Antarctic Adventure

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First full day at sea.

Coffee and juice in the stateroom, smoked salmon in the dining room, checked e-mail, posted blog and headed to the showroom to meet our lecturing team. There are four very qualified individuals and we’ll be hearing about the geology, history, politics, explorations and animals along the way.

Our Meet & Greet went well. We had about sixty attending and that was in competition with a wine tasting, (had I a choice I would probably have opted for wine too). The Captain, Hotel Manager, Beverage Manager and Events Manager and Cruise Director all made appearances and the Captain & Hotel Manager were very generous with their time. The more I hear the more excited I am about what we will be seeing. The only concern is, of course, the weather over which we have no control.

After the Meet and Greet, I attended a meeting with the hotel staff and other “group leaders” to hear about tendering options. The most difficult task will be getting off the ship early in tender ports. I am booked on three private tours, one of which is on the Falklands. This is a difficult port and the tender ride will be long and uncomfortable but the reward should be worth it. This is my first trip as a 4 Star Mariner and that gives me priority tendering so I will be ashore early. Still the guide will have to wait for the other participants to get ashore before we can leave.

Then it was time to check the poker table and there was a game going so I joined in. Lost $15 but enjoyed myself and hope that as time goes on the games will become routine.

My dinning dilemma is solved. I will be seated with Jim and Gerald and Katherine from Boston is joining us. We have been placed at a window table for four and that should be great for viewing when we reach the ice.

Duck Liver Pate, seafood soup and surf and turf made quite lovely meal for me. Jim, however, ordered the seafood soup and was served the steamed muscle appetizer instead; yes one steamed muscle and one empty shell. Sort of like that old ,old song One Meat Ball!

Since I have an early tour tomorrow and the show did not intrigue me I headed off for a lovely night’s sleep.

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