At Sea

At Sea: We slept with the door open a bit to the balcony. It is nice to hear the sea and feel the fresh air. At 3a, I was roused from my sleep by a fog horn. The ship was totally socked in! I closed the door, but still, once a minute, the fog horn blew - until 9a.
 
We had a light breakfast and a stroll. There were about 30 dolphins swimming along side the ship. The sea is perfectly flat and calm. By 10a, we could see about quarter-mile, so the fog was lifting a bit. The ship is busy with so many activities. In the main theatre, a naturalist is giving a talk on Alaska. Bingo is hopping. There are other lecturers and games. The Star Princess has an indoor pool! It can also be an outdoor pool, as the glass roof is retractable. The Star Princess is built for the Pacific - Alaska in the summer and Mexico in the winter - as it is cleverly designed for wind protection. Where most ships have rails, the Star Princess has glass panels. There are many outdoor areas completely protected from the wind.
 
Dave and I worked out. He went to the fitness center and I walked around the Promenade Deck 10 times. We think this was 3 to 3½ miles, but will work it out later. We couldn't calculate it with time, as I stopped to watch my exercise companions - a pod of whales! I stopped to watch them with a gorgeous young college boy from San Diego.
 
I spent the afternoon in the spa having a facial and a pedicure and fighting off the Steiner Girls relentless sales pitch. I did re-supply a few items, of course, but seriously - Princess needs to put a halt to this barrage!
 
Before dinner, Dave and I went up to look for spouts, but all we found was a lone dolphin. I had not seen Mom or Chip all day!

Mom & Chip on Formal Night

The four of us dined in the Portofino Dining Room. It was a noisy and rushed affair - not elegant and relaxing as should be the ambience on a formal night. Our waiter was rushing us to order our meal before our cocktails were delivered. We barely had time to look at the menu! I enjoy prompt service, but prefer to actually finish what I have in my mouth before my plate is removed and the next course delivered. The dining room wasn't even full, there was no need for speed dining. It was so rushed, it was ridiculous. So, we lingered over coffee, refusing to be bounced from our seats, before going to the Vista Lounge for a funny juggling, joke-telling unicyclist. He had us in stitches and it still amazes me that someone can make a living doing such stupid tricks! David Deeble was listed on tonight's program as a "Comedy Juggler". After dinner, Mom and Chip danced in the Explorer's Lounge, we had a night cap and were sleeping just after midnight.