Some passengers seemed to bothered by the seas last evening but we thought that overall they were mild in comparison to other times we have experienced rough seas. Overall, we have been fortunate with the seas and the weather as we continue to sail towards Hong Kong.
We wanted to note how well the charity auction was done yesterday. The passenger’s who attended had a wonderful time whether or not they were bidding on items. Many from Crystal were also in attendance including the Captain. The money raised is going to a very worthwhile charity. There are some items available in one of the stores and with a good percentage from the sales of these items also going to the charity. Kudos to our Cruise Director for the wonderful job he did as the auctioneer and to those from the entertainment staff and other areas of the ship who provided assistance throughout this wonderful event.
We also wanted to note how special our dinner was last evening. Everything about our dinner was wonderful. The meal was perfect. The chefs know how to prepare a wonderful meal and once again they came through superbly. On top of this we enjoyed wonderful service in a beautiful setting.
Once again, Keith started my day with a nice workout. Anne Marie stayed in the room to get some additional rest. Keith was the first one to the Center and eventually two other passengers were working out. There were less passengers up there at that hour since we did not turn the clocks back last evening. After a great workout, Keith stopped by the Lido Café to get coffee to bring back to the room and spent a little while there talking with a fellow passenger who I had not met before. After solving the problems of the world ☺ he brought coffee back to the room.
Anne Marie slept fairly well last evening. While she was coughing quite a bit before last evenings dinner she did not cough too much last evening, which was good for her and for Keith. ☺
We enjoyed a wonderful breakfast in our room. After breakfast we walked on the Promenade Deck for about an hour. The seas were calmer and the air temperature very nice. We met one woman during the walk who is from Australia and as it turned out was on the leg of last years World Cruise which began in Sydney. We told her how much we loved Australia during our first time there last year with the Serenity and we look forward to visiting there again.
Once again, many activities were scheduled today. We will mention some of them.
Dr Herb Keyser gave a nice lecture in the morning titled “The Life and Music of Frank Sinatra”. The presentation was very nicely done. During various parts of the presentation, he also sang some of Frank Sinatra’s songs.
Later in the day Astronomer Dr. Norma Caisse gave a fascinating presentation titled “Adventures in Space and Time: To the Edge of the Known Universe”.
As has been the case through out the cruise, three movies were shown in the Hollywood Theatre.
In the morning we had Rap with the Rabbi and of course there was Memoir Writing.
At the same time there were so many other activities including fitness classes, bridge classes, an art sale, a French class, jackpot bingo, a computer class on powerpoint, a golf clinic, an art sale, along with many other activities.
Our Team Trivia Team tied with three other teams for first place. Another team won the tie breaker question by coming closest to the answer without going over the number. The question was how many steps are there in the Empire State Building? We were happy for them as it’s good to see a team win who had not won before. The team that had one the first several games of Team Trivia was not one of the teams to tie for first today.
Before dinner this evening, we attended the Crystal Society Reception. All past passengers of Crystal were invited to this reception. As this is the third of the forth-formal nights, most passengers were dressed in formal attire.
We have enjoyed the band that plays at these receptions and at other times during the day. The members of this particular band are the best that we have experienced with Crystal. They are very adept at playing a very diverse set of songs to appeal to the wide spectrum of passengers on the ship.
After the reception we dined at the Silk Road Japanese Specialty Restaurant. For the first time, we sat at the Sushi Bar where we enjoyed a variety of sushi and sashimi. It was a wonderful experience for us. Afterwards, we had more sushi and sashimi at our table and then enjoyed a salad and an entrée. It was a lovely evening.
This evening we set our clocks back by another hour as we continue to sail into new time zones. We believe this will continue until we reach Hong Kong where we set the clocks back by an hour every other evening
Keith and Anne Marie
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
Another Great Day At Sea
We enjoyed a good night sleep. In keeping with one of the themes of the movie the Groundhog Day Keith awoke early this morning and once again started his day in the Fitness Center. Last evening, we,, set the clocks back one hour as we continue to cruise into another new time zone. Needless to say, Keith began my workout very (and we do mean very) early. He also poke with a few members of the “night crew” before beginning his workout. They are so nice and work so hard.
About a half hour into his workout, there were other passenger’s working out and the same familiar faces who he has seen for much of the cruise. After the workout, he stopped by the Lido Café with the intent of bringing back coffee to the room. Realizing it was still early and he didn’t want to wake up Anne Marie he ran into Estate Planner Bob Hales and he had a very nice conversation about the current state of affairs in the financial market.
We both enjoyed coffee in the room and Anne Marie sat out on the verandah to get some fresh air. When Keith went back to the Lido Café for a second cup of coffee there were quite a few passengers sitting up there because of the turn back of the clocks last evening. We have been very fortunate that the seas have been relatively calm since leaving Hawaii with very moderate temperatures.
Today has been another delightful day at sea as we make our way to Hong Kong.
We enjoyed a nice breakfast in the room and then we went for a walk on the Promenade Deck. There was some light rain before we began the walk but it was fine for most of the walk. It was cooler than yesterday but by the time we finished our walk it had warmed up.
There were a couple of nicely done lectures. One by Destination Lecturer Dorinda Nicholson whose presentation was titled “Remember WWII, Kids Who Survived to Tell Their Stories”. The other lecture was by American Musical Lecturer Dr. Herb Keyser, “The Life and Music of Hagy Carmichael”.
Another very popular activity has been the Memoir Writing Class that is being given by Joe Kita. I have spoken with a number of passengers who are enjoying this class. We know Joe quite well from our previous cruises with him and his lovely wife. He will be joining us towards the end of the cruise at dinner in Silk Road.
There are many on this cruise who enjoy playing bridge, some of whom we know quite well. They have been enjoying the time at sea which provides lots of opportunities for them to play bridge.
We forgot to mention yesterday that there was a wonderful cooking demonstration given by Executive Chef Markus Nufer. I have to say that I learned a good deal about keeping items fresh and what to do to keep items such as lettuce and other vegetables and spices as fresh as possible.
In the afternoon there was a benefit auction, which is part of a joint effort by Crystal Cruises and Conde Nast Traveler. All of the proceeds from this auction benefit the CNT Five and Alive Fund that promotes the health and welfare of young children around the world. The auction was a success raising a good amount of money for a very worthy cause.
Throughout each and every hour of the day there were many activities offered. As mentioned often, this cruise is a dream cruise for those cruisers who appreciate sea days.
Today’s Team Trivia questions were very difficult. The winning team had five correct answers. We had three correct and the team that usually wins also had three and many teams had one or two correct answers. After Team Trivia we enjoyed a nice Salad Entrée in the Main Dining Room. There was also a Mediterranean Buffet in the Lido Deck area.
Before dinner this evening, we attended Sabbath Eve Services led by Rabbi Hershman.
Starting this afternoon and as we are writing this the seas have become rough. To play it safe, we each have taken our Bonine.
Last evening we had decided to pre order a nice dinner with our outstanding headwaiter Vlada. We had Chalah, Chopped Liver, Matzoh Ball Soup, Kosher Chicken, Steam Vegetables and Fruit. It was a wonderful meal.
Keith & Anne Marie
About a half hour into his workout, there were other passenger’s working out and the same familiar faces who he has seen for much of the cruise. After the workout, he stopped by the Lido Café with the intent of bringing back coffee to the room. Realizing it was still early and he didn’t want to wake up Anne Marie he ran into Estate Planner Bob Hales and he had a very nice conversation about the current state of affairs in the financial market.
We both enjoyed coffee in the room and Anne Marie sat out on the verandah to get some fresh air. When Keith went back to the Lido Café for a second cup of coffee there were quite a few passengers sitting up there because of the turn back of the clocks last evening. We have been very fortunate that the seas have been relatively calm since leaving Hawaii with very moderate temperatures.
Today has been another delightful day at sea as we make our way to Hong Kong.
We enjoyed a nice breakfast in the room and then we went for a walk on the Promenade Deck. There was some light rain before we began the walk but it was fine for most of the walk. It was cooler than yesterday but by the time we finished our walk it had warmed up.
There were a couple of nicely done lectures. One by Destination Lecturer Dorinda Nicholson whose presentation was titled “Remember WWII, Kids Who Survived to Tell Their Stories”. The other lecture was by American Musical Lecturer Dr. Herb Keyser, “The Life and Music of Hagy Carmichael”.
Another very popular activity has been the Memoir Writing Class that is being given by Joe Kita. I have spoken with a number of passengers who are enjoying this class. We know Joe quite well from our previous cruises with him and his lovely wife. He will be joining us towards the end of the cruise at dinner in Silk Road.
There are many on this cruise who enjoy playing bridge, some of whom we know quite well. They have been enjoying the time at sea which provides lots of opportunities for them to play bridge.
We forgot to mention yesterday that there was a wonderful cooking demonstration given by Executive Chef Markus Nufer. I have to say that I learned a good deal about keeping items fresh and what to do to keep items such as lettuce and other vegetables and spices as fresh as possible.
In the afternoon there was a benefit auction, which is part of a joint effort by Crystal Cruises and Conde Nast Traveler. All of the proceeds from this auction benefit the CNT Five and Alive Fund that promotes the health and welfare of young children around the world. The auction was a success raising a good amount of money for a very worthy cause.
Throughout each and every hour of the day there were many activities offered. As mentioned often, this cruise is a dream cruise for those cruisers who appreciate sea days.
Today’s Team Trivia questions were very difficult. The winning team had five correct answers. We had three correct and the team that usually wins also had three and many teams had one or two correct answers. After Team Trivia we enjoyed a nice Salad Entrée in the Main Dining Room. There was also a Mediterranean Buffet in the Lido Deck area.
Before dinner this evening, we attended Sabbath Eve Services led by Rabbi Hershman.
Starting this afternoon and as we are writing this the seas have become rough. To play it safe, we each have taken our Bonine.
Last evening we had decided to pre order a nice dinner with our outstanding headwaiter Vlada. We had Chalah, Chopped Liver, Matzoh Ball Soup, Kosher Chicken, Steam Vegetables and Fruit. It was a wonderful meal.
Keith & Anne Marie
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
A New Day
We have crossed the International Dateline. We did the same thing last year. When we went to sleep last evening it was March 17 and we were a few hours behind the USA Mainland. When we woke this morning it was March 19 and rather than being a few hours behind the mainland, we are now sixteen (16 hours) ahead of the Eastern Daylight Time. So, we now know what the future holds for those of you on the mainland. Just kidding! ☺
The seas were very smooth last evening when we went to sleep and have been very nice today. The Captain was correct about today’s weather when he gave us the two day forecast yesterday.
Anne Marie had a good deal of coughing last evening. She does well during the daytime but for whatever reason has more trouble at night. Regardless, she is enjoying the cruise and is very happy to be on board such a wonderful ship and cruise line.
Keith awoke early this morning and as has been the case for the entire cruise absent the first couple of days, he wake up prior to the alarm clock going off. He started my day with a nice workout on the Elliptical Machine. It always takes him about one week to get used to these machines because all Elliptical Machines are not created equal and he is now used to this machine. The workout was great and he watched the news prior to the AIG hearings and then watched some of the hearing while he was still working out. A few of the same passengers who he has seen each morning were up there for a portion of my workout.
Afterwards, Keith stopped by the Lido Café to bring some coffee back to the room for the two of us and then we listened to some more of the AIG hearings.
We enjoyed another nice breakfast in our room and during breakfast we planned our day by looking at the daily program.
As has been the case on each sea day there were lots of activities offered throughout the day, afternoon and evening hours. As this is a theater and movie theme cruise one of this mornings featured lectures was titled “The Great Movie Stars – The Life and Films of Cary Grant”.
We also enjoyed another wonderful walk on the Promenade Deck. We love the Promenade decks on Crystal ships. There are very few cruise ships afloat that have Promenade Decks like Crystal’s. Some ships have them but they are not true wrap around decks while others don’t have them and you have to walk on the top deck. Another nice feature of Crystal’s promenade deck is that if you can’t be out in the sun you can walk back and forth on the shady side of the deck or if it is too hot you can do likewise. At the same time if you want some additional sun or if it is too chilly you can walk back and forth on the sunnier side of the deck. And, if you are like us and welcome a combination of temperatures and sun and shade you can walk around the full deck and enjoy both features. While we love the Promenade Deck on this ship we enjoy the one on the Crystal Serenity even more as it even wider.
Later in the morning we attended another one of the Raps With The Rabbi. Normally, these are offered every other sea day but because we skipped Wednesday on board the ship we had a Rap today since to us yesterday was Tuesday and today is Thursday. Are you confused now? ☺
After the Rap it was time for……yes……Team Trivia. The good news is that we won today’s Team Trivia. After all of the questions were asked we thought we would be lucky to finish in the middle of the pack. However, it turns out that we were not the only ones challenged by some of the questions. We ended up tying for the lead with the team that has won on most days and then we won the bonus question. So, we are each the proud owners of a new Crystal Hat.
After Team Trivia we enjoyed lunch in the Lido Café. On most days we typically enjoy lunch in the Main Dining Room as we enjoy the table service and the ambience of the dining room. Typically, we have a salad entrée. However, with the weather being so nice we just decided to once again go over to the Lido Café, make up our own salad entrée, and then enjoy the views from this area of the ship.
There were three movies being shown today, two in the afternoon and one in the evening. The first of the movies shown was “How to Succeed in Business of which actress Michele Lee was featured in this movie. This was an appropriate movie to show given that Michele Lee is on our voyage and will be speaking later in the cruise. Keith remembers seeing this movie first in the movie theatre when it was released in 1967. Keith and Anne Marie have also enjoyed seeing this as a play.
This evening we enjoyed a wonderful dinner in the main dining room. Last evening we spoke with the headwaiter and preordered a special entrée for this evening. Everything from the service to the food was wonderful.
Keith & Anne Marie
The seas were very smooth last evening when we went to sleep and have been very nice today. The Captain was correct about today’s weather when he gave us the two day forecast yesterday.
Anne Marie had a good deal of coughing last evening. She does well during the daytime but for whatever reason has more trouble at night. Regardless, she is enjoying the cruise and is very happy to be on board such a wonderful ship and cruise line.
Keith awoke early this morning and as has been the case for the entire cruise absent the first couple of days, he wake up prior to the alarm clock going off. He started my day with a nice workout on the Elliptical Machine. It always takes him about one week to get used to these machines because all Elliptical Machines are not created equal and he is now used to this machine. The workout was great and he watched the news prior to the AIG hearings and then watched some of the hearing while he was still working out. A few of the same passengers who he has seen each morning were up there for a portion of my workout.
Afterwards, Keith stopped by the Lido Café to bring some coffee back to the room for the two of us and then we listened to some more of the AIG hearings.
We enjoyed another nice breakfast in our room and during breakfast we planned our day by looking at the daily program.
As has been the case on each sea day there were lots of activities offered throughout the day, afternoon and evening hours. As this is a theater and movie theme cruise one of this mornings featured lectures was titled “The Great Movie Stars – The Life and Films of Cary Grant”.
We also enjoyed another wonderful walk on the Promenade Deck. We love the Promenade decks on Crystal ships. There are very few cruise ships afloat that have Promenade Decks like Crystal’s. Some ships have them but they are not true wrap around decks while others don’t have them and you have to walk on the top deck. Another nice feature of Crystal’s promenade deck is that if you can’t be out in the sun you can walk back and forth on the shady side of the deck or if it is too hot you can do likewise. At the same time if you want some additional sun or if it is too chilly you can walk back and forth on the sunnier side of the deck. And, if you are like us and welcome a combination of temperatures and sun and shade you can walk around the full deck and enjoy both features. While we love the Promenade Deck on this ship we enjoy the one on the Crystal Serenity even more as it even wider.
Later in the morning we attended another one of the Raps With The Rabbi. Normally, these are offered every other sea day but because we skipped Wednesday on board the ship we had a Rap today since to us yesterday was Tuesday and today is Thursday. Are you confused now? ☺
After the Rap it was time for……yes……Team Trivia. The good news is that we won today’s Team Trivia. After all of the questions were asked we thought we would be lucky to finish in the middle of the pack. However, it turns out that we were not the only ones challenged by some of the questions. We ended up tying for the lead with the team that has won on most days and then we won the bonus question. So, we are each the proud owners of a new Crystal Hat.
After Team Trivia we enjoyed lunch in the Lido Café. On most days we typically enjoy lunch in the Main Dining Room as we enjoy the table service and the ambience of the dining room. Typically, we have a salad entrée. However, with the weather being so nice we just decided to once again go over to the Lido Café, make up our own salad entrée, and then enjoy the views from this area of the ship.
There were three movies being shown today, two in the afternoon and one in the evening. The first of the movies shown was “How to Succeed in Business of which actress Michele Lee was featured in this movie. This was an appropriate movie to show given that Michele Lee is on our voyage and will be speaking later in the cruise. Keith remembers seeing this movie first in the movie theatre when it was released in 1967. Keith and Anne Marie have also enjoyed seeing this as a play.
This evening we enjoyed a wonderful dinner in the main dining room. Last evening we spoke with the headwaiter and preordered a special entrée for this evening. Everything from the service to the food was wonderful.
Keith & Anne Marie
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Happy St. Patrick's Day
From Right To Left Daniel (assistant to the Hotel Director), Anne Marie (Reception Desk), Frantz (Chief Concierge) and, Patrick from the Reception Desk.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day to everyone from on-board the Crystal Symphony.
It has been difficult to post pictures on this cruise. When we arrive home we will try to add more to the Blog.
We had mentioned that last evening that we dined a Silk Road. As it was a formal night there were very few passengers dining there as most were enjoying the French Dinner in the Main Dining Room. Dinner was once again wonderful. We let Willie who is the Silk Road Headwaiter select the Sushi for us as he did the other evening. We normally do the selection ourselves but Keith has been more adventurous with the Sushi that he enjoys so he has gone with Willies’ recommendations. Anne Marie prefers the rolls rather than the raw fish so she selected the rolls and then Willie added a few to what she had picked out.
Keith always uses the chopsticks but Anne Marie usually prefers the fork and knife. Last evening she used chopsticks with training wheels for the Sushi. Keith continues to encourage here to try it without the training wheels.
We talked with Willie for quite a while since there were very few passengers dining. He is another wonderful person. We first met him on the Serenity in 2005 and we think the world of him. He adds tremendously to the dining experience. It is amazing how he is on top of everything. We sailed with him on the entire full World Cruise in 2007. I remember one of the special events one evening was a special performance given by many of the crew from the Philippines including Willie. This included dancing and singing. We will tell you that it was one of the most memorable performances and several of us, including the two of us had tears in our eyes during the performance.
We have never eaten at the Sushi Bar, but after talking with Willie last evening we have decided to give it a try. So, we have added one additional Silk Road reservation to the two remaining ones we have (yes we love Silk Road) and plan to sit at the Sushi Bar at least for some of the Sushi and then will enjoy the rest of the meal at a table.
Last evening we turned the clocks back another hour. Keith was up quite early this morning and was working out a little after 4:00 AM and by 4:30 AM three other passengers were working out. He enjoyed a wonderful workout on the Elliptical Machine. During the workout he watched the preview of the 2010 World Cruise on the Crystal Television Station. It is an amazing itinerary.
Afterwards, Keith stopped by the Lido Café to bring coffee back to the room for Anne Marie. He spoke for awhile with Bob Hales who is an Estate Planner who is lecturing on board this voyage. We have been on several other cruises when Bob has given lectures. He is very knowledgeable in his field and very interesting to talk with. Keith enjoyed a nice talk with him.
Anne Marie did great yesterday but was up part of the night coughing last evening. So, she took another break from the Fitness Center. We enjoyed the coffee in the room.
We had a great breakfast and afterwards we enjoyed a very nice long walk on the Promenade Deck.
There were lots of activities on the ship today.
Ambassador Pack gave a presentation titled “The Shock of Foreign Cultures – Especially Yours”. We enjoyed his talk as we always do and it was very well attended.
There was Rap with the Rabbi at 11:00 AM and also Memoir Writing with Joe Kita. We once again enjoyed the Rabbi and the topics that were discussed.
There was Team Trivia at 12:00 Noon. The team that always wins tied for first but then lost the tiebreaker. We got eleven of fifteen questions right but that was not good enough. Maybe we’ll do better tomorrow.
Today was the Grand Gala Buffet. As usual there was an array of wonderful foods. As many times as we have seen the buffet we continue to be amazed at the preparation and the attention to detail that goes into this buffet. We had a nice lunch at the Lido Café. The weather was wonderful as the Captain had mentioned in his morning announcement so we ate outside.
We enjoyed a wonderful dinner in the Main Dining Room. Our headwaiter is Vlada. He has been wonderful and we have enjoyed our conversations with him. He is a true professional and a genuinely nice person. The Senior Waiter and the Waiter have also been wonderful in all that they do. They have made each meal memorable for us.
This evening’s entertainment includes Kenny Smiles whose first time as an entertainer with Crystal was on one of the voyages of last years World Cruise where he received a standing ovation during each of his performances. He is quite an interesting comedian. He boarded the ship in Hawaii we ran into him later that day. He did remember Keith from last year. When you talk with him off stage he is quite humorous and when you hear stories from him you just aren’t quite sure if they are true or part of his act. He has been performing on Regent Cruise Lines for many years and as we mentioned gave his first performance on a Crystal ship last year.
Since we are crossing the dateline, we will skip tomorrow March 18 and when we wake up it will be on March 19. This happened to us last year so we now know the routine.
Keith & Anne Marie
Hong Kong Here We Come
The remainder of this cruise is now sea days, which for us represents the most consecutive sea days at sea.
We set the clocks back last evening as we have and will continue to do several more times during this cruise. We really prefer sailing this way as so many others do. It is preferable to us then moving the clocks forward.
Anne Marie did better last evening. She’s still not working out yet in the Fitness Center but hopefully she will begin workouts soon. Keith was up to the center very early, although about ten minutes later there were a few other passengers working out. Keith worked out at what has become his favorite elliptical machine. There seem to be a greater percentage of passengers on this cruise who prefer one of the stationary bicycles and a particular one at that.
Keith continues to take care of things around the house until Anne Marie is back to normal. After his workout he did a couple of washes and he brought coffee back to the room a couple of times as well. The scary part is when he was showing one of the woman passengers how to use the machines. He has become quite the expert until he put Anne Marie’s formal dress in the washing machine. Just kidding. ☺ We are lucky though that Keith does not have to dust and vacuum the room.
We enjoyed a very nice breakfast in the room. After breakfast, we did take a very long walk on the Promenade Deck for about an hour and fifteen minutes. The fresh air was great for Anne Marie.
There are lots of activities throughout the day and evening hours.
A couple to highlight;
A lecture was given by Ian Perkin who gave a presentation titled“”The Asia Pacific Century – Are We Living It?”
Memoir Writing With Joe Kita. He is the writer who taught memoir writing on the 2007 and 2008 World Cruise. With so many sea days on this cruise it is an opportunity for passengers who have an interest in doing this to get started with their memoirs. Part of writing the memoirs is to share memories and information with family. Of course, some of his students have gone on to publish their memoirs.
At Noon there was team trivia. The questions were very challenging and we did not win. In fact, the team that has won the previous several days of trivia won again. Oh well. There is tomorrow. ☺
For those who enjoy bridge, and there are many on board who do, there was lots of opportunity for them to play and to take classes throughout the day.
In keeping with this being a movie voyage there continues to be three movies shown each day, including Slumdog Millionaire.
A wonderful Matinee Concert was given at 5:00 PM by pianist Halida Dinova and Clarinetist Kevin Schempf.
This evening was the second of the four formal nights that are being held on this cruise. This evening’s dinner in the Main Dining Room was the French Dinner Menu.
We decided to dine in Silk Road this evening knowing that the majority of passengers would be dining in the Main Dining Room. This is the first time during this voyage that we dined by ourselves in one of the Specialty Restaurants. Since we sit at a table for two in the main dining room many times when we dine in the specialty restaurants we try to dine with others.
This evening’s production show is Million Dollar Musicals. There is also Karaoke at 11:00 PM in Luxe.
Yes, we move the clocks back another hour this evening. We love sea days! ☺
Keith and Anne Marie
We set the clocks back last evening as we have and will continue to do several more times during this cruise. We really prefer sailing this way as so many others do. It is preferable to us then moving the clocks forward.
Anne Marie did better last evening. She’s still not working out yet in the Fitness Center but hopefully she will begin workouts soon. Keith was up to the center very early, although about ten minutes later there were a few other passengers working out. Keith worked out at what has become his favorite elliptical machine. There seem to be a greater percentage of passengers on this cruise who prefer one of the stationary bicycles and a particular one at that.
Keith continues to take care of things around the house until Anne Marie is back to normal. After his workout he did a couple of washes and he brought coffee back to the room a couple of times as well. The scary part is when he was showing one of the woman passengers how to use the machines. He has become quite the expert until he put Anne Marie’s formal dress in the washing machine. Just kidding. ☺ We are lucky though that Keith does not have to dust and vacuum the room.
We enjoyed a very nice breakfast in the room. After breakfast, we did take a very long walk on the Promenade Deck for about an hour and fifteen minutes. The fresh air was great for Anne Marie.
There are lots of activities throughout the day and evening hours.
A couple to highlight;
A lecture was given by Ian Perkin who gave a presentation titled“”The Asia Pacific Century – Are We Living It?”
Memoir Writing With Joe Kita. He is the writer who taught memoir writing on the 2007 and 2008 World Cruise. With so many sea days on this cruise it is an opportunity for passengers who have an interest in doing this to get started with their memoirs. Part of writing the memoirs is to share memories and information with family. Of course, some of his students have gone on to publish their memoirs.
At Noon there was team trivia. The questions were very challenging and we did not win. In fact, the team that has won the previous several days of trivia won again. Oh well. There is tomorrow. ☺
For those who enjoy bridge, and there are many on board who do, there was lots of opportunity for them to play and to take classes throughout the day.
In keeping with this being a movie voyage there continues to be three movies shown each day, including Slumdog Millionaire.
A wonderful Matinee Concert was given at 5:00 PM by pianist Halida Dinova and Clarinetist Kevin Schempf.
This evening was the second of the four formal nights that are being held on this cruise. This evening’s dinner in the Main Dining Room was the French Dinner Menu.
We decided to dine in Silk Road this evening knowing that the majority of passengers would be dining in the Main Dining Room. This is the first time during this voyage that we dined by ourselves in one of the Specialty Restaurants. Since we sit at a table for two in the main dining room many times when we dine in the specialty restaurants we try to dine with others.
This evening’s production show is Million Dollar Musicals. There is also Karaoke at 11:00 PM in Luxe.
Yes, we move the clocks back another hour this evening. We love sea days! ☺
Keith and Anne Marie
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Aloha
NOTE: We are having difficulties placing pictures on the Blog. When we return home we will add pictures.
We arrived in Honolulu at around 4:30 PM yesterday afternoon. For those of you who are familiar with the area we were docked at Pier 10 and 11, which is opposite the Aloha Tower.
We enjoyed a wonderful dinner in the Main Dining Room. We had preordered the dinner with our Headwaiter the other evening. We enjoyed Caesar Salad which he prepared for us tableside. The entrée was Veal Zurichoisse which was just delicious. It is veal, which is served on top of Roesti Potatoes, topped with a delicious mushroom sauce. The Roesti are potatoes, which are grated with onions in the shape of a flat pancake. For those of you who are familiar with Potato Latkes the taste is quite similar. Not sure how healthy all of this was, but it was sure yummy!
After dinner, we walked off the ship and walked along the nearby area. We saw the Rabbi and his wife while ashore. While we were walking it started to rain so we headed back to the ship.
Crystal brought on board local entertainment who provided a nice show for the passenger’s. With only one stop on this voyage before we arrive to Hong Kong some passenger’s chose to dine in port and/or to take in a show or other activities on land.
While Anne Marie was doing much better during the day, she had a tough time sleeping last evening as she was coughing quite a bit so she was up for a good portion of the night. Keith did his morning workout and was up to the Fitness Center at the crack of dawn. ☺ He found a good program to watch so he had his longest workout of the voyage. We enjoyed a very nice breakfast in our room and spoke with our son Eric by cell phone.
In the morning, we went off the ship to walk around the area. We have been here a number of times on cruises and also on land vacations. We walked over to Waikiki to the Hilton Hawaiian Village where we first stayed twenty years ago this month. We last visited it three years ago while on a cruise. It is about a 45-minute walk each way from the Aloha Terminal. It was a sunny day. During our walk we spoke with our daughter, Jennifer, by phone.
A variety of shore excursions were offered including some that are new in 2009. Security is very good in this port of call as it was when we visited here last year. In addition to showing the local security our shipboard card each passenger was also asked to have in their possession a government photo identification card with them. Packages and other items such as purses were checked very carefully.
At Noon we met a couple that we brought on to the ship. We had made arrangements with Crystal a couple of months ago so that they could come onto the ship. Keith knows the man Pete from Cruise Critic. They live in Hawaii. Crystal is one of the few cruise lines that still allow guests to bring visitors on board the ship when in port. A special form must be provided to Crystal ahead of time. Keith made the arrangements back in Februarry. Last year when we visited this port on the Crystal Serenity we brought on board our friends, Joan and Mac onto the ship. and we enjoyed the afternoon with them. We really appreciate Crystal’s willingness to allow passengers to bring guests on board their ships. We had a wonderful time talking with Pete Leilani.
This evening we dined at Prego with the Rabbi and his lovely wife Gerri. We have been very fortunate to have cruised with them on the 2007 and 2008 World Cruises and on another sailing from New York City to Montreal. They are truly wonderful people who we are proud to have as our friends.
Keith & Anne Marie
We arrived in Honolulu at around 4:30 PM yesterday afternoon. For those of you who are familiar with the area we were docked at Pier 10 and 11, which is opposite the Aloha Tower.
We enjoyed a wonderful dinner in the Main Dining Room. We had preordered the dinner with our Headwaiter the other evening. We enjoyed Caesar Salad which he prepared for us tableside. The entrée was Veal Zurichoisse which was just delicious. It is veal, which is served on top of Roesti Potatoes, topped with a delicious mushroom sauce. The Roesti are potatoes, which are grated with onions in the shape of a flat pancake. For those of you who are familiar with Potato Latkes the taste is quite similar. Not sure how healthy all of this was, but it was sure yummy!
After dinner, we walked off the ship and walked along the nearby area. We saw the Rabbi and his wife while ashore. While we were walking it started to rain so we headed back to the ship.
Crystal brought on board local entertainment who provided a nice show for the passenger’s. With only one stop on this voyage before we arrive to Hong Kong some passenger’s chose to dine in port and/or to take in a show or other activities on land.
While Anne Marie was doing much better during the day, she had a tough time sleeping last evening as she was coughing quite a bit so she was up for a good portion of the night. Keith did his morning workout and was up to the Fitness Center at the crack of dawn. ☺ He found a good program to watch so he had his longest workout of the voyage. We enjoyed a very nice breakfast in our room and spoke with our son Eric by cell phone.
In the morning, we went off the ship to walk around the area. We have been here a number of times on cruises and also on land vacations. We walked over to Waikiki to the Hilton Hawaiian Village where we first stayed twenty years ago this month. We last visited it three years ago while on a cruise. It is about a 45-minute walk each way from the Aloha Terminal. It was a sunny day. During our walk we spoke with our daughter, Jennifer, by phone.
A variety of shore excursions were offered including some that are new in 2009. Security is very good in this port of call as it was when we visited here last year. In addition to showing the local security our shipboard card each passenger was also asked to have in their possession a government photo identification card with them. Packages and other items such as purses were checked very carefully.
At Noon we met a couple that we brought on to the ship. We had made arrangements with Crystal a couple of months ago so that they could come onto the ship. Keith knows the man Pete from Cruise Critic. They live in Hawaii. Crystal is one of the few cruise lines that still allow guests to bring visitors on board the ship when in port. A special form must be provided to Crystal ahead of time. Keith made the arrangements back in Februarry. Last year when we visited this port on the Crystal Serenity we brought on board our friends, Joan and Mac onto the ship. and we enjoyed the afternoon with them. We really appreciate Crystal’s willingness to allow passengers to bring guests on board their ships. We had a wonderful time talking with Pete Leilani.
This evening we dined at Prego with the Rabbi and his lovely wife Gerri. We have been very fortunate to have cruised with them on the 2007 and 2008 World Cruises and on another sailing from New York City to Montreal. They are truly wonderful people who we are proud to have as our friends.
Keith & Anne Marie
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Let There Be Land
We have tried to post pictures but given the limited internet connections it has been a challenge. We’ll try to add some in time.
We wanted to share some additional thoughts about last evening.
We had a wonderful time at the reception held at the Captain’s Quarters. There were close to 30 guests in attendance along with various officers. Once again, we spoke with the Captain and he continues to be very interesting to talk with. For a good portion of the reception we spoke with the Hotel Director. We enjoyed talking about this ship and also talking about the Serenity and how the two compare. Later on we spoke with the Vice Captain and the talk then turned to the technical aspects of the ship. We asked him a number of questions about the ship and about his experiences in both calm and rough seas. All three of these officers have much in common from the experiences at sea to their warmth and charm, to their professionalism and to their interest in both the guests and the crew. Towards the end of the reception we recognized four other guests. Guess who? Yes, the four other members of our Trivia Team.
After dinner we dined at Prego with Ambassador Peck and his wife Ann who we have come to know so well from our other sailings. It was our first time back to Prego on this voyage. Lots of wonderfully prepared Italian foods to choose from. Ironically, we each ordered the same entrée which was the Swordfish Special of he evening. We enjoyed a wonderful meal with outstanding service and equally outstanding conversation for over two hours. We chatted with the Specialty Restaurant Maitre d’ someone we have also come to know quite well.
We will post early today because when we reach land at 5:00 PM Hawaii time the Internet service will be down. We are not sure about the status tomorrow so we may not post tomorrow.
We set the clocks back last evening and once again Keith woke up early and was up at the Fitness Center by around 5:15 AM. About thirty minutes later there were others up there who, like, Keith, arrive fairly early.
Anne Marie is feeling better but is another few days away from being back to normal so she stayed in the room while Keith worked out.
We enjoyed another nice breakfast in the room. We would have tried the Lido Café by now but with Anne Marie not feeling herself it is just easier to have breakfast in the room.
Since part of today is a sea day there are lots of activities. Destination Lecturer Dorinda Nicholson presented :Honolulu: Then and Now”. As part of this talke she covered the area from its volcanic origins to its statehood. She has been a very good lecturer and we enjoyed today’s lecure.
There were a variety of other programs including stretching and yoga classes, music classes, a French class, a beginners bridge class, and an intermediate bridge class, a golf clinic, jackpot bingo, needlepoint, rap with the Rabbi, and of course Team Trivia. In the afternoon, there is an equally impressive list of activities including gaming lessons, a lecture on estate planning, duplicate and social bridge, another golf clinic, a movie, a talk on art work, afternoon tea and some additional fitness classes.
We enjoyed today’s Rap With The Rabbi. We did well in Team Trivia but not well enough to win.
After Team Trivia we enjoyed a very nice lunch in the dining room. We have ordered a special dinner for this evening.
We are due to arrive in Hawaii in just a few hours. The weather forecast for this evening is for rain showers. Hopefully, tomorrow will be nicer.
The seas have been more rough than what we experienced last year and even a bit more rough than what we experienced a few years ago. The seas today have also been rough and this should last until we dock later today. The captain does promise that we will not feel the rough seas when in port. ☺
Keith & Anne Marie
We wanted to share some additional thoughts about last evening.
We had a wonderful time at the reception held at the Captain’s Quarters. There were close to 30 guests in attendance along with various officers. Once again, we spoke with the Captain and he continues to be very interesting to talk with. For a good portion of the reception we spoke with the Hotel Director. We enjoyed talking about this ship and also talking about the Serenity and how the two compare. Later on we spoke with the Vice Captain and the talk then turned to the technical aspects of the ship. We asked him a number of questions about the ship and about his experiences in both calm and rough seas. All three of these officers have much in common from the experiences at sea to their warmth and charm, to their professionalism and to their interest in both the guests and the crew. Towards the end of the reception we recognized four other guests. Guess who? Yes, the four other members of our Trivia Team.
After dinner we dined at Prego with Ambassador Peck and his wife Ann who we have come to know so well from our other sailings. It was our first time back to Prego on this voyage. Lots of wonderfully prepared Italian foods to choose from. Ironically, we each ordered the same entrée which was the Swordfish Special of he evening. We enjoyed a wonderful meal with outstanding service and equally outstanding conversation for over two hours. We chatted with the Specialty Restaurant Maitre d’ someone we have also come to know quite well.
We will post early today because when we reach land at 5:00 PM Hawaii time the Internet service will be down. We are not sure about the status tomorrow so we may not post tomorrow.
We set the clocks back last evening and once again Keith woke up early and was up at the Fitness Center by around 5:15 AM. About thirty minutes later there were others up there who, like, Keith, arrive fairly early.
Anne Marie is feeling better but is another few days away from being back to normal so she stayed in the room while Keith worked out.
We enjoyed another nice breakfast in the room. We would have tried the Lido Café by now but with Anne Marie not feeling herself it is just easier to have breakfast in the room.
Since part of today is a sea day there are lots of activities. Destination Lecturer Dorinda Nicholson presented :Honolulu: Then and Now”. As part of this talke she covered the area from its volcanic origins to its statehood. She has been a very good lecturer and we enjoyed today’s lecure.
There were a variety of other programs including stretching and yoga classes, music classes, a French class, a beginners bridge class, and an intermediate bridge class, a golf clinic, jackpot bingo, needlepoint, rap with the Rabbi, and of course Team Trivia. In the afternoon, there is an equally impressive list of activities including gaming lessons, a lecture on estate planning, duplicate and social bridge, another golf clinic, a movie, a talk on art work, afternoon tea and some additional fitness classes.
We enjoyed today’s Rap With The Rabbi. We did well in Team Trivia but not well enough to win.
After Team Trivia we enjoyed a very nice lunch in the dining room. We have ordered a special dinner for this evening.
We are due to arrive in Hawaii in just a few hours. The weather forecast for this evening is for rain showers. Hopefully, tomorrow will be nicer.
The seas have been more rough than what we experienced last year and even a bit more rough than what we experienced a few years ago. The seas today have also been rough and this should last until we dock later today. The captain does promise that we will not feel the rough seas when in port. ☺
Keith & Anne Marie
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