Day 13: At Sea

Kind of a dreary day today. Overcast and the high temperature was +21C with winds of 21 knots. Waves of only 8 feet did make for smooth sailing today, though there was a perceptable fore and aft pitching. Far less than Day 3 when we has those 21-foot waves.

Today had a fascinating start to it. We attended a lecture by Gary Shahan on World War 2 island hopping by allied forces in the Pacific Theatre. Though I have studied many of these battles, Gary really put the human cost into perspective. Malaria, dengue fever and other illnesses claimed more lives than bullets, grenades and bombs.

We had another Ukelele lesson at noon today. Everyone is getting excited for our recital Sunday in front of the ship's passengers in the Princess Theatre. Like any rookie string instrument player, chord transitions are the toughest part to get the hang of. But we're getting it.

We spent our afternoon relaxing up on Deck 14. We read for a while, snoozed, then went aft to watch Top Gun on the big screen.

Tonight's dinner theme was Italian night with gourmet pasta featured for tonight's entrees. Vasco, who is our head waiter, made an incredible Penne Abriata. Though he leads the serving staff, he has a passion for cooking which was clearly evident. Both Dona and I opted for the Veal Scalopini from the menu. To top it off, dessert consisted of Tiramsu (Dona had a neopolitan ice cream cake), lemon gelato, and a wee dram of limoncello. Delicious!

Here's a picture of the elevator lobby on Deck 15. That's the nightclub One5 in the background. The word "opulent" does come to mind:

Tomorrow: at sea enjoying more of what the magnificent Grand Princess has to offer.