Day 19: Pollywogs & Shellbacks
What. A. Day! We did the usual morning things. I discovered I like two more kinds of cheese: Emmental (similar to provolone) and something similar to quark, which I don’t think I’ve ever had.
At about 10:20am Ship Time, we crossed the Equator. I took a photo “of” it. The Captain also made a special announcement.
After hanging out with our friends for a little bit, we came back to a fully decorated cabin for one of our special days. They really go all out for us, here.
We had to get ready for a big moment: a giant ceremony for all the people who have never crossed the Equator. I had heard of this from a Navy Vet friend and know that their version is a bit brutal. We also knew this one would be wet and messy, so I opted to be a photographer/videographer instead while he participated. The only bad part was one magat sporting her obnoxious red drumph 2020 hat. ew.
I don’t want to spill the beans for anyone who might ever do the crossing on a cruise ship, because it’s a ton of fun. But it’s not exactly gentle. The first two to go were two Bridge officers (that were on our tour of that). They went first and were treated less delicately than the guests and staff.
So, if you do not want the surprise ruined, do not watch our video of it. Yes, they were all warned. Yes, they consented. Yes a few people opted out. Which I’m sure made Cruise Director Jan a little happy. She joked that there were 150 people signed up. It was so many that they “initiated” them six at a time.
Our ship has several guests in wheel chairs and one of them was determined to do this. She can walk a little bit with some assistance. So her partner helped her to the first spot since he was also crossing for the first time. Then, when it was time for their group to get into the pool, he helped her down the stairs. Next, the two Bridge officers supported her under each arm the way a lifeguard would. When she was done with the dunk, her partner helped her back up the stairs and out of the pool. Quite a few Seabourn staff members were in the vicinity was there in case there was a need, but every person let her do as much as she could under her own power. The care and celebration of her crossing was beyond remarkable. I’ve wondered how a ship like this recruits their staff and crew, but as he pointed out to me today, they don’t really hire any Americans. They hire people from more compassionate places.
During this part of the passage we had some small wifi issues. I thought it was just me because my videos from the Equator Crossing were backing up. Later, we learned it was a lot of us. Weirdly, my phone updated locations even though it’s in airplane mode.
We ran into several of our new friends on the patio for a lovely mid-day hangout sesh. We learned that one of them considered Miami for college. She’s 35, staying in one of the penthouses, and retired, so I think she made the best choice for her. dayum. We even talked her into joining BlueSky. Oh, and I don’t think we said, but we are both on there, now. Fuck f(lu)b and (e)x and their hate-filled garbage.
Dinner was meh. I think Indian-spiced schnitzel sounded better than it was. I miss Chef Christophe.
At The Club, we ran into the friends we had dinner with on the first formal night. They flattered me a great deal. It’s quite fun to hang out with people who like you as much as you like them. If anyone wants to buy a small and specialized trucking company, they have one to sell. They’d love to retire.
The music in both bars from the Pianist, The Trio, and The Band was all great. We hung out with friends before and after the show that we skipped. All the musicians were on fire.
Day 20: sleep
The waves finally caught up with me. I just didn’t feel like doing anything other than lying down. After breakfast, I slept until lunch. And after lunch, I did it all again. I never even heard him leave for the Parisian Tea that afternoon, where the difference was a French crepe.
Our second dinner at Solis did not disappoint. I had the lobster ravioli and a seafood bouillabaisse similar to the one Chef Christophe taught us to make a few days before. He had the tuna vinaigrette salad and veal chops and some Gratin Potatoes Dauphinoise like we had the first time. yum.
At The Club, we sat with N and R and found very common ground on the values side of things. We’d cruise with them again in a heartbeat.
Christine Allado gave another lovely performance. She sang another Les Mis song (which we’d both prefer to skip), but she also rapped Hamilton, sang opera, and “Defied Gravity”.
her voice, her stories, her gowns, her productions.
We went back to The Club for some dancing and shut down the bar. I was chatting in another group by then. The bartender was quite funny when she approached him to tell him it was last call. She is a fellow introvert, so she told him, “I’m sorry to invade your introvert bubble, but it’s last call.”
Day 21: galley and James
The “spritz & splash” activity on the pool deck was postponed due to the waves. It was also a bit cloudy and looked like it could rain. I’m glad the weather was good for the equator crossing because the rest of the outdoor events have either been quite dreary or rained out / moved.
And then this happened.
After the briefing for Bora Bora, we gathered up all the stuff we’ll need for that port of call the next day. We had to get a jump on it, because our afternoon was packed
The Galley Tour was very interesting. This boat was built with funky setup of twin kitchens. Since one head Chef can’t be in two places at the same time, they have to use it differently. It works out, though. Basically one line does the entrees platings and the other does appetizers.
The day was pretty stormy and sleep-inducing, so we took naps before Liar’s Club. The foursome was great. Surprisingly, the comic we didn’t even go see was quite funny. I think he might ad lib better than he performs via a scripted set. And even more surprisingly, the Bridge teacher was a hoot! I still wish they kept a running score of the “contestants” for us to see.
Dinner was grand, as always. I had the seafood cake and prawns. He had the bolognese and the venison. We both had the triple-layer chocolate cake for dessert; somehow, mine came with port.
James Templeton is our Entertainment Director. His solo show was incredible. He picked some pretty unusual songs (Mr Cellophane from Chicago) and of course he did yet another Beatles medley (which is fully tiresome at this point, but he is from Liverpool, so he gets an extra pass). We had a quick drink at The Club afterward, and then we turned in early because we wanted to watch the ship approach the beautiful island at 7am. With the cloudy/rainy weather, we also had a plan to hit snooze if necessary.
While looking up our position on map, I found this little island that made me laugh.
