Another day and sea, and another day of events. Never a dull moment, the staff and crew are determined to keep everyone entertained and amused as this cruise winds down.
Now that we have sailed south and were about 285 miles west of Bermuda, the temperatures has improved quite a bit. Now there is some humidity in the air, and not just occasional rain showers, but tropical humidity. Despite the winds logging in at a force 4 on the Beaufort, we have had pleasant conditions, which should continue through tomorrow, according to the Captain.
During our several walks outside today, we have begun seeing more flying fish, something we have not seen for some time now. In fact, we can say that we have seen the least amount of sea life of all of the cruises we have done over the years. We know the dolphins, porpoises, and big game fish are there, we just have not had the luck to spot them this time.
While the sun was mostly out this afternoon, we went up to deck nine to see what the problem was with the stacks. A portion of the lining of the port side smoke stack was compromised, but we failed to see anything. The decks on eight and nine aft were still roped off, so we assume it was still too dangerous to attempt a repair.
After watching a movie, Skyscraper, we went to lunch in the Lido. Trying to keep it light is difficult since our sandwich expert, Doreen, always builds a hearty sandwich. Knowing that we share it, she adds plenty of meat and cheese to keep us happy.
At 3pm, there was the Indonesian Crew Show, a favorite performance of the passengers and crew alike. By the time we arrived, we could not even get near the back counter of deck five. Our best bet was to watch it on TV at 4pm, where it would be shown for the rest of the day we assume. Many of the crew members that are “off duty” attend this show, but only at the very back. It was a fun show with many of the waiters, room stewards, and Pinnacle Grill staff that we know well.
Finally, at 7pm, we were invited to a combined cocktail party with the deck seven folks and our fellow President’s Club members. We had another opportunity to have our photo taken with the Captain and Henk, so we did. Perhaps this one will come out better than the last one.
Only half of the Explorer’s lounge was full, because we suspect the majority of the guests attended the earlier version at 4:30pm. And we also suspect that the guests were really busy today packing to go home. Many people were pulling suitcases down to deck three outside of Shiv’s office, so they can weigh them on the scale. We always bring our hand-held scale, which has worked well, as long as the ship is not rocking and rolling too much.
We had a chance to visit with Ian, our new port lecturer at the party. We all thanked him for his port talks and all of the updated information we asked about. Even though we are certain he has heard this comment from many others, we asked him why the port maps were not updated. He did say that Seattle is the source, and they have been made aware of errors and outdated info. Ian added that many of the newer HAL ships have a much better source of info on the ports. However, for a grand world cruise, we should have some say as to the accuracy of the info. He heartily agreed. And we all agreed that we hope he will be back on the 2020 cruise. His hopes are positive.
Henk M also stopped by, and we asked him about the back deck closure. He assured us that by tomorrow, the problem will be fixed, and they will be back to normal. All good news.
Dinner for us was in the Pinnacle Grill, our final evening there for this cruise. We ordered our usual favorites, including the new bacon on a clothesline. We get a kick just seeing how it is presented, hanging from hooks on a wire. And so tasty. We finished the meal with Key lime pie and one serving of the cheesecake lollipops, also a fun dessert.
Bet there are more events to happen tomorrow. We now have 1133 nautical miles to reach Ft. Lauderdale as of noon today.
One thing we did not expect, was a touching note from the family member of the lady lost overboard. It was heart-breaking to read her apology for the upheaval and disruption it had caused. We never heard one negative comment about turning around from anyone we know, nor would any of us expect anything less with the rescue attempt. We only wished there had been a better outcome. Furthermore, the sister expressed her sincere thanks for the support and kindness shown to her, even from strangers. She signed her letter - The other sister”.
Bill & Mary Ann
