Oddly enough, the carpet in the elevator said "Sunday". We don't think so, but then the day of the week has not been included on the Daily paper ever since we boarded in Vancouver. Of course, we do have a calendar where the itinerary is printed and all of our reservations for dinner are posted. Once we retired, it seems like every day is a "Sunday".
We noticed that when we left breakfast that the newly remodeled Captain's Corner was nearly finished. The walls were lined with shelves and tables that were already beginning to be stocked with some of the more expensive HAL logo clothing. Instead of seeing the pieces of artwork on the walls, now there is a nice cubbyhole for the special items for sale. It is not ready to open yet, but we suspect when we reach San Diego, there will be a grand opening.
An article appeared in yesterday's newsletter concerned the game of pickleball, which has become quite popular on the ships these days. Now court reservations are required. One hour sessions can be booked on sea days from 12 to 4pm, and on port days, it is 9am – 4pm. And be prepared to play doubles if the demand is high. In addition, there was a meeting for those to learn the rules and regulations of the game. Perhaps court etiquette is discussed, which leads us to think there have been some problems in the past….you think?
Mostly a rainy morning, we took our walk outside and believe we ran across a brief ashes-to-sea burial. Mariner officer Jennifer and her assistant carrying a large bag were leading two ladies to the aft railing on the promenade deck. We have seen this private ceremony on the N. Statendam, but the area had been roped off briefly for the private event. Researching HAL's website, we learned that all of the legal details are provided for this service. It is a nice option for those who wish this type of burial.
The sun did peek out enough to spend some time on the veranda. The cool breeze erased any heat that the sun provided. That should change in a week or so. It is a perfect place to relax and read a book. Did we mention there is a self-serve library onboard? It is not huge, but they do stock a large number of up-to-date books with several copies of the best ones. We noticed that many debarking guests donate the paperback books they have brought with them.
Lunch was from Dive In again with a chicken back-flip and a cannonball burger. Fries too. No lines, no waiting. This won't last either. The seas have calmed down and it feels as if the Captain has slowed down in order to get to SF on time tomorrow morning. During his noon talk, he mentioned the speed limit on this coastline is regulated to protect the whales. Now we are on the lookout for some. We have seen many humpbacks while sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge, so we do plan to be up for the entrance to the bay. Following up with that theme, there was an EXC talk about the Pacific Giants this morning at 10am, and another lecture featuring port highlights (promoting shore excursions) by our cruise director, Kimberly at 2pm. We know the city well since we were both born and raised there.
Dinner was in the dining room, which was very empty or half full depending on how you look at it. Even the waiters were milling around with little to keep them occupied. A lot of polishing was happening at their workstations. Mario, our waiter asked what we were doing tomorrow, and we told him a lot of walking and going out to lunch. He and his buddies are very thrilled to be here, but not sure if they will have much time to get off for very long. All aboard for them is 2:30pm….for the passengers it is 4:30pm. More than likely there will be CDC inspections as well as a crew drill. Anyway, we ordered one Caesar salad, one arancini appetizer, and one hot bowl of chicken noodle soup. The soup is still made with spaghetti, not noodles. It is good, but egg noodles would be nicer. Our mains were the Club Orange special. On all of the cruises we have been on since 2021, the Club Orange selection was printed in full on a special menu. Now it just says you have to ask what it is. There is no way to make your decision earlier in the day, because the actual meal is not described. Most every evening we inquire as to what the special is, and our waiter has to go ask someone. So far it has been Peruvian chicken or short ribs. Jambalaya has not been mentioned so far. So tonight we ordered the short ribs, but forgot it came with a puddle of runny mashed parsnips on the plate. Not a favorite of ours, we will remember to ask about the entire contents of the entrée. Could have substituted a baked potato for instance. Oh well we did not feel stuffed, and we added desserts of a blue sorbet with a flavor that cannot be identified, and one hot fudge chocolate sundae with no marshmallows.
Looking forward to friends boarding tomorrow and also a nice hike with a great lunch.
Bill & Mary Ann
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