We sure appreciated a day at sea, although we still had a few jobs to do. Breakfast came first. The two of us were the fourth customers to arrive after 7:30am, however, the restaurant filled quickly after that. More guests than we have ever seen filled most of the room. And the wait staff seemed to be spun with too many orders. It always takes some time for patterns to fall into place and eventually the ratio of diners matches the number of the wait staff. Today they were overwhelmed. One of our good buddies, Don, suggested we should go back to what they did on the 2023 GWV. Our group of President's Club members were given the upper dining room for our private breakfast venue. Two of the best waiters were there every day. In time, they knew what everyone ordered and the service was seamless. So guess what? We had a note from Henk M. in our mail slot announcing a change for breakfast. Now we had a choice of either venue. Although we feel like we are abandoning Tina, we will be doing her a favor by easing up the crunch that happened today.
Today at 10am, there was a passport collection in the center elevator lobby. A long line had formed by 10:15am, but it moved rather quickly. We exchanged the passports for passport receipts which we will turn in when we need to pick them up again. Then we had forms to fill out concerning our Covid vaccinations and boosters. Luckily the Covid cards we have packed with our passports had all the dates and type of vaccine we received. Last year, we did not have to have any proof of the shots, but in 2023, we all had to be tested a day prior to boarding. The clinic we all went to was within walking distance of the Renaissance Hotel. And the good news was that we were both negative. All of that has gone away now, even though Covid is still around.
The other request was to turn in independent overland and overnight trips we may have during the cruise. We plan to disembark in Durban, South Africa for a 5 day safari, returning to Cape Town. In addition to this form with all of the details and contact numbers, we had a letter of deviation provided by HAL when we booked the overland. Thanks to our expert travel agent, we had this letter mailed to us last summer. So much for the jobs today. Actually, there was one more stop to make. We located Presty's office and asked him about reserving a table for the 26 GWV. No problem as he will contact Seattle and have it writing in a few days. We can always count on him, one of the best Maitre'ds we know.
Taking a break from photo sorting and researching port info, we took a walk on the promenade deck. Once again there were few people outside. Part of that reason was because dozens of the teak lounges were tied up in the bow of the ship on the promenade deck. Then we saw piles of naked cushions without coverings. We are assuming that new coverings are being made for the lounges, or else they would be out for the guests to use. By the way, the wave heights have been picking up and the temperature was much warmer than yesterday. There was a good breeze, but it carried a lot of humidity. The sky was cloudy, and it got heavier as the day advanced.
During his noon talk, Captain Friso mentioned something about a storm system around the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua. We may be in for some rougher seas, high winds, and probably rain by tomorrow in Puerto Limon, Costa Rica. A little rain might help cool things off.
The Library had a grand opening at 11:30am today. There was already a line formed hallway down the hall when we passed by. That is good news that many people still appreciate a "real" book instead of reading books online. We did make a pass through there before dinnertime, and found three promising books to read when and if we have the time.
This evening as the first "formal" night in the dining venues. And it was wonderful to see how many folks complied with the suggestion. The tradition has not died yet, at least on these longer voyages. There was the Captain's Welcome at 7pm in the World Stage where everyone raised a glass of sparkling wine with him. There was only one time set for this event, so people had to arrange their meal time to include attending the affair…..or not.
Our meal was excellent tonight. Starters were shrimp cocktails and a small version of the wedge salad. The dinner rolls were quite edible as well because they used a sweeter dough leaving them soft and tender. Both of us ordered the veal chop which turned out to be about the best one we had eaten in the dining room. Dessert was one scoop of mango sorbet and a small serving of what they called a lemon éclair with whipped cream. It was a lemon cake on a cookie in the shape of a surfboard. No other way to describe it. Blueberries in a compote were added for color and taste. All around, everything was very good and we let them know.
We were surprised with a bevy of gifts upon entering our room. There were two matching canvas HAL bags filled with safari hats, a phone charger, a shoulder bag that could hold a beverage and other small items, a rain poncho, and a white room key holder. The note that came with the bags stated that they had chosen a selection of practical gifts to use throughout our time onboard and beyond. This is a great idea, especially if you forgot some of those items. Then there was a promise of more to come as the voyage nears the end. Also on the bed were two Lindt candies, the round balls, and a notice to change the clocks back one hour. That was about the best gift of all.
Bill & Mary Ann
No Pictures
