Still another slow day at sea

Today things seemed a bit calmer. We headed out for our usual Sabbattini’s breakfast. Today we chatted with people at other tables, including one my facebook friends Nancy. (Later we agreed that since we eat at the same time, tomorrow, the first to arrive will ask for a table for 4 and we’ll have breakfast together).

Once again, I was off for line dance. Glen had said he might go with me, but decided to pass. I got there in the middle of the first dance, but did pick it up because it was one I’d done before. We also did a partner dance. Apparently, the hoe down is tonight and these dances will be danced.

Glen met me after line dance and we walked along the promenade deck for a while. We practiced our quickstep routine (our goal now is to dance Desiree’s choreography in every ocean in the world).

After that we went to the Patassiere for good coffee. We’d been using our old coffee cards for three days, and they’d been giving us free brewed coffee on them. Today, Glen ordered a latte and the server wouldn’t take the card. She did however, exchange it for their new card. (The old card had no expiration on anything – the new ones expire the free brewed coffee and specialty teas after the voyage they were purchased on.)

After coffee, I went to the Hula lesson. It was taught by one of the cruise staff. After class I asked her if she had a hula background (she did a good job with the class). She’s Canadian, but did study it.

After hula I met Glen for lunch in the dining room. We were seated at a table for 6 and had a very nice meal with some friendly people.

After lunch, I met one of my facebook friends for coffee up at Horizon court. She’s a smoker and not very happy with the smoking policy. It’s been on the front of the cruise personalizer for months, so she should have thought of that. Oh well, I think she’s enjoying the rest of the cruise. She’s on a low carb diet, and the dining room crew has been wonderful about her food.

After that, we went up to the Elite lounge. We talked to Maria, a late joiner to the cruise critic roll call. As we were leaving, Jackie and Chris, friends from both roll calls joined us so we stayed for a while longer. I asked the waiter for another glass of water. He said no, but was teasing, so we had an ongoing tease until we left just before 7pm.

The next stop was Explorers because Indigo was playing dance music. We got there a little late, and there was almost nowhere to sit. We eventually found a place, and danced to a couple of songs. When we got back, someone had taken our seats, in spite of a drink being on the table. We then found one seat next to our tablemates Frank and Wendy, but left soon after for the Wheelhouse. The orchestra was playing and we tried to dance, but since they weren’t specifically playing dance music we gave up and wandered around until dinner.

Tonight’s dinner was the French and Mediterranean dinner, and there wasn’t really a good choice for me. I decided to be brave and get Duck A’la Orange. I also opted for a fruit kabab appetizer, rather than the Escargot. Joey, one of our table mates joking asked for 6 portions of it. I suggested we get one for the table to try. Natalie brought it but only Glen and I tried it. After he finished his first one, Natalie brought Joey another order. He then stopped it at 2. (BTW, they were good).

For the soup course I originally picked Onion Soup, but I wanted to try the cucumber too, so I asked Natalie for some. She said she doesn’t really like it, but I could try it. She brought it. It was OK., a little strong in the raw cucumber flavor. I ate about ¼ of that and ½ of the onion. Hmmm, maybe, when I want to try two different choices, I can keep doing that. Get two and don’t finish either.

The duck was OK. The sauce was great, but the duck was mostly dark meat and I didn’t really like. I wonder if next time they have this menu they’ll do chicken a’la Orange. Frank was brave and tried the Frogs Legs. He said they were good but bland.

For dessert most of us had the raspberry crème brulee. It was made in the right kind of ramekin, but could have had the top burnt a little more.

After dinner, we stopped by the Hoe down in Club Fusion, but there was nowhere to sit. I did a line dance, and since it was hot and crowded we left. We went to the Wheelhouse and danced a couple of dances before the band took a break, and then went to the top deck where we watched Moneyball, a movie about the 2002 Oakland A’s. When we went to dinner, the winds were at force 5 “gentle breeze”, but it was pretty windy up there. The deck chairs without people in them had their cushions flipping around.

After that, back to the room to catch up on email and Words with Friends. I checked the voyage channel and noticed that we were back to gale force winds. I also noticed the speed was less than 20 knots. A quick shower, and then bed.