Why are we blogging?

We thoroughly enjoyed the blogs from those on the World Cruise 2010. They were so useful and some were also very entertaining and so we we started our own, late 2010, ready for the 2011 cruise(s).

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Days 13 - 14 Two straightforward sea days. Dec 7 & 8th.

Not too much of either interest or note other than the Indian buffet was a bit lacking in variety, though the chicken madras and the fruited rice was tasty enough for a second run... We sat up on the balcony around the indoor calypso/conservatory pool to eat it and noted that not for the first time, a senior Japanese gentleman with an obvious passion for table tennis (complete with his own designed and constructed bat!), was keen to help the youngsters improve their game.  We watched as we ate, and saw a youngster improve so much, that in the 20 minutes or so we were there, he developed a formidable forehand smash from virtually nothing!  Great to see.

We did manage the salsa dance class for a bit of exercise, but most of the classes seem to be 30 mins, rather than the 1 hour on the Dawn.  Although I tried several times, internet access appeared to be impossible 9though this specific blog is written later anyway – much later...)  We had another formal night and I managed a lobster tail with a crab-cake, (for a starter rather than the published main...  Looking at the photograph now, it is also easy to see why this may have been a good choice as a starter only, as it wasn’t really up to the standard we have come to expect.) but my head’s taste department was still on strike anyway, so I can’t say too much about it.   (There was yet another toast to an absent friend, who is a lobsterholic...)  I did manage to enjoy the steak Rossini main though, which was superb.  A beautiful steak topped, with pate, nice vegetables.

Our table waiters Freddie & Oscar livened things up a bit with a bit of table sculpture, though Ros looks a bit perturbed as to its stability, Arnold is more intent on studying the dessert menu, trying to find the lost berries.

We went on to club fusion for a game show – “Blankety Blank”, but sadly, the three cruise members on the panel were too predictable and that meant that the audience’s answers soon turned out to be predictable and boring too. Not a success.

It appears to us that the whole tone of this cruise staff is a bit more serious and a bit too PC maybe.  Have they been told to be a bit less silly?  We miss the infectiousness of Bex and her laugh, Barbara for being Barbara and Warren’s rapport with Deputy director Dave.

We did enjoy a coffee afterwards and a chat with Ken & Barb in the Atrium - until about 11:45pm!

 

Next day, we once again were unable to enjoy the balcony that we’d paid for, as the smokers next door were outside. Very frustrating as not feeling well is a pain.  It is more of a pain when on holiday and even more so when I know that second-hand cigarette smoke from next door is the reason. 

The Princess theatre act was Grant Galea, a singer who put on a good show, enlivened a wee bit by singing impersonations.

It almost goes without saying, that neither day provided a trivia win, but we still enjoy it.  Our team “The Guessalots” is aptly named but there are one or two really smart teams on board.  But hey, we don’t profess to know it all, but we are all still learning.

Another atrium late coffee stop with Ken & Barb and we were joined by the very bubbly and bouncy, but very single, Linda.  Quite a character that one...

Darwin tomorrow and that meant an easy immigration face to face whilst at sea which speeds things up.  We were in Darwin earlier in the year so we’ll just amble off again and maybe I’ll find some black trousers suitable for formal night, though with just three formal nights left, maybe I won’t...    

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