SEA DAYS: REFLECTION, CLASSES AND FOOD

It is the morning of Day 5 of 121 Days. 

I so enjoy relaxing and reflecting on our balcony.

Mark and I are trying to get a sense of some sort of routine.  Time zones keep changing so a dedicated wake up time is impossible!  This morning, I awoke around 6 am and a pot of coffee was delivered to the room at 6:30!  Perfect!  I always start my day with a protein powder in my coffee and frothed.  So happy I can keep that going here.  I’m hoping to maintain that tradition and not get too tempted by the beautiful array of pastries!  Yesterday, I failed and enjoyed this yummy chocolate croissant with coffee overlooking the back (stern) of the ship.  It was a lovely day and today appears to be just as lovely! 

As I reflected on what our “SEA DAYS” were going to be like, I envisioned myself finding a cozy spot on the ship to read, blog and working on organizing the huge amount of photos on my phone and downsizing all my old emails.  

So far that is not happening!  The book that I started on the plane is only about half read and I haven’t looked at the photos or emails. I am feeling lucky to have found the time to blog.

There are so many activities offered - and not nearly enough time to attend all the ones we want to!

Mark has a bridge lesson every morning, meets me for lunch and then attends duplicate bridge in the afternoon.  After that we meet up for a Cultural Lecture of some kind.  Yesterday it was about Lighthouses throughout the world and featured many from Hawaii since that will be our first stop.

There are several restaurants on this ship and we have almost hit them all!  There’s a poolside grill where the typical fare is burgers, hot dogs and fries.  We haven’t eaten there yet, but definitely will when I’m in the mood for a good burger!

The World Cafe is where we go for breakfast and lunch.  It is a typical cruise ship buffet and has a wonderful selection of food options. So far my favorite lunch item is a freshly made Caesar salad topped with grilled shrimp.  We also love the variety of cookies and of course gelato!

The Restaurant is where we like to have dinner.  Business casual dress code with private tables and a served dinner with a great selection of food and wine options.  We are meeting Mike and Kathy from the Outer Banks for dinner there this evening.  We met them at the welcome reception on our first day on the ship.

Manfredis is an upscale Italian restaurant and reservations are required.  We enjoyed dinner there last evening with Geoff and Allison, a lovely couple from Manhattan and Palm Beach who we met at the airport.

The Chefs Table is another upscale restaurant on the ship that features small courses chosen by the chef.  We have reservations to eat there in a couple weeks.

I mentioned earlier in this post that there are way too many activities offered and we could never do everything we would like to do.  On the other hand it is so nice to have choices that are geared to your interests.  I’m trying to get in some classes: yesterday I took a “Line Dancing Class”, an iPhone Photography Class and this morning I attended a “Yoga Class”.  To go along with the Yoga theme, I’m having a “Spa Day” this afternoon with a deep tissue massage and sitting in the sauna.  Ahhhhh……

Then back in our stateroom to watch the Notre Dame Game (Orange Bowl) until dinner at The Restaurant with our new friends!

Always Plenty to Do and Eat!

GO IRISH!

Mark is serious about rooting for this Irish this afternoon!

There was a beautiful cheesecake event at lunch today.

We did a tasting………