Sometimes we think a day at sea means there is going to be very little to write about. On the contrary, these few days of leisure are filled with activities that will not take place on port days. The first job of the day began after breakfast with a 9am appointment with the Covid testing team. Once again, we went to the upper dining room for the Antigen test. We understand that this is the only test that can be given that will not come out positive for me. This will be the case for at least three months we were informed. No news is good news. Back in our room, we awaited that dreaded phone call, and it never came. Good to go for another 10 days beginning Sunday. Asking Club Orange manager Wayan at breakfast, he said that this ship is 100% free of the virus at this point. Hope it stays that way.
Two more Delft tiles were left in our room. We will have enough to tile a lot of things at home….like a whole room. We also received another in transit letter with the small in transit cards to show the folks in Ft. Lauderdale. This will allow us to go around the new passengers checking in to board the ship. By the way, we understand that over 200 of us are in transit, while over 800 will be boarding. For that reason, the upper dining room will re-open for dinner service. Even though we had a table for two at the railing up there, we have chosen to stay at our table for five (set for two) on deck two. Our waiters will probably change, but we like the location.
The next invitation was for the Mariner's Appreciation Event for those folks who were due to receive medallions. Our group of seven President's Club members took our usual seats. That's when Howard brought out a couple of small bags of already-cooked popcorn and filled two bowls of the snack. Really, it was to get the attention of the hotel director concerning the lack of the product for this entire cruise. Good thing Rene has a good sense of humor, as he watched us clean the bowls. Like us digging into the loss of the pillow candies, Howard has followed up with the no popcorn situation. The general answer is always the same……we're looking into it. But then, he did add be careful of what you ask for. Wonder what he meant?
As always, it was a nice affair lasting about 45 minutes while we sipped mimosas, wine, soda, or orange juice. After the room cleared, the new inductees joined our group, Robert and Judith, joined us for a trip down memory lane, and the many things that have occurred on several world cruises. On a sad note, our buddies Barb, Susie & Woody will be leaving us on Sunday. We forgot to mention that last night Barb and Susie stopped at the jewelry shop before dinner, because they were having a drawing. What the heck, they said, as they were handed a ticket. Guess what? Barb won an Effy bag of goodies that included some jewelry, a cosmetic bag, and a small rum cake (which she gave to Susie). How lucky is that? We're sure going to miss them………..
We had a nice lunch in the Grand Dutch Café with a shared ham and cheese sandwich, hot fries, and Heineken beers. They ran out of the Affligem draft a few days ago….record sales, Andre said. Only three of the special glasses were left, as some had broken, he said with a smile on his face.
The Captain announced that we might hit some rough seas and high winds this evening as we get closer to Half Moon Cay. Hopefully we will be able to tender ashore tomorrow. The Rotterdam will also be anchored there, and as far as we can remember, this will be the first time we are in that port with another ship. The Captain mentioned that we needed to be extra careful to get on the correct tender and back to the right ship, as they are identical.
Around 4:30pm, the skies turned dark and some rain began to fall. More like squalls that really dropped the temperature. Good time for a walk around the promenade deck. Passing the shops, we noticed that the sales are in full force. Perhaps the most popular items are tobacco, perfumes, cosmetics, and liquor at up to 30% off. The final gala evening will bring out the photographers as well. Speaking of photos, we did receive a free copy of the gala gathering of the President's Club members the evening of the pinning of the new members. There should also be another free photo of us with the Captain and Hotel Director this morning. Usually, it appears in our mail slot by dinner time.
Woody and Susie had gone to Club Orange for dinner tonight, so we had a fun table for three. Our entrees were gala……steak and lobster. Only Barb ordered the lobster, which was on the very salty side. The tenderloin steaks were very good, but would have been better had they kept them hot before serving. Most nights, all of the hot food has been served piping hot, unlike the last few evenings, they have been almost cold. Makes no sense to us as the dining room is not at all crowded by 8pm. Not like the old days, when you were wait-listed to get this later spot. By the time our waiters remember this request, they will be re-assigned to another table. Once again, we listened to many birthday celebrations as the waiters gathered to sing their special song. Someday, we expect to see this tradition fall by the wayside.
Lo and behold, upon entering our room tonight, there were two small boxes of Jacques Torres chocolates containing two truffles. We bet these are what the suite folks get on gala nights. Nice to know someone listened to our request…..at least on this voyage. The other good news was that the clocks went back one hour. Always welcomed by all.
Tomorrow we look forward to a long walk on Half Moon Cay and perhaps seeing some folks from the Rotterdam.
Bill & Mary Ann
Saturday, March 5, 2022
Report #77 Sea Day En- Route To Half Moon Cay Friday -March 4,2022 Sunny With Clouds And Showers
