Greetings from our first six full days at sea. For those who are curious, I thought I'd share a bit of what transpires when we lose sight of land for so long.
We began the cruise with a "Let's Get Loud Sail away Party". There's something special about a live band that makes one have to dance. Music is a constant, beginning at noon and never ending, somewhere on the ship.
Captain Dustin hosted two events. The first was a Welcome Aboard Reception to introduce us to all his top officers.
Later in the week, he hosted an informative Q & A session. All the engine talk went way over my head but for those who cared about such things, they were well informed. I found the fact that in one week they use 185 pounds of fresh herbs, 556 pounds of coffee and a not surprising 7,500 bottles of liquor and so much more.
Because we are in the next level of cruising, we were invited to a Top Tier Private Party. We were given libations, a red rose, and an brief introduction to the upcoming productions. We are beyond excited for what's to come, including Tango lessons.
Oh and I have to mention the towel folding. It still cracks me up. Isn't this shirt the best though?
Each night there was a production created to entertain and delight. Each performance was unique. Day 2 wowed us with the Royal Caribbean Singers and Dancers in City of Dreams, a surreal yet entertaining song and dance show that featured some of our favorite songs.
Comedian Landry had us laughing during two separate performances. The second, a 10:45 PM show, for adults only, was extra hysterical. We really liked this guy.
Michelle Murlin, star of Les Miserables and Cats, wowed us twice as well. What talent!
Ventriloquist Brad Cummings not only impressed the heck out of us with his very funny Production Show, he also led an enrichment lecture titled Behind the Scenes: the Art of Ventriloquism. The name of this talk was misleading. This was Brad's verbal and pictorial memoir, complete with tales of his storied career. What a funny, funny man. Yes, he gave us a lesson of his trade but he also entertained in many ways. Then he brought out his 'partner' Rex for a Q & A that had everyone laughing. So dang fun.
We also attended exceptional art auctions and lectures, whose themes varied every day. The best introduction, to this series, was 30,000 years of art in 30 minutes (though it took the presenter an hour) We were mesmerized and learned a lot. Actually, we were quite pleased with ourselves because of our travels, we have personally seen a majority of the art he discussed. Very cool.
We attended a series of enrichment lectures presented by author Kay Marshall Strom. They are all based on forensics. The first one Forensics for Profit and Fun tied in nicely with the book I brought to read on our cruise.
Dying for a Diamond was written by my friend, Cindy Sample. What a totally fun read. Except for the murders and mayhem, Cindy captured the essence of cruising perfectly. So dang awesome.
One afternoon we took an Italian class from our very Italian cruise director, Andrea. While we knew the words he was teaching, the 'sign language' section of the class was a riot.
Besides all the distractions, each day we tried to walk a mile around the deck and spend time in the gym, attempting to burn off some of the delicious food we have been consuming (we have snacks before dinner). It's terrible but so very good as well. We are proud to state that we have not stepped into an elevator since boarding. We have hauled buns up and down several flights of stairs. Our cabin is on the 10th floor and dinner is on the 4th!
And the shopping... not!
We dine at first seating (5:30 PM). Our tablemates are diverse and are great company. We have two wonderful sisters from Puerto Rico, a retired cargo ship captain and his marathon running wife (photo), in addition to a well cruised couple from the Atlanta area and a Puerto Rican couple- ten of us all together dining on an amazing array of yum!
Captain Dustin and me...
West End to Broadway was tonight's very entertaining show.
The best show going is the sunset.
We have participated in games on stage, taken dance classes, listened to bands, watched two movies in the Cinema, and enjoyed just basking in the sun. The cruise has been a success so far.
Tomorrow we get rid of our sea legs and begin our Port of Calls. The adventure continues!
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2 comments:
Random comments. Did you really go to a 10:45pm show? Impressive. Will you tango for us when we next meet? I do love towel folding. It just delights me. What movies did you catch up on? I didn't get the shopping - not comment. Did Steve buy the watch or was he just trying it on? I would have been hugging the Pecorino when no one was watching :) Great photo of you on the back of the ship reading. I'm sure Cindy loved it.
Oh yes...the towel folding...took the grandkids on a cruise years ago...they became pros!
Sounds like you both are having another memorable cruise...miss you!
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