Today Friday.. Fun at sea! Last eve sea was rough and we rocked a lot. Much smoother today, or maybe we are just used to it. Played pingpong on deck this am again, and again we split 1-1.

After lunch today (M-trout, me-hay & straw (pasta w/ tomatoes)), Michael and I went to the art auction, just to watch.

Then we saw a demo from the housekeeping and waitstaff on napkin and towel folding. They also did vegetable carvings which were .. well you see them here in these pics!

Now we are relaxing on the Promenade deck aft, with binoculars, watching the coastline of Hispanola, the clear blue sky, and the turquoise-blue water as the ship churns it. Saw one sailboat and one seabird today. Otherwise, miles and miles of ocean.

Tonight is formal night again, and M and I decided to go to this one, so we'll go get ready now. :)

...

Formal night was wonderful! We got ready and had our photo taken. I was in my "formal" spaghetti-strap Saint Thomas shirt and black pants. My new silver necklace and pendant and new gold hoop earrings from St. Thomas finished my outfit. Michael wore his sport coat and he looked dapper indeed.

Dinner was delish! I had salmon with dill sauce, creamed spinach, and purple (yes) potatoes. Michael had duck with rice and something green that looked a bit like celery. Dessert? Baked Alaska! Mmmm! The wait staff danced, Mark played piano, and Ricardo "your maitred'" said "ciao..... for now." Certainly an evening to remember!

We hustled back and lept out of our good clothes and into our "lounge around the deck" clothes and took a nap till it was time for the buffet preview @ 11:30pm.

Wow! What a lovely spread! They had melons carved into vases, filled with arrangements of vegetable and fruit flowers. There was cheese and butter carved into marvelous creations. Various and beautiful jello molds, meats rolled up and arranged in all unimaginalble ways. And the desserts! :O We were amazed at the variety and beauty of the desserts. They let us go through and take photos and then.. off to the show!

Jim Brick did his adults-only version of his comedy show and it was pretty funny. (We had gone to his other one last night.)

And the evening wasn't over. The buffet was now open for our midnight feasting pleasure. mmm! We didn't eat much -- just some bites of dessert -- then we went back down to bed. ... and had a towel cobra to greet us!

Saturday, 11 January

Morning is here! We had breakfast and then walked around the ship, discovered that the "radio room" is just a room with a phone and fax, that the infirmary's beds are full, and that 9/11 ended tours of the ship's bridge.

We are now on the deck by the ppol. A cool breeze is blowing, but it is warm, sunny, and a really gorgeous day! .... We just got back from our debarkation talk. :/ Yes.. all good things must come to an end, and our cruise is about to end.

We were told all that we have to do to disembark tomorrow, including having our checked suitcases outside our door by midnight tonight and how we will get called to disembark in the morning, by tag colors.

We were then told some of the silliest questions that they get asked about this cruise:

• Do the waitstaff live aboard the ship?
• Do the staff eat the same food we do?
• What do you do with the ice carvings when they melt?
• Where is the Libido deck?
• And, in the photo gallery, where all the photos are displayed for our perusal/purchase.. How do I know which photos are mine?
• Reservations desk asked someone if they wanted an inside cabin or an outside cabin. The answer: I should have an inside one.. in case it rains.
• Someone was given an outside cabin and called frantically to the desk. I was told that i'd have an ocean view, and all i have is a view of the parking lot!
• And a woman, after going to her cabin, called up and said that she couldn't get out of her cabin. She said that there were just two doors. One was the bathroom, and the other has a "Do not Disturb" sign on it.

<chuckle> I loved these!

Here we are in the plane, and some views of the sunset over Indianapolis as we arrived.

Part 1 -- Leaving Miami; Nassau, the Bahamas

Part 2 -- Day at sea; San Juan, Puerto Rico

Part 3 -- St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Part 4 -- Days at sea; back to Miami; Arriving home