August 23, 2012.

Well, here we are onboard the Enchantment of the Seas, and what would life onboard be like without a bump or two here and there.  Or to put it another way, what would it would be like if the ship’s crew, or the security ashore, or any number of other people, didn’t do something that would cause my beloved wife to exhibit feelings of anxiety.

We had our stateroom number issued to us at dockside, without a hitch (and we drove from Edgewater to the dock with relative ease.

Through security without a hitch.  No shoes or other garments had to be removed, and no alarms were set off.  Bonnie is traveling, as she always does, with her cane, and they directed us to the front of the line where Sandy was ready to receive us. 

All went well until Sandy scanned my passport and it told her the passport was issued to Michael David Sisler (my beloved wife is still sputtering about that one – “It makes no sense!”  “His numbers aren’t the same!” “He hasn’t used his passport in 20 years!”).  It took a quick check and they allowed as how I am Melvin David Sisler, Jr., and the passport was issued to Melvin David Sisler, Jr., and they changed my room card to read Melvin David Sisler, Jr., and so Melvin David Sisler, Jr., and not Michael David Sisler was admitted to Room 2021 on the Enchantment of the Seas.  Who knows?  Probably not even the Shadow. 

I hope my passport shows up as Melvin David Sisler, Jr., on the 31st, or I may have some “splaining to do.”

We have been assigned to the second seating for the evening meal, and share a table with two other presenters – a husband and wife team who teach ballroom dancing.

It is now officially Day 2, and my first talk, “King’s Wharf: the Gibraltar of the West,” is scheduled for 1:30 this afternoon (addendum: Bonnie said there were over 200 in the theater for the talk).  At one time, this small island had 90-100 forts around its coastline to protect it from invasion.  The only shots fired in anger from a Bermudian fort occurred in 1614, and the two projectiles launched missed their target.  It was enough to send three Spanish ships scurrying on their way.  Good thing, too, because the fortification was down to its last cannonball, and the gunners had upset the only keg of black powder they had.  Clear the deck!  Cannonball coming!

The Activities Director, Katrina (good Russian name), called me this morning and asked if I could add a 5th talk to my presentations, so I will be doing “When Pirates Sailed the Atlantic” (which features the most famous Pirate to ever come out the Caribbean) in the morning before we dock, then two talks on New England, and on the way home “Famous, and Not So Famous Pirates and Other Pirate Stuff.”

August 25, 2012 – Day 3

When I do my talks, Bonnie is my time keeper.  When I am within 10 minutes of quitting time she waves at me, so I can stop in time for questions.  I always acknowledge her, and today I told the assembled throng that she has been my wife for 44 years and one day.  After my talk, a young man came up to me and said he had been born on August 24, 1968, so he was 44 years and one day old.  Small world department.

If you have seen this slide show (wake up, Amy) you know that I put up a slide that lists the countries from which pirates came during the Golden Age of Piracy.  I then say, “One of the greatest Pirates of all time came from Puerto Rico,” and show a slide of Roberto Clemente.  Today I had my #47 Pirate shirt hidden under my sport jacket. I received a warm ovation as I revealed the colors.

We ate lunch on board and then took a ferry to Hamilton, the capital of Bermuda, and from there a bus to Crystal Caves.  I love caves and caverns, and this is one of the prettiest I have ever seen. 

Tomorrow we will explore the area around the Royal Naval Dockyard.  Ship sails at 4:30 p.m., and I will give my “Colonial New England and the Beginning of the Revolution” talk, as we point north towards Boston.

I give up! The Caves pix goes two paragraphs up, and the one below it is the Royal Dockyard.  Oh well

TTFN