A run-of-the-mill day at sea, it was NOT. After a leisurely breakfast, we had a delivery of the $50 beverage card that went with the nicest flowers we have received so far, a 2 week perk for us old timers. It sure brightens up our room, and with the Asiatic lilies ready to open, it will smell up our room as well. It should remind us of springtime, which we are missing at home.
Even though we had much more work to do with photos, going to the Seaview pool was a much better idea. The sun was peeking out of the clouds, and if we waited until later, it may be raining. Showers can be so frequent and brief here, that it isn’t even in the forecast. The most people that were outside today were the smokers, who use the starboard side of deck eight.
Anyway, we got our lounges all set with towels, and it began too sprinkle. The two other guests near us took their stuff and ran. We simply covered up with towels and waited it out. It stopped, and we stayed. Actually it felt really good. Right now, we are sailing in a northwesterly direction, and getting closer to the Equator again. Have to remember to use the sun block, since the rays are intense here. With a strong breeze blowing across the decks, it was deceivingly comfortable.
Time for lunch, we headed for the Lido, where Doreen made the perfect sandwich on a ciabatta roll. She always insists that we try the pizza, so we always make her happy and take two small slices. We are so happy to have this sandwich service, since it only happens on the grand cruises, we understand. One day we will have to try the wraps that are made with a large tortilla shell and whatever fillings you want. Doreen puts these in griddle, and they sure look tasty. As we seldom indulge with sandwiches at home, this is a treat for us now.
Lectures went on as usual, with Ian speaking about Semarang and Singapore. It has been a few years since we visited Semarang, and we needed to watch his presentation to bring it all back to us. The big attraction there has to be the temple complex at Borobudur, where we have toured at least twice. We’ll probably navigate our way to town on the shuttle.
The final movie screening of the Academy Awards winners was shown in the Wajang. It was Green Book, the winner for best picture. We shall catch this one when it comes to the TV.
We had a special event for the President’s Club members before dinner, the second one of this cruise. It was an invitation to an Indonesian-Themed Cocktail Party, held in the atrium deck three. It went with tonight’s gala theme in the dining room. The entire area was cordoned off and set with cocktail tables and a full service bar. We were all greeted by Captain Mercer, Henk M, and Hamish as we entered the atrium. Strips of lighting with red bulbs added to the Indonesian theme, but sure played havoc with the camera. Everyone looked very sun burnt. But we did have some tasty appetizers of chicken, beef, and lamb satay skewers, as well as shrimp, assorted nuts, and small shrimp crackers.
We always stand at a high table with Barb, and eventually several other people we have known for a long time joined us. Officers were present, including the Captain and his wife Karen. They made their obligatory rounds through the crowd of about 48 of us, then ended up at our table for a bit. We all must have been talking about some interesting things, because both Jonathon and Karen ended up coming back towards the end of the party to see what they had missed in the conversation. Guess we were talking about the “old days” and some amusing stories we all remembered.
The party broke up shortly after 8pm, but we took our time going to the dining room. We had forgotten that it was a gala evening, and the fact that we might have an officer. By the time we all arrived, we found the ship’s doctor, a young fellow from Cape Town, was just being seated. Actually, he was the crew doctor, but he has taken over for the lady doctor that went home in Auckland or Sydney. Barb cracks us up….the first thing she asked Christian was are you married and how old are you? The answer was no and 29 years old. Golly, they are getting younger by the day. Anyway, Barb said she had a granddaughter that was just right for him, jokingly, of course. But from then on, the evening went just fine. It was her way of breaking the ice and it worked. The doctor has worked for HAL only a short time, so many upcoming ports are new to him. We had learned at the cocktail party from a reliable source that the special event will take place in Amsterdam, and it will be very special we understand.
The dinner menu was almost 100% Indonesian. We did have spring rolls, a shrimp appetizer, and bami goreng and ristaffel (sp?). One of us had Caesar salad with chicken again. It is always consistently excellent. For dessert, we shared a small slice of carrot cake, probably the best one we have tasted yet. All in all, it was a nice evening.
The show tonight was A La Mode, a musical journey around countries of Europe, performed by the singers and dancers of the Amsterdam. As always, they did a great job.
Bill & Mary Ann
Wednesday, March 20, 2019
Report #60 Day at Sea March 19, 2019 Tuesday Partly sunny & 82 degrees
