Day 1 at Sea

Greetings from somewhere east of Cuba! Just a quick update on what's been happening.

Our Miami finale was enjoyable. We ate at another great Cuban restaurant called Casa Larios. We intended to eat at the Au Bon Pain that was attached to the hotel, so we inquired with the staff as to when they were closing. The polite attendant told me 7:00, so I was somewhat annoyed when I arrived at 6:10pm and they were closed. Apparently the ability to remember a schedule is bleached out by the sun here.

Right after boarding the ship, we had the obligatory muster drill. Erni and I grabbed our life jackets and headed for our assigned station. Normally this is out on deck under one of the many lifeboats. Our station was in the dead center of the ship in a restaurant. Given our "inside stateroom" cabin, apparently everyone in our muster group has a ticket labeled "expendable." There wasn't a lifeboat in sight.

As a running feature for the next few days, I thought I'd post what I've managed to consume on the ship. The cruise director says that the average weight gain durnig a week on this ship is 6 pounds. I'll make that by day 3.

Sunday, Day 1.
Lunch -- salad, rice, potatoes with Indian curry sauce, one slice of veggie pizza, an ice cream cone with marshmallow and chocolate topping, and two unnamed pastries from the buffet.

Dinner -- shrimp cocktail, crab cake, 8oz filet mignon, Caesar salad, 3 dinner rolls, french fries, steamed asparagus, 3/4 of a piece of cheesecake with strawberry compote, and half of Erin's banana compote. Oh, and a large Bass Ale and some bar munchies.

2nd Dinner -- ice cream sundae, slice of chocolate mousse cake

3rd Dinner -- glass of milk, slice of pepperoni pizza, some stir fry, and a mini hotdog wrapped in dough.

Monday, Day 2.
Breakfast -- orange juice, two cups coffee, 4 pieces of bacon, 3 sausage links, waffle with fresh whipped cream and banana compote.

2nd Breakfast -- Milk, apple danish, home fries, 5 pieces of bacon, some fresh pineapple. (2nd breakfast was a direct result of NCL providing small portions in the main dining room. I used the buffet to "top it off.")

So that's the food situation. It's smoewhat irritating to be attacked multiple times as you enter the dining facilities by small Asian women demanding that you use hand sanitizer. Normally, I'm the last person this would bother, but after about 8 shots of sanitizer last night (due to repeated trips to the dining facilities), my hands are pretty much alcohol soaked.

Last observation from days 1 and 2. Speedo == Foreigner.

Over and out. Off to first lunch.
Bret (and Erin)