Another sea day...they tell Us we will see lAnd soon.

Greetings from the Pacific Ocean!
Day four at sea has started about the same as the others. It’s is very easy to adapt to sea day routines. I started with a nice long walk and a coffee. It is wonderful to walk outside. The Symphony even has gym equipment on the back decks outside to use with a view of the wake. Then, I decided to wake the teen so we could have some breakfast together. We ate our breakfast outside. I kept it light with fruit, oatmeal and a green juice. Afterwards, I went outside to write by the pool. There was a very brief shower but I stayed dry.

When I finished writing, I took it inside to Silk lounge where Veronica was reading so she could add any thoughts to it. The area outside of the Silk restaurant is Veronica’s favorite spot. We played some Skip Bo there and she crushed me. We perused the menus for lunch and dinner to plan our day. We were between Waterside and Churrascaria so stay tuned to find out our choice.

After the card game, we did a small photo tour of the ship so you can get a feel for our home for 16 days. The ship is stunning. It has never felt crowded even though it is a sold out cruise. There is a large group on board of 350 from Hillsdale College. It is a private, conservative college in Michigan that accepts no government funding. They are easily identified by their huge name tags they sport around their necks. Both comedians on board have enjoyed poking fun at the group but they are very good sports. They have their own lectures and activities so that is lending to the quiet atmosphere at times. I’ve talked to other passengers who have have had long waits when large groups converge on restaurants. We’ve been very lucky to have avoided this.

We returned to try Silk for lunch. As I approached, I noticed the bartender, Teoman. I have been reading his book after hearing about it on Cruise Critic (Thanks Keith!). I had been keeping an eye out and assumed he was on vacation. I had a quick conversation to let him know how much I was enjoying his book. He is proud of his book and he should be. It is very well written. It is amazing that English is not his first language. He told me he would sign my copy and I told him I would return to speak with him after I finished. I had about 20 pages left. He made me a gin and tonic I had not tried yet. It was very similar to an aperol spritz but with gin. Refreshing! In Silk, we only ordered dim sum and vegetables for lunch. It was very tasty. I do think the dim sum at dinner was slightly better.

Buy Teoman’s Book

After our meal, we decided pool time was in order. We floated around the pool enjoying the sloshing of the water today. I met some great passengers while floating and had nice discussions. I learned about how a woman’s husband had performed a tracheotomy on board another Crystal cruise. We also met some fellow Cruise Critic members who would not be able to attend the Meet and Mingle tonight. We also learned that Steve Forbes in on board. My husband is a fan of his so he was excited to hear this when I called him. He told me to get a selfie if I saw him. I googled his photo to show Veronica what he looks like. She said, “Great. He looks like everyone else on board.” I’m sure he has a large cabin and can have everything brought to him. Stay tuned.
After our swim, I ordered a Pimm’s cup on my wonderful shaded chaise with huge padding. I finished reading my book and took another dip in the pool. I decided to take my first delightful poolside nap. They are amazing. Shaded, slight breeze and cozy. I told Veronica to not let me sleep to long. She went for a workout and returned to wake me up with a latte from the Bistro. After my pick me up, I went to shower and dress for dinner.

Before dinner tonight, we had the Meet and Mingle with fellow Cruise Critic members at six. It was up in the Palm Court and we had a lovely time chatting with members, officers and members of the entertainment team. We stayed to enjoy cocktails and conversation. The pre-dinner snack was guacamole tonight which was very good. Love a plant based snack!
Veronica and I decided to go to Waterside for dinner. We were seated in the same wonderful window table for two by chance or maybe design. Veronica enjoyed the waiter the night before so we were happy. I chose the seafood rendezvous, Asian spice flavored chicken consommé and the grilled Hawaiian Ahi tuna. Veronica had the Big Island goat cheese cream and the braised baby lamb leg. We enjoyed our selections. The wine pairings were two of my favorites again. We wanted to skip dessert but Viktor wanted to give us something. I joked about the bubblegum marshmallow choice and he returned with a plate of just those and macarons.

After dinner, it was off to sea the late showing of the comedy ventriloquist, Mark Merchant. Ventriloquism isn’t usually a favorite of mine but he was very talented. He made very funny jokes. He said he trained a young girl who was a finalist on America’s Got Talent. After his show, we headed to the Starlite lounge to watch a swing dance show starring the Latin Dance Team. It was a great show with very nice dancing. So impressive with a moving ship. After the performance, we danced for a bit with the dance hosts. Then, it was off to bed. I tried to watch the lecture about Elvis but Veronica informed me I lasted 4.5 minutes.