MEAT LOAF AND BAKED ALASKA

December 19, 2015

Yup.  That was the menu tonight.  Or at least among the offerings.  I chose the meat loaf.  She Who Must Be Obeyed had a Thanksgiving dinner – turkey, dressing, gravy, cranberry sauce and other stuff.  And she had deep dish apple pie.

Bonnie’s most remarkable thing about her lunch was the Ginger Ale.  She didn’t like the vegetable curry pot pie, nor the lemon meringue pie.  I don’t remember what I had, but I liked it.

We played a couple games of Rummy.  I won one and am trailing badly in the second, but there is always another cruise!

The old ship is rocking and rolling tonight.  The Captain said we would have 10 foot waves, but I think they may be a tad bit higher.

We packed our luggage after watching the movie, “The Martian.”  A very good movie.  We had to carry our three suitcases up to Deck 8, which is a passenger deck, to put them out with everyone else’s.  As we walked back to our room tonight we noticed that the hall was empty, so we should all be on our way to luggage control and customs in the morning.

The evening’s main entertainment was the ship’s version of The Voice.  I’ve never seen the real one, although I am told it is broadcast in 165 countries around the world.  A fellow my age sang an knock out rendition of “New York, New York,” and had our votes for the winner, but a cute, wiggly thing in a short skirt did either an Adele song or one by Celine Dion, and won.  We didn’t know either song, and it is only by chance I’ve heard of those two singers, but cute and wiggly wins over old and bald any day, I reckon.

Well this is the last entry from the Royal Princess for this outing.  Talk to you tomorrow from Florida.

TTFN

TO BLOG TO BLOG SAID SLEEPY HEAD

December 18, 2015

This is the last formal night, and the last day at sea, and my last talk, and perhaps the last blog.  Tomorrow is Princess Cay, the cruise line’s private island.  We will take our Coppertone Ultra Guard Broad Spectrum SPF 70 and go ashore for an hour or so, have lunch on the beach and splash in the water.  Then back on board to pack and get ready for disembarkation.

These ships get more and more electronic.  Today I found a machine that prints out a copy of your bill, so you don’t have to stand in line at Passenger Services to get it.  A pleasant surprise awaited when I found that my $29 coffee card was discounted $17.40, and our $2 cokes are discounted $1.20.  They never tell us these things.  Next time I will print earlier and see what is up.  After all the aggravation getting to our room on the first day, Princess is doing right by us.  And we are glad.

We went to several musical productions tonight – the production show by the ship’s singers and dancers, a musical set by a 50s band, and an tango night featuring songs from Argentina.  Yours truly was nodding off during the tangos, so we came back to our cabin for a couple of snacks, drinks, and bedtime.  Exciting we are!

Tonight for supper Bonnie had tomato bisque soup, bib lettuce salad and short ribs.  I had escargot (I wanted snails, but they were all out), a crab and scallop salad with caviar, and lobster tail with giant prawns.  We chose a table for two with one of our favorite waiters, an older gentleman named Jose (who can see).  We went to the Gelato stand for dessert where Bonnie had a banana split and I had a brownie blast.

A man at the table beside us was evidently hungry tonight.  He ordered two plates of escargot, beef wellington, and lobster tail.  His wife (and neither of them are large people) had two lobster tails.  That’s a lot of groceries!

Bonnie did not go to see Jurassic World for the third time, instead she spent the evening with me.  I wanted her to go, so the dancing girls could stop by 71018, but she saw through my plan.

And now to bed.  If there’s no blog up tomorrow, we’ll text you from Fort Lauderdale on Sunday.

TTFN

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU!

December 17, 2015

Or as Star Trek fans used to say, “May DeForest be with you.”  That’s DeForest Kelley, otherwise known as Dr. McCoy.

Guess what movie is playing tonight in St. Thomas?  Yes, you are right.  In the U.S. Virgin Islands they are showing “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”  I asked the captain if he could delay our departure, but he said not even for me.  Oh well.  Small bit of shipboard humor.

We went ashore for maybe 90 minutes and walked around.  We thought about going to Blackbeard’s Castle, but it was close to a mile away from downtown center, and up the hill 99 steps (actually 103 – I think I’ve told you that before).  So since we’ve already been there and done that, we passed.  Bought a few souvenirs and caught a cab back to the ship.  There was a spot where the crew were hanging out to use the wifi, but you could only secure a connection with a password, and there was limited capacity (so they said) and I chose not to wait in a long line.  Hence, no email today.

Bonnie’s afternoon movie was “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation” which she described as excellent.  Tomorrow night is “Jurassic World.”  It will be her fourth viewing.

Tonight I had a shrimp cocktail, a garden salad with ranch dressing, and Orange Roughy accompanied by unknown vegetables.  Orange Roughy is a great fish that is hard to find because of restrictions on its taking.  Evidently this was farm grown in New Zealand.  Thanks, Kiwis!  Bonnie had a double-baked goat cheese souffle, and a salad of mixed greens, both of which she enjoyed.  Her main course was fried chicken which she described as being Banquet Frozen Fried Chicken – the worst main she’s had.  My dessert was Chocolate Lover’s Delight – three different chocolate confections.  My companion had sugar free coconut cake which she described as “tasty.”

A 20 piece orchestra was the main performance for the night.  It was put together from all the musicians in all the venues around the ship.  Tonight was their first performance and it was well done.

My last talk and our last formal night is tomorrow.  We will go tomorrow also to see about our luggage tags for disembarkation Sunday.  Until then ...

TTFN

EARLY TO BED, EARLY TO RISE, IS FOR THE BIRDS

December 16, 2015

We did go to bed rather early last night, around 10 p.m., but we slept in until after 8 a.m.  I am getting to enjoy this!  Of course the next time I am up against a deadline to get a new cruise talk written, I’ll be back to my 4 a.m. rising and shining.

After my Barbary Pirate talk yesterday, one old cruiser, in a pink dress – that looked like she cut it off of a couch – came up to me after the talk and in a hostile voice said, “I thought this was to be about Pirates of the Caribbean!”  I gently assured her that she had missed two of those, but there will be one more.  She was assuaged.

Tonight after the show, an incredible magic and illusion act, we were wandering through one of the shops when we were attacked by Pink Lady’s sister.  At least she was an old battle ax pushing a three-wheeled walker, demanding that we get out of her way.  Now you know sometimes I exaggerate things in these bloggings (yes, alas, it is true) but this old gal was demanding that we move.  I pulled Bonnie close (the demolition driver was behind her) and motioned her to go around.  I am pretty sure she said something ugly as she passed.

We wandered ashore on St. Kitts today and visited some spots we had seen when we were here a couple years ago (when we were here last month, we took a train ride – this time we rode Shank’s Mare).  There is a beautiful park where the citizenry used to play “Pall Mall.”  Pall Mall is from the Latin for “ball and mallet” and was played like croquet (to which it is the forerunner) but with only one ball and one wicket.  Sometimes the playing field was 500 yards long – one in London was 800 yards long.  We walked out there and enjoyed the pleasant atmosphere under some rather large trees, and took a photograph of one of the Christmas trees which are set up in the park.  Since 1983 Pall Mall Square has been known as Independence Square.

And we took a selfie (you can call a photograph of two people taken by themselves of themselves an “usie” if you wish, we call it a selfie – so there!) in front of the Berkeley Memorial Clock Tower and Drinking Fountain erected in the last century and dedicated to the memory of the Honorable Thomas Berkeley, a legislator known for having a clock and drinking fountain named for him.

It was a rather hot morning, so we did not stop in the St. Kitts Historical Museum.  We’ve seen it before, and it is a splendid example of some folks who are proud of their heritage and have made a collection of things and events from their past.  It is worth the $3 admission fee (or $8 ECD – East Caribbean Dollar).

Bonnie bought a few souvenirs.  I trolled for emails at a free WiFi spot.  And then we came back on board and ate hamburgers at The Grill, and had soft ice cream cones for dessert.
While I napped Bonnie went to watch “Ant Man.”  She pronounced it an enjoyable super hero movie where the good guy wins and the bad guy loses.  As it should be.

For supper tonight I had a sea food dish that is the best meal I’ve eaten on this cruise – scallops, shrimp and a pastry that was baked mashed potatoes.  I chose tirimisu for dessert.  Bonnie had spaghetti with tomato sauce (that tasted once again like Ragu – Princess must shop at the same store as Royal Caribbean).  Her dessert was a trio of ice cream.  A good dinner at a table shared with two couples who have come to my talks – I have groupies!

After supper we sat in the Piazza for an hour or so and listened to one of the live musicians who play in that arena (no dead musicians play there, at least none that we are aware of).  A Beatles tribute group played the main show last night and were set up in the Piazza to play at 10:30 tonight, but your humble scribe declared it was time to go to bed (it will be 10 until I get this posted).

Tomorrow we will go ashore in St. Thomas, walk the 99 steps (which are really 103 steps) and gaze once again out of Blackbeard’s Castle.  But that’s a story for another time.

And to those of you who will go tomorrow night to see “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” – NO SPOILERS!

Until then ...

TTFN

FIVE DAYS, FIVE DEWS

December 14, 2015


After tonight there are five more days, and I have five more bottles of Mountain Dew.  Just enough!

Today we wandered ashore into Castries, capital of St. Lucia, and wandered around with the eventual goal of visiting Derek Walcott Square.  Walcott is a Nobel Laureate from St. Lucia, having won the prize for literature in the late 1990s.  The square which honors him was closed, as was most of St. Lucia, in celebration of their independence day.  We passed a huge old cathedral, that is under repair, which took up most of a city block.  I jiggled several doors, but the cathedral too must have been in on the celebration.

Your favorite cruisers stopped at several places along the walk to sip cold water while sitting under shady trees.  We passed three cruise ships in port – and a small docking area it is – a C&O and an MSC, and ours.  We’ve sailed on neither, and I can’t tell you what the initials stand for, although I was booked on back to back sailings on an MSC which were cancelled – one sailing was bought out by a company for its annual meeting, and I don’t remember why the second one was cancelled – I may have told my agent that not doing back to back made little sense (7 days each).  Oh well.

We sauntered through the tourist trap just off of the ship where I found free wi-fi (I learned that the Pirates traded Charlie Morton for a prospect – I learned it by reading DkonPittsburghSports, not by being informed by any Pirates fans I know) and Bonnie went souvenir shopping, and secured one souvenir for herself – a carved coconut that features a bowl and two birds feeding at it.  She says it is a bird feeder and she will put it out for the enjoyment of the feathered creatures at 233.

Speaking of birds, Bonnie had jerk chicken with black beans, rice, and pineapple salsa for supper, and Black Forest Cake for dessert.  I had Chateau Briand (WordPerfect says that is misspelled, but offers no alternatives, so we’ll go with it – a very delicious cut of beef), medium rare, with assorted high falooting veggies, and Grand Marnier Souffle for dessert.

While I was napping (before supper) Bonnie went to the movies – “Fred Claus.”  She pronounced it humorous.  The funniest thing was that a theater which seats a thousand had about 10 people in the seats.

Tonight’s show was “Sweet Soul Music,” featuring classics from Motown.  An excellent production.  Then we went to the Piazza where we listened to Latin music for a while, before adjourning to 71018 for the night.

Tomorrow is Barbados, but since I have a talk at 4, after we sail, I don’t think we are going ashore.  If we do, it will just be a brief taxi ride into town, stay an hour or so and come back so I can rehearse.

Until tomorrow night ...

TTFN

AND ON THE MENU TONIGHT

December 13, 2015

Today we took a tour of Antigua (you don’t pronounce the “u” unless you are Pat Sajak, host of America’s game).  I had booked it online and we were treated to a five hour excursion around the island, complete with several neat photo stops.  The tour was offered with beach or without beach, and of course, we chose without.  Our guide, Sean, was excellent.  A very good day, indeed.

Oh, there was free wi-fi on the bus, and I got to check my email.  All who had written were answered.

We got back on board around 1:30 and went to Deck 16 where we had hamburgers and French fries for lunch.  We took seats in the shade, in front of the giant screen TV and watched the first half of the Pittsburgh Steelers game.  They were ahead when I went for naptime – I hope you other Steeler fans held on to the lead.  I did think for a while that I was watching an NBA game, with all of the thuggery – on both sides.  Holy cow!

We choose to share a table tonight with two other couples and had an enjoyable dinner.  For her appetizers Bonnie chose plantain chips with dipping sauce (which she did not enjoy) and a salad with cucumber strips (which she did enjoy – except for the cucumbers).  Her main course was Turkey Pot Pie, a very generous portion of turkey, peas and carrots in a nice gravy, all cooked in a flaky crust.  She had apple cider sorbet for dessert.  Your humble scribe chose the afore mentioned salad with ranch dressing, and did enjoy the cucumbers, plus a roasted garlic soup – very good.  My main course was a large bone-in pork chop, with appropriate garnish and a mashed Paleo vegetable which was good, but whose name I forget.  I had New York Cheese Cake for dessert, followed by a double espresso.  A very good dinner, and very good companionship (one couple flew in from Maui to take the cruise and the other drove down from Huntsville, Alabama – near to Greenbow, Alabama).

I spoke to Lisa, our cruise director, last night for the first time, and realized it was not the first time.  She had been the C.D. on the Crown Princess a couple of years ago when we did back to back sailings in the Caribbean, and I did a series of destination lectures.  When I introduced myself to her, she said, “I know you.  We’ve sailed together before.”  When Bonnie read her bio to me later, I figured it out.

The show tonight was “What the World Needs is Love.”  It included a lot of golden oldies that we knew and could hum along with.  Bonnie thinks their choreography is strange.

Later we sat and listened to a quartet ensemble with an incredible female vocalist, and watched couples dance who were more interested in showing off their dancing skills, or lack thereof, instead of enjoying each other.

St. Lucia tomorrow.  Our plans are to just wander around.  Until then ...

TTFN!

ALL’S WELL THAT STARTS CRAPPY

December 10, 2015

Oh my goodness!

It started so good.  Sort of.  They did not have a manifest at baggage drop off, so they put our names on the tags, and assured us they would be scanned inside the terminal and brought to us.  Fortunately I found a manifest, got our room number, added it to our luggage, and headed for the Pier Coordinator.  There was already a long line of the great unwashed waiting to go through security, and we went to the front of the line, explained who we were and what we needed, and were sent directly to security and to the pier coordinator.  Would you believe it – unlike the last time on Princess they did have both of us on the list, and keys ready for us, and were admitted to the ship?  Not bad so far.

Then it started downhill.  We knew from our cabin number, and from previous sailings on Princess, that we were in crew quarters, and asked two different crew members how to get there.  Go all the way forward to Princess Theater (Deck 7).  Walk down to Deck 4.  Go all the way forward (more forward than forward – see above) into the crew quarters.  Climb metal stairs up to Deck 7.

That is not as simple as it seems because Deck 4 is like a West Virginia highway, snaking around and back and forth.  Then we climb to Deck 7.  4.  5.  6.  7.  Right? Nope.  4.  5.  6.  6-1.  7.  Now which hall way.  Doesn’t matter because it is a horseshoe and if we choose wrong we’ll circle right around.  And there we were.

I do not remember how many trips we made, but if I was tired – and I was – Bonnie, with her bionic parts was worn out!

After lifeboat drill, I met with Holly from the Cruise Director’s staff to go over my assignment.  Then she asked me if there was anything else she could help me with.  I asked, “Is there a short cut to our cabin?”  She said, “As a matter of fact!”  And she showed me two ways, almost direct to our cabin, cutting out Decks 4, 5, 6, and 6.1.  Easily found.  Easily repeated.  I told her if we had any more grand kids, she, or he, would be named Holly (you have to work on the masculine spelling).

Since that time, things have been much smoother, and the cruise more enjoyable.

My talks are in a venue called “Princess Live!”  They have two television cameras (there are a variety of screens and monitors around the room for the audience) and each talk is recorded for broadcast on the ship’s closed circuit TV.  I’ve had some folks tell me they saw me on TV.  Pretty cool.  The room seats 300 and there has been standing room only for each of the talks so far.

So far Bonnie has seen the “Minions” movie, and the second half of “The Man From Uncle” (which she pronounced as strange).  I bought a coffee card and it entitles her to free hot chocolate which she has pronounced very good.  She has not found the ice cream station yet, but she continues to look.

Most of the dining on this ship is “Any Time” dining and we just walk up and ask for a table.  The first night we asked for a table for two, but they are set close to other tables for two, so you can visit with your neighbors if you want, or just stay at your own table.  The next two nights we asked for sharing and had enjoyable table mates.  And great food at each occasion.

Tonight was the first Best Bib and Tucker night, and we donned our glad rags, and joined the festivities.  A lot more folks were dressed up on this ship than on our last two cruises.

Well, tomorrow is Antigua and we are doing “Island Experience without Beach.”

I’m going to buy Internet for 79 cents a minute and see if I can get this up.  You’ll know if I did.

TTFN