There were two highlights of the day. One was the King Neptune Ceremony at 10am at the Lido Poolside. Despite the heat and humidity, it was well-attended. Viewing it from deck 10, we needed to squeeze in between many onlookers in the space left open in the dome. We could hear Kimberly loud and clear beginning the ceremony as the "Judge". She did a really good job, as she did when we crossed the Equator last fall on the Volendam. The most fun part of that ceremony was the fact that it was Kimberly's first time crossing and was a pollywog. There was no way the Exploration team was going to let her escape the dunking in the pool. At the conclusion of the crazy festivity, she was tossed in, clothes and all, and then the Captain followed with his officers. Clothes and all. We didn't stick around long enough to see the conclusion of this event, because it was blistering hot and crowded. And of course, this evening we all received certificates that we had crossed the line twice in the last week or so. Unless our itinerary changes, this will be the only time we will cross the Equator on this world cruise.
The flying fish have appeared in larger numbers this morning. We saw them flying and diving on both sides of the ship most of the day. There was one lone gray bird flying near the water, but it was gone right after we saw it. So far, there are no boobies. Hope they return as they are fun to watch. Walking the promenade deck, we spotted at least one dozen large green grasshoppers or locusts that are on a ride to the next port. Also, later in the afternoon, we saw one lone frigate bird flying very high near the ship. That was odd since they are usually in larger numbers and close to land. Then we guessed perhaps this bird hitched a ride on the ship. Lo and behold, we watched as the frigate landed in the bow area and perched on the flagpole. Another hitch-hiker.
Not too many folks were walking on the promenade deck. We think it was just too warm for most folks and besides, they were positioning for the best spots in the Lido Pool area well before the ceremony began. Knowing that the Seaview Pool would not be busy, we headed back there for some sun and fresh air. On the way across deck 10, we spotted many casualties with the Amazon insects due to spraying we suspect. Greg came along and we chatted for a while, exchanging what info we had heard concerning the upcoming itinerary. There have already been some cruise ships cancelling their Suez canal sailings, which were due to happen soon. It is going to be a test of everyone's patience waiting for the final decision. Will we go, or not? Time will tell…….
Kimberly did a talk on tomorrow's port of Grenada, and we did find it repeated on the TV, which is nice. The only problem, however, is the fact that the sound on the TV can only be cranked up halfway. We can hear it, but not really well. And occasionally, the program stalls. Must be a computer error, which also was not fixed since we were here a year ago. Good thing for all of us that Kimberly has such a clear and distinct voice, that we understood most of her port information.
Lunch was from the Dive-In Grill with cannonball burgers made better with Gouda cheese and smoked bacon. We think it is the best one offered. A couple of boxes of naked fries went well with the burgers, except now the serving is half the size that it was on last year's world cruise. Of course, we can always ask for doubles, but we can do without it just as easy. The fries do tend to be on the greasy side.
There were numerous activities to keep the passengers busy all afternoon. It appears that the Oi Brasil team is still onboard and giving lectures, dance classes, dance aerobics, and finally instructions on capoeira self defense on deck 10. Now that would be something to see with the ship rolling, especially on deck 10. Hmmm, that is an accident waiting to happen with much of this crowd.
Casual dinnertime came quickly, and we ordered bean/rice tacos for appetizers and Caesar salads. Both were good….the taco hot, and the salad cold. A beef tenderloin dish was one meal, and the other was a stuffed manicotti shell with cheese and a red sauce with diced bell peppers. It was nice for a change of pace. Desserts were one small piece of lemon meringue cheesecake and a plate of sliced pineapple. Sliced bananas would be nice, but they have run out of them. Don't they always?
The Grand Voyage singers and dancers performed a Rhythm Room song and dance, which our buddy Greg said they have been enjoying most of the entertainment. But the better plan was setting the clocks back one hour again this evening. Now we are on Manaus time, or one hour ahead of EST. It sure helps all of us to re-charge our batteries so to speak, making that the other highlight of the day.
Bill & Mary Ann
