Cruise Day 3: At Sea

Until this day, I never realized how stupid I was to bear hunger on the first night in this floating food warehouse.

When I was enjoying the doze after I woke up in the morning, Ron told me that he would get up and go to a cooking lesson on the ship.  I was wondering whether I should go with him.  But, but, just let me be with my pillow for a little while… The next thing I know was he was gone and clock said 11:30AM.  OK, even though today we were not going to any port,  I probably should not spend the whole day sleeping.  Not everyday can I get the chance to see this floating hotel.  Let’s spend time wisely.

Quickly I washed up, ready for food!  I figured that  Ron would come back soon from his cooking lesson.  While I was waiting for him, I picked up the daily schedule which came to our mailbox everyday.   It was the first time that I read it in detail.  Ron always read them so he was able to provide some useful information.  I found out that the Lido restaurant was always open for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner till very late at night.  Even after midnight, there would be snacks provided.  WTH?  Why did I bear the hunger and thirst on the first night? “As God is my witness, I will never be hungry again! …At least on this cruise ship!”  Ron came back to the room and I asked him whether he knew the wonderful food schedule.  The answer was no.  What the hell he was reading? :@ Anyway he was very excited about the cooking class and he told me he would try the turkey breast recipe he learned from our executive chef after we got back home.  Oh… back home?  Will that really happen?  Let’s not think about it right now.

We had brunch at the Lido restaurant.  Again, happy happy meal.

At brunch,  we decided that we would go to a diamond tutorial presented by our cruise shopping ambassador in the Queen’s Lounge at 2:30. 

It wasn’t a very interesting diamond lesson.  Ron had learned a lot about diamonds from our engagement ring shopping experience.   So it was not that useful at all.   In the middle, Ron left and went to the bartending class.  Of course he is more interested in alcohol than expensive shining stones.  I stayed and hoped to win the diamond necklace from the draw.  In the end a lady sitting in the first row won.  Sigh… I just never ever win anything from lucky draws in my life.  Something must be wrong with me.

After the diamond thing, I wandered on the ship for a while.  I didn’t feel that comfortable to be one of the very few asian faces among the westerners except Phillipino servers.  Why not sleep?  I went straight back to the room and immediately rested myself in the bed with my novel. Shortly Ron came back with a very strong alcohol smell.  Jesus, what kind of class? Was he learning or drinking?  Afternoon was ended after we woke up from our nap.

Our dinner setting was at 8:30PM.  So we decided to go to swim in the swimming pool before dinner.  There were two swimming pools on the ship. Both were on deck 9.  The one in the middle of the deck was for kids(with a sliding celing, very cool).  The one in the back of the deck was for adults(outdoor, and with two hot tubs, also very cool).  Sunset was around 6PM, by the time we were there, it was getting dark, hardly anyone on the deck.  Only three teenaged girls were there playing in the water. They were very good swimmers.  They jumped into the water time to time.  I will never try that way to go into a pool.  When I was a very little girl,  I had  swimming lessons for a while. The teacher thought I was a promising star and recommended me to attend a junior swimming match.  At the game, I jumped into the pool to get myself ready.  The pool was for adults and we were at the deepest side.  Nobody told me that and until I found out I was on the pool floor very far from the water surface.  It took me a while to realize that and went back to the surface.  Lifeguards were going to drag me out of the water if my little head hadn’t showed up.  After the game, my teacher told me that I swam into my neighbour’s lane and I was the second last.  Well that ended my swimming career and since then I don’t really like water.

Ron was in the water already, and those young girls swam like fishes.  I looked at them jealously.  I want to be a good swimmer but it is just so hard now.   It was very windy and wavy.  The water in the simming pool waved from one side of the pool to the other side with the movements of the ship.  Again, COLDNESS.   Sometimes being fubsy would be beneficial.  I hesitated for a while.  “Not everyday can I swim in a pool floating in the Carribean sea…” thinking of that, I stepped into the water bravely.  This time Ron pushed me into the water immediately.  Oh, it was warmer than the sea water.  But it was deep!  With my height, I can only stand on the shallow end with my nose barely out of the water.  At the time Ron was waving to me at the other end of the pool,  I insisted that I would just practice my awkward frog style at the shallow end.   It is a vacation,  safety is most important!  😛

It was 7 o’clock.   Nobody was using the hot tub.   We went into the tub.   Sitting in the tub, with the wavy sound of the pool, we enjoyed the view of some stars, sky and the sea.   It was wonderful.

After that, we went back to the room and got ready for the dinner.    It was the first time that I had dinner in the Vista dining room, Deck 2.   The Vista dining room was a two floor fine, grand dining hall.  Ron had his dinner here  on the first night.  So he knew some of our tablemates who showed up on the first night.   We were the first to arrive at the table.  Shortly two American couples arrived at the table as well.   Ron introduced me as his imaginary wife.    Both wives in those two couples were very talkative, while their husbands were relatively quiet.   Nichole was a black woman with a strong southern accent.   I could catch most of what she said,  apparently she was a very enthusiastic lady.  She said all she needs in life is fine food, traveling and a baby.  I can understand the first two parts but am suspicious about the baby part.  :P  Anyway, I couldn’t contribute to the conversation very well and at most time I was just trying very hard to listen.  After the food came, I focused on the eating.  RELAX, no more English listening tests!

After the dinner,  we went to the Vista theatre lounge for a new year performance.   A singing and dancing live show was very well performed.  I felt amazed about how sophisticated the stage layout was, all the fancy lights and stereo…on a ship.

Tomorrow we would arrive in St. Thomas,  a jewelry shopping land, they say.  I started to look forward to it,  just a little bit…