At Sea 12/7/09

Day two on the Atlantic Ocean. Even though the sea was still pretty rough, we made it our resolution to try to stay out of our cabin as much as we could. When we got up at 8:15, we turned on the TV while we were getting ready and saw that the wave height was still very high...26.2 feet!

There was also a very nice collection of sea salt that had formed on our balcony!

We went to breakfast at the Grand Pacific. We opted for open seating and sat and chatted with with a very nice couple. They became new friends for us to bump into around the ship! After breakfast, we walked around the pool deck a bit. The pools were netted off, and the water was being slowly drained. What was still left of the water was sloshing back and forth! We joked that it was now a wave pool!

At 10:30am, we went to learn how to Cha-Cha with Charlie in the Spinnaker! There was a good turn out, and we had fun learning how to do the cha-cha. It made it even more interesting that we were all trying to keep our footing on the rocking floor!

(There weren't enough men to go around, so I had to be the boy.)

(With Charlie, our dance teacher)

After dance lessons, we went to the see the Bridge of the ship. It was really cool to see all the controls, monitors, and crew that were working around the clock to sail us in the right direction and keep us safe! They had a pretty nice view of the ocean, too!

After that, we couldn't find any planned activites that appealed to us, so we went to our cabin to rest and wash some clothes. After a while, Chad called us and invited us to come to their suite for dinner. They also invited us to come with them to the exclusive Captain's Cocktail Party later that evening! It was "Dress Up Or Not Night" on the ship, so Natashia and I decided that we would get all dolled up for the party! We went to a late lunch in the Garden Cafe, and ran into many of our new friends: Judi and Patsy, Helen and Frank, Suzanne and Barbara. Making new friends and running into them over and over is one of my favorite parts of cruising! After lunch, we went back to our cabin once again. The ship was passing by the Azores, so we watched the island of San Miguel roll by for a few minutes. It was a bit too chilly to be on the balcony, but we could see just fine through our big floor-to-ceiling sliding glass door!

At 6:00pm, we went upstairs to Chad and Scott's for dinner. They also invited Barbara and two nice women (Barbara Anne and Carole) from North Carolina they had met on an excursion.

They had quite the spread laid out for us...appetizers of cheese, fruit, and crackers, delicious champagne with strawberries, and cranberry vodka martinis! At 7:00pm, we went to make an appearance at the Captain's party. We met him and the other officers, had a drink, and sat and talked for about 45 minutes. Then, we went back to the suite for dinner. The table looked beautiful, and we even had namecards showing us where to sit!

For dessert, Chad and Scott had requested a special item not on the menu in the ship's dining rooms and restuarants...chocolate creme brulee!! It was so delicious! During dinner, we were discussing the rocky ship and sea sickness. Chad mentioned that he had some motion sickness patches, and offered one to anyone who needed it. I took him up on the offer, and Scott helped me put it on behind my ear. Right away, I noticed a difference! At 10:30pm, the other guests left, and the Fab Four went to Bliss! It was salsa night, and we had a super great time dancing and hanging out!

At 11:45pm, we all decided it was time for bed, so we said goodnight. When we got back to our cabin, there was a friendly little dinosaur waiting for us with a very important message about the overnight time change once again!

For more pictures from "At Sea" click HERE