Hamilton Bermuda tomorrow

A very rocky day

Though it did improve somewhat as the day went on. Tropical storm Arlene meant no one got any sleep last night. The booms as the ship splats into the ocean and the roar of the wind, coupled with the shakes and rattles which catapult one towards the ceiling with regularity. It is impossible to walk easily and if this were to be the majority of the cruise, the ship would be empty.

Not much happened except for the crew talent show which is always fun. The Pillipinos are always singing and some are very good musicians. I was delighted to see SRO in the Lounge as the passengers came out to cheer on these folks who devote so much energy to making our lives fun. It all ended with the classic “If I were not upon the sea, a ____ I would be.” I’ve seen it numerous times and it is always a hoot. I’d have felt cheated if they hadn’t done it on thiscruise.

Whee (I think)

Glasses clanking against each other…

Doors slamming, drawers swinging in and out…and we just had a lecture on Blackbeard and his ghost.

But it was just the seas. In excess of 15 ft waves, 40 knot wind, and this ship was giving us a free test of our balance and quick reflexes. The Captain came on in our cabins (this is highly unusual) at 7am and explained that we were altering our course because of the weather but that this kind of weather would continue for most of the day. What afun: what a challenge.

Bermuda

The lecture on this area was much more interesting and enlightening that I anticipated. We already have a tour booked and I think it will be more interesting now.

Blackbeard

This pirate (he would say privateer) ruled the Caribbean and his men and captives ruthlessly. His treasure is buried somewhere and still has not been found. He as married 14 times (no info on divorces) and so his progeny are many.

Trivia

Really tough! We were elated to get 11!

Lunch

In the buffet with some folks from Iowa who run a farm and haven’t watched TV in 20 yrs. But they read papers and use the internet. The other couple are newyorkers who now live in florida for 35 yrs.

Everyone is hanging for dear life and we look out for each other to prevent falls or embarrassing encounters as the ship sways from side to side.

Later in the day: Captain warned us because he is having to adjust the trajectory of the ship to keep us on course for Hamilton Bermuda. I expect this ship to take flight at any moment. Either that or tip so much it can’t right itself and it sinks. Barf bags are everywhere. So many activities had to be cancelled or changed. We are all grateful for that but the motion of the ship and the weather impacts everyone’s enthusiasm for doing anything. Even goofy golf was cancelled! (but not trivia).

So we decided not to go to the show tonight. On a good note, they have apparently changed the satellite we are using for internet access and it is much better than we’ve had in a long while. Ed defaulted to his TV (no surprise here) and I to my book on Pope Francis (I finished two Isabell Allende novels previously.)

There won’t be much sleep tonight with all the noise and the pitching. And the Captain said we had gone around th storm. I can’t imagine what it would have been like IN the storm. And I can’t imagine how those pirates and others managedsuch storms. Just amazing.

whee (I think)

Glasses clanking against each other…

Doors slamming, drawers swinging in and out…and we just had a lecture on Blackbeard and his ghost.

But it was just the seas. In excess of 15 ft waves, 40 knot wind, and this ship was giving us a free test of our balance and quick reflexes. The Captain came on in our cabins (this is highly unusual) at 7am and explained that we were altering our course because of the weather but that this kind of weather would continue for most of the day. What afun: what a challenge.

Bermuda

The lecture on this area was much more interesting and enlightening that I anticipated. We already have a tour booked and I think it will be more interesting now.

Blackbeard

This pirate (he would say privateer) ruled the Caribbean and his men and captives ruthlessly. His treasure is buried somewhere and still has not been found. He as married 14 times (no info on divorces) and so his progeny are many.

Trivia

Really tough! We were elated to get 11!

Lunch

In the buffet with some folks from Iowa who run a farm and haven’t watched TV in 20 yrs. But they read papers and use the internet. The other couple are newyorkers who now live in florida for 35 yrs.

Everyone is hanging for dear life and we look out for each other to prevent falls or embarrassing encounters as the ship sways from side to side.

Later in the day: Captain warned us because he is having to adjust the trajectory of the ship to keep us on course for Hamilton Bermuda. I expect this ship to take flight at any moment. Either that or tip so much it can’t right itself and it sinks. Barf bags are everywhere. So many activities had to be cancelled or changed. We are all grateful for that but the motion of the ship and the weather impacts everyone’s enthusiasm for doing anything. Even goofy golf was cancelled! (but not trivia).

So we decided not to go to the show tonight. On a good note, they have apparently changed the satellite we are using for internet access and it is much better than we’ve had in a long while. Ed defaulted to his TV (no surprise here) and I to my book on Pope Francis (I finished two Isabell Allende novels previously.)

There won’t be much sleep tonight with all the noise and the pitching. And the Captain said we had gone around th storm. I can’t imagine what it would have been like IN the storm. And I can’t imagine how those pirates and others managedsuch storms. Just amazing.

we get another hour...again

Foggy morning

Lots of rocking in the night but smoother during the day. Wind brisk and absent much of the day. Temperature is warming up.

Captain Kidd

This was fun to learn about this hero/despot we often hear about. It’s possible he got a bad rap.

But the speaker started off showing outhouses of Alaska and some of them are a real how.

Trivia

Ramona, Craig, Sam and I did it! We won mugs that were for ports we didn’t make it to on this cruise. It wasn’t a give away trvia either.

Had a quick snack in the buffet and then put the DVD of Revenant on. Ed stuck with it; I went to listen to my magazines and books. Prepared my meds for the next few weeks. Had a few snack in the afternoon as I knew we weren’t going to dinner.

Captain’s private party

For those in suites. It is a nice smaller gathering with small delicious snacks. It gives you an opportunity to spend one on one time with the officers and crew. Many have their spouses on board and that is a big plus.

Saxophonist

I didn’t stick it out. Ed stayed longer than I did. He was OK but a single instrument of this type doesn’t hold much interest for me. I used to play (well I tried let’s put it that way) a baritone sax in high school.

There was an entertainment trivia this evening but I don’t know much about that area and I preferred to listen to my magazines to catch up.

somewhere on the rocky Atlantic

Time change

Well somehow I got it wrong. Woke up and got ready and headed down to cabaret Lounge for interview with some of the staff. The dancers were practicing some routines. I wasn’t the only one there but after many attempts to get onto the internet (no guarantee on a ship), it dawned on me something was wrong. I asked one of the crew members who told me the time and I was an hour earlier than my devices showed. Perhaps I turned the clocks the wrong way. However, the elevators still have the old time.

Have no problem with the time changes where we gain an hour. It gives me more leeway in the morning but some folks hate going east to west as they are awake at 2 am. Ed and I hate going west to east as you continually lose time. I guess it’s all about biology.

Breakfast

So I called Ed to tell him I’d meet him at Sabatini’s for breakfast, something I rarely do. On the way through the library, I met Sam and invited him to join us. We had a nice visit over breakfast.

Interview with staff

It is interesting to find out about the behind the scenes glitches that occur and which are seamless for those of us who are passengers. Such as the difficulty getting into port in Ceuta, Spanish Morocco, and the difficulties with Indian and Singapore clearing the ship.

Be careful what you say

Ramona and I have been chuckling about the “Santa Fe chili” which is made with chicken and white beans. Santa Fe Chili would be made with beef or pork and definitely not white beans. We thought no more o fit and it wasn’t a complaint.

Last night Ed and I got an apology from the chef with a plate of cookies. We had no idea what this was about. But we think it might have been the discussion about the Santa Fe chili so we discussed it with some of the culinary staff and explained that it wasn’t  complaint.  So we’ll be much more careful about what we say.

World Cruisers photo take two

This time they turned the ship around and I can’t imagine everyone who wanted to be in the photo was not in it. The photo manager again climbed high on the ship in a very precarious location and despite wind and a rocky ship in the seas, got several shots. Just wow.

Hidden Figures

This movie about the “computers” the brilliant black women who did the computations for the NASA launch of John Glenn was shown in the lounge. It is a movie worth seeing. Brought tears to my eyes.

Production show

Again they do a fantastic job with great singing and terrific dancing. Because the ship is pitching so much, they eliminated some of the lifts but I couldn’t tell where they were eliminated. They do such a good job.

70s music trivia

Randy and Frances invited us to join them. We were all complaining as it was all disco music. We were all in school or raising kids, not going to discos. Still we came in one point behind the winners. We were just amazed we did that well! I knew two of them because of my kids playing the music before they left for school each morning. Pretty much Frances knew all the rest.

We have been warned that we are going to have a lot of pitching and yawing of the ship. I was going down the hallway this evening and the ship pitched to one side. The room steward was cleaning a room and the door was open. I came close to flying right through that room and over the balcony.

no internet so catching up

Time change

Well somehow I got it wrong. Woke up and got ready and headed down to cabaret Lounge for interview with some of the staff. The dancers were practicing some routines. I wasn’t the only one there but after many attempts to get onto the internet (no guarantee on a ship), it dawned on me something was wrong. I asked one of the crew members who told me the time and I was an hour earlier than my devices showed. Perhaps I turned the clocks the wrong way. However, the elevators still have the old time.

Have no problem with the time changes where we gain an hour. It gives me more leeway in the morning but some folks hate going east to west as they are awake at 2 am. Ed and I hate going west to east as you continually lose time. I guess it’s all about biology.

Breakfast

So I called Ed to tell him I’d meet him at Sabatini’s for breakfast, something I rarely do. On the way through the library, I met Sam and invited him to join us. We had a nice visit over breakfast.

Interview with staff

It is interesting to find out about the behind the scenes glitches that occur and which are seamless for those of us who are passengers. Such as the difficulty getting into port in Ceuta, Spanish Morocco, and the difficulties with Indian and Singapore clearing the ship.

Be careful what you say

Ramona and I have been chuckling about the “Santa Fe chili” which is made with chicken and white beans. Santa Fe Chili would be made with beef or pork and definitely not white beans. We thought no more o fit and it wasn’t a complaint.

Last night Ed and I got an apology from the chef with a plate of cookies. We had no idea what this was about. But we think it might have been the discussion about the Santa Fe chili so we discussed it with some of the culinary staff and explained that it wasn’t  complaint.  So we’ll be much more careful about what we say.

World Cruisers photo take two

This time they turned the ship around and I can’t imagine everyone who wanted to be in the photo was not in it. The photo manager again climbed high on the ship in a very precarious location and despite wind and a rocky ship in the seas, got several shots. Just wow.

Hidden Figures

This movie about the “computers” the brilliant black women who did the computations for the NASA launch of John Glenn was shown in the lounge. It is a movie worth seeing. Brought tears to my eyes.

Production show

Again they do a fantastic job with great singing and terrific dancing. Because the ship is pitching so much, they eliminated some of the lifts but I couldn’t tell where they were eliminated. They do such a good job.

70s music trivia

Randy and Frances invited us to join them. We were all complaining as it was all disco music. We were all in school or raising kids, not going to discos. Still we came in one point behind the winners. We were just amazed we did that well! I knew two of them because of my kids playing the music before they left for school each morning. Pretty much Frances knew all the rest.

We have been warned that we are going to have a lot of pitching and yawing of the ship. I was going down the hallway this evening and the ship pitched to one side. The room steward was cleaning a room and the door was open. I came close to flying right through that room and over the balcony.

Goodbye Portugal

Goodbye Lisa!

We did a nature tour this morning which was the most popular on the ship. Our guide was a very good English speaker with many American colloquialisms but he is Portuguese. We saw many gorgeous beaches and unbelievable rock formations with some crazy mountain climbers on top of these spires. But all is so gorgeous.

Portugal is noted for its streets with rock designs in them. We did a walk through the old town of Portomao and wandered through some of the shops enjoying the local crafts, many of which are only painted in blue, and the others are very colorful and redolent of bright Mexican colors.

We ran back to catch a a quick lunch and get Lisa off the ship to a waiting taxi to the airport one hour’s drive away. The only option we could identify with the ship’s help as well, was a chancey “find a taxi and be sure they speak English, establish the price in advance, and if they aren’t outside the port gate, take the shuttle into town and pick one up there.” That seemed to be everyone’s option. Then while we were on the first stop of our tour this am, I saw a sign outside a storefront that said: Airport transfers and so I grabbed Ed and we went in. the wonderful lady inside (she left me use the restroom too) called and made the arrangements for Lisa to be picked up at the port gate at 2:30 pm. Ed paid for it and we got the ticket info.

One is still not sure about such arrangements in a foreign country but at 2:30 a nice man with reasonable English, wearing a suit and a name tag, was waiting. After clearing the ship, passport control, and their local version of customs, she was off. And it cost half as much as the first option was quoted. It hope it went off as smoothly as it looked on our end. We’ll wait to hear from Lisa.

We so enjoyed her stay with us. As one of the other passengers said: “She is a good soul.” I was also glad there were some folks near her age on board as well. So many people knew about her visit: passengers and staff. It really felt like a neighborhood.

We picked up a few odds and ends in the port terminal (only one shop; and a duty free on our side of border passage). Ed got some local port wine and Lisa had also gotten him a good bottle with the help of the tour guide while we were wandering around the plaza. We did try the WiFi in the terminal but couldn’t get on. Clearly it has a limited number of portals and we got tired of trying.

Trivia: no luck but if we hadn’t made a mistake in writing an answer down, we could have tied with another team. And we were only four.

Dinner

Back at our usual table. We were laughing until we had tears in our eyes as we began to share jokes and Oscar came by with his contributions. His accent and emphasis make them even funnier.

There was a sax player for the entertainment but we are both tired. Also, there was a lecture about Admiral Horatio Nelson that we had missed and it was on the TV so we watched that. Ed is now catching up on the political news from America.

Atlantic

The ship is now well out into the Atlantic and the wind is whipping around. The captain did warn us that the seas may be rough. So far I think the stabilizers must be very new on this ship, and improved, as the bucking and rolling of the ship are not as bad as on our previous voyages. That is not to say you don’t have to hold onto the rails and feel your way around the furniture on occasion.