Last Day at Sea – Day 10

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Cruising at Sea - Saturday – March 10^th



Hello from somewhere southeast of Florida, cruising gently on our way back to Ft Lauderdale. This is our last full day and is a bit disappointing because we know we will soon have to leave the ship. We have had a great time, despite some of the actions to prevent anyone from catching the norovirus.



First, let me mention that yesterday there were problems getting the photos posted to the Blog, so those have been corrected and you should be able to see the Grand Turk photos.



We slept in this morning, partially because they made the Daylight Savings adjustment last night, so this morning came an hour earlier, therefore the clock said it was later than expected when we woke up. We went up to the Horizon Court and had a good buffet breakfast. It is going to be sad going back to breakfast food and a bagel when we get back home.



The first activity was a cooking demonstration by the Head Chef and the Maitre d’ du Hotel. We have seen these on other cruises and they are always interesting. This was more of a comedy act than usual, with the chef making delicious and fancy dishes before our eyes. The Maitre d’ made some strange concoctions which nobody would want to eat (like a sushi version of a Napoleon Strudel). But it was funny to watch their act.



Then we went to the library to get the daily Sudoku form, and on to the Photo Shop to see all the pictures they have been taking of us wherever we went. We picked out a few to bring home, but there are so many we couldn’t possibly take them all.



Back in our room, they had laid out the bed cover which protects the covers from our luggage. We have to have everything packed and in the hall this evening, so we were able to get an early start this afternoon. The hard part always is being able to keep just the important things overnight, knowing we will have to carry them out ourselves. After we dispatch our main luggage, we will not see them again until we retrieve them after clearing immigration. So we have to plan carefully or we will be carrying lots of small sacks down the gangway.



About 12:30 we went to lunch and then Janet went to see a movie in the theater. It was called the Descendants with George Clooney. She said it was very good and she enjoyed a restful afternoon in the theater.



David went to the Future Cruise desk to confirm what needs to be done in the future to qualify for ship-board credits as veterans. YES, there is a $100 on-board credit available, if you send in a copy of your active duty ID or a copy of your honorable discharge (DD-214) to Princess Cruise headquarters. We could not do it for this cruise but we will have plenty of time to both qualify for the Panama Canal cruise in September. In theory, we should get the credit on any following cruises too.



After that good news, he went to the pool for one more visit. The pool water is still pretty brisk (much cooler than the water at the beaches), but that did not keep a lot of people from trying it – then sunning themselves for a little more tan.



At 3:30 we met up and went to the afternoon High Tea. The sandwiches and pastries were good, but once again they only served tea. Well, Janet got 3 cups and enjoyed it too. David does like the little sandwiches, pastries, and even the scones, just not the tea. But since Janet really enjoys this, it was good to get one more chance.



Then we went back to the cabin to prepare and post the blog. We do not want to wait until the last minute since everyone might have been trying to use up their internet minutes. Subsequently we have updated the entry with what actually happened during the evening.



We finished packing the 2 large bags and set them out in the hall before going to dinner. One was completely full of dirty clothes, and the other had things which we wither didn’t use at all, or just slightly – apparently we over packed for the cruise. We also have a couple of small bags that we will hand carry in the morning, with our last minutes items.



So with the packing resolved, we headed off to have the “last supper”. The menu tonight featured “American Food” – Janet had the meatloaf and David had a NY Strip Steak. Traditionally they serve Baked Alaska on the last evening, with the waiters marching around singing and dancing. We both enjoyed this, but David decided for the last dessert he should also have a slice of the apple pie. One of our regular tablemates (Jackie) was absent with a migraine headache, but the rest of use had a good final dinner. We exchanged e-mail addresses with Bill & Louise and will try to stay in touch with them (who knows – maybe some day we will go to Pittsburgh).



There was one concluding show in the theater during the evening with repeat appearances by the Magician and by the Comedian. Both were pretty entertaining and it provided one last smile before leaving the ship. We are going to miss these evening entertainment sessions, along with the waiter serving gourmet meals and the cabin attendant cleaning the bathroom each day. Oh well, if you had this every day then it would probably stop feeling special before too long.



Tomorrow marks the end of the cruise, but the beginning of the next phase of our vacation, so stay tuned tomorrow for the continuing story of our Caribbean/Florida vacation.

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Photos

Our Cabin E208
Janet at the Desk

Dinner Table
all of us except Jackie

Milan & Edwin
with Baked Alaska