Wednesday, October 23, 2024
After such a gloomy day yesterday, today opened with a beautiful sunny morning. Even if it had been raining, it would have been a good morning because we got to set our clocks back an hour last night. After we enjoyed our coffee on the balcony, we headed to the Lido for a quick breakfast.
Chuck was registered for a poker tournament after breakfast, so I headed to the gym. The gym is free to use. Some of their exercise classes are an upcharge. I used one of the elliptical machines and their weight machines. Instead of using one of the treadmills, I went to the third floor and walked a mile outside on the Promenade deck. The Zuiderdam has a nice wide Promenade deck. The newer ships have a narrower deck making it a bit harder to walk especially if it gets crowded.
I met up with Chuck at lunch in the Lido. He didn’t win the poker tournament, but he had fun and enjoyed the other players. He plans to enter any future ones they may hold.
After lunch, Chuck decided some pool time would be pleasant. I decided to attend the Floral Arranging demonstration. The ship’s florist, Marlon, was the presenter, of course. He and his team are responsible for all live arrangements – whether they are decorating areas around the ship, a bouquet purchased for your stateroom, or even a corsage to wear for a special occasion. They do it all.
He showed us how to create 3 different arrangements and gave us some good information. Some tips I had heard before such as cutting stems at an angle and not letting leaves get into the vase water. I had not heard that a pinch of sugar in a vase will make the blooms larger and buds expand faster or that a teaspoon of bleach will keep bacteria out of the water.
The afternoon passed quickly and soon it was time for dinner in the main dining room. We shared a table with a couple from New York and a solo traveler from Canada. It was a fun table. Chuck had the Beef Bourguignon, and I had the spaghetti with shrimp.
After dinner, time in the Casino and then to the Rolling Stone Lounge. We were having so much fun in the Lounge that we decided to stay instead of going to the World Stage. We have enjoyed pianist Elliot Finkel on other sailings but felt we would get to see a second show before the end of the cruise.
Eventually, the Band played their last set, and it was time to call it a night.
Tomorrow: Half Moon Cay, Bahamas
