Cruising News from the Bates

5:30 a.m. 

I woke up and at 6:45 a.m. I am still awake. 

What a waste of time so now I am up looking over Central Park from our balcony. Four floors down the waiters are wiping the glass windows and doors of Chops Grill getting ready for the Diamond Plus cruisers for breakfast. This is my last morning to try and make it because tomorrow we are London bound.

...

... change in landscape everywhere ...

We have chosen My Time Dining this cruise, meaning go into the dining room any time between 5:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. and one can be seated for dinner at a table for two to eight people. My preferred way of ship dining now. On Greg’s birthday I was kind enough not to bring attention to him by ordering a cake after dinner. Then on Sept. 10th on our 48th anniversary, we chose to sit at a table for 2 so we could head out for a 7:30 p.m. ice show. Greg ordered his appetizers, his meal and then left the table. He was gone so long I ate my two appetizers and some of his shrimp cocktail. I was worried that he was sick. Not so. He came back and was fine.

Right now I see some an older passenger walking through Central Park and he has the Penquin Arthritis Walk. He cannot sleep either.

A little later during dinner I saw this waiter with a pink apron walking back and forth in the dining room. I commented to Greg that she looked like she was from the ‘Cupcake Place” onboard. What was she doing in the dining room? Ten minutes later the maitre’d and waiter come to our table with two cupcakes burning candles. “Greg! I did not embarrass you on your birthday! Next time I will!” I tried to do something nice for Trent and Greg on their birthdays and it backfired on me both times. It would not be so bad if the waiters could sing, but you cannot believe how bad it sounds until you hear these guys sing! It is so musically despicable.

... pilot ship moving away from the vessel ....

Then after this fuss I looked at my watch and the ice show was to start in 20 miutes and our dessert had not come yet. So I hurried out of the dining room leaving Greg to collect our three desserts, drop them off at the room and meet me in the skating rink.

We made it to the ice show! I so wanted Ivan and Senya to be at the ice show with us. They needed children to ride in the swans on the ice. Senya and Ivan rode twice in the skating show when we cruised with them. Now at night when we order the cheese plate laced with fruit chutney and dard bread I think of Ivan and Senya who snatched the bread and chutney off the plate before we could eat it.

Last night the creamy cherry soup was so good I thought of Zahary ordering two bowls of peach soup for an appetizer and then he had no room for his main course. I remember now that Greg and I would order fruit soup on the menu and then Senya and Ivan would eat it. I miss Audra and her many masked faces sitting with us at dinner. As I looked down over the banister in the dining room I noted that someone had ordered steak fries on the side so of course and thought of Gabe and Zoe. That was a regular order on our table with them. And where is Charise when Greg goes to the lectures by himself. So many fun memories.

And Chelsey, do you have your passport yet? We missed you and/or Tonia on our Alaskan cruise.

Not only did we make it to the 7:30 p.m. ice show on our anniversary we went to the 8:30 p.m. ‘Production Show’. Walked, no rushed across the lobby again and found seats for the 9:30 p.m. ice show and repeated the lobby walk to take in the 10:30 p.m. “Production Show”. We saw four 65 pound shows each that night. The previous night we danced to the 9 piece orchestra, pretending that it was the Stardust Band that Tim and Lurene play and sing in.

... too much sun for us ...

Yesterday, after 10 days at sea, we put our feet on the ground in Malaga, Spain. It was 30 degrees, hot and sunny.

Today I want to do at least ten of the things I have not yet done on this ship before I have to get off the ship. I better get started.

 Love,

 Wyona