We have sailed far enough south that it was not quite as cold as yesterday or the day before that. The temperature at 7am was 59 degrees, not in the 40's. That chill was gone as was the dryness. With a higher humidity, it was a lot more comfortable.
While walking today, we noticed a few swallows flying around the ship. Then we saw a small flock of them and wondered where in the heck did they come from? Currently we are sailing between Taiwan and mainland China, but there may be some small islands close by. Swallows are not a sea bird, so they must have hitched a ride. If they can hang on until tomorrow, they will be Hong Kong birds.
It was time for some hot chocolate at the Seaview Pool. We did find some more of the new packets in the Lido, hiding behind the tea bag display. Not as sweet as the regular mix, we added some Splenda and it was perfect. Taking a couple of chairs by the pool, there was actually a little sun peeking through the heavy clouds. For a short time, it was almost warm. Then we spotted Christel M, our former guest relations officer, who frequently runs on deck 10. She joined us for an hour chatting about the way things were and where they are going now with HAL. She did admit that she is enjoying retirement immensely and hopes to be able to tag along next year with her husband Henk.
In the meantime, we got our next delivery of our President's Club Coke Zeros. It reminded us of how quickly this cruise is flying by. The noon whistle was sounded twice for some reason, and was soon followed by Captain Frank's talk. He sounded almost sad about leaving the ship in Hong Kong and said he really enjoyed this first half of the world voyage. When he mentioned that his entrance and exit in Saipan was one of his highlights, we were surprised. Of course, after having met the pilot that afternoon, we understand fully what was involved with the plans for the port. So it was an unexpected highlight for us as well being able to hear the details first-hand. Ending his noon update, he actually sang a farewell song….short and sweet. We could hear Kimberly in the back round chuckling as he sang for all of us. Well done, she said, well done indeed.
Later in the day, we received more copies of our passports that we will have to pack with us while we go ashore. That is much better than taking our actual passports. Included with the copies were landing cards for Vietnam that we had to fill out to carry with us when we arrive to Da Nang. That will be sometime next week.
This morning at breakfast, our buddy Don informed us that Sonny from the former and popular Station Band had come onboard to visit his wife Twinkle, the assistant beverage manager. One of their kids came with him, and the other one will join in Hong Kong. One of the most visited bars on the Amsterdam was in the Crow's Nest, where Sonny and his band played every evening. Barb was one of their biggest fans, and when they did not come back (not by choice), she was not happy, nor were all of the customers he entertained. Tonight Don said Sonny promised his followers that he would sing in the Ocean Bar for a short time after the late dinner seating. Hope that was allowed as some toes could be stepped on with other contracts with other band players.
Our assistant waiter, Alfred, told us tonight was his last evening onboard. His contract was up after 8 months at sea, and he was going home to the Philippines. In the old days, most all of the crew members stayed for the entire world cruise and beyond. Now they are coming and going all of the time. Alfred said a group of waiters and room attendants were leaving tomorrow and more on day two in Hong Kong. New crew will be coming onboard to replace most of them. We need to ask how many guests were leaving in Singapore and how many boarding. So far we have lost more than we have gained. That will be a factor as to how many departing crew will be replaced.
The dinner menu was not exciting, although one of us tried a tuna roll appetizer. It came with ahi tuna which was raw. If it had been described that way, it would not have been ordered. Neither of us has developed a taste for the less than cooked fish. The Caesar salads were good as ever, and the mains of rack of lamb and a half order of the alternate steak was plenty. A sliced banana sounded better than the dessert selection, so our waiter Yanwar dressed it up with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. Pretty good. We wished Alfred the best of luck as we left the dining room.
The entertainer tonight was a concert pianist by the name of Tian Jiang. His credits included a profiling on CBS Sunday Morning Show as well as performing at Carnegie Hall and touring China with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Fantastic artist, he was excellent.
Really looking forward to Hong Kong, since our last visit had to be in 2017 we think.
Bill & Mary Ann
