This is Day 9 of our 16 day crossing. This is day 5 of straight At Sea Days. The focus here is people not ports. The last couple of days have been super special. We have had deep swells so the motion of the ocean has made for interesting people watching. Today, we get white caps and swells. Since we are turning our clocks back an hour a night, people tend to be up earlier and go to bed earlier. The morning speakers get full houses and the afternoon repeat performances of the evening entertainment requires early arrive times. Please no saving places. Pools are open but with all the water sloshing out, it is all about location of your chaise lounge chair…choose wrong and you get wet. It is fun to watch the people who think they have gotten a prime location. Classic rookie crossing error, Sooo glad our suite is not under the pool…empty chaises tend to move at night. Been here, done that, lesson learned.
Unlike the rip tide or hurricane flags on a beach, you can tell when the forecast is for rough seas. The big bowls of green apples and saltine cracker packs start appearing around the ship. We use to see airline barf bags clipped to staircases and the Purcell stations around the ship. I guess budget cut backs or recycling mandates have made that so pre Covid. Not sure how recycled barf bags work. Now, there are the people assigned to clean up, then continuously spray deodorant on the carpet when the inevitable happens. I have nicknamed (because you know that is what I do) them Barf Bunnies. What a resume builder. I can see it now. Expert in the rapid containment, neutralization, and restoration of textile-based disaster zones aboard luxury maritime environments. Demonstrated ability to remain calm under pressure (and odor). Skilled in discreet crisis management to ensure passenger satisfaction and seamless cruise continuity. (Yeah, I cheated and used Chat GPT for that one)
If we had been experiencing an outbreak of a Respiratory virus, which can include Covid…the rapid deployment of the squirt bottle Bleach team, We all love and remember that one-land, sea or air. Yes, Clorox does kill 99.9% of the germs on surfaces. But it makes things such as elevator buttons and table top a tad sticky, particularly after repeat usage. The resume for that crew member would look more like— Frontline hygiene operative specializing in microbial annihilation and viral eviction. Recognized for precision, stamina, and unwavering commitment to wiping out germs (and dignity) one disinfectant-soaked rag at a time.
Back to attending the Beyond the Podium series. The speaker the first half of the cruise has been a humorous but knowledgeable Science guy. He has spoken on everything from sea-life to the Hubble and Webb Telescopes and even thrown in Cat vs Dog owners. He is a cat guy. He is also kind of a Octopus geek. He knows the pitfalls of being too dry or reading from a power point, he injects subtle humor. He packs the house at 10:15 every at sea day he speaks. I usually (note did not use the we pronoun, Eddie never comes) arrive late and leave early. Cruise ship 101. When the theatre lets out, elevators and walkways become very crowded. I have learned that I sit on the aisle seat toward the back. I do not want to raise our hand and be picked to be on stage. If the ship has doors to the outside of the ship, I take them. Eddie follows these rules when there is something he wants to see. Then I become the “we” pronoun. That can be a fun moment too. Just like car driver Eddie, theatre Eddie gets aggressive/frustrated/ when in heavy traffic or in slow moving people crowds…so we have developed strategies when on a cruise ship. Yesterday, despite the heavy seas and our location in the pointy end of the ship, the theatre was full by 10:05. The hour a day roll back ensures everybody is up early. I found my spot along the very back bar stool area. There was another woman there and I asked if the seat was saved. She paused and replied, no, but did I have a cough, fever, chills or diarrhea. Well, that was a first. I responded that I did not. I moved my seat a little farther from her. Whatever she has, I was sure I did not want to catch it. Is crazy contagious? Not sure what kind of warning flag is associated with crazy. Not taking any chances, Eddie is Team Pickle’s designated crazy person.
Gig ‘Em, Hoddy Toddy, Roll Tide, and Happy Hoosiers…shipboard TV had some of our favorite games. Odd timing for sure, but glad Elon’s Starlink and YouTube are in their own lanes and we can see most of the games.
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