Well, the mighty Pacific Ocean has been behaving itself as we head southwest towards Easter Island. The swells have been between 1 to 2 meters, and despite the fact that Captain Jonathon mentioned some rain in the forecast for today, it never happened. Not quite warm enough for swimming for us, it still was most pleasant at the aft pool. So far, this is the first cruise that there have been so few people using the lounges back there. Not that we are complaining…just the opposite. We’re liking it. Even the piped-in music has been updated and kept as back-round tunes. It’s about time.
While relaxing in the mostly sunny day, we found out that someone had won a $20,000. jackpot in the casino last night. Wow, that is always nice to hear. Wonder who it was? Later in the day, we would find out. A year or so ago, someone really got lucky and won a $100,000. progressive jackpot. Hopefully , that person did not have to put in that much or more for that win.
There are many times during a cruise that we pay a visit to the hotel director, Henk, simply because we have known him since 2008, and he is a nice guy. Very open and approachable, as is his wife, Christel, the customer relations officer. We had some questions regarding the new internet packages that are being sold onboard, for instance. And we also inquired about the Share A Goal sign on the outside deck. Henk had one painted on his wall in the office we noticed. It seems that this is something on this voyage only, an activity created by the EXC department, we think. One other observation we discussed was the fact that there are no flowers anywhere to be seen in the public areas of the ship. It seems that their shipment brought onboard did not hold up well, and had to be thrown out. The next delivery will be Easter Island, of all places. Makes sense since there are flights there daily. We also talked about conditions at Easter Island and the landings of the past….some were easy, but a few turned dangerous. Henk happened to have photos on his computer from the time a tender boat and platform were damaged on the rocks, so he invited us to view them. This is one spot that you never know for sure what the conditions will be until we arrive. We are all keeping our fingers crossed for a successful day there.
Lunch for us was in the Lido around 3pm. The arts and crafts class takes place at 2:30pm, and one side of the Lido was full of crafters, deep into their projects. The same teacher is back from last year, and although we do not know her name, her projects are keeping the ladies ( and some fellows) happy. Busy hands….happy heart!
The participation is picking up in the Ocean Bar during the pre-dinner performances of the Ocean Quartet. It is apparent that some of the couples that have taken the dance classes are here practicing their new steps. The teachers are Alex and Kirsten again, and between them and the dance host and one hostess, they are all fun to watch. Today, the dance lesson was the bachata, which is unknown to us, but some of them must have been doing it.
At dinner time with Barb, we found out the gentleman that sits near us may have been the big winner in the casino. We sure hope so, since those windfalls are few and seldom seen. By the way, the offerings for starters and mains have been worked on since we were here last spring. A few of the usual appetizers and entrees are the same, but most are new recipes, and being well received.
The entertainer this evening was a piano man by the name of Tim Abel. His tunes included rock, classical, ragtime, and boogie-woogie. We have been told that the source of the entertainment has been changed, and the comments have been most positive. Both show times have been fuller than in the past, so the numbers speak for themselves.
Just noticed that the Paradise Lotto Jackpot drawing is up to $378,000. Now that is what we call a jackpot…..
Bill & Mary Ann
