We actually woke up to mostly blue skies this morning. The seas have calmed down quite a bit, which is so much better for packing. Walking was pleasant on the promenade deck, which we managed to do twice today. We could count the walkers each time on one hand, so we are certain people are beginning to pack. Last night we got a notice regarding wheelchair service for disembarkation day. A last- minute request for mobility service, unless it is due to a recent accident perhaps, cannot be accommodated. Only guests who have been noted and confirmed to use utility devices throughout the Grand World Voyage will be honored.
On our morning hike, we stopped briefly to look over the side, and discovered dolphins swimming under the ship. They never did jump out of the water but stayed under the surface. They are so fast, if we had looked a few seconds later, we would have missed them. Then there were none. Funny how we sensed they were even there. The water is still too cold for flying fish, which was what we had hoped to see.
There are two speakers on board – one lecturing on how folklore can save the world. His name is Dr. John Bodner. The afternoon speaker dealt with libraries and librarians. Her name is Crystal Rose. A movie was shown in the Rolling Stone Lounge called The Disappearance of Mrs. Wu. We never did attend a show in there, so we missed out on the popcorn. Darn.
There were a couple of casino poker events, but from what we have gathered, the casino has not been the busiest spot on the ship. One thing we have not seen on this trip are art auctions. There is an art cubbyhole, but it's seldom manned.
Two more Mariner Brunches took place in the lower dining room today – one at 11am, and the second at 1pm. There was no regular lunch served in the dining room, so we could not order something different from room service for lunch. It was soup and a shared club sandwich for us.
Dinner time found all six of us present, sharing news of the day. We think we were correct that there will not be a crew show, but there will be a passenger talent show tomorrow afternoon. Dinner selections were better with appetizers of chicken tenders with a grainy mustard dip. Every one of us ordered it, which has to be a first. And it did not disappoint. Mains were the Club Orange chicken, and one Chef Neil's cheeseburger, one of the best of the cruise so far. Oscar even brought a plate of piping hot French fries for Bill, knowing how much we prefer hot food. It was a generous pile, so he shared. Oscar saw this and brought another large plate full of fries. Then his cheeseburger came with the basket of skinny fries. So much for limiting the carbs….. Desserts were jello and passionfruit sorbet, quite different from the other flavors, it takes some getting used to.
We noticed that the sun was just going down on the horizon as we left the dinner table. It was close to 9:30pm, indicating the reason we will need to set the clocks back one hour tonight. Now we have two more hours back to be correct for Florida.
During the afternoon, we compiled a list of changes we have noticed with the 2023 Grand World Voyage. We will be posting the full list towards the end of this cruise.
Looking at the ship's location, it appears we are about even with Bermuda, but still far out at sea. Currently, the ship is doing 21 knots, which is quite fast. Could it be that we will be arriving earlier than expected in Florida, or will we be slowing down the closer we get? Time will tell. And so goes the third day at sea.
Bill & Mary Ann
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