About the time we were getting ready for dinner, our Captain came on the in cabin speaker. It was not the 7 short blast and 1 long one, so we are not in any danger, but since this is only the second time since we departed, we paid attention. So, the cold front that pushed its way south has somehow ended up in the Western Atlantic and the forecast caused our Bermudan port on Tuesday, November 11th to be cancelled. Surprise, you win yet another day at sea! 99% chance of strong storms and 55 mph winds….again. Didn’t we just do this on the other side of the Atlantic? He blamed it on the RCCL Chief Meteorologist and Corporate Safety Officers. Global warming or just bad luck? As we are traveling diagonal south, I doubt we will see the same rough seas. Good thing, they have used all the green apples. I do feel sorry for those folks that are first time cruisers….this has been an interesting cruise.
We ditched Ed-2 and Betsy last night (advanced notice required) and had dinner with Robert and Nancy Dillard last night. For those of you who know the Dillards, you can just skip this part. For those of you that don’t, Robert and Nancy have been part of the Kingwood scene since we arrived in 1985. While our children are not the same ages (Greg just turned 50), our sports were not the same, we have been part of their orbit off and on since 1985. For those of you that are making your outfit selection for the annual MAC luncheon (Mothers Against Cancer), you can thank Nancy and her wingman, Maggie for that. Nancy and Robert are those kind of friends that we don’t see often, but are like a comfortable pair of shoes…no break in period. First night of the cruise we bumped into them…rather Eddie did in the men’s bathroom…over the urinal…would have loved to been a fly on that wall. Total different mental picture than when women bump into each other in the bathroom. They agreed we would get together and have dinner. They were some of the 300 b2b folks. They are on Deck 8 and eat in the Main Dining Room at 7:00. Hmmm. We eat in Luminae at 6:00 with Ed-2 and Betsy. Before cruising Eddie decided we would buy a speciality dining package of 3 meals, and pay top dollar for a traditional 12 course Omakase Japanese dinner. Eddie and Celebrity app is kinda like him and Amazon…no discussion or explanation, just point and click…and it arrives in my inbox box to put on my cruise calendar. Amazon has formed the missing delivery truck formation in honor of Eddie on Veteran Day…thanking him for his Military Service and his continued support of the Amazon Platform…As we are moving towards the end of the cruise and we still had our three specialty nights, we decided to invite the Dillards to join us at Tuscan-the ship’s Italian steak house…and use four of the six pack. The other option was La Petit Chef which I call Go, Go Gadget dining. It is interactive as the chef is a cartoon from a ceiling mounted projector that wheels around your table during the meal. Eddie is not a fan…insert eye roll. I am hoping the 9 kids on board got to go…including the two boys with the soccer ball. (Glad they are not next to or above us…we have ridden the elevator with them…we are good on soccer ball and boy encounters…).
Since Eddie’s first Dillard sighting, we have tried to coordinate a dinner. Day two, I composed a letter (on my spiral bound notebook paper) with cell numbers, cabin number and a couple ideas. There use to be suite letter writing material and envelopes. The paper had our name and Suite number…necessary, no, powder puffery, yes. Nope, gone. I took my folded letter with Robert and Nancy Dillard printed clearly on the paper in Black Sharpie to Guest Services. They/she assured me it would be delivered within the hour. Two days later, cricket, cricket. Nothing from N & R. Well, we have been in ports. I then picked up the phone and asked Guest Services to ring their cabin. Nope, if I did not have a cabin number, not happening. I guess there are stalkers even on ships-late nights, liquor packages and lots of at sea days…and they say getting around medical privacy is hard. Finally, I decided to go to the Suite Host…Toni with and “i”, male, not Nora, the manager. I asked what I could do to get a message to N & R since it was obvious my note was delivered to the circular file (trash can). I explained we had known them for 40 years and had been at their house for a function a week or two before they left on the first leg of the cruise…even had pictures. Toni said it was against Corporate policy. Like any good corporate guy, money help those rules be a little less inflexible. I finally had a Cabin number, which I won’t share…privacy issues and all. Well, the Dillards’ Cabin phone does not go to message after four rings. I am sure the adjacent cabins loved my constant calling…kinda like the soccer ball boys. Not sure where they were (Nancy said playing couples canasta, Robert gave us an eye roll) but they were never in their cabin. I used a sheet of paper from the note pad (downgrade) and went up and put it on their door with our Cabin number and information. Two more days…cricket, cricket. I left mid morning to attend a Beyond the Podium lecture, told Ed to listen for the phone while I was gone. He went outside on the balcony. Guess when Nancy called? The message had her current cell phone number-I was texting her old number and the fact they had just discovered my small note on the door…two days later…Nancy and I spent the next 24 hours trying to text each other…even with the much touted Celebrity app, we could not connect..which is so strange. We are both Apple products..I get text from people on land, but one deck up, not happening. So, I again, I took pen and paper and wrote them a note. This time on the way to the morning program, I detoured and found their room steward. She unlocked the Dillard’s cabin (Mr. Robert) and placed our invitation, time and date, location and where to go early for cocktails. Typically, as we added the Dillards and their cabin number to our Tuscan Reservation via our Butler, they should have gotten a card on their door from Tuscan 24 hours out. N&R said they did not get that. I went up to Tuscan at lunchtime to determine the problem so I would not go Covid Karen when we arrived. After Betsy’s meeting, I am sure there is a guilty by association comment on our guest account. Well, our table for 4 was in the computer, but the Dillard’s cabin number was incorrectly entered, so they sent the card to another cabin. Corrections made. Nancy and I finally connected on the shipboard phone line, no smoke signals were used….I had paper and a lighter and not afraid to use them. I was kinda at my wits end. At the assigned time, we met for cocktails then had dinner in Tuscan. Menu has changed…no Veal Chop (my fav) and no Osso Bucco (Ed’s fav). Was the waiter extra good to us, yes. Did the chef come out after our meal to make sure everything was satisfactory, you betcha. Was it, nope, Eddie’s fish was super dry…did we say anything…are you nuts? We all over ate and enjoyed each other’s company…and a good laugh over communication difficulties. Robert and I strategized over Plan B-SUV rental in Tampa and driving back should we receive greeting from the CEO of United…we are on the same flight…and cellphones will work in Tampa. Oh yeah, Eddie decided to go green…arugula salad and steamed spinach…really? Robert and Nancy know you, who are you trying to impress? The cherry on top was when Robert and Eddie decided to get into a roasted garlic pod eating contest. Boys, Men, they are all the same. Do the math, (g)reens + (g)arlic =dark and stormy night for Eddie. I know how Ed will spend our Bermudan substituted day at sea.
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