Our first day at sea after leaving Ft. Lauderdale was probably appreciated by the hard-working crew more than the guests. After having such a marathon day yesterday, this first day establishes a pattern for the guests that will continue through the next 17 days. Take the dining room breakfast, for instance. Between 8 and 9:30am, 260 passengers had been served. Compared to the 120 regulars that sailed on the world cruise, this was most unexpected according to head waiter, Asep. These numbers determine how the waiters are distributed. This morning we noticed that there were no dedicated coffee servers like we had on the grand cruise. In fact, we also took note that the pastry server was nowhere to be seen. That is due to the fact that the tray of special pastries is no longer passed among the diners anymore. They still have some pastries, but they are only served upon request. For some time now, the tray of rolls and bread and butter have been eliminated from the dining room lunch. Also, only served when requested.
Another nice surprise was finding our waiter, Slam, assigned to our section of the dining room for breakfast and lunch now. He does have a new partner, but we also know him, but not as well as Marco. There has been a change with the menu for breakfast, as a set Indian entrée has been added, as well as porridge, which was only served in the Lido. We still had the small vase of fresh flowers, but that may change with just the little lamp as a centerpiece.
The weather began as very promising this morning with lots of sun and warm temps. Even by Captain Eversen’s PM update, it was 81 degrees. Great time for a walk, which was a flip-flop, turn around in the middle due to a closure on the promenade deck. The deck crew have been doing some extra scrubbing in sections. And the railings have been getting a fresh coat of varnish once again. We did see a few boobys and flying fish, but only in small numbers. As we head southwest, the Amsterdam sailed around the top of Cuba, then down the east side. It seems that the seas are notoriously rough around these islands, and today was no exception. By the late afternoon, the skies clouded up and the winds picked up significantly. And it got cooler as well. The ship had remained muggy and warm, like they are having issues with the air conditioning. Certainly hope not, but it seems to be problematic when we are in warmer waters and high humidity. We did hit rain later in the day.
The majority of today’s activities revolved around casino games, alcoholic beverage tastings, and shop sales, of course. Ian, our EXC guide, continued his talk on the upcoming tours offered, and the guest speaker, Tim Runyan, lectured on the Panama Canal. There is also a group of Mexican Ambassadors onboard, but with their dance workshop in the Crow’s Nest, we doubt we will ever see them. Seems to us, these groups used to perform in the Lido Pool area, where many more people can enjoy the classes.
A good movie, Green Book, was shown in the Wajang Theater today. Barb made us promise to see it, because she said it was one of the few flicks she really liked. If it hits the TV tomorrow, we shall be sure not to miss it. Last night, we watched a movie called The Ghost Story, which we are still trying to figure out today. IOHO, it was really bizarre.
We had a list of things to follow up on at the front desk. But first, we needed to confirm our requests for Pinnacle dinners for this cruise. As we did not have a clue when the gala nights were, or the specialty dinners in the Pinnacle Grill, we had no idea which evenings had been reserved for us. Tina, the manager, had gone home, and there was a new person taking over. As it turned out, several of our dates had to be changed, since there will be two Sel de Mers, three gala nights, and one sommelier event. All we wanted was a regular dinner menu, table by the window at 8pm. Going early in the cruise to arrange this, we did get exactly what we needed.
The rest of the questions got answered at the front desk…no problem. Our new go-to person for the President’s Club members is Jay. Speaking of the PC perks, we received our flower arrangement, and one $40 beverage card. There should be one more delivery before this 18 day cruise ends in Seattle.
Knowing that the custom sandwich-maker would be gone from the Lido now, the better choice was going to the dining room for a light lunch. Salad, soup, and an appetizer with one order of the most delicious beef rib plate was perfect. Slam added a customized plate of fresh fruit for our dessert. The melon and pineapple slices were better than any dessert on the menu.
It would have been nice to go to the Seaview pool, but at some point, we needed to begin packing a few of our six pieces of luggage to be shipped home. There would be no need for the heavy sweatshirts and arctic jackets now, so these were stashed away. Two duffels filled, and four more to go….we did good for today.
Did we mention that there was no internet plan to cover the entire 18 day cruise? The only prices we saw were single day packages for social $14.99, surf for $24.99, and premium for $29.99. Now the positive side of this rests in the fact that few people would pay these daily fees until they needed them. That leaves the speed for those of us that have existing plans from the world cruise very good. So as long as we are not blocked by the stacks, the surf program we have should work just fine.
Forgot to mention something we saw while sitting at the Ocean Bar yesterday. A guest had been called to the front office for two members of the security team to open a piece of luggage in front of them. Going through xray at boarding time, her bag had been flagged. This happens sometimes, and also to us. The culprit turned out to be a plug strip, which was confiscated to be handed back when the cruise is over. We believe it has something to do with surge protectors. The ship will lend a “legal” plug strip in its place.
The Captain had a 15 minute welcome toast in the Mainstage at 7:45pm. Since many people were still at dinner somewhere, not all attended. We figured by the time we got there, it would be over. So we skipped it, leaving more space for those who may be sailing for the first time on HAL.
Tonight was the first gala evening, but not everyone got that message. Don’t take us wrong, but the fellows dressed with a collared shirt and shorts with sandals does not come close to even casual. Even some of the young ladies were wearing what looked like beachwear. Most could have dined in the Lido, but yes, we did see some in the dining room. These days, nothing can be said to these guests we understand. Last year, we did notice that one of the head waiters asked two teenage boys to remove their backwards baseball caps in respect for their fellow diners. They did just that without questioning it.
The menu did not have Dover sole, lobster, escargots, caviar, or prime rib. But they did have steak and grilled shrimp, rack of lamb, or stuffed pasta shells, which one of us ordered. A Caesar salad topped with some of the grilled shrimp made a fine substitute for a main course. Keeping it light, we shared a sliver of carrot cake, followed by a few chocolate biscotti cookies and tidbits of ginger. The table of three ladies sitting next to us complimented the two of us for dressing for the occasion, as they did. They really liked to see a fellow dressed in a tux we suppose.
The show this evening was another performance by the Runaround Kids, who obviously have stayed onboard after the world cruise ended. Wonder if they will stay on for the Alaska season?
Good news….the clocks went back one hour tonight. The crew needs it more than the guests.
Bill & Mary Ann
PS Not sure we have addressed this yet, but for those who are having trouble enlarging the photos, may not have the touch screen option on their computer.
