Today was "Sunday Brunch Day", but not for us. The guests were invited to sign up for this special meal several days ago. However, we did see it advertised in the newsletter today. It started at 9:30am and ended at 12:30pm. The menu is a combined breakfast and lunch starters and entrees, unlike the brunches that served little tidbits of food in small shotglasses. We attended once after our tablemates insisted we join them. Many of the items for one of us were allergy-laden, so half of the food was wasted.
So today we went to the alternate dining on deck three at 7:30am or so. There was a total of three of us. Needless to say, the service was top-notch. Tomorrow we will return to the Pinnacle Grill just to mix it up.
Between a walk on the promenade deck and working online, the morning flew by. During our walk, we did not see any flying fish. Perhaps the water is too cold for them. And there were no birds, except one lone frigate. While taking a short break during the walk, one of us spotted two different schools of feeding dolphins maybe 100 yards away from the ship. They were not jumping, but feeding on the surface very slowly. Their dorsal fins gave their location away. Always fun to see, but you have to stop and take your time to spot them.
The Captain came on with his noon talk and explained a bit more about yesterday's move to the tendering process. Don't quote us, but we think he said there may have been $75K worth of damage to the ropes and a roller, as well as the extra cost of using the ships tenders. The crew does have the parts to fix the roller and replacements for the snapped ropes. We never would have guessed that they were having those problems at all. The good news is that we believe the man that had the tender boat accident is OK.
Well, we have 561 nautical miles to reach Callao, Peru. The weather has changed with a noticeable drop in temperatures. We doubt that it got above 70 degrees today, at least on our shady port side of the ship. The winds have increased and the skies were mostly overcast, cloudy, with a touch of blue sky every now and then. We always sit outside on the veranda after lunch, but today we needed sweatshirts. Long jeans might have been even better.
We had an invite for a complimentary regional wine tasting at 1pm in the upper dining room. As you all know, we do not drink wine, so we did not attend. Jacques, the cellarmaster, knows this and sometimes sends us some extra sodas to compensate. The price for this tasting has gone up to $29 per person.
At one point after lunch in the Lido where we got our sandwiches with no delays, the Captain took the ship closer to shore. We are sailing down the coast of Peru now. We began seeing some offshore platforms that appeared to look different. So we did some research and learned that new offshore platforms have been brought here for oil and gas collection. They are called Bouyant Towers and are lighter and operate differently than the old ones. They are capable of producing up to 12,200 barrels of oil a day, and 12.8 million standard cubic feet of gas per day. That is awesome for the country of Peru. Many commercial tankers were there to transport the oil and gas.
We also had an invite to a cocktail party in the Crow's Nest with our hosts and group from our travel agency. We had failed to put this on our calendar, so we missed that one too. There will be a few more before the end of the cruise.
This evening was the first "dressy" evening in the dining room. Truthfully, most folks looked about the same as always. There were a few more fellows wearing jackets, and several ladies with a touch of glitter. The menu was upgraded with special starters of a wedge salad, similar to the one served in the Pinnacle Grill. Our mains were one Shepard's pie with ground lamb and mashed potatoes, and one plate of prime rib with the usual sides. More than ample, next time the order will be half-size and not medium rare. Medium will be better. The Sous Chef popped by to inquire of we ordered the chicken soup. No, not this evening, but he said it will be prepared the way I like it. We shall see……
The entertainment was a performance by the World Stage Repertory Company (aka the HAL singers and dancers ). The title was Feeling Groovy celebrating the sounds of the 60's we all know so well.
For those that inquired about the umbrellas we got as gifts, they were made by Leed's. It is a small size that can hold up to 35 mph winds. It came with a little note saying: Once Upon a Time, I was a Bottle, but came back to keep you covered. Very clever.
One more sea day, and we will be in Callao (Lima), Peru for 2 ½ days.
Bill & Mary Ann
