We got our in transit envelope this morning with a letter stating that we could get off of the ship by noon. We will be free to go off in Ft. Lauderdale, or stay with the group, go through customs, and return back to the ship. As always, we will choose to go to town. All aboard is 5pm, so we have plenty of time to do what we need to. If all goes according to this schedule, then it will be a major feat, considering the amount of time we lost in getting there. By the way, we heard today that there were two ambulances on the dock in Aruba, so there may have been two patients, not one.
We also heard that five cases of Covid were detected with the in transit group yesterday. So, the virus is not completely gone yet. Our biggest concern is how many other folks, who did not get tested, also have it? Unless they are flying internationally, they will not need testing. And that is why we continue wearing our masks. As long as the staff and crew on the ship wear them, so will we.
Today, the seas calmed down, the sun came out, and it felt like we had a following wind. That also means we might have the currents in our favor as well. It was obvious that we were sailing in a shipping channel, as many vessels passed by going the other way. Mostly containers and freighters, and an occasional cruise ship. The outline of islands was on the horizon, and wanting to know what they were, we went to the channel on TV to see where we were. Too bad, it was not working. Neither was the weather channel. Hope that gets fixed because they are useful channels for us.
During the afternoon, we checked out the Effy Shop onboard. Everything in there was over-the-top expensive. Even with the "up to" 60% off cabinet of selected items, the prices were still in the thousands. No wonder we have not seen a crowd of shoppers in there. The sales people were on the aggressive side, considering they usually let you look before promoting something. Inquiring the price of one set of earrings, the sales gal went into extreme detail on the type of stones, diamonds, and gold in the pair. Then there was the story on the color and clarity, etc. Finally the price - $3000, but duty-free. And that was the price for one hour only. OK, I said thanks and I was still looking. Not listening, she opened an alcohol wipe, so I could try the earrings on. Again, no thanks. In the meantime, Bill was checking out the watches at the other end. He had a much nicer salesman, who gave him info without all the details or pressure to buy right now. Eventually we will have to look more closely, but maybe when there are more customers in there. Sure would be nice if we could apply the "have-to-spend" credit towards a future cruise. Maybe someday…….
We had a phone call from the front desk with a message from Rene, the cruise director, that we will be able to go off of the ship by 11am tomorrow. Checking the When & Where, we see that breakfast in the dining rooms will be 8am instead of 6:30am. That is great, because who wants to get up that early??? Not one of us.
Working online, we discovered through the grapevine that there will be no dance hosts on the Grand World Voyage. This is going to break the hearts of many a single lady, who enjoyed that activity more than bingo or trivia. Now we wonder if there will be a need for the dance teachers? We do know that the arts and crafts classes will continue, but not sure about the watercolor classes.
Today we received another Journeys booklet with the current cruise's sticker, and one more plastic HAL tote bag. The bag is usually given on day one of the cruise, but being that over 1500 new guests will be boarding, our room stewards will be busier than usual. We believe the bigger number of guests is due to the fact that many gamblers have been offered almost free rooms to book this cruise. We know of two gentlemen near us at dinnertime, that booked this cruise for free and re-booked for the next one. They mentioned that they had to pay port and tax charges, as well as gratuities. None of their Mariner perks would apply. We even saw online where some folks who belong to that club got offered a Neptune suite for free. Wow…..who knew? Also, the days you sail cannot be counted for your Mariner days.
Dinner had the Culinary Council menu with good choices. We had appetizers of coconut crusted shrimp salad, sliced tomatoes, and prime rib with a baked potato (hold the veggie stew). Dessert was ice cream and frozen yogurt. On the way back to the room, we passed through the casino to find it packed to the gills, especially the gaming tables. Sure hope someone was winning in there…………
Bill & Mary Ann
Wednesday, March 16, 2022
Report # 88 Day at Sea En Route To Fort Lauderdale, Florida Tuesday - March 15, 2022 Mostly sunny and 80 degrees
