Eastern Caribbean Cruise 2025 - Sea Day #5 (12/06/25)

 

As we approach New York, both RQS and I dread our return home.  No, it's not because our cruise is ending.  Instead, it's because we're coming back to some of the coldest weather we've had in a while.  When I look at the NYC weather forecast, I see subfreezing weather for the day we return.  That means that we'll have to be outside, on the waterfront, while we wait for our ride home.  And then, once at RQS's place, I'll have to cart most of my bags up to Croton that same day.  If I'm lucky, my car won't be covered by too much snow.  But I won't know until I get home.  

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This morning started with another Room Service breakfast. This time, it came early.  Only one problem: they forgot to bring sweetener with the coffee.  But we made do.  Around 11, we left the room to have a snack and to do some laundry.  Around 1, we returned to the room with our clean laundry and all traces of breakfast were gone. I had a table I could fold clothes on!

Around 3:15, we went to afternoon tea, expecting to meet a new acquaintance there. She wasn't there when tea service started, but she did appear at our table a bit late.  I told her of my idea for an adaptive garment, and she loved it - she doesn't have the use of one arm, and my garment idea would have solved one of her needs, making it easier to get dressed in the morning.  While there, I showed her a few pictures of me in Marian mode, and she loved it.  She wants to find out more at some later time.

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Tonight would be the last gala night of the cruise, and today's laundry run gave me a clean white shirt for the night.  Yay!  I don't have to break open another new shirt for this time in a suit and tie!  So I took out the suit one last time for this trip, and went to dinner with RQS.  This was the night of the chef's parade, where key restaurant personnel were saluted for the hard work they do.  I preferred something like this, where we didn't have to completely disrupt our meals, than to endure Princess's Baked Alaska parade towards the end of their cruises.

 

Eastern Caribbean Cruise 2025 - Sea Day #4 (12/05/25)

 

I don't have much to say about today's activities, save that we ordered breakfast from room service and went to afternoon tea.  But with that being said, that's enough to occupy the better part of a daily post.

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We set our alarms for 8:00, so that we'd be dressed enough for when room service came.  Around 9:45, our breakfast came - with hot breakfasts for both of us, some pastries, and a toasted bagel for me.  And this breakfast service is complimentary on Cunard.  The only thing that didn't come was coffee - we may have forgotten to write it down on the card we hung on the door the day before.  There is something very nice about having exactly the food one wants delivered, and not a standard breakfast setup as done on other lines.

Around 11:00, we got out of our room to let the attendant make up the room, and I returned around 1:00 to relax on the bed.  (My back has been bothering me for most of the cruise.)  RQS returned around 2:30, and we left around 3:15 for afternoon tea service.   

 

Afternoon tea is a daily ritual on Cunard ships.  On the Queen Mary 2, it is a special treat, as the wait staff marches into the room from both sides of the room accompanied by music from a pianist on stage who plays all through tea service.  The food at tea service is not meant to be a meal.  Instead, it is meant to keep a person from feeling peckish before dinner is served.  For us, this would be the high point of our day, even though dinner had yet to come.  We enjoyed experiencing this ritual, and will likely make it a regular part of our future Cunard trips. 

Alaska Cruise 2025 - Sea Day #2 (08/13/25)

Breakfast for two....

There were more plates and trays of food to start our day.  But the day had come late due to Room Service personnel oversleeping.  (Or, that's the excuse the man gave.)

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We were awakened by someone calling from New York, trying to get RQS to accept a dental appointment for cleaning only, as her dentist would not be there.  As usual, the person was acting with a pre-set agenda and wasn't listening to RQS. RQS wanted to see the dentist as part of her regularly scheduled appointment. But RQS made herself clear and got the appointment she wanted.  As for me, I could have used an hour or two more sleep.

When were finally moving, we had to wait more time than should have been necessary for breakfast, as Room Service was running late.  By the time we finished breakfast, it was lunch time - a meal we decided to skip in favor of afternoon tea later in the afternoon.

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Afternoon Tea....

Around 3 pm, we went down to the dining room for afternoon tea.  There was not enough room in the area outside the restaurant to hold all of the people waiting to get in for tea.  At 3 pm sharp, the restaurant opened to let everyone in.  RQS and I were seated at a table for 2, a table off the beaten track of wait staff flow. This wasn't the problem that made tea unpleasant.  Instead, it was the loudness of our area.  We had to shout to hear each other speak.  Unlike tea on our Norwegian Fjord cruise, the small finger sandwiches had almost no flavor.  Was it us?  Or was it the ship's environment that caused us to give a "thumbs down" on tea?  Who knows?  But I won't be in any hurry to go back there again for afternoon tea.

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Dinner....

We got dressed in our nicest clothes for formal night, and left early for dinner.  This would give us some time to get formal pictures taken of us before we went to dinner.  After walking around for a few minutes, we found a place where we wanted our pictures taken - and did so.  Then, it was off to dinner.

Arriving at the restaurant a few minutes early, we asked if we could be seated at a table where our favorite waiter was working.  They hemmed and hawed a little, and seated us at another shared table.  Then Marco showed up, and greeted us warmly.  We love his touch in serving us at our table.  (Now, I understand why my uncle was once upset at not having his favorite waiter serve my dad when he visited him in the Hamptons one year.)  Across from us was a couple from Turkey who could barely speak English.  Shortly after we ordered, two ladies were seated next to us, and we had a great, non serious chat with them.  I suggested the Orange Duck, and she was glad I suggested it. Our dishes came.  First was the crab cake, then the ravioli, followed by the duck.  Yum!  The orange sauce was not as pronounced as I'd make it, but it was good. Finally, dessert was served, and I had the creme brulee.

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When we finished dinner, we decided to do almost a week's worth of laundry.  One of the nice things about a Princess cruise ship is that most (if not all) have self-service laundry.  Two problems: the token dispenser didn't work, and the soap dispensing machine was empty (or, we thought it was).  So each of us had to make our way to Guest Services for help... multiple times.

All in all, this was a good sea day.... 

 

Norwegian Fjord Cruise Vacation - 06/21/24 (Sea Day #3)

 

The day started off by bright sunlight coming in from our balcony doors, waking us up hours before our normal wake-up time.  The ship had crossed the Arctic Circle, and both of us were awarded certificates for this event.  It's a nice and inexpensive way to give cruisers a keepsake to remember the cruise by.

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The first thing we planned to do was attend an enrichment presentation on the port after next, Trondheim.  However, we ended up missing it because we were relaxing in our cabin.  So, at 1 pm, we went to the outdoor pizza venue for some slices and were greeted by some frigid air.  BRRRR!   We grabbed our slices and went indoors to eat.  On our way back to the buffet area, we saw several people in the pool and in the hot tubs.  I wouldn't do that in this weather.  Shortly after our pizza run, it was time for afternoon tea.

Afternoon tea was pleasant.  We struck up conversations with several people at our table.  One couple was from Oklahoma, and we were able to maintain a civil conversation that referenced politics without trying to defend positions of either major political party.  (My statements focused on the commonality of opinions shared by most Americans, as the leaders of each party have gone to the extremes.)  RQS was having her conversations with people on the other side of our table as well.  After tea was over, a couple  came up to us and mentioned that they visit NYC from time to time.  Of course, I gave them tourist advice that most people wouldn't get from guidebooks - to venture into the outer boroughs to see functioning ethnic neighborhoods such as Arthur Avenue (a real Little Italy) and Flushing (Asian enclaves for Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and Koreans).

Later on, we had a specialty meal scheduled at the steakhouse.  As much as we tried, there was no way we could finish our meals.  We started with a sea scallop appetizer. The onion soup came next, and it was fantastic, as was the steak.  Instead of ordering a 16 oz. beef chop, I should have ordered the 7 oz. filet. RQS couldn't finish her smaller main course, and I had to leave most of my steak uneaten.  Neither of us could complain about our desserts, but they weren't exactly what would sate our cravings for the evening.

And now, thoroughly loaded up with carbs to digest, it was off to our room and off to sleep.  

Norwegian Fjord Cruise Vacation - 06/16/24 (Sea Day #1)

What can I say about sea days, save for that the most important thing one can do is relax.  We were glad that we had this day to rest, as our bodies were on New York time, and we were now sailing in Central European time.

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The first thing on our docket was a "Deluxe Balcony Breakfast for Two."  Although we could have had a table set up for us on our balcony, we chose to have this spread set up on a table in our cabin.  There was an Assortment of Pastries, a Melon dish, a Smoked Salmon dish, and Quiche Lorraine to eat, along with coffee, orange juice, and sparkling wine to wash it down.  We were stuffed to the gills before 10:30 came around, and there was no way we were going to have lunch at a normal time.

After a chance to rest, we went to afternoon tea.  Although this might not have been as fancy a presentation as is done on one of Princess's sister lines (Cunard), it was well worth the effort to enjoy this sea day activity.  Once done, we proceeded to Rudi's Catch (Princess's specialty seafood restaurant) to change our scheduled time for the first of our specialty dinners.  Princess's app forced us to choose an 8:30 pm dining time, while we wanted something earlier.  Luckily, the restaurant we chose had quite a few openings for 7:00 pm, and we jumped at that slot.  Then, we took another short nap, still dealing with our body clocks being out of sync with local time.

Around 6:15 pm, we started to get dressed for a formal night. I surprised RQS by wearing a tie with my male "casual formal" garb (read: blue blazer, dress grey slacks, and a button down shirt), while I'd have rather been presenting as Marian in a nice LBD with pearls.  (She joked that she'd help me practice with this, and I said - no thanks....)  Then, it was off to Rudi's.

Princess made a big mistake with the design of Rudi's Catch on this ship.  Both their Steakhouse and Italian restaurants are separated from places where people gather (and where music is performed) by a sound blocking partition or wall.  This is not the case with Rudi's Catch.  It is right off the main atrium, where a band playing loud music can make it impossible for anyone to have a conversation. Most importantly, the volume of this music makes it hard for restaurant staff to communicate with both its patrons and other staff members.  (Princess should fire the people who made this design decision, and find a way to separate this restaurant from the noise from the atrium as soon as possible.  But I digress.)

As much as I enjoyed my meal at Rudi's on my last cruise, I was wishing we were somewhere else for this meal.  We enjoyed an appetizer with a small lobster tail.  I had chosen the Three S (shrimp, scallops and salmon) main course, while RQS chose a dinner portion of lump crab cakes - a big mistake, as the crab cakes had no flavor.  (Later on, I said that RQS should have ordered one of the main courses and not eat everything.  But RQS hates to waste food without good reason.)  Neither of us were impressed by the Crepes Suzette we had for dessert.  In short, we could have skipped this dinner and had gone to the buffet for a better meal.  Hopefully, this restaurant will do better on our second visit later on in the cruise.

Once done with dinner, we called it a night.  

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If you've gotten this far.... HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!!

Catching up with things at home

 

Today was another do-nothing day.  I might have done a little bit of putting away stuff, but not enough to say I did much.  

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I woke up today with only one thing on my schedule - a "Tea" meetup in White Plains.  (Think of: English Breakfast, Earl Grey, and China Black, not the herb my generation also called "Tea".)  So, I lollygagged for most of the day, save for putting travel related items back in their storage bag.  When 5:00 pm came around, I showered, shaved, and dressed to go out as Marian.  As I was starting up my car, an acquaintance called to talk about many things.  (I had missed her call this weekend, as I was in-flight to JFK.  I just wonder what happened to the message I sent her, saying I was in transit.)  This kept me busy for most of the drive to the meetup.  

When I got to White Plains, I had a little problem finding the tea parlor.  But I found the place in time to have a savory danish and a serving of iced tea before we moved over to Playa Bowls next door.  Our motley crew kept up the conversation started in the tea parlor.  (One woman asked whether I had been to the LGBT center nearby, and I mentioned that they are constructing a building of their own in the heart of White Plains.  So I know that she probably read me, yet treated me as just another woman.) We talked about some of the meetup groups in Westchester, and noted that the leader of one of the groups (a leader that couldn't deal with me being transgender) was a bigot, and that her group wasn't worth being in.  (This feeling was echoed by others at the table.)  Hopefully, I will be able to meet these people again soon, as we all "clicked" together.

All too soon, it was time to go.  So I decided to make a run to Wegman's to pick up some food for the rest of the week.  Shortly after I loaded my car, I saw some lightning.  By the time I got home, it was raining hard enough to have me leave two 12-packs of soda in the car.  At least I got home safe and sound - and ready for tomorrow afternoon at the dentist....

California Vacation - Day 06 (Sea Day)

 

Last night, I fell asleep between 2:00 am and 3:00 am and woke up this morning around 7:30 am.  Of course, looking back at things, I didn't feel thoroughly rested.  But I made sure to get up and get dressed to connect with my new friend for breakfast at the buffet around 9:30 am.  As has become usual on this ship, we hung out together from breakfast through lunch.  And then, we met again for afternoon tea, only to schedule dinner together with her friends. Now, it's nice to have someone to chat with, but it's always nice to have time alone. I just didn't make enough of this time today.  But I will do so tomorrow, when we reach Catalina island.

But I have gotten out of sequence.  So I'll go back a step or so....

We rushed through our breakfast, as there was a cooking demonstration being given in the main theater.  It was scripted well, with one chef playing a true professional, and the other being a clown who would screw up the recipes by adding too much of certain important ingredients such as Garlic, Worcestershire Sauce, Brandy and Vodka.  It was a funny show, followed by a quick tour of the galley. Next, we were off to lunch in one of the main dining rooms, where we shared a table with other cruisers.  By the time this meal came around, I really wasn't hungry.  I simply ate to be social.

Once lunch was over, we took a breather, as afternoon tea was coming up for the last time on the cruise.  This time, I couldn't find my friend, so I sat at a shared table with other cruisers.  This was an interesting group, as I was the only Easterner, and we shared our thoughts about the "Grab and Go" thefts going on in California, and the lack of an adequate response by law enforcement.  No wonder why at least one Latin American nation elected a dictator to clean up the mess left by a bumbling democracy - and he is well liked for making it safe again to go out of the house.  Once this table broke up, I found my friend and some of her friends at a nearby table, and sat down with them for a while before going back to my cabin to change for the last gala night of the cruise.

Once I got some pictures taken, I went to dinner with my new friend, and then helped two people at the table to celebrate their birthdays.  This was steak and lobster night, and I ordered (and paid for) an extra portion, so that I could have an extra piece of lobster with my meal.  Dinner went by quickly, and I exited so that I could go back to my room for a while before going to the main theater to see Elliot Hunter perform his illusions.  As much as I do not look to see magicians, I can be entertained by them now and then.

All too soon, it was time to go to bed.  Although I have plans to see my friend for breakfast, I will be heading out to Catalina island to spend the day....