Today was pretty much a repeat of yesterday, except the cloudy skies cleared in the afternoon, and we finally saw the sun. After our morning walk, we ended up back in our room doing the fine tuning, half of which got done. We did miss the lecture, Islands in the Sun, with Charles McClelland, but we can surely catch this on TV later tonight. And we are not sure what the talk from the Brazilian Cultural Ambassador Ida was about, but we wonder where HAL is getting these ambassadors? He spoke about the history of the Amazon today. This will give us many choices to watch later in the day.
First thing this morning, we made a visit to the clothing shop onboard. We heard that the 2020 world cruise t-shirts would be selling soon. The last couple of years, we found that the t-shirts sold out quickly, so we asked to be put on a list. No problem, we are guaranteed to get two of them. Other new arrivals were in the Chico line, and some items looked promising.
After that, we walked to the Seaview pool, and found the aft deck almost empty. Sure was a huge difference compared to the Tales of the South Pacific. On that trip, if we did not secure our spot early on, we would be out of luck. Or sitting on someone's head. Today, we had our pick of any lounge. It was warm enough to sunbathe, but we did not have our swimwear on. Perhaps in a few more days, the weather should be more summer-like.
After lunch in the Lido, we made a visit to Barb's inside cabin. This one is not the long, thin style, but a sideways one on the Dolphin deck. It has a strange layout that gives one a feeling of claustrophobia. With very limited closet space, Barb requested a clothes rack. And one bed to be taken out. They brought the rack, but refused to take the mattress out, making it even more crowded in there. The TV sat on the desk, taking up half of the surface. And it was not working. There was a mess of cords in the back of it, some of those not even plugged in. No matter what we tried, we could not fix the TV. Using the excuse that the ship is completely sold out, she could not be moved to a better room. We asked what would happen if her room flooded, and she needed to spend a night in a different room. Bet they would come up with an empty cabin. Shiv, the head housekeeper, promised to work on it, and knowing him, he will do everything he can to make her happy.
And the highlight of the day was the Captain's Welcome Aboard Reception in the Mainstage. The first one was at 4:30pm, and the second was 6:30pm. We went to our favorite seats on deck five, and listened to the Ocean Quartet during that time. It is always fun to watch the crowd when they come out of the party. As far as the dress code for Gala was concerned, most of the men wore suits or sport coats. Very few tuxes these days. The ladies always dress nicely. Cocktails and appetizers were served.
Then at dinner, we found black and gold seat covers on the chairs. Matching napkins were on the tables. Our waiters had left 8 chairs at our table, and they thought perhaps an officer would join us. It never happened, much to (our delight), and we had the chair pulled. The usual suspects were on the menu such as escargots, surf and turf, or petrole sole, which one of us ordered. And since an entrée salad is seldom seen, it was offered tonight and enjoyed by one of us.
The only problem was getting done by showtime, which was 9:30pm. The fellows excused themselves and went to listen to the music and comedy of John Bressler. The five of us stayed behind, and totally missed the show. Leaving the room after 10pm, we were among the last ones out.
One more day at sea, and we will be in Roseau, Dominica.
Bill & Mary Ann
Tuesday, January 7, 2020
Report #61 Day at Sea January 6, 2020 Monday Mostly sunny & 61 degrees Part #1 Of 1
