Yesterday ended another segment, and the egg consumption remains impressive at 36,700 of them eaten. We need to ask if that includes all of the baked goods and desserts that require the use of eggs. We certainly hope so. The total miles traveled is somewhere in the neighborhood of 18,000 nautical miles.
Think we failed to mention that the clocks went back one hour last night, giving us that hour we lost before arriving to Singapore. Tonight, we will put the clocks back another hour as we are now heading in a westerly direction.
Since today was a Sunday at sea, there was another brunch in the dining room from 11 to 1pm. It sure has been a hit with a lot of guests, we have heard. Especially those who like small tidbits of many things. We learned at breakfast time that the waiters test the dinner entrees everyday well before dinner is served. This way they can describe what the food is, and if it is too spicy or salty. Now we understand why our waiter Slam suggests the fish dinners, because he likes all fish. So far, the most consistent dinners have included the chicken entrees in our humble opinion.
It was plenty warm outside today, so we relaxed at the pool. It was windy, but it kept it tolerable. And we had visitors. Leta stopped by with a book for one of us to read, and also an invitation to join her and Bill at their table for dinner tonight. Sounded like a plan to us. Then another buddy stopped by to share her plans for an upcoming trip to the Taj Mahal in India. Many savvy long time cruisers have figured out that arranging an overland excursion independently can be much more affordable if done right.
For some reason, we noticed a lot of work being done on the ship, such as closing off of the promenade deck in front of several lanai rooms. Wonder how these folks like not being able to use their private lounges? The work seems to be going on overhead where a lot of debris fell from the upper platform. On a previous cruise, we actually saw some tools fall from above the deck, barely missing us as we walked by. Now they just close the deck. The railings have been undergoing several coats of varnish at the Seaview Pool. Carpeting has been removed and replaced in many stairwells and hallways. Finally, when we went to lunch in the Lido, three workers were using a power saw to cut a hole in the ceiling near the ice cream corner. Usually these repairs occur when the ship is in port, and most of the guests are off of the ship. Not so much anymore, we see something every day. Even some elevators have been out of order for days. Sort of takes the “grand” out of the world voyage.
We lasted at the Seaview Pool until the rain began. It may have been a passing cloud, but since we are so close to the Equator, we did not want to chance sun burning by staying much longer. After lunch in the Lido, we spent the remaining time working in the coolness of our room. Watching a news channel, we saw the report about a Viking cruise ship evacuating passengers and crew from off the coast of Norway. What a nightmare that must be. We will also be visiting some ports in Norway in April, so we hope the seas calm down by then. As this is being written, the news announced that the ship has arrived safely to a port.
Our dinner with Leta and Bill was so much fun, the time went by in a flash. We had lots of catching up to do, and we all agreed that we need to do this again soon. Right when we sat down at their table, Slam, our waiter, came with a tray of our fresh veggies that we enjoy every night. We are sure that there were two plates of them, and Barb sent one over to us. The marinated hearts of palm are a favorite of ours, and we were happy to share them with Leta and Bill.
The entertainer this evening was a singer by the name of Sharon Calabro. Her expertise is singing the songs of Karen Carpenter, as well as playing the drums like she did. We noticed that last night, there was no entertainment at all, but only a 9:30pm game show. That’s a first.
Bill and Mary Ann
Sunday, March 24, 2019
Report #65 Day at Sea March 24, 2019 Sunday Partly sunny & 82 degrees
