I was awake about 6 am but stayed still and quiet waiting to see light around the blackout curtains. Heading southwest to Cozumel from Key West, I knew there was zero chance at watching the sunrise. So imagine my surprise when I opened the curtains and door and stepped out on the balcony to catch the end of a gorgeous sunrise! When I came back inside, Clay was up with the lights on and he asked if the wind was bad. (We had seen deck closure signs due to high winds up last night after dinner and furniture being secured.) I replied no, but in what possible scenario was the sun rising in the east visible from our starboard balcony. Clay thought for a moment before replying, only if the ship were headed due North. He turned the TV to the navigational channel where we were surprised to see the first route map showing a white zigzagging line following our little ship icon. The next view tightened up to show us headed as predicted, due North. WTH? Either someone on the bridge overnight was impaired or else we're burning time and miles to get to Cozumel exactly on time. It is about 11 am and we're following a straight line towards Cozumel now.
We had breakfast in Terrace buffet about an hour after they opened. Other than boarding day, we have had no problem with finding 2 empty chairs. I had one thing to do today. At 9:30 am the social hostess, Lisa, was handing out needlepoint kits in Horizons. (It turns out Lisa was the first to ever give me a needlepoint kit on my first O cruise and taught me how to do it!) I was there at 8:45 am. I took my tablet and played Candy Crush Soda Saga while waiting. About 9 am a woman came in and pronounced herself first for needlepoint (she didn't consult me) and lined up all other arrivals by calling out to them as they arrived. I suppose if you're self-appointed first you don't have to worry about those present in Horizons when you arrive. Lisa showed up about 9:15 am and ate breakfast in the back. When she approached the dance floor area to set up, #1 told her what was what and she went along. I didn't end up at the end of the line but I did get the next to last cosmetics case at about #22. Lisa said she'd hand out a 2nd round of kits on the last sea day of this cruise as well. I'm not worried but she did have a lot of scissors cases and big eyeglasses cases and I don't need anymore of those!
Clay went to the fitness track while I went to Horizons. We planned to meet back in the cabin when we were each done. I arrived first and panicked when I found Bob missing. I had moved him from my nightstand to the coffee table looking out to sea when we went to breakfast. He was gone! I picked up the phone and pressed the housekeeping button. To my great relief, Melissa, our Honduran cabin stewardess, answered by asking "What's wrong?". She'd just greeted me in the hallway earlier. I stammered out, Oh Melissa, Bob is missing. Who's Bob? My little brown on brown dog. She told me, Oh he's not missing. She'd seen him in the chair, lying down like hiding. Unlikely, Bob doesn't hide and how would he get from the table to the chair? Melissa said she was about to knock on the door and hung up. I hung up and to my great relief, Bob was right where she said, hidden. I answered the door with Bob in my hand and we shared a relieved laugh. Still no idea how Bob got there, just an accident, I hope. Anyway, Melissa is an exuberant young woman doing an excellent job. She fills Clay's big insulated cup with ice as well as the ice bucket twice a day! The first night after we unpacked she gushed over our zapatos organized in the hanging organizer on the bathroom door. As Clay commented, if she doesn't know we're on for 3 straight cruises, she must think we brought a different pair of shoes for every day of this cruise and that would be noteworthy! Melissa was happy to be formally introduced to Bob and asked his age. She said she had a full-sized stuffed dog very similar looking and only 3 years old and asked if she could bring it to meet Bob. I agreed they should meet for a photo opportunity. She was happy. I was happy.
We haven't heard the Captain make a single announcement yet. The Cruise Director has and mainly a young British woman who says she is speaking from the bridge. We haven't caught her name or title yet. Odd. The Currents today says the Captain will make a noon announcement about the weather. I have the TV on channel 4, the bridge cam awaiting that. Also, the Captain will hold a complimentary cocktails reception in Horizons at 5:45 pm. I am inclined to avoid that but Clay is craving a beer so we'll have to see. He didn't find any local beers for sale in our stroll around Key West yesterday so he didn't buy any. He won't get any local beers onboard either as far as we can tell. More later.
The Captain gave a very concise weather rundown with sea conditions report at noon. No extraneous comments. He did say rain today and frankly that seems unlikely from casual observation. It has been a perfect sea day. In wildlife sightings, I saw a bird fishing and catching a flying fish off the coast of Cuba and in the afternoon Clay saw a few dolphins approach and disappear under the ship.
We had lunch in Terrace. We both had the Mexican specialties. Two days of Mexican lunch in a row and we haven't reached Mexico yet! Can't have too much of a good thing though.
Riviera had an afternoon big screen popcorn movie today but it was "Judy" and we saw it on TV on RCI. Last night we watched "Mrs. Lowry & Son". It was a biographic story and sad though well acted and educational. This afternoon we watched "The Peanut Butter Falcon". It was great and supposedly set on the Outer Banks. It was charming.
The angle of the sun changing was
what drove Clay off the balcony, so we watched an afternoon movie. From the
route line on the navigation channel after the movie, it seemed we were
zigzagging again followed by a loop-de-loop flourish. WTH?
Clay wants to go to either Grand
Bar or Martinis for the Captain's Cocktail Celebration since according to
Currents, the Captain will be in Horizons. He wanted to go to the Grand Dining
Room tonight but there was nothing on the dinner menu either of us wanted so
back to Terrace for us. Maybe some other time we'll give the GDR another
chance.
Photos
