Saturday, Day 2

As of noon today, we are two hours ahead of Central time. The ship is really moving at 23 knots. The outside temperature is 51, but with the wind, it feels a lot colder. Here’s a pic (of random strangers) showing the wind’s impact. 

This morning, after wrestling with the coffee machine in our stateroom and being disappointed with the results, Charlie went to the buffet and brought back some coffee. It was hot, if much weaker than we prefer. We then went to the gym to exercise before getting ready for the day. 

We went to Morning Trivia, where a nice couple invited us to team up. Carol and Al are living in Florida, but formerly lived in Houston. We made a good team, with each of us contributing answers, though we didn’t win. Still, 14 out of 20 wasn’t bad. They want us to meet again tomorrow. They are Cunard veterans and were on an 111-day cruise when the pandemic hit. Only one passenger contracted Covid, though it was before anyone knew what it was. In Perth, many people got off to fly home, but they opted to stay onboard and finish the itinerary!  They said it was just one big party. Quite the story!

Here’s a map of our progress thus far:

A bit disconcertingly, one of the maps that rotates through on the TV indicates the site where the Titanic sank!  

We toured a little more of the ship, but are still going the wrong way quite a bit. Here’s a photo of the main dining room where most of the passengers have meals. It’s really beautiful!

We had a very good lunch, back in the Princess Grill.  

Bleu cheese and leek quiche 

We both chose the grouper with shrimp sauce as our entree, and it was perfectly cooked. 

For dessert I had cherry crunch —warm vanilla custard over a cherry compote. Very tasty!

Charlie opted for banofee tart, which he said tasted like banana pudding.  

We both needed naps after lunch, so I didn’t go check out the knitters and crocheters who gather mid-afternoon each day. Maybe tomorrow!

We donned our first Gala outfits before heading to the Grills Lounge for pre-dinner drinks. Here’s a preview, though we also had the ship photographer take some that we don’t have yet. Charlie followed the theme for Red and Gold night with a red bow tie.

I was unsuccessful finding anything red or gold, so went with reliable black. This jumpsuit is a bit flashy for me, so this may be a one-hit wonder, unless there’s an 80s night on a future cruise!

We really enjoyed seeing everyone dressed up!  Dinner in the Princess Grill was good, apart from the disappointing prime rib. We failed to take pics of our starters, but here’s the menu description: 

We shared the spring roll and the asparagus, and both were delicious, especially the pepper marmalade for the asparagus. Caesar salads were next, then the prime rib. We wished we’d chosen the coquille St. Jacque after seeing it served nearby. The desserts are usually small, but perfect to end the meal. I had the Grand Marnier orange olive oil cake, and Charlie had the peach soufflé. Very yummy!

After dinner we went to the Queen’s Ballroom to watch the dancing.  Some really old folks (as in older than us) can really dance! The small dance band had two singers, too.  Really, the highlight was seeing so many people dressed to the nines! I saw elbow-length gloves on a few women, including a red pair! 

That’s it for Saturday!