We began last evening with a visit to the Crystal Cove. These are the menus from Waterside. We dined at Prego with friends Ed and Patti. One of the aspects of cruising we have enjoyed since our first cruise is the opportunity to meet and get to know people. If one goes to a hotel for a week it is not often that they might meet many people as they do on a cruise. Coincidentally, Ed and Patti were one of the couples who attended the Vintage Room earlier in the day. We hadn't realized they would be there until we arrived to the Vintage Room. We first got to know Ed and Patti in 2014 on an overland Safari Program in South Africa and since that time have sailed with them other times and kept up our friendship from home. They are wonderful people and we are so glad they are on this first segment of the World Cruise. The additional entree was Sea Bass over pasta and it was amazing. As soon as waiter Giuseppe mentioned the additional item I said to myself "sold". LOL. We tried a new Italian Red wine that is now available in Prego which was nice. We had a great time with them at dinner between the delicious food, wonderful service, the beautiful dining venue and lovely conversation. We didn't make it to the entertainment which featured Sweet Soul Music featuring hits from Aretha Franklin, Smokey Robinson, Gladys Knight Stevie Wonder and more. We were anchored off Cabo so there was very little movement of Serenity but we still managed to get a good night sleep. LOL. After one day off from exercise Keith returned to the Fitness Center for an early morning workout followed by breakfast in our room. CABOS SAN LUCAS Cabos is a resort city located at the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula. Its overall population is 85,000 residents. Cabo is located on the same latitude as Hawaii at the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula. It consistently is ranked as one of the top Mexico tourist destinations. In addition to its pretty beaches it is home to a wide range of wildlife including sharks, rays, dorado and striped marlin. The temperature is fairly consistent throughout the year with highs ranging from 70’s to low 80’s (Fahrenheit). Major attractions include: El Arco; a natural rock arc at the tip of the Baja Peninsula. Playa del Medano; it includes several miles of safe swimming beach. Marina Boardwalk; this is the official name of the boardwalk where the tender pier is located which is a marina lined with bars, restaurants and shopping. We do want to mention there is another side to Cabo in the evening. We didn't see it ourselves but at least on a Saturday night it was out in full force. There are many clubs on at least one street which attract lots of young people including young adults. Several are three story and have an atrium where there is loud music, dancing and drinking. Not our cup of tea but obviously popular with the young ones. We took the tender over to the tender pier. Surrounding this area is a walkway which takes you into the city of Cabo San Lucas. We sat near fellow guest Howard and enjoyed a lovely conversation with him. We also chatted with a woman on her first World Cruise and with Photo Manager Neil. We also Along the walkway you will find numerous shops and restaurants along with several companies where you can make arrangements to go out on a boat for pleasure, sightseeing or for fishing. When we got off we saw the Grand Princess Tenders. We sailed Grand Princess on a family twelve day cruise in 1999 of the Mediterranean. At the time Grand Princess was the largest passenger ship. By the following year Royal Caribbean Intnerational had the largest ship. We picked it as most ships sailing the Mediterranean were on the older side unlike today. Also our son was 13 and our daughter 17 and we felt that there would be more activities for them in addition to the time we spent touring. We were right. By the time we returned back to the ship two additional ships were anchored. This included the Norwegian Cruise Line cruise ship called Joy and the Regent Mariner who we have seen two times on this trip including while transiting the Panama Canal. At the end of the walkway you see the city. The city has lots of shopping, restaurants, cafes, clubs and hotels. Lots of tourists visit for daytime enjoyment and for its nightlife. In the years since our last visit we see additional changes around the Marina and in the town with several more buildings including more shopping, clubs and restaurants. We saw a couple of clubs we mentioned earlier. It was quiet in town since it was Sunday morning but during our time it got busier with the additional passengers from the four cruise ships. As you see in various parts of Mexico lots of pharmacies selling items which require prescriptions in the United States for purchase. There are lots of individuals and companies selling tours. We saw people taking a Zumba Class outdoors. When Keith visited here for the first time it was part of a employee recognition event. They stayed at two hotels about forty five minutes from the city. One night they did take everyone to the Hard Rock Cafe which Keith wanted to find. We found it but we are not sure this is the original one. Many places will be showing the NFL Championship Games so for those who want to eat and drink they have an alternative spot to watch. As we were walking around the Marina we saw friends Joe and Maria Kita who we have known since 2007. Joe teaches Memoir Writing and is leading the Book Club for the first and second legs of the World Cruise. Maria and Joe also teach the Yoga classes which Anne Marie loves taking. By the time we returned to the Tender Pier it had gotten fairly warm and as the day continued it became hot. For most of our walk we were able to stay near shady areas which was nice. We saw Team Serenity Member Johnny who was manning the cold beverage area. Back on the ship we enjoyed lunch at Marketplace and a leisurely afternoon on-board Serenity. This included a walk for Anne Marie and Paddle Tennis for Keith. Keith also is getting together with dear friend Bob and yesterday Anne Marie got together wit dear Friend Glo, Bob's wife. We wanted to mention both National Football League Championship games were shown on the big screen television and in each guest room. Crystal Cruises is very good about making arrangements and paying the additional fees to show these types of events. The Super Bowl will be shown as well and we believe it will start early afternoon where we are sailing at the time. Following is the daily Reflections Program. Cheers, Anne Marie & Keith
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Last evening we attended a cocktail reception at Captain Birger's Quarters along with several fellow guests. Several senior officers and senior staff were in attendance. Cruise Director Rick joined us for dinner. We had three courses. We both noticed the night before that Swordfish was on the menu and we asked early in the morning if we could have it last evening prepared precisely as it was on the menu. These are the dinner menus from Waterside. The evening entertainment included entertainer Lou Gazarra who is unique in that his show includes songs from a wide range of performers. With a 4:00 PM arrival to Cabo San Lucas today was pretty much a sea day. There were three lectures. Bob Ray spoke about one hit wonders and there are many of them. The challenge is figuring out the names of the groups. World Affairs Lecturer Roberto D'Alimonte spoke about Political Challenges of our time. The last speaker was Ian MacLachlan who spoke about Mexico and the challenges they face. At 11:45 AM, we attend the Vintage Room Champagn Luncheon which was organized by Head Sommelier Tilmar. Although we have attended and hosted several Vintage Room dinner this was the first luncheon we have attended. This program began two and one-half years ago. The Serenity Vintage Room holds up to 14 people and that is the number of people who attended including ourselves. They removed the VR chairs and used chairs from Umi Uma. This was done because they remove remove the chairs at both heads of the table as the one where you would have your back turned to the screen would obviously not work. With seven people on each side of the table with the Umi Uma chairs spacing was fine. We knew five of the other seven people this included two couples who are part of Cruise Critic. The program began at 11:45 AM and we finished by a around 1:20 PM. Price is $115.00 per person. The discussion is done as a lecture by Head Sommelier Tilmar. The program began two and one-half years ago. Since one couple who happen to be friend of ours had recently attended the VR luncheon Tilmar adjusted some of the varieties of Champagne serves. The single woman who we know has also attended some of these luncheons so it might have been adjusted for her as well. In fact, she was instrumental in getting Crystal to approve the purchase of the Champagne glasses we used rather than using the flutes that are so common when many glasses have to be placed on platters. We learned a lot as we always do when attending the dinners. Each champagne was quite diverse from one another such as in sugar content and each one was paired accordingly to each course. We had four major courses; caviar, sashimi, chicken, and a dessert followed by one additional sweet. There was the opportunity to ask questions as one does at the dinners and nice exchange of conversation. Serenity arrived off Cabo San Lucas at 3:00 PM and the ship was cleared for tender service by 3:45 PM. As it is a tender port we didn't go off right away and will visit there tomorrow. So more on Cabo tomorrow. Following is the daily Reflections Program.
Cheers, Anne Marie & Keith These are the dinner menus at Waterside. Once in awhile we have dinner in the room and make it a movie night and this is precisely what we did last evening. Butler Rao organized everything. Last night was also the White Night Extravaganza and the Crystal Plaza was decorated with white night in mind And drum roll please. The good news is before we went to sleep we turned the clock back one hour. Yes. LOL. Today was a great day as we had a full day at sea. It began with our regular routine. Let's hold for one second. When we sail on one 12 day cruise there we don't have many regular days. However, on a long cruise just like when you are at home some of the things we do have a routine. Well, even the routine had a twist. Keith arrived to the Fitness Center an hour before the class. He started to ride listening to his playlist. A fellow guest came up to him and asked if she could join him in a ride as it is more challenging to spin with one or more people so Keith led her in an unofficial class. By the time the real class began he had a tough workout. The cycling class had four guests including Keith and it was more challenging than most of the ones Keith has taken on the ship. So two consecutive workouts. Shortly after the workout Keith played Paddle Tennis with some very nice people. One of them asked Keith when they first played if he was the Tennis Pro. Now this was before they played. LOL. But that made Keith’s day. Then when open play started at 11:00 AM right before the next game a different guest asked Keith if he was the Fitness Director. A second one to make Keith’s day. This hasn’t happened for three years when it happed at the Fitness Center. Probably between the hat and sun glasses they couldn’t tell Keith’s age. LOL. Since today was a sea day there was lots on the schedule. We won't go through it all as it would fill several pages. There were three lectures which included a talk by Destination Lecture Ian MacLachla about the Mexican Riviera and Rao San Lucas our next port of call. Jim Brochu did a talk about Joan Crawford and addressed some of the myths about her. In the afternoon Bob Ray covered singers who made the transition from the megaphone to a microphone. There were lots of singers to cover. For food lovers there was the Grand Gala Buffet which is held on selected cruises and features an array of appetizers, entrees and desserts. We call it a work of art. Also want to note it takes team effort to prepare and service this buffet. It includes many members from Waterside including those in the galley, sommelier’s, and the waitstaff. At least three head waiters were involved with the table and dish setup along with lots of senior waiters and waiters. We chose to have a lighter lunch at Marketplace. When we arrived we said how happy we were to be at the Marketplace Grand Gala Buffet. LOL. The afternoon included Paddle Tennis for Keith and a nice walk for Anne Marie. While Anne Marie sat out near the pool Keith met up with dear friend Bob. We guess you can call this a routine. LOL. This is the daily reflections program. Life is good. Cheers, Anne Marie & Keith Last evening our first stop was to the Library. Anne Marie has already read two books and we returned them to Librarian Liezl who we adore. We then made our way to the Crystal Plaza where we listened to Pianist Richard Pucci perform. We sat with a guest who we have known for many years. Her husband is not on board for this cruise but when we are on-board with him Keith plays paddle tennis with him. We returned to Waterside. These are the dinner menus from Waterside where we dined last evening. Dinner was terrific. We both enjoyed an appetizer of Seafood Enchilada which was very tasty, salad, and for the entree Turbot. The fish was terrific and enhanced wit the leek fondue. Afterward two shows of Icons In Concert were shown. This is a tribute to legends and their music. We slept well as we sailed to our next port of call of Huatulco, Mexico. We began the day with a workout for Keith, breakfast and the two of us walking outside on the Promenade Deck. Weather was lovely. Anne Marie continued walking while Keith went off to visit Huatulco. This is the fourth time we have visited this areas. Huatulco has a population of 50,000 residents. We always spend our time at the area near the tender drop off which features a beautiful beach, views of the surrounding area and lots of shops and restaurants. The nearby area is called Playa La Entrega which is a 600 food beach which is popular for swimming, snorkeling, diving and swimming. A short drive from the area is Tangolunda Resorts which includes several five star resorts. It is a nice stop. Since it is more isolated you feel very safe and it has become a nice tourist destination for those who choose to stay for days at a time to enjoy the beauty of the island and its beaches and its hospitality and for cruise ships visiting for the day. Keith saw some changes since our last visit with some new resorts and condominiums which have been constructed. Keith walked the immediate area as he has done in the past with Anne Marie. As time passed it became warmer outside. He did have one challenge returning back to the ship. He showed his identification to port security with the ship card on one side and his drivers license on the other one. The individuals lookin at it were speaking in Spanish a language Keith didn’t take in school. He is thinking“what have I done”? LOL. Finally in English they say “shipboard card”. Keith pointed to the card, said shipboard card, smiled although to himself he is thinking “are you kidding”. Finally they nodded and smiled too. Hopefully they got better at this as the day continued. Back on the ship Keith ran for awhile on the Promenade Deck. By then it was quite a bit hotter so I ran on the shady side. Only a handful of people were out on the deck. I then met up with Anne Marie who was on the pool deck under an overhang so she had nice shade. We enjoyed the rest of the day on board the ship. Late morning Keith played singles with one of the two Fitness Directors for about an hour. Doubles is preferable and singles in the heat is challenging but it was a lot of fun. We enjoyed Lunch at Marketplace and Keith went back to the Tennis court, while Anne Marie walked inside the ship and went back to sit outside by the pool under a shaded and protected area with an over-hang. We both enjoyed conversation with fellow guests and members of Team Serenity. Keith also met up with dear friend Bob later in the afternoon. This is today's daily Reflections Program. Cheers,
Anne Marie & Keith We enjoyed a Pre Dinner Drink at the Avenue Saloon. Several other guests were there and we enjoyed a nice talk with two friends. We had dinner at Umi Uma for the first time of this cruise. There are the menus from Waterside followed by the Umi Uma Dinner Menus. Dinner was wonderful and we might have eaten too much between sushi, sashimi, salad an the entree. After all it was our first time back. LOL. We were taken great care of by Head Waiter Rue, Waiter Albert and Sommelier Adrian. kToday was a terrific "planned sea" day as we sail to our next port of call in Huatulco. Sailing in a warmer climate makes one forget it is winter back home. Weather was a delight. The daily program had something for everyone with so much to do. We often say it is three days of activities in a one day program. Three interesting lectures were given. First one was given by the Destination Lecturer Ian Maclachlan about Huatulco. Although we have visited this island previously we learned a few new items from the talk. We have to say sometimes we like to get away from non-stop political talk back home but the second lecturer reminded us of this years Presidential Election in the USA. World Affairs Lecturer Roberto D'Alimonte spoke about the USA 2020 Presidential Election. Yes, the Iowa Cacus is just around the corner. Always good to hear what the experts think although it seems nine times out of ten they get it wrong. Bob Ray who has spoken about The Beach Boys and the Beatles returned. He has a unique and refreshing style of giving talks and today he spoke about Elvis Graceland and Sun Studios. Although we remember Elvis he peaked at a time before we remember. We cam alive in terms of music with the Beatles and the British Invasion along with the American Groups that played similar music. We also enjoyed breakfast, lunch (after all we have to eat), a walk by Anne Marie and a run outside on the promenade deck by Keith and Paddle Tennis (morning and afternoon) and the enjoyment of being at sea and on Crystal Serenity. We continue to catch up with many of the members of Team Serenity and fellow guests who we have known for years and also getting to know people we are meeting for the first time. For those who love the afternoon teas today was one of the special ones which is the Mozart Tea. This is today's Reflection Daily Program. Cheers, Anne Marie & Keith Not the prettiest sight to see but this was Keith's remembrance of getting hit playing Paddle Tennis yesterday afternoon. Good news is it could have been much worse without wearing the sunglasses and it will go away. We had a wonderful time on Serenity last evening. We went to the show starring Jim Brochu called Character Man. It was amazing. We have known Jim for many years and have seen him perform several times and this show is sensational. It brought tears to our eyes. We returned to Waterside for dinner. These are the restaurant menus. Dinner was great. We both had the Wild Mushroom Tart (absolutely delicious), we asked for a mixed green salad which was not on the menu and for our entree we enjoyed Ahi Tuna. Everything was great and as usual the wait-staff team was fantastic. After dinner we attended the Crystal Society Reception which recognizes some of the Crystal Society Member who achieve special milestones. We spoke with many guests at the reception as well as Senior Officers, Officers and senior staffs. There was a large turnout. Following the reception we watched a portion of the National College Championship in our room. The game was also shown in one of the public rooms. The good news is before we went to sleep we turned the clocks back one hour as we sail into a new time zone. The seas remained calm as we sailed to or next port of call. We slept well and began today with our norma route of exercise for Keith and breakfast in our room. It's going to be a few more days before Anne Marie starts back to exercise. We arrived at San Juan del sur which is a coastal community of Nicaragua. This would have been our first visit this port of call. It is home to 15,000 residents and is a popular vacation destination for many Nicaraguan families and foreign tourists. It is known for beautiful beaches and for surfing. Its dry season is from December to May and It temperature remains constant throughout the year. It is a poor country and second in the region to Haiti. Major attractions include: A very large statue of Jesus Christ. An area that is popular for those who surf and a vacation spot for families. The Art Warehouse which house a permanent area gallery, workshop and event space under one roof. Plaza Del Arte where you can find local artisans selling art work. Merdasdo Centeral which is an open air market seeing local items. As it turned out we enjoyed an unexpected day at sea. As much as we have cruised when we looked onto the verandah this morning we had a good sense it would be unsafe for the tenders to run between the ship and San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua. It was windy and the white caps were really moving. From a distance we could see one of the tenders in the water. It was too far away to see if it was being pushed all around. Keith decided to take a run on the Promenade Deck where he saw Mary the wife of Instructor Stan who teaches the Everything Apple Computer Course. Mary often escorts tours and she confirmed our thinking and said the port stop had been cancelled. While Keith was running while Anne Marie was walking up to the pool deck from our room she saw Captain Birger who also confirmed we would not be stopping at the port as we had suspected. Therefore, today became an unexpected sea day. Safety must be the top priority. At 9:00 AM when Captain Birger spoke from the bridge he noted that with the wind gusts that the wind speed ranged from 42 to 60 knots. Also, when the pilot came on-board he noted that the forecast called for even more severe winds by Noon As Keith was half-way through his run he saw the Regent ship which was behind us in the Panama Canal who was just starting to anchor. He’s really enjoying running on the ship. He started up running again a couple of weeks after Anne Marie arrived home from the hospital since for the next two months Anne Marie was not walking outside and it provided away to get exercise and not leave Anne Marie at home alone for too long. He’s been running most days since we’ve been on the ship on the outdoor Promenade Deck. Starting yesterday he realized he can go greater distances on board Serenity since the ships deck is flat unlike running outside at home. Since it was very windy he could run on one side of the deck because as he made the turn it was so windy either his hat would blow off, one or both AirPods would blow out of his ear and possibly off the ship or maybe even Keith would be blown off the ship. LOL, but always a possibility. When he finished his run he noticed a visitor taking a rest on the Promenade Deck As part of the unexpected sea day they put out a revised program with lots of sea day activities. When Cruise Director Rick made the announcement about the activities he highlighted two morning presentations. First up at 10:00 AM by Bob Ray about guess who??????? No not the Who. But about the four lads from Liverpool. Who could that be? Yes, the Beatles. There was some Beatles Trivia embedded in his talk and Keith knew lots of it. During the talk he conducted lived interviews with two people; Cousin Brucie we remembered from growing up in New York and another person who was the last person to be with John Lennon other than Yoko the day he was murdered. At 11:00 Jim Brochu will gave a talk about Fred Astaire. Again learned many things we didn’t know. Both have additional talks planned and we can’t wait to see them. Between lectures and Paddle Tennis and of course lunch and getting together with friends it has been a great day. This is the daily Reflections Program for today. |
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