gala nights. Understandable, since that’s when most people like to pose in their finery. But on this trip, they have been setting up almost every day. This afternoon we were sitting around the atrium deck five, listening to the piano man playing, when up went the backdrop right behind us. Then they proceeded to persuade the folks to stop and pose. Nine times out of ten, the answer was, are you kidding, dressed like this? No thanks. They tend to scare more people away than they do getting some business. We see it as nickel and diming to the utmost. Not only distracting to the Ocean Bar customers, they block the aisle between the casino and the atrium, making folks wait while they do the posing. There has to be a better place to do this.
We have to admit that Disney Cruise Line had a much better set-up. Yes, they had photo sessions every day, even twice a day. But it was located at the bottom level of the atrium where it bothered no one. People lined up in four places to pose with the Disney characters, then later on, chose what they wished to purchase on computers in another area of the ship. Brilliant idea, as they did not print what the people did not wish to buy. No lines, no blocking of aisles, no waste, and no begging you to pose.
We did have reservations in the Pinnacle Grill tonight, but changed our minds when we looked at the dining room menu this morning. It had two of our favorite entrees offered, so we cancelled the reservations. We asked Slam, our waiter, how the brunch went this morning, and he said it was almost empty of people. Odd, since that venue really took off on the grand voyage. Perhaps someone should have promoted this special brunch ahead of time, so people knew what to expect. Slam works the Lido at lunchtime, and he said it was more crowded than ever today. Even tonight, we were surprised to see how empty the dining room was at 8pm. No rhyme or reason, other than people may have chosen to eat in the Lido or go to anytime dining for a change.
Even though we were done with dinner at 9:30pm, we did not attend the show, which was another comedy act. Comedian Anthony Padilla is known as one of the most versatile fellows in the business. His quick-witted playful banter and artful storytelling is promised to leave everyone feeling like part of the family. One of the newer Star Trek movies was starting on TV at 10pm, and we wanted to see it from the beginning.
Looking forward to another fun day in Cabo San Lucas tomorrow.
Bill & Mary Ann
