On sea days, there seems to be a lot more folks sleeping in later since we are always the first to arrive at breakfast. We get the best service with the several Pinnacle waiters (girls and guys) in attendance. Eventually more guests trickle in, and by 8:30am, the place is full in the window area. As long as we continue ordering our breakfast items carefully, our meals arrive just the way we like. At times, we think there is a language barrier, and we are not understood clearly.
After taking our morning walk outside, and completing the photos from Singapore, we had a bunch of notes arrive in our mail slot. The first one was an invitation to our travel agency's cocktail party in the Crow's Nest tomorrow at 6:30pm. That will be fun connecting with our friends there, some of whom we seldom see on the ship. Those who dine at the early seating have a whole different routine during the day. Our paths never seem to cross.
The next note was about the laundry service, which may be delayed due to urgent maintenance issues. They do anticipate resolving this issue soon, but as a result there will be delays in delivery. Of course they appreciate our understanding, and we are not too concerned because we do have not any outstanding laundry to be delivered. With all of the ship's laundry, especially in the dining venues, not counting the stateroom linens, it is understandable that things break down.
The next Note For You was an invite to a President's Club Samosa Cocktail Party held in the Gallery Bar on Friday at 6:30pm. We shall be present. Another happening tomorrow will be the delayed Block Party on the stateroom corridors and elevator lobbies. Zuiderdam Slings will be served (regular or virgin) as well as peanuts in the shells if we are reading this correctly. We can throw the shells on the floor indicating it was a good party. This follows the tradition of the Long Bar in Raffles where you toss the shells on the floor. Hmmm, poor crew members that have to clean it up afterwards. Maybe not the best idea. Captain Friso and Chantal will briefly visit with the guests as they fly from deck to deck.
Tonight we had two more notes – one informing us that we will each receive $500 onboard credit to our account. This was their promise when the itinerary was adjusted and it is very much appreciated by all. The extra money will help pay for unexpected visas and perhaps added shore excursions. Today we researched the added African safaris now that we will be going there. The prices were sky high compared to what we paid last year. Of course, we did ours on our own and not with HAL. From what we read on the Navigator page, every one of the overlands are booked solid. Most all of them are places we have been, so we did not choose to book anything. And you all know how much we love bus travel…….
Finally, the last note was to turn the clocks ahead one hour this evening. That works fine with us. And today, the vanity mirror on the desk had the bulb replaced. It has been out since we boarded but we forgot to report it. Our room attendants are very good about following up on anything broken. The light it provides is just enough light to read notes for reports which are mainly written at night.
We had a light lunch of a Dive-In chicken sandwich and hot dog. They forgot to add the fries, doing us a big favor. They are still oily and stuck together, so it is better not to have them. We tend to keep whole apples in our room when we feel a need for a snack. Also have some popcorn and nuts such as pistachios.
The news of the Baltimore bridge collapse dominated the news this afternoon. Such a horrible accident. By the time we left our room to take the afternoon walk, it was close to 6pm. Coming back after 7pm, we barely had time to get ready for dinner, which was formal tonight. That meant a suit or a tux for the guys. Or at least a jacket and a shirt and tie. Right before the first seating at 5pm, Kimberly announced that a jacket for the fellows will be OK. We wonder why the change in the dress suggestion? Honestly, it was a mistake to say that because we saw some men in collared shirts (dressy) and one elderly man who changed from a jacket and shirt to a pull over sweatshirt. Unbelievable. And he was part of a newbies group sitting near us so we saw what he did. He must have been testing the waters and as far as we could see, no one said a word. If Presty was around, as he usually is on formal nights, he may have questioned that maneuver. Oh well, we are not the clothes police.
The menu was formal with special Asian cuisine like a Vietnamese veggie roll and a bowl of Indonesian soup. Nice for a change. One of us had the Gato Gato salad, which had one large Boston lettuce leaf with cooked cabbage and carrots with a peanut sauce. The other salad was Caesar. Our ,mains were the same with surf and turf, or lobster and beef tenderloin steak. A good cut of meat, the steak was coated with teriyaki sauce and tender. Dessert was sliced pineapple and a cup of coffee. With the hour back on the clocks, the crew had a special party happening later tonight. Our waiter Yanwar invited us, but we know he was kidding. We could tell they were looking forward to it. Sure helps keep their spirits up.
A new instrumentalist joined the ship by the name of Sharene Tang. Her description was "Star of the Pocket Piano" and the recipient of the Two Time World Champion Instrumental Virtuoso. Now that's a mouthful. Our buddy Greg is the go-to guy for attending the shows. He always updates us on what we missed.
A note on our bed along with another towel animal and two chocolates was: A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step. -Lao Tzu-
Bill & Mary Ann
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