The days where we have experienced any deck motion are long gone as we continue west across the Indian Ocean through smooth seas. We continue to take it easy in the comfort of our air-conditioned cabin getting rested before our overland trip to India.
I always make it to the live presentation of Good Morning Amsterdam. Even though the show is taped, Gene usually offers some additional insight to the goings on around the ship before the show starts. This is also a good place to meet guest entertainers if you are interested in inviting them to dinner. They are usually lingering outside the door before show time and are generally very friendly and open to invitations.
This morning the guests were Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen, aka The Wine Guys. They are here as Guest Sommeliers and have written several books on wine and food in addition to being writers for Wine Enthusiast Magazine. I’m not a wine enthusiast and don’t plan to attend any of their events. Zaid, the Guest Jeweler, was also on this show. He will be holding several presentations, discussing jewelry buying opportunities in upcoming ports, until he gets off in Dubai.
Today was another stir fry on the Lido deck. We enjoy these very much and always look forward to them. As I was getting my meal stir fried, Presty, one of the Assistant Dining Room Managers, who is in charge of our area on deck 5, stopped by to prepare his own lunch. He was his usual smiling self as he prepared a very good looking lunch.
Stir Fry by the Lido Pool is always wonderful
Presty always has a big smile
Judy attended crafts and made an Easter themed wreath with strips of fabric tied around the wreath.
Judy with her latest craft project
I went to the Texas Hold’em game where they held two consecutive tournaments again due to high demand. I was able to finish in the money on the first tournament doing a little better than breaking even for the day.
We met our tablemates in the Crow’s Nest at 7pm to celebrate Linda’s birthday with pre-dinner drinks. Margaret gave Linda the wreath she made in crafts today. It looked great as a crown and was perfect to help set a festive mood. The Oasis Band sang Happy Birthday and we all had a great time.
Birthday party in the Crows Nest
The Birthday Girl!
Dinner was wonderful as the menu had all of our favorites making it very difficult to choose. I had the Gourmet Burger which stacked up pretty high with onion rings, BBQ Pork and a fried egg on top of the normal beef patty. A popular choice was the simple Spaghetti and Meatballs which a few people ordered as a side in addition to something else. I resisted the temptation to order one of everything, but I am sure they would have brought them all on request and made a little Lido Buffet right on our table. The complete menu, as always, is posted on the blog at www.theinsidecabin.com
Waiters sing the familiar Indonesian Birthday Song
What a BIG burger!
Earlier today we received a survey in our mail slots requesting our input for the 2018 World Cruise Itinerary. Many people are hoping that we will go around Africa rather than thru the Suez and the Mediterranean Sea. I think Africa will be too risky as all it takes is another Ebola incident or terrorist attack and Africa could be instantly very unpopular. While similar incidents can happen anywhere, most other ports, if cancelled have other options nearby that can be added on the fly. However if you are committed to Africa and something happens during prime booking season or enroute, trying to adjust back to the Med could be very hard. We will find out soon enough about the 2018 WC schedule.
Michel Bell and pianist Catherine Matejka were on the main stage tonight and put on a masterful performance. He has performed on Broadway as well as in the Fifth Dimension and we greatly enjoyed his incredible range and musical ability. One of the many highlights of the show was a medley of songs by the Fifth Dimension, including the monster hit “Up Up and Away”. He closed with his moving rendition of “Old Man River” which showcased his wonderful baritone voice. His show was terrific from start to finish and he will be putting on a new show tomorrow night along with Joe West.
Michel Bell and pianist Catherine Matejka
Michel wowed the crow with his terrific baritone voice
Michel singing Up, Up and Away!
HAL lead guitar – Zeb T
1 Comment
Crissy
on March 24, 2016 at 5:01 am
I’m a little behind on the blog, but I really enjoyed this entry, especially the photo of Presty and getting to see the world cruise 2018 survey. We’ve sailed with Presty twice now and never cease to be amazed by his professionalism, great personality, and rapport with the passengers – he’s a true gem and HAL is lucky to have him, especially on the Grand Voyages. The WC 2018 survey is of special interest to us, as we’re planning to go on the 2018 voyage and have our fingers crossed it will be around Africa as opposed to through the Med. While it would be nice to transit the Suez Canal, my reasoning is that we’ve been to the Med many times (and it’s a place we can go whenever we’d like), but circumnavigations of Africa are more rare and it would be great to see cities like Cape Town. I definitely do see your points that Africa is a little more volatile, however, but if things truly went sour there, I’m sure HAL could adjust and switch to a Med route instead.
As always, thank you for sharing your trip with us!
I’m a little behind on the blog, but I really enjoyed this entry, especially the photo of Presty and getting to see the world cruise 2018 survey. We’ve sailed with Presty twice now and never cease to be amazed by his professionalism, great personality, and rapport with the passengers – he’s a true gem and HAL is lucky to have him, especially on the Grand Voyages. The WC 2018 survey is of special interest to us, as we’re planning to go on the 2018 voyage and have our fingers crossed it will be around Africa as opposed to through the Med. While it would be nice to transit the Suez Canal, my reasoning is that we’ve been to the Med many times (and it’s a place we can go whenever we’d like), but circumnavigations of Africa are more rare and it would be great to see cities like Cape Town. I definitely do see your points that Africa is a little more volatile, however, but if things truly went sour there, I’m sure HAL could adjust and switch to a Med route instead.
As always, thank you for sharing your trip with us!