Ready2go11

On Sunday, our last sea day of this 14 day TA (that’s 6 hours in change overall), we again got up late and skipped breakfast and instead had an early lunch. I am very glad we are done with losing hours, and this was a negative when compared to last fall’s TA when we lost all our time at once b flying to Amsterdam and then slowly getting them back as we headed back to Florida. In the am, we dropped off our papers to get more Future Cruise Deposits (FCDs). We always make sure we have a couple in the “bank” so we can book cruises for a low, and refundable deposit whenever Hal has a decent promotion. Using them to book also gets you some extra on board credit. There have been port chats in the Rolling Stage lounge for the two ports so far, and each time Karlijn seems surprised by how many people attend, and they have to bring in extra seating. She told everyone there are short videos on each stateroom tv about each port. These replaced the live presentations they had on each voyage and are not as good as a live session, hence the popularity of the chats. You can’t ask the tv a question or hear from others about their experiences. Dinner on Sunday night was our HIA Canaletto. We love Italian food but the Canaletto has been so hot or miss. I am happy to report that on this ship it was a win. We shared the Canaletto Salad, meatballs and burrata as starters. They were out of burrata but substituted fresh mozzarella that was not as flavorful, but still very creamy. I fixed this by asking for an extra side of balsamic vinegar. Mains were pesto pasta to which the server suggested adding shrimp and seafood trenete. Both were very good. The pesto had potatoes in the bowl, which I had not thought to combine but the pesto soaked into the cooked potato cubes and will be something I make at home. The trenete was full of mussels, scallops and calamari in a rich seafood tomato broth. It was less soupy than a cioppino and enjoyed greatly. Finally, for dessert we had a lemon ricotta cheesecake and an affogato. The cheesecake was a surprise hot. Canaletto has not always impressed us at dessert time but the cheesecake was light and the lemon was a tart accompaniment to the sweet cheesecake. The Manager at Canaletto is Windu, who we have gotten to know quite well as we chatted with him at each of the three Pinnacle lunches, and have seen him at other events as well. He works very hard and manages daytime Lido staff as well. We heard that although they still had to confirm with the reservation desk, they expect about 480 to continue on after Barcelona on Friday the 19th to head to Italy, Greece and Turkey. That is roughly ¼ of the ship’s guests. Sad that we will not be among that group, but should make disembarkation much quicker. After dinner, we stopped by the High Score kids area, During the day it is open to ages 7 to 17 but from 6-10pm it is open to all ages. Some photos will be uploaded to show the area and available games. We spent a half hour playing some old video games (classics like Donkey Kong and Frogger), skee ball and some other classic and old fashioned games. The only occupants besides the attendant were a group of 8 ladies enjoying skee ball and air hockey. Final event of the night was to watch the Step One Dance performance called Musicology. As I noted in an earlier post, I had gone to one show of Step one in the past and was not all that interested. On this trip I gave it another try and really enjoy the performances. This one featured dances highlighting different instruments like the guitar, bassoon, steel drums and many more. It was fun, lighthearted and impressive how well the team of 6 can dance. Dances ranged from ballet style, to some swing to some modern style. We may also be more partial to them because we have chatted with some or all of them at times. On their non-performance days they are out and about and very friendly.

The final highlight of the day was the Orange Bar Hop and Orange Party. There were 21 participants including two of the Step One dancers. We started in the Crows Nest by playing a team relay game carrying an olive around with a spoon in your mouth before transferring to another teammate. It was hysterical and the lives were large and fell on the floor more than once. The reward was a Long Island Ice Tea and the winning team (not mine!) won a HAL shot glass. Next the group moved down to the Lido bar where we played a chug some beer in a cup and then flip your cup over on the table. It was harder to flip than you would think. My team did win though so we each received the shot glass as well. The reward here was a Sex on the Beach cocktail and even better a fantastic drink pouring and sort of juggle using alcohol glasses and metal cups. He was very good and it was fun to watch. The leader of the tour was Alvin, one of our favorite bartenders from the Pinnacle Bar. He was engaging, lively and had everyone laughing. He led us next to the Ocean bar on deck 3. The bar had stacks of half full glasses with cranberry, orange and some kind of green juice. On top was stacked 2 oz square, clear plastic cups of vodka. The oldest person in the hop (ages were mid-20s for the dancers to the oldest participant at 78) had the honor of tapping a spoon against the first small cup and then in a domino effect all the vodka cups fell into the juices. Each participant then had a drink. It worked so well I was impressed. The final stop was at the Orange Party in progress at the Rolling Stone Lounge. We were encouraged to join the conga line and dance floor and were provided with a rum punch. We could not have finished all the drinks provided, although some did and had some extras, but I am glad we went for the fun and camaraderie. The Orange Party was very well attended by guests and ship crew and officers. There were drinks for purchase and some passed appetizers. Almost everyone had some orange colored clothing, hat, jewelry, etc. Bar Hop Crows Nest game Ocean Bar drink dominos Lido bar drinking game C&TD Carlijn at the Orange Party Lido bar hop entertainment

After the Mariner brunch the “Ask the Captain” session was held on the World Stage. We always enjoy these because we learn more about ship life. It usually starts with a video of the engine room and bridge. Captain Wouter van Hoogdalem took a different route. He had a slide show and instead shared info about bridge operations and the ship, as well as sharing photos of his family and how he met his wife on a HAL ship, where she was a Customer Service Manager. Their first date was in Quebec City. That received lots of awws from the audience. His presentation was engaging as he walked around the stage and showed maps and other interesting data, including how many back up steering systems there are. He has been with HAL for 20ish years and asks to be reassigned to a new ship every 3 years. He has he is flexible and wants a new crew and ship to keep it fresh and interesting. I imagine the itinerary changes also keep things interesting, He has a 3 month on, 3 month off schedule and lives in a small town in northern Holland, calling it the best “little Amsterdam” and better than Amsterdam. His home is on a canal and I would not have been able to tell he was not in Amsterdam just from the shared photos. The most interesting detail shared was how when they sailed to St. Petersburg, the Russians would scramble their GPS signals and show that instead of the north Baltic, they were in Antarctica or something like that. He mentioned he suggested to HAL that they invest in alternate signal location services and there are 4 I think I recall now onboard. The Captain did mention that the passenger who was airlifted off a few days ago was still alive, but that he could not discuss any medical details of course. He next answered some passenger questions, mostly from men about the azipods. Captain on stage showing types of mapping and locations services. Captain showing photos of thrusters Captain describing bridge personnel

The Mariner brunch was held at 11:30am on Saturday. Our dining room manager said over 700 guests attended. The menu was the new one we had on the Rotterdam last October, although the presentation and chocolate dessert was not quite as impressive. Still to feed 700 guests almost simultaneously is a feat t be admired. We sat at a large table and met some interesting fellow travelers, including one who was on the world cruise in 2020 when HAL “dumped” them in Australia to get home themselves. He did say though that they were well treated and he is HAL loyal after that experience. Chocolate dessert at Mariner brunch. The cake tasted like the Pinnacle lunch brownie usually does. Very good and moist-like a flourless chocolate cake. Mariner brunch menu tile delivered to our stateroom on the morning of the brunch (before the actual brunch)

Menu and Daily program Catch Up 4.13 dinner menu page 1 4.13 dinner menu page 2 4.14 daily program 4.14 daily program 4.14 dinner menu page 2 4.14 dinner menu page 1 4.14 MDR lunch menu

Pinnacle was open only 3 of the 8 sea days on our cruise. We were only told about two when we made reservations after embarking, we reserved the third after finding it available o the app. Each day there were only guests filling the window seats and the tables beside the window. My impression after talking to the dining room staff (who were fantastic at lunch!) who were manning Pinnacle lunches was they wanted to keep guest count lower since regular Pinnacle staff were training for Morimoto pop up.

Decorated Pinnacle entrance for Morimoto debut beverage display for Morimoto pop up

Out of order photos of Morimoto pop up dinner BuriBop, cooked on the table in a stone bowl. Was much prettier before cooked Chocolate Sphere dessert after the shell was melted. Pork Gyoza Dumplings angry lobster pad thai sushi plate starter tofu cheesecake fresh tuna pizza. Greatly enjoyed the meal. Some things were a little different than the menu described but did not take away from the experience.

We had dinner at the inaugural Morimoto pop up in the Pinnacle Restaurant last night. The front entrance was decorated with cherry blossoms and we walked the red carpet to enter. The servers had special uniforms and there was excitement in the air. We paired a drink with each course as I will describe below: We shared starters- Gyoza dumplings, fresh tuna pizza and sushi plate. We paired these with the Yuzu cocktail. All were very well prepared, the sushi was beautiful and were large bites of 6 different items, but the tuna pizza was the star and we both agreed we would have that everyday. The drink was also a hit containing yuzu, DeLijn Gin, vanilla and soda water. For mains, I had the angry lobster pad tai and my sister chose the Ishiyaki Buri Bop, paired with a glass of the Morimoto dream brut rose. My lobster was spicy when the red curry sauce was added, but it was tender. The pad tai was just okay. Adding some sauce helped but it was probably the most disappointing thing we were served. The Buri Bop containing yellowtail, egg and rice was a spectacle, cooked at the table in a very hot stone bowl by the server. My sister enjoyed it a lot and the brut rose paired well with each. It had light citrus notes and was crisp. For dessert we tried the chocolate sphere and the tofu cheesecake, paired with the morimoto sparking nigori (sake). The chocolate sphere was melted as the server poured hot caramel over the large chocolate ball, revealing tender marshmallow and more chocolate inside. The plate also contained a chocolate cookie and lo fog ganache. The dessert star was the cheesecake. It was served with blueberry lemon sorbet, and some other small tastes but he cheesecake was creamy, rich and tasted like crème brulee. I was a little skeptical of the tofu in the name but this, along with the fresh tuna pizza were our favorites of the items we tried. The saki at first sip tasted like coconut, but we are not sake fans so overall it was not something we would order again. Although the dinner did take 2 ½ hours, it was an experience. The servers assisted each other with special preparations, and noting ingredients since it was all new to them. During the course of the donner, we were visited by the Cellar Master, Captain and traveling trainer who helps set up the restaurant and training the staff on each ship as the pop ups or restaurants are opening. He noted he had worked at the Morimoto location in Napa. There have been mixed reviews of the Morimoto concept onboard but we were glad we went and would attend again, trying some new dishes while absolutely ordering the tuna pizza and cheesecake every time.

Twin Lakes view from the road village church in Sete Cidades heavenly cheese shop! Ritz Carlton Evrima Ponta Delgada city gates delicious fresh lemonade Lunch waterside Ossterdam in Ponta Delgada harbor view from balcony another city view another city view from the ship baby pineapples at the market wine and cheese tasting- as much as you cared to eat and drink!

On Ponta Delgado we booked the HAL tour called Taste of the Azores using IA credit. There were 5 large buses on this trip and I was not expecting too much based on past crowded tours. However, I was pleasantly surprised and overall would recommend this excursion. I will start by describing our time in Ponta Delgado earlier tin the day since the tour meet time was not until 12:25. We walked off the ship around 9:30 (all clear to leave was a little after 8am). The weather was partly cloudy and improving with temps in the low to mid 60s. As the day wore on it felt much warmer, especially when the sun was out. We walked to the market a few blocks away from the port. It has one level that is all fruits, vegetables and flowers and the most adorable baby pineapples. I did not know growing pineapples was such a big thing here until watching a pre-cruise video. Other areas of the market on the upper level focused on fish, meats and dry goods. We did not buy anything but it was very interesting to look around. We browsed in two cheese chops as well, thinking you could have a gourmet picnic from the bread, olives, wine and cheese sold at each. We walked through the famous gates of the city that is supposed to guarantee you will visit again. Then I wondered if you walk through them the opposite way does it cancel the guarantee? Other sites in town include the churches and City Hall. On the way back to the ship, we decided to stop and have a bite to eat, ending up at the Stage restaurant which is located right on the water with a view of the ship. The prices were a bargain. We had a cheese plate for two, 2 flavored lemonades (one pink grapefruit, tasting like fresh squeezed juice, and one passion fruit) and a tapas tray of tuna, olives and chorizo spread. It all came with a basket of bread. The cheese plate contained 2 large portions of 4 kinds of local cheese and some jam. The bill for a lot of food was only 18.90 Euro. It was a very pleasant way to spend 2 ½ hours after 6 days at sea. After getting back on the ship, we met in the main theatre with around 300 close friends to do the tour. It started with a ride up to the twin lakes, supposedly one each blue and green. The green lake was more vibrant on this partly cloudy day, but the 45 minute ride up to the summit contained many beautiful views along the way. Did you know, they take a cow census on the Azores every few years? Some even name their cows and if our guide is to be believed, the most popular names are Little Star, Lady Bug and Spotty (since most cows have spots here). Caution- you only have about 20 minutes to walk from the parking area to the main photo op and it was a walk. I was surprised all day that our bus full of people listened to the guide, Mario, and were back when they were supposed to be. It can be hard to have 60 or so people follow guidelines when out and about, and especially since many of them took a little longer to get around. We made a quick photo stop at another lake nearby (which also provided views of the green lake), then wound down into the little town of Sets Cidades. We spent about 20 minutes there, enough time for an espresso and pastry at a little ship in town, and a quick look at the main village church. Next came another 35-40 minute bus ride around the north part of the island heading back to Ponta Delgado. The drive was scenic, but many people nodded off. The guide Mario provided a running commentary during the entire 3.5 hour trip about the Canary Islands history, culture and answered guest questions along the way. He was very knowledgeable and I loved hearing him talk. He spoke English very well but his accent was charming. The final stop was 30 minutes at a wine and cheese reception at a very nice hotel in town. All five buses ended at the same place so it was crowded, but the 5-6 kinds of cheese with fruit jams, several kinds of bread and crackers and red and white wine were plentiful. No one could say they were not provided with enough food from the buffet style spread that allowed for seconds (or thirds for some people). The plates provided a holder for your wine glass, but there were very few standing tables for so many people in the room. We did not know the Azores were famous for cows and cheese here, nor for tea. The island was beautiful and lush. Hydrangeas are my favorite flower and unfortunately it was too early in the season to see them. However, I saw hundreds of hydrangea bushes. They even use them as field dividers in the cow pastures since cows will not eat the leaves. I cannot imagine how beautiful it must be when all the bushes are in bloom. Adding to the scenery was the 1 lb of cheese we each ate (their cheeses are creamy and delicious), and we hope to come back here some day to explore more. We were getting back on the ship as the Captain was making his departure announcements. We ended up staying in port for almost an extra hour after schedule. First, there was a medical evacuation into a waiting ambulance. Fortunately the patient was wheeled to the ambulance in a wheelchair and the ambulance took off with little fanfare so it appears it was not life threatening. Them, since that took some time, we lost our turn with the harbor pilot and linesmen to the other ship in port for the day, the new Ritz Carlton yacht Evrima and waited another 45 minutes or so before it was our turn again.

Enjoy your trip Jacqui! Hope the odds are in your favor at the casino 💰

4.11 dinner menu page 1 4.11 dinner menu page 2 venue and other hours Pinnacle tomato salad for lunch 4.11 dining room lunch menu Pinnacle lunch cioppino

We have been regularly sharing feedback on the great service provided by some of the crew. This feedback is shared with them as they will thank us the next time they see us. We know they also get a little extra time off when they are mentioned in a positive review onboard. I had booked the Morimoto pop up and Canaletto Cellar Master dinner before embarkation to have a greater choice of times or to make sure we got a reservation. On Sunday I went to the Service Desk to ask that they prepaid portion be refunded as I wanted to use the generous on board credit I had for these dinners. The manager on duty said she did not think they could do that but would check. She had asked for our room number but wrote nothing down and as we walked away we got the sense nothing was going to happen. Turns out that was correct, When we checked again on Tuesday night, there was no record of the request. We know this is possible as we and other CC posters have repeatedly done it. We had a different representative who asked us to wait a few minutes while he entered the request into the system for the finance department to take care of. He was courteous and friendly. Less than 24 hours later I noticed the credit to my onboard account as a refundable credit for the dinner charges. Even better, the customer service rep called our room to let us know it had been done. That prompted a Navigator compliment for that rep, and a separate posting for the supposed manager who did nothing with our request. I rarely share negative info on a crew member on the app feedback option because most are trying hard (like our dining room waiters) even if the results are not what we might hope. This was an exception and although I did not request a call back when I entered the feedback, we did receive a call in our room asking if they could help take care of the problem. We shared it had been taken care of by someone else, so I did appreciate the follow up. We enjoyed a Pinnacle lunch (last time they will be open) today. Starters were carpaccio and tomato salad, with Cioppino and carb cakes as an entrée. We both enjoyed a light lemon sorbet for dessert. Service again was impeccable, even if the food was a little uneven. We ordered crab cakes earlier in the cruise and these were good, but not exactly the same as last time. We also attended a cooking demonstration that was supposed to be seafood boil but turned out to be tenderloin with vegetables. They handed out a recipe that would be very hard to follow (and I consider myself to be an above average cook) and made us wonder if this is the reason there have been inconsistencies from ship to ship and even at different times on the same ship. The recipe even included a 5 lb tub of bearnaise sauce of which you were to use 75 grams. We watched a movie in the afternoon and attended a port talk about Ponta Delgado hosted by C&TD Karlijn. It was at 5pm (odd since many left early to go to early fixed dining) but informative and there was a few minutes left for guest questions. We were surprised there is no immigration check at this stop, even though it is our first official stop in the European Union. The ship will dock in the 7 o’clock hour and we should be able to exit around 8am, with an all aboard at 4:30. The weather forecast is for temps in the 60s with light winds and partly sunny skies. We are hopeful we will be able to dock after missing this stop on the Rotterdam TA last October. The unhappy news of the day was the need for a medical evacuation. First the Captain came on the speaker announcing there was an urgent medical situation, asking everyone to stay off the open decks when the helicopter was to arrive around 7:30. It came while we were at dinner as we could see it flying towards us while at dinner. Many people were on the promenade deck watching and taking video and photos of the evacuation. Everyone said a prayer and offered well wishes to the guest evacuated and their family. It had to be serious to need the evacuation only 12 hours from when we would have docked in the Azores, although their medical facilities may not have been sufficient anyway. Tonight was our second dressy night and beef and duck were on offer. I actually had the tomato and zucchini tart as I wanted something that wasn’t meat. It came with quinoa and butternut squash and I really enjoyed it, On the after dinner drink menu, there was an option for a drink called carjillo. We googled it and found it to be a coffee drink with liquor. We ordered two with dessert. What they brought out was an iced, lemon lime drink that tasted like a sweet tart. We confirmed with the server what she was handing us, so somewhere along the way, the drink order was muddled or the bar staff did not know what the actual drink on the menu was. On the way back to our room after a post-dinner walk, we stopped at the Billboard bar for a water, I noticed a bottle on the shelf that looked like Buffalo Trace but not exactly the same. It was in fact the HAL special Buffalo Trace. I quickly ordered a shot as the bar was almost empty. Very excited to try it, I found it smelled like vanilla, but was spicy and strong. If they happen to have any left tomorrow, I may order that along with a regular Buffalo Trace to see if I can detect differences.

Balcony cabin photos table tat does adjust up and down blankets included, so much better than old scratchy blue check blankets included standard robes curtain that separates the main bedroom area from the closets and bathroom. Works well to have room to dress outside of small bathroom, especially for sister or friend travelers. bathroom overhead night light that is always on. bathtub and shower combo this is a great feature- built in medicine cabinet for extra storage closets- one with some shelves and safe, one full length and one that has adjustable shelving, balcony mini fridge, and vanity area. There is a floor motion activated night light in the closet area as well. This older ship only has one USB charger by each bed. That does not help with newer equipment and we have to plug everything in above at the vanity. There are three outlets in this area.

After losing another hour, we forced ourselves to get up and out the door because I did not want to miss another coffee talk at 9am since today was the last one. I find them so informative to hear about all the things passengers like me take for granted in our cruise experience. Today was the Chief Engineer as a guest for Karlijn (I realized last night I had been spelling her name incorrectly with a "C"). The talk started with a short video walkthrough of Deck A where the engine rooms are. Things I learned or relearned: - the Chief Engineer (CO) for the Oosterdam works three months on and three months off. He has the reverse schedule with another CO. He lives in England and has two children, ages 11 and 18. He admitted he is only a part time parent since he is gone half the year. Very hard on his wife and children. - The drydocks happen about every 2 1/2 years, usually lasting two weeks. The Oosterdam is next scheduled for drydock in April 2025. - COs are usually on the same ship for 3 years at a time. This one has been on the Oosterdam for five years and loves this ship. Could be the pandemic interruption is why he has been allowed to stay longer. - all water is made on board. - The CO was on the Oosterdam when the pandemic hit and de described all the places they went. He said they ended up with about 100 crew left on board. The hardest was thinking they would be able to go home the next day or week and then it wouldn't happen. - he said when he started at HAL (on the old New Statendam) they were adding a ship every year or two; now the next one is not expected for a few years. - The CO's department has over 70 crew members, including electricians, plumbers, engineers, carpenters and even a locksmith. They cover everything from broken coffee makers to failed engines. - In response to a guest question, he acknowledged that there are issues to the ship's mechanicals when seas are rough, including knocking elevators out of order. - The ship was loaded in FLL with enough fuel to last for three weeks at normal speed. - Each engine uses about 30 tons of fuel per day and each ton costs about $500. We have ben using 3-4 engines each day at an average speed around 18 knots. - Each of the engineering crew work about 6 hours on active duty monitoring systems and the alarms (Karlijn noted there are 5,000 different alarms). They work an additional 4 hours each day on maintenance items. Therefore, there are three active duty shifts.

Random thoughts: - Some MDR dinner menus have included chilled fruit soups as appetizers. Big fan as I enjoyed those in trips years ago. - Lex, a bartender who works days at the Lido bar is the milkshake man. He makes then for orders and has been giving us the leftovers in the blender by making new twists. We have had cookies and cream, banana and a particular favorite Tiramisu. We like trying the small glasses of things rather than drinking a full milkshake. - There is a lot of maintenance going on around the ship. They have been replacing the carpet treads on the stairs, varnishing bannisters, etc. - I mentioned before about the delicious bread baking smells in our cabin on deck 7 aft. It has been every night around 11pm and sometimes during the day too. I would book this cabin again just for these smells! - We sent out laundry on Day 3 Monday morning and received it back the same evening. We sent the next bag out on Wednesday morning and received it back the next day.

We have two more time changes coming; the early morning of each of our last two port days (April 13th and 14th). That will get us on Spain time for the remainder of the trip and heavy port schedule.

On the night of the Orange Party (April 13th, sea day after Ponta Delgado) they are having a pub crawl ($25 per person) that starts in the Crows Nest. It starts at either 8:30 or 9pm and travels across 4 bars with a different cocktail at each venue. It also promises games and fun. We signed up after a bartender told us about it and we are looking forward.

Thank you! It can be a chore to keep up with and I know I am giving too much detail but pre-cruise I absorb anything and everything about a ship and/or itinerary from CC posts and wanted to pass that on. we are enjoying the cruise and finding the Oosterdam and staff to provide a very welcoming home at sea!

just to clarify, “highway” was a typo for hallway but perhaps Siri knew better than me! Although inset into the hallway where the cabins are in that area, Room10002 can be seen from the path everyone takes from one side of the Crows Nest to the stairs and elevator. Good news is no one hangs out there, they just pass through and that bar/coffee shop closes at 10pm so traffic will abate fairly early. enjoy your cruise and proximity to coffee!

This is the stairwell I saw this morning on the Oosterdam between the small highway where rooms 10002 and 10004 are and the Crows Nest entrance are on the right hand side if you are facing forward.

clothesline bacon at the Pinnacle dinner very cool replica of the Oosterdam located in the Crows Nest. It is more than 7 feet long and made out of Legos! Big Dipper from the balcony on Tuesday night we always bring along a bow or other item that stands out that we can tape to our mailbox or door to help us find our room in the long hallways. calmer seas on Wednesday,

We lost another hour and it was hard getting up on Wednesday. We again missed the coffee chat with Carlijn but did attend her talk about old and new in the Mediterranean. It was an interesting look at how many craftsman and artists are keeping old traditions alive and marrying them with modern techniques and tastes. The two featured stories were about Neapolitan pizza and a third generation Greek sandal maker. Next up was an art talk about Salvadore Dali. We are not big fans of his surrealist work but learning more about his life seemed to help explain some of his eccentricities. They had a number of his series about the Divine Comedy on display. We grabbed a coffee at the Crows Nest before lunch. I am happy they now offer many milk alternatives including soy, almond and my favorite oat. An iced mocha with an extra shot and oatmilk please! Featured at Lido lunch was smoked fish (they usually have a feature of the day), although I would eat peanut butter and jelly before eating smoked fish so I opted for a Dive in Dog instead, I am pleased to report they found the real Nathans hot dogs and the hot dog was as I remembered it from prior trips rather than on day 1 of this trip. Most notable about lunch, I used the Navigator app to order from Dive In, which was fast, easy and much better than standing in line. I received a pop up alert when my order was ready. There really weren’t any afternoon activities we wanted to do so we had an in cabin spa day while watching the new Wonka movie. The movie was very enjoyable and we felt pampered after doing our own face, foot and hand masks. This is a tradition we started on our first cruise post-pandemic and we even do it when my sister’s husband comes along. She just comes to my cabin to share the experience. Wednesday for dinner we enjoyed Pinnacle for our HIA included dinner. It was very busy and our waiter was responsible for 10 tables (yes we counted) so service was slow but overall it was a good experience. We enjoyed wedge salads and clothesline bacon as starters. The bacon had gone down hill post pandemic but I was pleased to see over the prior 2-3 cruises that it is back to what I remember. Pork chop and lamb chop were the entrees. My sister wanted the halibut entrée but they were out of it according to our waiter. As I am sure happens at most restaurants, there have been many substitutions to the stated menu preparation when the first choice ingredients are not available. Fortunately they did not try to substitute the halibut. It is a lot of food but we greatly enjoyed the taste of each and both were served hot and perfectly cooked. Dessert was a watermelon sorbet and I had key lime pie. Those were also enjoyable, although the usual ending of chocolate truffles included only white chocolate as they had run out of the dark chocolate ones. Dinner took 2 hours and we were only a few minutes late for the late Step One performance “in Tandem.” There was a singer for a few numbers, but the dances were lively. It reminded me of old Fred Astaire type dances and we both enjoyed it, as did the audience. Luckily, it was pretty calm while they were performing. Wednesday was mostly sunny with temps in the mid-60s. There was a light breeze, perfect for a deck walk and many people took advantage. We see many people in the deck chairs on the promenade each day, likely those enjoying outdoor time who do not have access to a balcony from their cabins. And again the night ended with a spectacular star show. I have an app on my phone, that when I point it towards the sky will tell me the constellations and other stars I am seeing. We end today 3 hours behind east coast US time and will lose another hour tonight.

4.10 daily program 4.10 daily program continued 4.10 dinner menu 4.10 dinner menu page 1 4.11 daily program 4.11 daily program cont.