Dec 3
Last night the Captain announced that we would hit some high winds, rain, and rough seas around midnight. So it was. I take back everything I have ever told anyone about the stabilizers on these big cruise ships being able to take care of rough seas. Partly because we were in 11 ft. seas and partly because our cabin is on deck 6 and the absolute aft end of the ship, we had quite a ride last night and today. Luckily, Scotty and I don't suffer from seasickness and, in fact, we enjoy the swaying … like being rocked to sleep in a cradle. And we were definitely rocked last night.
The Captain awoke us this morning at 7AM (!) with an in-room announcement that we could not dock in Half Moon Cay. Two things about this... Most announcements are heard only in the hallways, in order not to disturb folks in their rooms. This one was considered important enough to wake us up. Secondly, it was important because canceling a port stop is a BIG deal. So it had to be some serious winds and waves to keep us from stopping. The ship was OK, but the seas were too rough for the tenders to safely come alongside. Oh well … we had a day at sea, heading for Grand Turk.
Scotty and I both love days at sea. I have mentioned earlier we are ship people, rather than port people. So an extra day at sea is fine with us. We had breakfast delivered at 9:30 and had leisurely coffee, bacon and eggs, bagels, and fruit. Yummy. And in our PJ's. Couldn't eat on the balcony, because it was a little rainy … but we will do that many times in the coming week.
Scotty went back to bed and I headed for the Neptune lounge for a little more coffee and some Internet and knitting time. Two ladies commented on my knitting and one said she had asked the Cruise Director to announce a needlework meetup for tomorrow. That would be cool!
Did a little e-mail and then headed back to the room. Scotty was up by then, and we visited and tried to decide what to do for the rest of the day. Lunch seemed to be in order, so we headed for the Lido buffet. Interestingly, HAL has instituted a policy that they serve all buffet food (even tea, water and juice) for the first 48 hours. Then everything returns to self-serve. It is a health thing and appears to limit the spread of norovirus. Also, they are fanatical about reminding you to wash your hands and use the ubiquitous hand sanitizers. It does seem to help. I can't imagine how many cruises would be ruined by the spread of virus with this many folks in close quarters without these precautions.
Lunch done … hamburger and fries … nothing too exciting. I decided to head for the hydropool. One of my favorite places on the ship. Not only is it a HUGE hot tub, but it has places where you can lay down on a bed of pipework so you are essentially floating in the bubbles … heaven!! I spent enough time there to become a prune and Scotty joined me for a little while to read. Note this is a “for fee” area of the spa, and we bought ourselves length-of-cruise passes. Well worth it in our opinion!
We returned to the cabin to rest and get ready for dinner. Now we didn't really need to rest … note I had just returned from the hot tub … but we took time to sit on the balcony and enjoy the sound of the water and the view. Here are some pictures of our view … lovely, right?!?!?
We showered and dressed for our first formal night dinner … there are three this cruise. “Formal night” means many different things to people on a cruise. We see some tuxedos, a little more glitter than usual, and in general, a dressier feel. I did see the maitre'd turn away one gentleman who did not have on a coat and tie. I am glad they keep up a dress code for formal nights. It's only for the main dining room, so there are other places to eat on the ship, and it does lend an air of elegance to one night.
I am trying the daily drinks before dinner. Most cruise lines will run a special drink each day. On Carnival, they are usually something fruity and served in a funky glass with a little umbrella. HAL is a little more conservative. Tonight's drink was a “red something-something”. I forget the exact name, but there was no red in it. It was, however, a wonderful concoction of bourbon, lemon-lime soda, lime juice, and grenadine (not much grenadine). Not too sweet, with just the right amount of kick. Hope the rest of the drink specials are as good.
Dinner was excellent … Shrimp cocktail, arugula and pear salad, and surf and turf. This brief description does not do justice to the superb balsalmic dressing on the salad or the lobster thermidore for the surf and turf. Dessert was peach yogurt that was to die for. Some times the simple things are the best! I left stuffed and happy.
We are now back in the room, rocking along (literally). I am looking forward to being rocked to sleep once again and then exploring Grand Turk tomorrow.
Once again, thanks to Budget Travel Magazine, cruising tip # 4:
4. It's easy to lose track of time in a windowless interior cabin. Before going to sleep, tune into the ship's bridge camera channel for real-time videos of the front (or bow) of the boat. The screen will act like a virtual porthole and you'll rise and shine with the sunshine.
I can't comment much on this one because I've never sailed in an interior cabin … Like my balcony too much! … but I do turn on the bow or aft camera channel some times just to be able to see what the crew sees. It is really interesting.
That's it for tonight. Rocking along till tomorrow.
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