Thank goodness for sea days. It was most welcomed after so much hiking yesterday. We do not have the fancy toys that tell us how many steps we did. We don't need it. Walking as far as we think is comfortable, we end up seeing just as much as monitoring our steps. And that could be a reason why the Spa onboard offers treatments such as acupuncture, metabolism seminars, massage treatments, and Chinese herbal medicine lotions and potions. And being that today is the final day of the five-day cruise, you can go back home feeling refreshed and fit.
We had a nice surprise of a dolphin sighting at 10:20am. Being in the right place at the right time is not always an option. But we were in our room working on the computer and had the camera ready to get some shots. These dolphins are the high-jumping ones and they did put on a short-lived display. Then they were gone in seconds.
This morning was Sunday Brunch from 10am to 12 noon. That did give the guests a chance to sleep in later if they chose to. And from 11:30am to 2pm, there was another Cake Me Away in the Lido. We kept to our usual breakfast in the Pinnacle but kept it light, since we had an invitation from Leonie, the Hotel Manager, and Cynthia, the guest relations manager for a repeat lunch in this venue once again. They will be leaving us in San Diego and wished to share some more time with us, since our last lunch went by too fast.
This time we all met earlier at 11:30am, mostly to have that extra ½ hour before the Captain's noon update and Clare's run down of the afternoon activities. We passed on the appetizers but did order one Wagyu cheeseburger and one lamb chop meal. When the plates arrived, the lamb was missing and an 8 oz. filet mignon was in its place. The ladies already had their entrees served, and we said that was fine, the steak would be a good substitute for the lamb. However, Leonie mentioned this to our waitress who looked confused, checking her pad for the mistake. She did offer to bring the chops, but we said no, not wanting to hold up the meal. All is well that ended well we say. We enjoyed the company of the ladies for 2 hours before we left. Tomorrow both of them will be facing long flights to Cape Town and the Mediterranean. We wished them well and hope to see them again on another voyage.
Around 3pm, the dolphins put on another show…this time there were more of them, and thanks to the Captain for the announcement, we got some good shots of them.
We used the remainder of the afternoon to complete yesterday's pictures and complicated report. Just as well as the weather was rather dismal with overcast and rolling seas. By 6pm, the Zaandam was doing 18 knots with temps at 68 degrees and 4.4 mph winds. It may be a while before we have some warmer weather.
Dinner was good, but also a repeat of the Alaska menu. It did have some of our favorite appetizers of salad and salmon balls with dill sauce. Mains were the Parmesan breaded chicken with a drizzle of the honey mustard sauce. Mashed potatoes and veggies added to the color of the plates. And once again, we had the parade of the chefs and waiters, despite the fact that most of both dining rooms were quite empty of guests. We suppose most people ate early in either in the Lido or here and went back to finish packing. Those of us that were present gave them the loudest clapping we could do. They certainly have deserved it. One of our waiters, Francis, is going home to the Philippines tomorrow. We thanked him and wished him a safe trip home. Regie is staying with us and we are happy about that.
San Diego….here we come.
Bill & Mary Ann
