THAR BE BLOGS HERE!

December 6, 2018

Yesterday afternoon, Boris, the internet manager, told me to go to the crew office and try to get a voucher for the crew internet ($20 for 300 megs downloading or $40 for 667 megs).  Before I could go, I had a meeting with Ken, the destination lecturer (I am the special interest lecturer – and you already knew I was special, right?), told me that Toby, the deputy cruise director, could get it for me easier. 

When I went back to the internet café this afternoon to have Boris set up my account (you techies will understand this) because the crew access is hidden from the passenger access.  He growled because I hadn’t done what he had told me to do.  I had the code, that’s all I knew, and all I knew I needed.  But Toby had gotten me a crew number instead of a contractor number and this is all more complicated than it needs to be and way more than you were interested in knowing, but Boris got it set up (after growling about having to work with Windows XP – our backup computer and the one we use for the internet – you may remember problems on another ship caused by the Windows 10 computer trying to access the internet immediately before I was to give one of my talks). 

And I learned that I have a Princess Crew employee number.  If you are keeping notes it is 343056 – been doing this for 10 years and never knew I had an employee number.  So, there you go.

Last night I cleaned my contacts preparing to go to bed and when I opened the contact case, there was another pair of lenses in it.  I vaguely remember changing contacts on a recent cruise – couldn’t tell you which one – and keeping them because I didn’t have another pair (I change lenses every two weeks and only had the one extra pair on board).  Evidently I used a different case on the last cruise because there were no contacts floating in the case I used on the Carnival Splendor.  One more strange occurrence in the travels of David and Bonnie.

Since there was no first night’s blog, you do not know that I was able to get our late dining changed to early dining.  This ship, the Pacific Princess, one of our top three ships, has only one main dining room and two dining times, there is no any-time dining.  Come to think of it, if it is a main dining room, it is the only main dining room, all others are sub-main or under-main or lesser-main or something.

We are seated at Table 57 with Ted and Gita from Canada, Richard and Roberta originally from New York now transplanted to Las Vegas, and Jack and Pam originally from New York now transplanted to Las Vegas – and the last two couples know each other.  A decent group of dinner companions.  But a couple of notes. LA and DO.  Now: Jack talks while chewing his food; Roberta eats with her mouth open; Gita wears low cut blouses with push up bras; and Jack and Ted know everything.  But we have enjoyed these first two evenings.

The entertainer tonight was David Copperfield.  No not that one, nor the one from WWE in Augusta (if you don’t get the reference, ask someone who was there).  He is a British comedian, singer, ventriloquist whose name really is David Copperfield.  It was a great show, laughter from start to finish, and he added a couple of guitar solos (excellent) and singing (even better).

We took a ship’s excursion today, a “Walking Tour with Borbonic Gallery & Pizza Tasting.”  I will let my cruse companion fill in the details, but suffice it to say if you have eaten with Bonnie and I at the Napelio (speeling?) Wood Fired pizza place in Aiken, SC, you know we had great pizza for lunch.  And the Aiken is authentic.

Well, here she is, direct from the Carnival Splendor, for your blogging pleasure, please welcome to the keyboard (for hunting and pecking) Bonnie Belle Carter Sisler.  Hereeeee’s Bonnie!

TTFN

Well, getting on board was not a big issue, however when we got to our cabin the keys did not work. He went up and they changed them. Yeah we were in the room.  Very nice room, roomy and we have a port hole. We have stayed on this floor before. Later in the day we had to go to the boat drill. Well, my card was invalid. So I hopped on( well really walked) down to the desk and got a new key. Back up to the drill and I am still invalid. Uggh!! They young man finally typed my name in and I was okay. When he finally arrived, his was invalid too. So after the drill it was back to the desk for a fourth key for me and his third. (Oh by the way they have my name spelled wrong on the key, they did “Bell” and not “Belle”) The rest of the day was fine and I slept very well.

We got up at 6 am so we could have breakfast and then, get to the meeting place for the tour.
The walking tour was described as a strenuous, very active tour. But I walk all the time so I felt I would be okay. The said the tour includes walking on uneven, flat surfaces and “several” stone steps, a great understatement, they also said people with claustrophobia shouldn’t go. We were walking to a tour of the underground area of Naples. The “few steps” were ninety down to start with and then other places followed by probably at least another 40 up and down till we were finished. I did fine but the steps were very uneven in height and some were very slippery. The area around the steps was generally low and close into you. Well, there were two other people of the 14 total, who had canes. But they both had 2 canes. One a man and another a lady.  Just as we were within 10 of the end of the first 90 steps the “large” man fell and tore his shoulder. He refused to leave the tour and go back and continued to the end. Neither of these people were in fit condition for this tour. Oh well.

After our walking and exploring down under in an area that once had held the water for Naples and then became bomb shelters during WWII, we walked along the ocean and were treated to a marvelous pizza lunch.  The tour was definitely worth it. We got to see the Castles, Royal Palace , churches, and much more. When we walked along the sea, you could see Mt. Vesuvius in the distance. Quite spectacular. Also, we saw the traps for catching mussels floating out in the ocean. The guide said the boxes we could see floating had ropes extending down into the ocean below them. The mussels grow on the rope. You could see fishermen in their boats going around pulling up the ropes to see if they were growing and were big enough to harvest. WOW.

After returning to the ship and reaching our cabin we found we had put the wrong sign in our door and our room had not been made up. So we called the steward to tell him all he had to do was bring fresh towels. He caught us as were leaving and we learned we had our third different steward. This one is Neil. He was very nice and when we got back from the show he had completely done our room. How nice. Ice and fresh made bed and all. Tell Tate we are getting chocolates every night on our pillow and Granny is saving them for him, that is all the ones Pappy doesn’t eat.

Tomorrow will be a slower paced day, maybe. We are going to start by riding the hop on hop off bus to a Cathedral and then explore some catacombs. Well, it is time to take my drugs, brush my teeth and soon off to bed.

Love and miss you all, see you for Christmas. If you want donuts you need to text me so I will have your lists when I get home.

Love Mom, Granny and Bonnie