Sea Day

Another Wonderful Day At Sea

Norm, thank you so much for yesterday's comment and for following along.

We also wanted to mention that last evening as the Captain had said would be the case, Serenity was treated to many magnificent views as we made our way from Svalbard and the seas were very calm so you could enjoy them from your verandah or other areas outside such as the Promenade Deck and you didn't have to worry about it being dark outside. 

Seas remained calm early this morning when Keith was out on the Promenade Deck at 5:00 AM.  By around 6:30 AM there was more wind and you could feel movement around the ship. While walking inside the ship on Deck 6 for a morning walk you felt sort of like you had a little more wine than you should have. LOL.  We've experienced far worse so no big deal.

We wanted to give a shout-out to the extraordinary crew who works so hard in all departments. Today, I wanted to mention housekeeping.
 
Each morning since it has been cool outside I walk inside the ship in the early hours after going to the Fitness Center. As I walk the ship I see the night crew and their supervisor cleaning all of the public areas and I mean cleaning. They clean everything you could imagine and it looks it. The two Crystal ships look much younger than their actual ages and this is one of the reasons.
 
Likewise, I wanted to say how hard housekeeping works along with the deck hands. Due to the strong winds, there was a good amount of sea salt that was on the sliding glass windows and the verandahs. Instead of waiting until turn-around day they cleaned them yesterday morning and this included washing them down by the deck hand and then the two women who keep the inside of our room looking great going outside and drying everything off and putting the seat cushions back on the chairs. It was cold and they just worked to make everything look great. 

Many thanks to each crew member for all you do. You are truly amazing.
 
Before dinner, we attended a cocktail reception at the  Captain’s Quarters Hosted by Captain Birger. It was attended by several fellow guests including many Crystal Society guests some of whom we have known for years.  
 
Lots of officers and senior staff were on hand including Vice Captain, Chief Engineer, Hotel Director, Cruise Director Ships Doctor, Chief Accountant, Food & Beverage Manager, Crystal Future Cruising & Loyalty Manager, Bar Manager along with other staff from Food & Beverage.

​There was lots of laughter, enthusiasm and overall appreciation for this voyage and where we were sailing. The Captain noted that the last time Crystal Serenity visited this area was in 2010. It was also special as the Captain is from Norway. It was nice that this itinerary included the overnight providing more time for people and crew too to visit the area. Although cold and it did turn colder and windier in the afternoon, we were blessed with not having rain and having weather that we could deal with by layering our clothing which we did. 
 
It was the most well attended reception we have seen in years. As Captain Birger noted, this reception was the most northern reception.

Waterside dinner menu from last evening.

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We dined at Waterside last evening. For those of you who remember Prego Anne Marie had the mushroom soup and Keith had the Carpaccio.  The special butter was tea butter, and we selected focaccia with cooked onion on top.

As usual, food was wonderful as was the service and the ambience of Waterside and we enjoyed lots of great laughs amongst ourselves and with the extraordinary waitstaff team.

Today's Daily Reflections Program follows.

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A view from 5:00 AM this morning.

Although we only forwarded the time two times many people, including ourselves, were a bit tired for portions of yesterday.  We think it's a combination of the time change and also the other evening when we were rocking and rolling due to significant sea swells. Even if you are sleeping through it, you are continually waking up even for a brief time. This is one of the reasons we take a suite closer to mid-ship where you feel the motion far less than being in the bow (front) or the aft (back) of the ship. We had some banging that evening but nothing broke. We spoke with a very nice guest at the Captain's Reception who had a bottle of wine fall off the shelf onto the floor and the bottle didn't survive.  

With each passing day we continue to run into fellow guests some of whom we met for the first time since the restart of Crystal and others we have know for almost twenty years of sailing with Crystal. Last evening we met two guests shortly after being seated at Waterside. This is something that is very special about Crystal and is a benefit of sailing a cruise line with few ships. When you return to either ship you know there will be the Crystal extended family of crew and guests, many you have known for many years. While some guests just want to sail with Crystal and itinerary is not a driver, there are many who took this voyage specifically for its itinerary. Also, some are staying on through the Reykjavik to New York City sailing to avoid transatlantic flights back to the United States.

Lots on today's program. Three lectures including one on Honningsvag which is the gateway to the North Cape, one on Radical Islam and they save the best for last if you are a Beatles fan or is that fans as we are.  The final one was on growing up with the Beatles.  Yea, yea, yea, or is it She Loves You, or Let It Be or..........Lots of songs that we love.