Our final day at sea turned out to be a clear, sunny one with a stiff, fresh breeze. If you looked hard enough, there was at least one spot on the promenade deck with a sunny lounge with blocked wind. There were a few of these on the starboard side. Located on the port, we won’t see any traces of sun on our veranda until 4pm if we are lucky. All-in-all, the seas and the weather have been fairly decent on all of the sea days going to and coming from Hawaii this time of year.
The gifted internet minutes, which converted to megabytes, was sufficient to last for 25 days for us. We basically did emailing and a little bit of updating. Doing all of the updates suggested would have used all of our megabytes, so we did not do it. So we were not using any of their plans, which were available from the beginning of each cruise, or pay-by-the-day packages.
While we were emailing in the atrium, one of us checked out our final statement, and we were delighted to find we had more refunds on Hawaiian port charges. Not a whole lot, but a little over $10 each. Only that amount would be added to our card, but not the remaining shipboard credit we had left. At least, the refunded port charges were cashable. But, we still need to find something small for $35, something that weighs almost nothing. Spending most of the morning packing, we are about at the limit on each suitcase. By the way, there is a digital scale for all to use near the front desk.
Last chance for a dining room lunch, we went around 12:30pm. No need to stop at the kiosk, the head waiters simply give us the go-ahead to seat ourselves. That has worked out nicely for this 25 day trip for breakfast and lunch. There seems to be rotating waiters daily at these meals, so we have gotten the chance to visit with some familiar waiters as well as new ones.
The closer we got to the land, the colder it got. Few people were outside without being covered up with hats and jackets. Better time for snowball bingo, team trivia, and party bridge, which seems to be a full house most every day.
Happy hour continued at 4pm in the Billboard Onboard and Ocean Bars, as well as the 9pm Crow’s Nest. We only strolled through the Crow’s Nest once, but did notice that there was a limited library there. We overheard two ladies talking in the elevator about the lack of good reading material on this ship. Makes sense, because most people don’t want to overload their suitcases with that extra weight. Of course, e-books on a Kindle will eventually replace real books someday, sadly.
While finishing up the last of the packing, we took the time to film the sunset…the final one of this cruise. But there was a bonus to be seen…..whales, at least 4 of them, appeared quite a distance from the ship, but unmistakable with their blows. So we did get some good shots of them with the sun setting and a couple of birds thrown in for good measure. Great way to end the final sea day as the trip comes to an end.
Dinner for us was originally planned in the Pinnacle Grill, but we changed our minds for two reasons. There were a few good items on the dining room menu we had not had as of yet, and also, we intended to wear our going home clothes. That meant jeans and collared shirts, not that it really matters anymore, since the general population wears almost anything these days. We always hold the thought that once we sit down, no one can spot the Levi’s.
Before our meal service began, the dining room manager and his boss came by for a chat. Asking where and when our next cruise will be, we told him the grand voyage in January of next year. Both of them said they would love to do a world voyage, but are holding out for the 2020. Reynold, the dining room manager said he has never been to South America or Antarctica. And if his “boss” would allow it, he might put a request in for it. His boss? Turns out it is his wife. Anyway, the head staff members have been more than thoughtful, checking up on us throughout these past 25 days.
Expecting to see a movie in the Mainstage, we were surprised to see a combination of the past three entertainers doing two shows. The show lounge on this ship is tiered on three decks and has no blockages with pillars that we could see. Also, we did not see any side screens like on the Amsterdam.
At least twice this cruise, we have turned in the Let Us Know cards to give praise where we think it is due. When we drop off the cards at the front desk, they hurriedly open them up and read them. Nice to see the smiles on their faces, especially when we include them in the compliment department. In our opinion, these folks deserve the medals!
One last stop in the shop, and we used the last of the credit. Then it was off to the room to pull out the luggage for pick up. Hope we see it in the terminal tomorrow.
We shall follow up with our final thoughts on this Alaskan and Hawaiian trip once we get home and settled. In the meantime, it has been a pleasure sharing our adventure with you all!
Bill & Mary Ann
Wednesday, October 17, 2018
Report # 26 Day at Sea October 16, 2018 Tuesday Partly cloudy & 72 degrees
