It seems my life is made up of numbers today. Maybe it has always been made of numbers. Today the numbers just laugh at me. I have no control. Today we have another sea day. I haven't been writing on sea days. I feel these are my day-off days when I can relax from the active port days. Here is where life is MINE. For the most part, I love the sea days. I have only went slightly stir crazy 2 or 3 times when the stretch of sea days got too long and our cabin too small. We have 4 sea days from the last port till the next. We have just completed almost 3 and have 1 left , then we dock in Barbados where we spend the day with a famous photographer and learn to take some great pictures.
Typical sea days at the end of a World Cruise ... what is it like? Sad. I could not imagine being gone this long when we decided to do this. Now, I am enjoying every minute of it. I would do it again. Now seems to be the time to travel as much as you can and as often as you can until the time comes when you just have to stay home. The world is going crazy. My adult children are doing well and happy while they figure out what is next. They are capable. :) On Regent, they give you reasons to sail the WC again. Book the same room now and the price will never be lower. All drinks, tips, excursions included, free Internet, free laundry. Food is really good. Staff is the best. I never see my house keeper. My room is always clean so it must just do it magically. There are things that can be better but this is pretty good considering we just want to see the world a bit at a time. It is fun to be on your balcony as you get within eyesight of land. It is like opening a gift each morning so you can peek at what's inside. If we love the country, we will go back and do land vacations. We defiantly want to go see Egypt, for example. We will do this with Tauck.This past week on sea days we have done some pretty fun things. We are also starting to pack. Did I say we over packed a lot? We did not need half of what we are going to lug home. Ask David how many sweaters he packed?? :) We have sailed for 112 days and have only 7 left to go, 119 days at sea. In our last week, we have 4 Ports and 2 sea days left. Complete , Done, Bada Bing.
So what is in a 'last' Sea Day as we try to hold on to every minute we can before reality sets in:
One afternoon we held a live auction which was so fun, very funny. The auction made over $30,000 in 2 hours. People were asked to bring things they purchased along the cruise and now regret it and don't want to pack it. Regent kicked in things like the flag flown over the World Cruise 2010; Dinner in the captains cabin for two. (Captain making home made pasta); Dinner in Prime with 4 dancers; dinner with the cute security team still on board; a private concert with JR, (you pick the songs he will sing); making steak tartar with the head chef; learn to make pastry and enjoy it during dinner; private dance lessons; Private wine tasting for 2 in the wine cellar with the head sommelier; David bought a night in the booth overseeing a Broadway show of his choice. We will be able to see how lighting and sound is directed from this back booth.; People at the end were buying the big junky wood statues for their friends so the friends would have to pack them up and bring them home. "I am buying this for ........... " . Then the friend would return the favor with the next object no one would want. A friend of mine became a bartender for an evening; other people bought dinner for 4 members of the crew and they were going to be their waiters instead of how it normally is. One bought a suite for a crew member to have an overnight and breakfast in bed with the time off. It was great fun with so many many laughs. The money went to the Crew Fund for things like having to go home because of family issues, health etc. anything Crew needs where a person may need additional cash help for some reason.
http://www.sameshipdifferentday.com/2010/05/05/at-sea-42810/
Yesterday we had a Country Fair in the pool area. I had to cut my time short reading at the pool as they had to set up. All the departments on the ship had to design a booth. Everyone would play games and try to win tickets which later the tickets would be drawn for Regent prizes. I got wet a lot with water balloons and water guns. I won a bottle of Champagne by a ring around the bottle. One game you got blindfolded and had to point to which dancer kissed you. Some games were ping pong balls in a can, smell the spices, match the nail polish color to the right name, elephant race using dice, the casino had a craps-like-table using chairs. The bar group was voted best idea, most fun, best set up. They had the wet balloons and had paddles with nails on them. When we threw water balloons they has to pop them which pushed the water to the person throwing the balloon. We all got wet and we all got tickets so I am not sure what the point was. I did this one 3 times because I liked throwing water balloons. Their prize Jamie announced : Everyone that works in a bar gets a week off! And they all jumped up and cheered wildly. And Jamie with his humor added softly ...that means Bars will be not be open and no drinks will be made until we land in Florida. Then the place went mad ..... Some booing began. :) For real, the bar group will be given special privileges and a party. Everyone wants to win. It is a great way to bring crew and cruisers together. You can get back at people with that water pistol. A lot of laughs and fun playing games together on the pool deck with perfect sunny weather.
A few days ago we had Lunch in the Galley. They opened up the galley where all the food is made. We were given some Champagne and then allowed to walk through the galley. The galley was set up as a buffet and the helpers/servers/plate carriers were people working in the kitchen you never see. I took pictures and have never met such hams in my life.
We have Wine Tastings. Sometimes people are brought on as a guest. Sometimes it is the head sommelier who sets it up and talks. We usually pick an area like France or New Zealand wines or compare same wines that have different price tags.
We went to a show two nights ago by Pearl Kaufman. She is/was the pianist who played the background piano /film scores in Hollywood. She had her hands in music and Hollywood movies for decades. She picked the music, composed, and played the music for the sets. She taught others what the movie sound should sound like. She taught big name actors like Jack Nicholson how to look like he was playing the music. Her stories were delightful: Dr Zhivago, Lara's Theme; Five Easy Pieces, Chopin;The Great Race; The Great Escape; Summer of '42; Animal House and Young Frankenstein; Godfather; and Exodus to name a few of her 280 movie soundtracks. She told stories about her past and the movie making business. It was an honor being there to hear her.
We had dinner and a show where after dinner in Signatures 30 people sat in a small stage area and listened to Clint Holmes. He works in Las Vegas and has always had really good reviews. He is downtown so we never made it that far to hear him. He was really good. We may sneak in there 2 more times before his short stay ends.
We had Liar's Club Mammamouschi and molebut, were two of the words. Here 4 of the staff define a word no one has ever heard about before. They ham it up, they sing, they turn into stage personalities (a widow from Italy outliving 12 husbands for example) and one of the four has the right definition in their story. Cruisers form groups and decide who they think has the right answer. It is an hour of fun.
Every afternoon the pool deck sets up a culinary corner for lunch. If you don't want the buffet inside, come browse out here. Yesterday was everything Bavarian, (brats,sauerkraut,Wiener schnitzel, spatzel, pork chops, kassler in bread, Weiss wurst), when we went to French Polynesia, they brought all kind of fruit on the ship and cut them up so we can taste strange new things and serve fish from that area, we have had Italian lunch, Pizza everywhere lunch. Asian, Indonesian, Burger Heaven, Thai, Rib Fest, Fish BBQ, Sausages around the world, in addition to the usual grill things they order up like hamburgers and hot dogs. No one can ever be hungry.
Last night we signed up to eat at Don Vito's Tratorria instead of doing your normal dinner in Compass Rose. They decorated La Veranda on the 11th deck and the waiters dressed as if they were in Italy. About 75 people attended. We were served as if we were in a small Trattoria in Italy. We had live music, sing alongs and dancing Well done by Jerry Vassi. We all did the 'ol line dance around the room, learned some Italian (use your hands a lot and gesture) Something different and fun.
These are a few of the things I can think of that are in addition to the games and craft classes and bridge lessons. At this point, I stopped Bridge because it went too far for my beginners mind. I will try the lessons again next cruise starting at beginners. So much to learn. It takes time. I am not happy with the craft people on this ship. I wish they would pay for higher quality teachers. On another cruise we had a lady on board with water colors and easels for all. I love that one. Loved the painting. Don't ask me to paint a trinket box or paper fan or glue beads on a box. David plays his games. I read, play on the computer, craft, go to lectures and before I know it, it is time for dinner. We have one channel on the TV and movies on the TV you can rent for free. We haven't done much of that.
On this 119 day cruise I can count on one hand (with fingers left over) the times I was so bored time stood still. I learned to just handle it. It doesn't last long. Last time this happened I went out on my balcony to see what's up! As I looked WAY over the rail,I saw another set of feet ... so I had to get my camera. I took pictures of the feet two balconies down then took some pictures of my feet. Then I took pictures of the round earth from my balcony so you could see that it actually is a half circle and it does drop off. People of long ago WERE right. I can see it! I sat down, looked for fish and counted some waves until I said enough .... let's find something to do.
Oh, did I not mention 37 ???
Hmmmm Can you guess?
In 37 days I will be in Philadelphia holding my first grandchild ..... very cool ..... very cool, indeed.
Written at Susan's Sea Desk
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