Breakfast and a Ship Tour

You really do start to recognize people after a while. In the dining room, across from us were two ladies at breakfast. A man walked up to them and said, “Mind if I sit with you two ladies?” The two of them go, “Not at all!” and he plunks down next to them. Now, we recognized him from when we had checked in. He was checking in with another male. He was highly recognizable becuase of several large facial piercings. It did not seem that he knew the ladies. My comment to Tim was that he might be a male looking for older women to prey on.

I have a suspicious mind.

I enjoyed this. Due to all of our early excursions we only got to eat breakfast in the main dining room on the last day. That was the only day it was open. The food was succulent and the omelets light and fluffy. I also had french toast. Nothing was oily and it was a lovely start to the morning.

From Bahamas - 2011

From Bahamas - 2011

From Bahamas - 2011

I made sure to have fruit and hot chocolate as well. Hot chocolate at every meal will be my mantra for the next cruise.

Tim had signed up for the ships tour. We had a nice breakfast desert of sherbet and I went to drop him off at the Oak Room. As we left the dining room the man who had infringed on the two women goes, “What is wrong with your staff?” to the receptionists at the doorway. “Are they drunk or high or what? Everything came out cold, wrong, and ridiculous. The food was inedible. I am going to file a complaint!” The two girls looked at him with wild eyes as he ranted at them. I stood there, worried he was going to lose his temper completely. Work mode kicked in for a moment and I eyed him up and down pretty sure I could take him down in one or two moves when he ran out of steam and left.

I said, “I can’t say what his problem was. Our meal and service were fantastic! Thanks!” They smiled at me and I sailed by to watch him say goodbye to the two ladies at the elevators. Tim and I took a walk around the pictures, marveling at how many there were and all of the special carnival extra... stuff... you could buy to make your photos extra special until it was time for him to go to his tour.

Tim takes a Trip

Tim got to go on his tour of the ship and I spent some time sunbathing on the balcony. I loved the extended Balcony and maneuvered a lounge chair into the sunlight. The sky was clear and cloudy, clear and cloudy. Hurricane Irene was chasing us and the sky and sea reflected that.

From Bahamas - 2011

Tim appeared a few hours later glowing from his trip. He had seen the function of the ship, met the captain, had his photo taken, gotten chocolate covered strawberries and thoroughly enjoyed himself. He had also received the recipe for the warm chocolate melting cake and he was determined to try to make it when we got home. He does not really cook but we figured with some supervision from me, he could muddle through.

We did learn that the ship was only running about 2000 passengers. It can hold about 2600.

He told me how they had gone down to the training room where they have the Rosetta Stone to work on their English skills. Carnival it seems has a retirement program for its employees and also promotes up the ranks quite heavily.

He got to see the galley and walk through the spinning doors between the dining rooms and the galley. They went to the engine rooms and the bridge as well as through crew areas and passage ways. They went into the alcohol cabinets and he learned that at 3am the bartenders make their inventory updates to the guy in charge of all alcohol. Crates and crates and crates of alcohol.

He met the head Chef as well. Later we saw him checking the running of the Lido buffet.

The chief engineer was very personable. He was told that the officers were mostly Italian.

The crew dining areas and recreation decks. We learned that they carry their own fork lifts for when they are at port and cages that they load and unload with belong to the ship and are collapsible.

He really enjoyed it and I will join him next time.

Jeans Guy and Grumpy girl were on his tour. Their cabin was directly above ours as well. You do see the same people over and over.

No cameras allowed.

From Bahamas - 2011