Yesterday was the 1st rain we've encountered this cruise. We have been blessed with beautiful sunny days at sea. Yesterday was crazy. I'm not talking a few showers, I'm talking pouring rain and fog so dense you could hardly see the water unless you looked straight down from the deck. It was sort of creepy. However, an hour or so before sunset, the clouds disappeared and we were once again treated to a spectacular sunset.
Another big difference --the size of the waves started to increase. There is a definite roll to the ship now. Not uncomfortable by any means, but it does leave you off balance at times. It just rocks me to sleep. I love it.
We are now on Hawaii time. We moved one hour back three days in a row. I think that made it a lot more difficult to adjust. I think it would have been better to just do all 3 hours at once. But I am not in charge. Actually, I think they did it that way to keep sunrise and sunset appearing at normal times.
This is the ocean today:
Today was beautifully sunny once again. I did try to attend a few events today. I finally felt a bit sociable. Actually, I have not been solitary the entire cruise, I mean, I have dinner with my tablemates and we actually have had a few quite interesting conversations.
Look at this water...... OMG
I don't know if I've mentioned that this cruise is one of Carnival's Journey cruises and they have special lecturers and events not normally included on a cruise. There is a naturalist on board giving lectures about Hawaii--both current and historical facts. There is also more of an entertainment type of lecturer.
Today I went to a lecture on Astronomy. It was entertaining but not at all what I expected. It focused more on how historical figures used it to navigate. I was hoping it would be more about constellations. But it was still Ok.
Another event I was determined to go to on this cruise was Afternoon Tea. I have to say I was slightly disappointed. Of course, I was comparing it to Tea last year on Princess. I would skip it all together on a future cruise. They served you a pot of tea, of course. Then the waiters came around with either cucumber sandwiches or salmon on a toast point. Meh. They also had a selection of pastries but their scones were pretty forgettable. So far, my 1st disappointment on the ship.
I also attended the Chocolate Extravaganza. It was just beyond decadent. All that chocolate just made my teeth hurt looking at it. LOL They did have something new that made me get in line though. In addition to the dark chocolate fountain, they had a WHITE CHOCOLATE and strawberry fountain. I skipped right past all the desserts and went for the fruit that you could have dipped. YUM They even had apple slices. It was quite good.
I did read some reviews on Cruise Critic bashing this ship, but I have seen nothing that wasn't up to my expectations as far as the condition of the ship. I've been on this particular ship 6 times, I think and it's still my favorite. I love the way it's decorated. Some people say 'tacky', I say it's mostly elegant, especially all the artwork.
This is the lounge on the 2nd floor, before you enter the dining room. They also have a wonderful bar there. It used to be a martini bar but now they have these wonderfully original creations. I usually have a drink there before dinner and chat with a couple I see there regularly. Most nights they have a duo playing jazz.
This is the dining room .It's 2 levels.
This is the 2nd level but the sun was shining too brightly during tea today.. so not a great picture
This is just some random art in the stairway on the 4th floor. They even have art in the elevators. I really do love this ship.
Another gorgeous day!
Another view from my Balcony
Tonight is another elegant night. Many people are dressed to the 9s. It's really nice to see that. I've always enjoyed getting dressed up for dinner.
The demographics are not what you'd think for this cruise either. I was expecting a lot of retirees but surprisingly, I've seen quite a few newlyweds, and I would say the biggest group of cruisers are mid- 30s to early 50s. There are retirees on the ship, of course, but they do not seem to be anywhere near the majority. I've also seen a lot of families or groups traveling together.
All day today was Throw-Back to the 80s. They had an old Carnival Capers printed and the events they held today were all geared to the 80s. They had Thriller dance classes, 80s trivia etc. They are capping things off tonight with a true Midnight Buffet. Hard to believe they used to do those all the time. I'm going to try and stop up and take pictures but we are in Hilo tomorrow morning. Plus, I want to get to the comedy club tonight too.
Random food shots:
I'll report back later.
TTFN
Jilly
PS, I went to the comedy show. It was very funny--but too short. The comedian had the crowd laughing so hard.
Now it's past my bedtime. Tomorrow we reach land! Hilo. Hawaii and the weather website says it's supposed to be beautiful. I'm looking forward to my tour. I'll post more tomorrow.
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