Jane Kipp

Today, we stopped in Grand Cayman. I'm sure it is a nice port, but I didn't see any excursion that piqued my interest. Apparently, the hit of the day was the turtles, according to my dinner mates. This port is what is known as a tender port. That means that you don't dock on land, you drop anchor off shore, and small tender boats come and get passengers and take them ashore. While this is efficient, it is also a little cumbersome. I thought I would stay on the ship today. The advantage of being on the ship when most are not, is that you can get any lounger you want by the pool. There is no hunt to find a table in the buffet, and it is quieter and more relaxing.

So, after doing my laps and having a nice fresh made omelet, I settled by the pool. Beside me was a lady with crutches and a leg brace. What a way to start a vacation. I started a conversation with Anna and found out she is from Tillsonburg, Ontario! It is a small town out by Simcoe area. I used to live in St. Williams, and I worked at the Home Hardware in Tillsonburg. Small world indeed. We chatted for a while marveling at the coincidence of being on the same ship. Then, it was time for a dip in the pool. The pool is a little cool and therefore empty. Yay! After doing my laps like a good girl, I got out to do some reading. Then another dip in the pool (it is a nice day and the sun is out), then a stint in the hot tub. After drying off a bit in the sun and listening to people say how cold it is (27C), I head in for lunch. Now I know that I haven't been adding any food pictures, but I will today. I usually have breakfast and lunch at the Bistro Cafe and then dinner in one of the main dining rooms. Lunch is a salad with grilled chicken and a cake for dessert.

After lunch, I go to explore the ship and get pictures for you. I was on the Norwegian Prima last year for the Fjord cruise. I was enamored by the light fixtures on board there, here not so much. While the atrium lighting is cool (it changes colours), the rest of the ship is pretty bland. That is not to say that it isn't absolutely spotless, but there is nothing really about the decor that stands out. The Grand Pacific dining room has some neat decor, but the rest of the ship is pleasant but not outstanding.

After an afternoon nap, I went to the solo gathering again. There seems to be more there every night. It is nice to see that people are interacting with others, and we have something in common. Those who know me would say I'm not a joiner, but this has been enjoyable. Stretching my boundaries is maybe a good thing. We head to dinner, and I have the Bang Bang Shrimp and Chicken with a cream of potato soup to start. Desert is a chocolate brownie. I haven't mentioned the food much because it seems a little lacking as well. The soup was luke warm, and the dinner was a little dry. The brownie was a dessert that definitely needed some ice cream. The service is also a little bit slow. You wait a long time between courses, and trying to get a glass of wine is hit or miss. The same is true with coffee or tea afterward. Nothing is offered but is served if asked for. I have been sitting next to a man from Denmark named Mons (that may be wrong but close enough). He is very quiet spoken but fascinating to talk to. He was in the textile business and then real estate. He worked in Germany and Denmark. He also likes to travel so we have plenty to talk about.

After dinner, I managed to lose money at the Casino. Then it is off to my cabin to write this up. Tomorrow is a sea day again, so we'll see what trouble I can get into.Leggi altro