The time has come when most passengers are seriously beginning to pack. Even though we will not be doing this chore for a few weeks, we still paid Sarah, the luggage shipment expert, a visit to arrange for two extra pieces of luggage along with the four we shipped back in December. That way, we can go to the airport with just carry-ons. Within a few hours, our package with the labels and ties had been delivered to our room. Excellent job.
For the second time this cruise, Captain Jonathon gave a “live” virtual tour of the ship’s bridge and engine room tour in the Mainstage at 10am. Back in 2009, while on the Rotterdam, we did a real tour to the engine room. We found another world down there, and it was hot-hot-hot. We had a new found respect for the fellows that work down here. At that time, a small group of us was on this tour, but one of the elderly ladies fainted, and had to be hauled back up many flights of narrow steep stairs. That was the end of those tours. Anyway, the Captain invited questions regarding the inner workings, and he kept the answers up until 11:30am.
Our job today was to retrieve our passports in the Explorers Lounge for the upcoming clearance procedures in Ft. Lauderdale. It will be a zero clearance day, where everyone on the ship will need to be cleared before anyone is allowed back on the ship.
The test kitchen is still operating with chef Elyse Clark. And a other guest speaker, George Stosur, gave a lecture on Howard Hughes and the CIA.
And this might be a joke, but it was printed as well as announced that the missing tender tickets need to be returned to Guest Services today. Guess some crafty folks think these might be of some use on a future cruise. However, it is our experience that numbers and colors are mixed up every time they are handed out. Believe us, they are wise to every trick these days.
Today’s theme is Fabulous Vegas, or what happens on the Amsterdam, stays on the Amsterdam. To follow in that theme, there was a Vegas matinee featuring the Runaround Kids, the fellows that were on stage last night. So at 3pm, they entertained people with their 60’s and 70’s tunes. Nice to see some changes like this sometimes.
About the only thing “Vegas” at dinnertime in the dining room, were the waiters, who were dressed in neat vests. And there were black and red hearts hanging from the ceiling with green lights on the columns. The menu was difficult to figure out with many names of food that none of us recognized. Even our experience waiter did not know what some of the descriptions meant. The best treat are the plates of vanilla and chocolate biscotti cookies that our waiters sneak from the bakery. And thanks to Marco, we all have some ginger, since the yum-yum girl is gone from the entrance by 9:30pm. We tend to forget that this lower dining room is really open seating.
The show this evening was a young lady from Canada, by the name of Karen Grainger. She was billed as a singer impressionist. The guys will be attending, and we will gladly get their opinion tomorrow.
At 6pm this evening, we had 3020 nautical miles to go to reach Florida by May 16th. Good to learn that the Captain reassured everyone that this ship is capable of sailing much further than that with more than ample fuel to cross the Atlantic.
Bill & Mary Ann
