Day 6: At Sea

Saturday, June 20th, 2009

Ahhh…finally, our first at sea day of the cruise. With some itineraries – or shorter cruises – I do not look forward to sea days. They intrude upon my intent to divide and conquer each port – and see everything there is to see. However, this itinerary is much different. After 5 very intensive days of fighting barbarians at each port, today offers a much-needed and appreciated day of rest to regroup, rethink, and possibly revise our strategy from this day forward. There are still barbarians to deal with on sea days - those on the ship, who have no manners– but THIS army of barbarians is smaller and much more controllable.

The seas are still very calm – which induces a sense of lethargy among all of the barbarians onboard, and the entire army sleeps in. That old poem, “…not a creature was stirring…not even a mouse” was very fitting. We do not arise until 8:30 – feeling very refreshed and ready for a gorgeous day at sea.

For breakfast, I slip across the hall to my usual spot – the quiet and serene Concierge Lounge – and have my usual smoked salmon and cheese for sustenance. Katarina comes in and I have her cancel our Chops reservation for later in the week. Hubby and I have been having so much fun with our dinner table mates that we don’t want to miss any opportunity to socialize, so I have her cancel our Chops reservation and my Salt/Ginger Scrub at the spa for next week.

At 9:30 am, Hubby and I head to the (already getting crowded) pool deck where we purchase t-shirts for $10.00 apiece to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. This morning, there is a 1-mile Charity Walk on the top deck to benefit the Foundation. Shirts are not mandatory to participate - but Hubby and I knew it was going for a good cause, so what the heck.

After purchasing the t-shirts, Kieron, our faithful Cruise Director, gathered all of the walkers around and gave us all a pep talk – thanking us for what we were doing, and reminding us of who we were doing it for.

At 9:45 am, approximately 45 walkers walk 6 laps (1 mile) around the upstairs track on Deck 12, along with our Cruise Director.

We’re all dressed in our shirts – so here we are, at sea, participating in a charity walk. How fun. You can only imagine the looks we got from some of the people already plopped in the loungers who had no idea what was going on.

The chair hogs are out in force already by this hour – although there are still several open lounge chairs. Towels, books and hats have already begun sunning themselves, with nary a live human being around. There was one hog in particular who really took the cake – she had severe personal space issues. I watched as she claimed both chairs on either side of her – one by laying her shoes on, and the other by laying her bag on. You might think, “Well, perhaps she is saving those other 2 chairs for friends or family.” No, dear readers – nary, during the entire day, did anyone else join her – she simply did not want ANYONE laying on either side of her. One hog – three chairs. Unbelievable.

After the walk, Hubby and I return to our stateroom and put on our own suits…grab our own books…and head up to Deck 12, where we find two empty lounge chairs right in front of the Sky Bar. We actually USE our chairs (gasp of surprise); our books will not be left unattended. As we are sitting there, I notice the pool attendants (3, that I could see) begin walking around the area, and you could see that they were notating the chairs that had towels, hats and books – but no people – and I hoped they would enforce the 30-minute rule.

At 11:00 am, Hubby and I gather our belongings, give up our chairs, and head back to our room to make sure it is clean – we have company coming today! We get dressed in our shorts and t-shirts and make our way up to the Hollywood Odessy Bar on Deck 13, where our Meet ‘n Mingle is scheduled to begin at 11:15 am. I pass out the “ice breaker” sheet I had prepared in advance, as well as golf pencils that I had brought with me. The sheet encouraged people to get up and actually MINGLE at a M&M (again, gasp of surprise!)

Our Cruise Director, Kieron, came over and wanted a copy for himself, saying it was an excellent idea, as he has been to too many M&M’s where people sit in their chairs and never meet…never mingle…how sad! We have free appetizers, free fruit punch and free juice. We get our free gift of a name badge holder, and then the raffle begins. The usual Royal Caribbean Rubbish is distributed – tote bags, highlighters, keychains, etc. I don’t win anything – darn it – so my quest to obtain the Royal Caribbean Keychain continues.

After the raffle, the Captain shows up and says a few words to us…Kieron then invites me to come up and address the group. I welcome everyone and review what our group has done so far – beginning with our pre-cruise dinner in Barcelona; our Welcome Party at Sailaway; our Gift Exchange; our Cabin Crawl; and a Farewell Luncheon. I remind everyone to pass it forward – on their next cruise, THEY can easily plan all of this; it’s actually very easy!

Kieron then says that he had heard at the May 22 sailing about our group – they had been reading our boards on CC and knew we were an active and fun group; so the staff was somewhat forewarned!!!

A photographer then came in and took a group picture of all of us. The photo was available for sale down in the usual Mug Shot Wall in the Photo Gallery on Deck 5.

Our hometown gift exchange followed – we had 8 participants; we put slips of paper in and we each drew a number; I drew #1 and so got to make the 1st choice of what gift bag to select. After our choices, we each opened them and got to figure out where the gift came from.

Hubby and I received a statuette carved in coal from England from Dave & Kerry, along with a postcard. It is the figure of a miner pushing a cart full of coal.

After the gift exchange, I tell the Cabin Crawl participants to meet back at the Centrum at 12:30 pm – about 30 minutes from then – and we would begin the Crawl.

Hubby and I rushed up to the Windjammr and I grabbed a burger and some mashed potatoes and gravy. Not spectacular – but hey, it was sustenance.

I then ran back to our room and grabbed the Cabin Crawl supplies…when I arrived at the Centrum (a few minutes late – sorry!), we had about 10 families waiting. Each participant got some mardi gras beads (to make it festive, of course!) and we then struck out. I also had a print-out of all of the cabins we would be visiting – the deck number, room number, the type of stateroom, and the host/hostess of the room.

We began on Deck 2 in an Interior Stateroom; it was interesting to see these rooms and it was even more fun to see how many of us we could squeeze in. We didn’t quite get everyone in – but we made a valiant effort. Thanks to Andrea & Jim for hosting!

We visited a Deluxe Ocean View on Deck 8…and then a Superior Ocean View on the same deck – which was nice, because we were beginning to get a little tired of all of the stairs. Thanks to Dave & Kerry, as well as Beth & Al, for hosting.

We then went up to Deck 10, where we had Room 1604 – which is a Superior Ocean Aft room….It had a great balcony. This is the inside of #1604 – the aft room on Deck 10. Larry was our host in this room – I can’t tell if he’s happy or mad in this picture of all of these people in his room.

We then went right down the hall and visited Room #1100 – which is a Junior Suite Aft. Again, killer balcony! Thanks, Jackie & Mark, for the visit!

Next stop – my room – a Grand Suite on Deck #10, Room #1556. It was fun sharing my birthday decorations with everyone – and I had set up chocolate “kisses” - my upbringing would never allow me to NOT serve some sort of food at a party.

I also had some business cards set up in my room, so all of my new ship friends can keep in contact with me. I included my Facebook name, my Cruise Critic name, my email address, and my blog address.

After the Grand Suite, we had the final – and fitting – visit – right next door to us, Room #1558, the Royal Suite. Susan, Pete, and their son, Ian, were our hosts. Now, indulge me as I give you a tour of the Royal Suite:

We were greeted in the suite with Susan playing a lovely tune on the piano – I think she’s having a bit too much fun. The umbrella on the piano is a decorating touch by Susan – it is not normally part of the Royal Suite décor.

This is the living room area of the Royal Suite. The sofa pulls out into a bed – perfect for a teenager – especially with the big-screen television!

Thelma is checking out the bar area – unfortunately, it didn’t come stocked. Darn.

Now to the bathroom area – wow. Not only a toilet, but a drinking fountain, as well. (That’s a joke – the first time my son, then aged 4, saw a bidet, he thought it was a drinking fountain. It’s now become part of the family joke lore.)

For those long, tiring days in port – you can come back and soak in the relaxing Jacuzzi bathtub.

The shower – wow! None of those sticky shower curtains here clinging to your backside. Personally, though, I don’t care for the clear glass – I prefer a little more privacy when I’m bucknaked in the shower. Oh well – just my personal opinion. We could have had the Meet’n Mingle in this shower, though, based on the size. Dang.

Here I am, checking out the bathroom.

Last but not least, we have the master bedroom in the Royal Suite. All in all, very nice!

After the Cabin Crawl, Hubby & I headed back to our cabin to relax. We’re pooped. Hubby lays on the balcony chair for awhile, and I realize that I must connect to the outside world to confirm our Venice tour for tomorrow. I grab my coupon from my C&A book, head down to Guest Relations, get my coupon applied to the internet, buy Venice shuttle tickets (I bought the unlimited shuttle tickets for $35 apiece….ouch) and then head back up to Concierge where I can use the computer. I immediately confirm the tour with The Venice Experience, and also see if 2 more friends can join us on the tour. I then quickly check Facebook and am tickled to see all of the birthday wishes from my friends – I read as fast as possible and then sign off – internet at sea is slow and costly!

I head back to the room and join Hubby on the balcony where we both doze for awhile….at about 3:30, I head to the Spa where I am supposed to have a Seaweed Wrap. I arrive, check in, and go back to the relaxation room. After about 10 minutes, my attendant comes in and takes me back to the treatment room. She sits me down and asks if I’ve ever had the Stone Massage before. I say yes, but that’s not what I’m here for – I’m here for the Seaweed Wrap. She looks surprised and says that I booked a Stone Massage. I gently correct her and tell her that I KNOW what I booked and I would NOT have booked a Stone Massage – I don’t like them - and I have my booking card in my room where it is very clearly written, “Seaweed Wrap.” She then disappears for awhile and comes back and says that it must be their mistake (you think?!) and unfortunately, she can’t do a Seaweed Wrap as they take 90 minutes and she only has 60 minutes. Would I like a free 15-minute back massage instead? Or, would I like the Stone Massage after all? I reply, gently, that if I had wanted a Stone Massage, I would have booked the Stone Massage. She feels bad that this is messed up and wants to make it up to me – I rebook the Seaweed Wrap for Monday afternoon and tell her she can give me free champagne to make it up. I’m so easy – I settle for free alcohol. She agrees.

I leave the spa and head to Colony Club to tell Hubby (who is taking free juggling lessons - don't laugh) that I will be doing TV Theme Song trivia in the Schooner Bar. I meet up with Susan, Joe & Thelma and we proceed to bomb at the game. We got some very easy tunes, but struggled with the difficult ones….darn, still no key chain! The quest continues for Royal Caribbean Rubbish!

Hubby has now joined me and we leave to head back up to the room to relax before dinner. Tonight is our first formal night; Hubby has rented a tux and I have to pray that at least one of the 3 dresses I brought will fit.

We arrive in our room and are delighted to find the complimentary cheese tray waiting for us – as I am now close to starving, it hits the spot perfectly. You can really work up an appetite crawling up and down the stairs visiting cabins! We relax and then it is time to gussy up and dress up – first formal night of the cruise.

We notice the swells in the sea are beginning to pick up. We are heading into a headwind that will get increasingly stronger as the day goes on. The ship is beginning to bounce a little. Uh oh.

Before we leave for dinner, I leave another little gift for Alston. Tonight, I leave him some chocolate kisses, as well as the mardi gras beads we had left over from our Cabin Crawl. I made a little colorful arrangement in a dish, and put the “kisses” on top.

Hubby & I look like we can walk the red carpet – we head to the Concierge Lounge around 6:00 pm for our usual drinks & chit chat. It is then time to head down to dinner. Along the way, we stop at various photographer points around the ship and take the obligatory paparazzi photographs.

Now – a side note here – and a bone of contention for me. On the Cruise Compass, it is listed “Ladies Rock Wall Climbing” at 6:00 pm this evening. Are you kidding me? It’s FORMAL night and you think ladies are going to show up to climb the rock wall at 6:00 pm? What lame-brain scheduled this? I was actually a little peeved – I like to climb the wall at least once on every cruise – and it would have been nice to climb it with fellow ladies – but NOT ON FORMAL NIGHT at 6:00 pm!!!! As Hubby said, “I guess you can go climb it in your dress.” Right.

Okay, I’ve climbed down from my soapbox – and back to the day’s events.

As we arrive at the Dining Room, we decide to become paparazzi ourselves and take photos (and we won’t charge $20 apiece!) of our friends as they arrive for dinner.

First down the red carpet, we have Kathleen and Larry, from Springfield, Il – looking stunning in their coordinated black outfits. Even after burning up a curling iron in Barcelona – just barely avoiding a fire in the hotel – Kathleen’s hair looks very good.

Next, we have Susan, Ian, and Pete from Colorado. Again, stunning in their coordinating attire – did Ian and Susan plan on both having gold accents? Hmmmm….only they and their fashion coordinator knows….

Next, we have Mark and Jackie, from San Antonio. They are demonstrating that you do not have to dress in a tux for dinner – and you will not get tossed from the dining room. Mark chooses lime green and Jackie goes with the always elegant black/red combination.

Last, but not least, we have myself and Hubby – unintentionally coordinating our black/white attire for the event. We have noticed that the longer we’ve been married, the more we accidentally coordinate our clothing. Does every couple do this?

Our group has now grown by another couple – we now have 12 of us around the table – wow. Dejan is one popular waiter! Or maybe it's MY sparkling personality...? And the staff REALLY doesn’t like twelve people around the table – this is two more than what they like to accommodate. For dinner, I start with the lobster bisque and oxtail soup – I love oxtail – had it in Jamaica – and I have to recommend this. It was very tasty – light, not overpowering, with just the right seasoning. For dinner, I have the filet steak – medium well – and it is pretty good. Not excellent – but good. For dessert – it’s my favorite “cruise” dessert – the Grand Marnier soufflé. Ahhhh….the portion was a little small – but it was soooooo good. I could have probably have had another one – but I really would like to fit in the other two formals I have brought with me for later in the cruise.

After dinner, we head up to the Colony Club for the Captain’s Reception – which began at 8:00 pm and it is now almost 8:40. The Club is packed – but we manage to squeeze in…waiters are offering free wine or champagne. The captain is just finishing up introducing his staff, so it is almost over. Oh well. Another time.

We stroll out of the club and make out way to the Theater to catch the Tango show. Along the way, we run into Kieron the Cruise Director, who says, “Hey, Sherri – how are you?” You know you’re special when the Cruise Director knows you by name! Imagine that little warm glow of excitement I had to be recognized! (He knew me from the M&M earlier today – remember – I basically took it over!) He asked us if we were headed to the show and we assured him we were.

We stopped in the Casino along the way and talked with Rose & Howie; then made our way to the balcony seats in the theater. The Make-A-Wish Foundation Charity auction was about to begin. The grand prize – a tour of the engine room with the chief engineer. Hubby really wanted to do this, so we agreed our top price was $500. We got into a bidding war with a gentleman on the bottom floor and I graciously allowed him the prize at $575. I was not disappointed to lose.

After the auction the show started. Imagine a Cirque de Soleil done Spanish style – it was good – but a little different. We found out at the end of the show that this is a brand new cast this week – and so for only being together one week, I would say the show can only improve with practice – and would be a “do not miss.”

We can really feel the ship rocking now – it feels like a boat when it goes over a wake in front of it. Bouncing from front to back – no side to side rocking. This will end up being the worst rocking/bouncing we have all week.

After the show, we make our way to the Casino. It is non-smoking night in the casino – so a perfect night for us to go. Hubby hands me some money to go bet. I find a good machine and begin playing – it was a nickel machine – as I am the last of the big spenders. I am down to my last 20 cents in the machine when I hit a 7 and another 7 and – get this – a 4X Wild Card. I ended up winning $120.50 – over 2,000 nickels clinked out of the machine, because of course, I cashed out! I’m not stupid. A crowd gathered around to congratulate me – and even helped me by handing me cups to scoop up the nickels. I am kicking myself now for not putting quarters in the machine. That would have been a nice win!

I managed to get Hubby's attention as the machine was spitting out the money and after we got the last nickel, we headed to the cashier to collect my winnings and then it was time for bed. You know, carrying 2,000 nickels to the cashier's window to cash in can make you exhausted. Those little suckers are heavy.

When we arrive at our cabin, we walk in to the room – and it is pitch dark with the television blaring. Huh? We did not leave the TV on – and what about our turn down service? Normally, Alston has the lights turned down low and the bed turned down – this was not very welcoming…. As we walk in, I see our first towel animal on our bed – a dog – forever named “Spot” – who is holding the remote control in his hands, and is watching TV. What a hoot. I love it!

So, it takes almost 5 days for our first towel critter to appear, but the wait was well worthwhile. A TV-watching dog named Spot.

Tomorrow is….Venice!