Second Saturday at Sea

This morning began much as yesterday morning, with the ringing telephone and a recording saying that a fire alarm had gone off in our area.  Immediately after I hung up from the recording, it rang again.  This time it was the Captain himself, asking if we were okay.  I assured him we were, and he commented that the smoke detector is extremely sensitive and was no doubt activated by the steam. 

We are just too hot!

All together now: “I just threw up in my mouth!”

After breakfast we journeyed to the infirmary to see the ship’s doctor.  She Who Must Be Obeyed has not been feeling good, and if she lets these symptoms progress, she gets really sick. $130, a handful of pills, and a nasal spray later, she was diagnosed with the “common cold.”  For $130 I’d say it’s anything but common.

While we were having a Pub Lunch – Bonnie had prawns and chips and I had a Scottish dish which featured a hard boiled egg rolled in sausage and deep fried – our luggage tags were delivered to our state room.  Tomorrow evening we will leave three of our suitcases in a passenger hallway, and will catch up to them Monday morning ashore in Fort Lauderdale.

Speaking of Fort Lauderdale, I gave my final talk today.  Attendance was some less than earlier talks, and I do not take the blame for it!  I was competing against a tour of the ship’s galleys (would like to have done that one myself), and a $1600 bingo jackpot.  It is interesting the questions I am asked after a talk.  Usually there are a few dealing with the subject matter, but always there are questions which assume I am an official member of the crew able to answer specific shore questions.  Today I was asked why the Fort Lauderdale tour was canceled and what the questioner could take in its place.  No idea, sez I.

Since today is a sea day, there will be no shore excursions to recount, nor pictures to post, but I should report to you on the activities last night in the Princess Theater.  Tom Stevens is a “vocal impressionist,” and he put on a show that was received with a standing ovation.  He sings in the style of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., and a host of others, often transforming his face to mimic the singer.  Complete with costume changes, at times you would swear you are watching the original.  At one point in his routine, he pretended to be driving his car and the radio was stuck on scan.  He did a half dozen voices, one after the other, just as soon as the songs changed.  It was a very good indeed.  Tonight’s offering is “British Invasion,” and sounds like it will be music by the Beatles and other groups of that era.

Tonight is the third and final formal night of the cruise, so we will dress in our best bib and tucker.  Rumor has it that one of the menu offerings tonight will be lobster.  Yum.

Well, I will go ahead and post this report, and if anything interesting happens between now and bedtime, I will report it to you in my final posting – for this cruise – tomorrow.

TTFN!