DAY TWO OF SEVEN SEA DAYS ON THE WAY TO MAURITIUS. Thank you Sophie.... On this cruise there are four BlackTie Optional (BTO) nights so there are opportunities for Formal Attire. Catherine...Yes Crystal Cruises and all cruise lines I am familiar with do note that drones are prohibited. Believe it or not we were once on a Crystal Cruise where someone launched a drone from the ship. I couldn't believe it. Last evening was a Black Tie Optional (BTO) evening. There will be four of these on this voyage. We began the evening attending the Captain’s Reception. This included live music, dancing and cocktails. Captain Giske spoke to everyone. Prior to open dining two to three receptions were held on the longer voyages including the Captain’s Welcome Reception, Crystal Society Reception and Captain’s Farewell. Sometimes Crystal Society was combined with the Farewell Reception. Since the rollout of open dining there has been one reception on most cruises which is the Crystal Society Reception. This was done due to a low turnout by the guests because those guests dining later in the evening didn’t want to get dressed up to attend a party at 5:15 PM. On Segment 2 and this Segment of the World Cruise they have added in a Captain's Reception early on the Voyage plus a separate one for Crystal Society. During Captain Giske's talk at the Captain Reception he noted how many guests are from each country. We would say that around 15 countries were mentioned such as: USA, United Kingdom Brazil, Argentina, Switzerland, Australia, Japan, Italy, Holland and a few other countries. Captain Giske also mentioned that we will turn the clocks back a total of six hours before we arrive to South Africa. Photo of Anne Marie with Jun. These are the dinner menus from Waterside. Following the reception, we had dinner at Waterside. Cruise Director Rick joined us for dinner. Rick returned from a well-deserved holiday for the start of this voyage. There were lots of items to choose from on the Modern Cuisine and Crystal Classic Menus. Guests can order from one or both menus. We began our meal with appetizers. Keith had Caviar and Anne Marie had Shrimp Cocktail. We both had salads for our next course. The Entrée is one of Anne Marie’s favorites which we both had; Fresh Maine Cold Water Lobster. The lobsters were flown to Perth and loaded on Serenity while we were docked at Fremantle. First photo with Senior Waiter Claudia and Heat Waiter Augusto. Photo two and three with Cruise Director Rick. The featured evening entertainment included two performances by Classical Pianist Tomono Kawamura. The good news is before going to sleep we had a time change and turned the clocks back one hour. We slept well last evening. The sea swells were moderate allow for a good night's sleep. Keith enjoyed another workout at the Fitness Center. We had breakfast in our room 30 minutes earlier than our regular time since Anne Marie had personal training. Her personal training continues to be with Fitness Director Charlotte. Charlotte has been providing Anne Marie with copies of the exercises so that Anne Marie can do these on our own in addition to the personal training. Keith arrived to the Fitness Center before Anne Marie's training was over to attend an 8:15 AM indoor cycling class. There will be six indoor cycling classes on this voyage. Fitness Directors Charlotte and Melanie alternate teaching these classes. Today's class was taught by Melanie. It was a terrific class and Melanie used a new playlist for the music and it was motivating. This was the first class where all the bikes were taken. Yea!!! With this being a sea day there was lots of enrichment on the program starting at 7:30 AM and continuing until 5:00 PM. The lectures included: Marine Biology Lecturer Simone Baker who spoke about the weird and wonderful creatures of the deep. Drug Crime Lecturer Paul Cook who spoke Afghanistan and the trading of Heroin. Special Interest Lecturer Dr Richard Somerville who spoke about high-tech robots in the ocean which provide critical data about the ever-changing sea. The outdoor weather was terrific and Keith was able to play Paddle Tennis in the morning. He played several games and on the last round Celebrity Chef Join Ashton who is learning Paddle Tennis played. Always a lot of fun and good laughs. Anne Marie attended another Yoga Class. Lunch was back at Marketplace. Today's luncheon included Asian Specialties including sushi. We enjoyed another relaxing afternoon on-board Serenity include more Paddle Tennis for Keith, a walk outside for Anne Marie and conversations with fellow guests and members of the crew. This evening we are back at Waterside for dinner for the third consecutive night. This is the daily Reflections program from today.
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DAY ONE OF SEVEN SEA DAYS - ON THE ROAD TO MAURITIUS Mary...Yes, the menu is amazing. The sushi/sashimi can make a great meal on its own. We appreciate those of you who have provided comments and asked questions since our journey came. We read each of the. We'll begin today starting with late afternoon on-board Serenity. There was a muster drill for all newly embarking guests at 5:00 PM yesterday afternoon. We were not required to attend. As has been the case with the first voyage of this year, guests are no longer required to bring their lifeboat vest to the muster drill. We enjoyed pre-dinner drinks at the Crystal Cove and Avenue Saloon followed by dinner at Waterside. This was the first time we have gone to two lounges for pre-dinner drinks before dinner. As they say, there is always a first time for most things. LOL. These are the dinner menus from Waterside. Dinner at Waterside was fabulous. We still have Claudia as our Senior Waiter, Yuraj as our Waiter and we now have Damia as our Sommelier. We have not had Damia in the past. Waterside was not very crowded as we have less guests sailing on this voyage. Additional guests will board in Mauritius. This was one of those nights when we looked at the menu that we had some tough choices to make as multiple items were appealing to us. Decisions, decisions. LOL. We began with Cured Atlantic Salmon (Keith) and Chicken Consommé (Anne Marie) for appetizers, Baby Spinach Salads for the both of us and Pan Seared Haddock (Keith) and Pan Seared Fillet of Lemon Sole (Anne Marie) for our entrees. Anne Marie let Keith try some of the Lemon Sole and both were delicious. The Haddock is the one in the photo with the green sauce. As we left Waterside we listened to the music of Ana & Humberto at the Crystal Plaza. When we arrived back to the room there was a nice letter from World Cruise Hostess Stacey along with the second charm for the female World Cruisers. This one was a kangaroo charm. We slept while as we are sailing towards Africa. The sea swells were moderate but created a gentle rocking of the ship. Keith was up early and enjoyed a workout at the Fitness Center and also did our laundry. We had coffee in our room followed by Breakfast. Keith had personal training right after breakfast while Anne Marie walked. Keith really enjoyed today’s session and has been very pleased taking the training. It involves weights and stretching and also some cardio. After he finished he walked on Deck 6 inside the ship with Anne Marie. After walking Anne Marie went to Yoga. This class was taught by Linda Eifer who joined the ship in Fremantle. This is her fourth Crystal Cruise as a Yoga Instructor. She had been teaching for twenty years. There was lots on the schedule on today's program including three lectures. Steve Irwin Biographer John Stanton spoke about Steve Irwin and how he changed the world. Dr. Robert Freedman spoke about Australia's Security Challenges. Nutrition Lecturer Dr. Khalid Sheikh spoke about the Myth and Misconceptions about eating Fat and Heart Disease. Keith watched his lecture on the Television and the key is moderation like it is for most things. We definitely need fat and we need to have a balanced diet. Keith played Paddle Tennis later in the morning for quite awhile. We had lunch at Marketplace. Although we have less guests on board than the last sailing, Marketplace was very busy today. We don't have them but in Waterside and in Marketplace they had Steamed Black Mussels which is something often offered the first full day of a voyage. In the afternoon we kept to our routine of exercise. Keith played Paddle Tennis while Anne Marie walked outside on the wrap-around Promenade Deck. We also spoke with fellow guests and members of the crew and read and write. We plan to watch another lecture before the evening festivities begin. The outside weather was overcast, with a strong breeze but a great day to be outside and also inside the ship. All in all we have enjoyed another wonderful day on-board Serenity. These are the daily Reflections programs for the fist and second day of the voyages. Anne Marie & Keith
WELCOME TO FREMANTLE Gilly thank you for your comments. Catherine had asked what types of excursions were offered in Busselton. The excursions included Margaret River which is the wine region and the excursion included wine tastings. Anther excursion included a visit to the Ngligi Cave with its beautiful interior colors. Some people bought tickets to visit the Busselton Jetty including the underwater observatory which provided terrific views as you might see at an aquarium. We enjoyed a fun night on Crystal Serenity last evening. We began with a pre-dinner drink at the Avenue Saloon. We dined at the Umi Uma Japanese Specialty Restaurant with World Cruise Hostess Stacey and Jeff. We last dined with the two of them together at lunch over the Summer and it was nice to be together again. Dinner is always special at Umi Uma and dining together with such nice people makes it all the more special. We enjoyed a fun-filled dinner with lots of laughs. This is the menu from Uma Uma. We took the liberty of pre-ordering a few items for everyone and each person also ordered items of their choosing. Our Waiter was Anthony. We enjoyed a wide range of dishes including Sashimi, Sushi, Salads and various entrees. The food was delicious and we enjoyed outstanding service in a very beautiful dining venue. These are some of the items we enjoyed. We slept well as we cruised the short distance from Busselton to Fremantle. We began the day as we always do with an early morning workout for Keith and coffee in our room. At 6:00 AM the pilot came on board Serenity and we are including a view of the sun rise. Head Butler Jaison brought breakfast to the room for us as he has on each morning we have been on-board Serenity. Jaison has taken wonderful care of us since we boarded Serenity on December 21 and we thanked him for all he has done. We have known him for several years and this is the first time he has taken care of us. He is a consummate professional and a very caring person and we appreciate all that he does. Senior Head Butler Rao returns to Serenity today from a well deserved Holiday and will be taking good care of us starting with the next voyage. People ask what the Butlers do and they provide a range of services to the guests. The services that guests request ranges by person and for that matter by voyage. The butlers will serve meals in the room including breakfast, lunch and/or dinner during their working hours. During hours when no butlers are on duty there is a room service team who can bring food, coffee, drinks, etc. In our case we have breakfast in our room. This is been something we started a few years back when there was some illness on the ship. Anne Marie is susceptible to picking up viruses, etc. easily so we have made adjustments and that includes having breakfast in our room. For dinner, they can serve the meal course by course and obtain items from Prego and Umi Uma in addition to Waterside. We might have dinner in our room two to three time on a long journey such as this one. Butlers bring around late afternoon Canapés. Given that we have an early dinner this is not something of interest to us. However, when we used to dine late we would have Canapés and from time to time we used to have friends to our room for pre-dinner drinks. In lieu of Canapés we have a fruit plate to our room at 3:00 to provide us with a light snack. Butlers do get some time off during the day so when our butler is off in the afternoon another butler brings the fruit and this has been a great opportunity for us to get to know the butlers on board the ship on this and previous cruises. Butlers fill the refrigerator with beverages and for those who use the in-suite coffee maker they bring the cream and the coffee pods. They also bring fruit each day. Butlers make Specialty Restaurant reservations and can change the reservations. Sometimes we have the butler do this for us and other times we stop by to see the Specialty Restaurant Maitre d'. Once on board the ship the Butler can make or cancel shore excursions for the guests. We do this on our own. Butlers take care of polishing dress shoes. This is something that we don't have the butler do but it's nice that this is offered. Butlers take the dry cleaning, pressing and laundry bags and return the clothing. As part of the suites we get complimentary pressing which we utilize. We do all our laundry. When needed we send items out to be dry cleaned. Butlers can make arrangements to order wine for those wines that are not inclusive. Should we ever order wine we would do this on our own. Butlers can bring down a bottle of wine for the guests to have in the dining venue of their choice. On occasion we make use of this service. Butlers can order flowers which a guest wants to purchase for the room or to surprise someone and we have known guests asking their butler to pick up something at the store. We don't use this service but another nice option for people. Butlers can do unpacking and packing. Once again this is something that we don't have the butler do but we know people who appreciate this amenity as they do need help with this. Butlers can organize parties in the room and will be on-hand for the beginning of the party and come by from time-to-time. There are certainly other services the Butlers provide in addition to these. The Butlers work as a cohesive team helping out one another. From time to time there is a special milestone dinner at the Captain's Quarters and while there is one butler who is assigned to the Captain's Quarters in addition to being responsible for several guest suites, man of the Butlers will assist during the meal helping to serve each course. Almost all Butlers begin in Waterside as the knowledge of the restaurant and the galley is very important as a Butler. Many of the Butlers received formal Butler training before joining Crystal Cruises and we know several how were Butlers on land such as at a Hotel. We have experienced Butlers on four other cruise lines and to us the ones at Crystal are top notch. Once again, thank you Jaison. Rao came by the room to see us after he got settled on the ship. Today is turn-around day with the conclusion of Segment II of the World Cruise and the start of Segment III. This segment will sail from Fremantle all the way to Cape Town, South Africa After breakfast we got ready to visit Fremantle. We have visited Fremantle on several prior cruises and also have taken the train to/from the city of Perth. Fremantle has a population of 33, 000 residents. Fremantle has welcomed Seafarers for over 130 years. It received a major facelift in preparations for hosting the America's Cup Yacht Race in 1986/1987. The city is named after Charles Fremantle who is the English naval officer who established a camp at this site in 1829. Fremantle has a diverse economy with 2,000+ small businesses, most operating with five or less people. The city contains many buildings from the 19th century. Major highlights include. Maritime Center of theist which is considered a sample of Fremantle's past, present and future. Fremantle Prison which opened in 1855. The prison originally held convicts from Britain. Kings Park which is on 990 acres. The park was opened in 1895. The Round House which is the oldest remaining intact building in Western Australia. Fremantle Arts Centre which was constructed in the 1860's by convicts. As we were getting ready to leave the ship, we saw officers and crew who are returning to work from Holidays board. We saw Cruise Director Rick and we welcomed him home. We proceeded ashore. One of the nice things about returning to places we have visited before is knowing our way around town. As we walked off the ship and onto the ground we knew to locate the pedestrian bridge to walk over the train tracks to the sidewalk to walk into town. As we walked over the bridge we saw a parking lot with all new cars. This is something we have seen in past years as many imports are delivered to the port. Once across the street we made a right and walked towards the Fremantle Railway Station where we took a train a few years ago to Perth. Many buses stop at the station to take people to and from this location. From there we walked along the water with the Indian Ocean over towards Bathers Beach. We walked up several steps to stop the Old Round House where we had beautiful views of Chellenger Harbour. Round House was the Colony's first civil gaol where criminals were contained. The cannon is first daily at 1:00 PM. There was a grassy knoll where some people were doing planks and other exercises. We proceeded to Bathers Beach, walked a boardwalk, and over the train tracks to Esplanade Reserve which includes a ferris wheel. Adjacent to the reserve is Esplanade Youth Plaza which includes rock climbing, skate boarding, ping pong and slackling. We proceeded over to Fremantle Markets. The market was closed today. It first opened in 1897 and has over 150 stalls selling fresh produce, jewelry, clothing and items for the home. Our walk took us to the Wesleyan Church of Fremantle, and along several streets featuring stores, hotels, restaurants, cafes and historic buildings. At times the sun was very strong so we would walk on the side of the street with the most shade. We did see our dear friends Bob and Glo as they were walking with the Concierge to take them to a car waiting for them that Crystal Cruises booked for them. We will miss them dearly. We enjoyed lunch on the ship. Often on turn around day we have lunch at Waterside but decided to go to Marketplace. We enjoyed the rest of the day on the ship including Paddle Tennis for Keith, and a walk for Anne Marie. We also spoke with fellow guests including some who boarded today and the members of the wonderful crew. This was the Reflections from February 19 which was not available for posting yesterday. Today's Embarkation Reflections program is not available on-line.
This is our last port of call in Australia for 2019. We look forward to returning to Australia again. We are humbled to visit so many special places around the world. Cheers from Down Under, Anne Marie & Keith WELCOME TO BUSSELTON, AUSTRALIA Patty, thank you for sharing the pronunciation for Albany, Georgia. Mike, the difference between the Viennese Buffet and the Grand Gala Buffet is the number of Austrian items found the Viennese Buffet. What they have in common is lots of delicious food and of course the delicious desserts. We had a wonderful time on Crystal Serenity last evening. Before leaving port Captain Giske spoke with the bridge and said to expect some movement of the ship as we would make our way out of port. He was correct. We began our evening with a pre-dinner drink at the Avenue Saloon. There was a full crowd as there was Name That Tune which was hosted by World Cruise Hostess Stacey Huston and with Pianist Richard Pucci. It was a lot of fun and we got a few answers right although we were not officially playing. These are the dinner menus for Waterside. We enjoyed a wonderful meal at Prego. Our Waiter was Ernest and the Sommelier was Lubo. Prego was fairly full with many people dining early to catch the early show. Even though we were not at a window table from our table we could see outside the windows the beauty of the sea and land as Serenity made our way to our next port of call. Our meal included: Appetizers of Seared Tuna Crudo for Keith and Insalata Caprese for Anne Marie, Caesar Salad for both of us and Pan Fried Fresh Barramundi for Keith and a half portion of an additional entree of Ravioli with Lobster for Anne Marie as our entrees. The Barramundi is one of the new additions to the menu and the way it was prepared was different than the first time Keith had it and he liked this one better. It came as a larger fillet and the items which accompanied it were tasty. The food was delicious. The service superb and we love the dining venue. This is the menu from Prego. We slept well as we headed to our next port of call. Keith was up to the Fitness Center early for another long workout on the Elliptical Machine. He took care of the laundry. We had received a note to our room last evening indicating that the laundry rooms would be closed for maintenance starting late this evening until late tomorrow evening. We enjoyed coffee and breakfast in our room. Serenity called on the port-of-call of Busselon, Australia which is a maiden port of call stop for Crystal Cruises. Busselton has a population of 38,000 people. It is a tender port and the distance from the tender drop-off to the town center is one mile. It is one of the earliest settlements in Western Australia. It is named for the Bussell family who founded the town in 1832. The family made a name for themselves by establishing one of the most successful cattle stations in the colony. Major attractions include: Busselton Jetty which is the second longest wooden jetty (pier) in the world. It takes 25 minutes to walk it. Busselton Museum which provides a selection of artifacts from the early days of settlement. Tuart Forest National Park which is home to Tuart trees which only grow o coastal limestone and include populations of vegetation that are unique to this area. Historic Moreton Bay Fig Trees which was planed in 1896 and which are unique to Western Australia. We took the first tender over to Busselton. The ride took twenty-five minutes as the distance is three miles; one of which is the one mile Jetty. From the pier we walked towards the town. We stopped by the area where you could purchase touring tickets including the train. Once in the town we began by walking down a residential area containing a variety of homes. One one side of the street in between homes were camping sites all filled with campers. We saw many people outside the campers. We came to Churchill Park, then the cemetery on our way to the Historic Moreton Bay Fig Tree. The fig tree was planted in 1896 by Mr. Backhouse and currently is 121 years old. These fig trees are not native to Wwesern Australia and it is illegal to grow them in South Australia. There life expectancy is between 120 to 130 years. There was a hotel at the site and we spoke to the manager. As we walked further we came across a pay telephone which has become less common with cell phone technology. It was not many years ago when we would make use of a telephone booth and our calling card to call home and back to work. From there we walked to Queens Street which was lined with hotels, restaurants, cafes, stores and other businesses. We walked along the street. We proceeded to an area that had an outdoor market selling a range of local hand-made products. It is always nice to walk these markets and to speak with the locals. The temperature became warmer as our walk continued and when it became hot we decided we would take the tender back to Serenity. It was nice to visit this town. After returning to Serenity we enjoyed lunch at Marketplace.
We enjoyed the rest of the day on-board Serenity. Keith played more Paddle Tennis, and Anne Marie took a nice walk along the outside of the Promenade Deck. Keith also plans to meet up with dear friend Bob. Bob and Glo will be departing Serenity tomorrow and make their way home. We will miss them both. We also read and wrote and spoke with other guests and members of team Serenity. Unfortunately today's daily Reflections is not available on-line so we cannot post it. Cheers to everyone from Down Under, Anne Marie & Keith WELCOME TO ALBANY, AUSTRALIA Mike, thank you so much for your nice comments. We agree with you 100% about the grand children and the future. We have heard similar comments about Emma resembling Anne Marie and Jennifer resembling Keith. Mike Lee, thank you as well for your nice comments. When it comes to the Avenue Saloon our experience is how busy it is varies by cruise and time of the evening. For example, on the Holiday cruise it was not very busy on some of the nights which is unusual for a Holiday Cruise. However, demographics might have played a role in that. On the September cruise which we were on with you since it was very port intensive and people had lots of tours that might have played a role in terms of the number of people in the lounges. We found on that cruise that the Crystal Cove was very quiet before 6:00 PM dinner whereas starting with the December Holiday cruise and continuing to the present cruise it has been very busy starting at 5:00 PM. On this cruise the Avenue Saloon has been fairly quiet when it opens at 5:00 PM but starting at 7:30 PM it has picked up considerably and when the entertainer sings starting at 8:30 PM it has been fairly full. We began last evening with a pre-dinner drink at the Crystal Cove. Bartender Afzel was working his magic making a wide range of drinks. We enjoyed listening to Pianist Richard Pucci who played two Beatles songs for us; Yesterday and Michelle. The World Cruise Chorus performed several songs including one song from If I Were A Rich Man. These are the dinner menus from Waterside where we dined last evening. We enjoyed dinner at Waterside. We both began with Chicken Consommé and had a Spring Green Salad. We also chose the Salmon Fillet and Keith had them add one piece of the Tilapia Filet from another entrée. Food was wonderful as was the Service. Once again we had good news when we returned back to the room as we set the clocks back another hour to get on the correct time for our next port of call. We slept well as we always do when cruising. We began our day as we normally do with a morning workout for Keith at the Fitness Center. We had coffee and breakfast in our room as we prepared to go ashore in Albany, Australia. Albany, Australia is a port city in the Great Southern region of Western Australia. Albany is the oldest colonial settlement in Western Australia. It is located 259 miles west of Perth. It was founded in 1826 as a military outpost of New South Whales as part of a plan to forestall French Ambitions in this area. Our first and only visit to Albany was on the 2015 World Cruise and was a maiden port of call stop for Crystal Cruises. Albany is not pronounced as we would pronounce Albany, New York. Rather the Al is pronounced like the name Al. The overall population is 30,000 residents. Highlights include: National Anzac Center which is Australia's foremost museum dedicated to honoring the Anzacs of World War I. Old Gaol Museum which was established in 1852. It was initially a cellblock for convinced men. Museum of the Great Southern and provides information on the natural and social history of the region. Mt. Clarence offers breathtaking view of King George Sound. Torndirrup National Park which is known for its wave-carved features. We went off the ship at 8:00 AM. Although there is a complimentary shuttle to/from town we decided to walk to town on our own. The town is charming and was easy to navigate on our own. Albany is home to many churches, restaurants, cafes, stores and other establishments. Our second visit to Albany was very much the same as the first one. Albany has not changed. It is a charming town. It was overcast and cooler when we walked off the ship. We wore our World Cruise vests for the first time. They have several zippered pockets which we like. From the moment we went ashore we felt the warmth and friendliness of the locals beginning with one special attire who greets us at the pier. We prefer walking so we walked to town instead of taking the complementary shuttle. We made our way along the coast and onto a pedestrian bridge that takes you over the train tracks. Shortly after we entered the downtown area we were met by a woman with local tourism who answered a quest for us and provided us with amp of The Amity Trail which we walked for part of our walk. During the course of the walk we were greeted by other locals including some who worked for local tourism. Although it was Monday morning it felt as if it was a weekend. The town is charming. As is the case for many areas of Australia and New Zealand we felt like we were back in the early 1960's or late 1950's in the USA. You feel safe. The people are friendly. There are many one-of-a-kind stores including a candy store. Ironically, on our way back we ran into a gent who Keith plays tennis with, George and his wife, and he said the same thing. He said it reminded him of the childhood neighborhood he grew up in during the early 1960's in London. We stopped by several churches, walked into two supermarkets, went to a museum which was kind enough to open early for the guests on Serenity. At the museum we learned not only about the history and the future of this area but the role many locals played in wars including World War I and World War II. We spoke to locals at one of the churches who were selling items outside the church. We took in the beautiful scenery. The town has a wide range of restaurants. We passed by three Pizza restaurant, a restaurant specializing in Steak, an Indian restaurant, Chinese restaurants along with several others. There were bakeries, several coffee shops, and many other local establishments. We walked for quite awhile. Towards the end of the walk the sun came out and it warmed up. This is a very special town and one that we expect will keep its charm for many years to come. We are including two short videos. We returned to the Serenity and had lunch at Marketplace where we made our usual salad entree. We are enjoying the rest of the day on the ship including walking outside for Anne Marie, paddle tennis for Keith and conversing with fellow guests and members of Team Serenity. The afternoon weather has been wonderful. The sun came out adding to a picture perfect afternoon. This is the Reflections Daily Program for today. Cheers from Down Under. Anne Marie & Keith DAY 2 OF CRUISING AUSTRALIAN BIGHT - ON THE ROAD TO ALBANY, AUSTRALIA Theresa, we are glad you are enjoying the Blog. We hope that you have an early Spring. Wes, thank you so much for your comments. Bob and Jeannie, we are so glad that you both are on your cruise with your family. We hope you both are having a wonderful time and making memories which will last a lifetime. We wanted to begin with last evening. The attire for the evening was Black Tie (BTO) Optional. We began last evening by attending the Crystal Society Party. Once a guest completes their first Crystal Cruise they become a member of Crystal Society. Crystal Society offers a milestone program. As guests achieve certain thresholds of completed cruises they are eligible to receive various milestone awards. Last evening it was appropriate that only one guest, Olga, was recognized. She is a fellow guest who we know very well was recognized for her 300th milestone. She is a frequent cruiser and began living on the ship a few years ago. Over the years we have enjoyed many talks with her and getting together for pre-dinner drinks from time-to-time. She has sailed 3,000+ days with Crystal Cruises. Crystal Society Hostess Alissa noted that there are 600,000+ Crystal Society Members. Captain Giske noted that at the first Crystal Society Party on Crystal Harmony that ten Crystal Society Members were on board and it was held at the Captain's Quarters with 20 officers present. Between guests and officers and senior members of team Serenity plus various enrichment personnel the room was full. Anne Marie with Jun and in the second photo the two of us with Shore Excursion Manager Storme Brown. These are the dinner menus from Waterside. We dined at Waterside with friend Ileen whom we have for eleven years and have sailed together on several voyages. We enjoyed non-stop conversation and lots of good laughs. Today is Ileen's birthday. Happy Birthday Ileen. We had Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail (Anne Marie) Caviar (Keith), Salads for each of us and Chilean Sea Bass for Keith and Veal Piccata for Anne Marie. We had a wonderful evening and very happy to have Ileen dine with us. Photos of the Caviar and the Sea Bass that Keith enjoyed. The good news is when we arrived to the room we turned the clocks back one hour and there is more to come. We slept well as we continue to sail towards Albany, Australia. The gentle rocking of the ship makes it easy to fall asleep. Keith was up early for his early morning workout. We enjoyed coffee and breakfast in the room. Anne Marie had personal training with Fitness Director Charlotte. We had a busy morning involving three meetings (one that Keith attended and two that we attended together. We will post about each one in the coming weeks. Something that is in common about all three is "passion". This includes "passion" or "being passionate" about what one does in their lifetime. There was lots on the schedule including three lectures. Ken Rees spoke about Perth; Dr. Sheldon Simon spoke about Maritime Piracy in Southeast Asia and the South China Sea Conflicts, and Stuart Usher spoke about the escape of six Fenian prisoners from Fremantle's prison. On top of this there was a Viennese Sunday Brunch Buffet at the Crystal Plaza right outside Waterside. As usual we took photos of the buffet and had our own salad buffet at Marketplace. With the Viennese Brunch in full swing it was less crowded than normal at Marketplace. We had planned to take photos to share with each of you but we were unable to make it to the buffet. We will take photos of the next one. While Anne Marie walked after lunch she could see that it was very crowded. We spent the rest of the day enjoying the ship. This included along walk for Anne Marie and Paddle Tennis for Keith. Later in the afternoon we met with dear friends. Keith sat outside with Bob and Anne Marie had coffee at The Bistro with Glo. They will be leaving the ship at the end of this segment of the World Cruise and we will miss them dearly. Following is the daily Reflections Program. Cheers, Anne Marie & Keith |
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