Day 12 Sea Day 3/13/2012

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Marianna Turner
5 years ago
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Day 12 Sea Day 3/13/2012 Aah! Another sea day.

We had the usual room service breakfast juice and fruit for both, plus yogurt for me, and mueslix, omelet and toast for Dale. Then off to the Crow s Nest for the second Cruise Critic Meet & Greet.

The group had a nice discussion and all seemed to have enjoyed the cruise, despite the sparse number of ports. Today was our Mariner s Brunch (smart casual dress, i.e., no shorts or tank tops).

1 Day 12 Sea Day 3/13/2012 Aah! Another sea day. With Acapulco being pulled from the itinerary before we left, and not being able to get into Puerto Caldera, this trip has only 3 port days, so 11 at sea days. Fine with me, I do like them. We had the usual room service breakfast juice and fruit for both, plus yogurt for me, and mueslix, omelet and toast for Dale. Then off to the Crow s Nest for the second Cruise Critic Meet & Greet. About half as many people showed up for this second meeting plus one couple, John and Shirl, from England and also our dining companions. The group had a nice discussion and all seemed to have enjoyed the cruise, despite the sparse number of ports. Today was our Mariner s Brunch (smart casual dress, i.e., no shorts or tank tops). Mariners are repeat passengers, different levels based on days sailed and on-board spending (includes pre-cruise purchases of shore excursions and other cruise related items). We are 2-star Mariners, which means we have between 31 and 75 points in our case, at the start of this current cruise: we each have 43 actual sail days plus 15 that are the result of double points when we cruised to Hawaii in a Verandah Suite Dale has 10 additional points for the spending from that cruise there were 3 of us in the cabin and the bonus points, calculated on all our spending, go to the 1 st and 2 nd passengers in a cabin; I let my sons have them because, well, they have more years to cruise than I do and so will benefit more plus I can ride on the coat tails of their benefits, receiving like benefits plus I m Mom and Moms do things like that We will become 3-star mariners on this cruise. Each level provides additional perks such as discounts on wine packages and Holland America logo clothing. IMO, the best perk we will ever receive is at 4-star (200 points) when we get free laundry! The medal awards ceremony was held in the Ocean Bar Lounge prior to the brunch. Only medal holders and new recipients attend it. Mariner Points are the new program; medals are the old program, carried over in response to passenger request/uproar when the new program was introduced as a replacement for the old. Medals are awarded based on actual days sailed on Holland America ships: bronze for 100 days, silver for 300, gold for 500, platinum for 700 or 750. There is talk of a secret invitation-only club for somewhere around 1500 days sailed. And yes, there are people who reach that level. One of our Cruise Critic members who is onboard with us has around 1300 actual days sailed they started sailing back in the 70s, 7-10 day cruises, and longer ones now that they re retired. Because we were at the front of the line, we were able to snag a 2-person table in the center of the Lower Promenade dining room. While most people drank the free champagne, we got the non-alcoholic version, sparkling apple cider. Still a treat for us! Dale had the Caesar salad and trout; I had the shrimp cocktail and beef. We both had the pie, of course! (A picture of the Mariner s Brunch menu is posted at the end of this blog entry.) Every mariner receives a commemorative tile on each cruise.

We whiled away the afternoon, Dale walking, me

cupcake tea and I went to the spa and my

suite and, as it turns out, the loungers are the

hear back to see if we get any compensation for

Tonight we had dinner in the Caneletto, the

HAL ships (the menu is posted after the Mariner

Bread, balsamic vinegar and oil are served up

plate salami, prosciutto, mozzarella, tomatoes,

2 We whiled away the afternoon, Dale walking, me blogging, until 3 pm when Dale went to the cupcake tea and I went to the spa and my cherished heated lounger. Dale joined me after tea. It s been nice in there we ve always had the place to ourselves. Only 2 other people signed up for the thermal suite and, as it turns out, the loungers are the only things available (Dale s still waiting to hear back to see if we get any compensation for that; I m still doubtful). Tonight we had dinner in the Caneletto, the no-charge specialty restaurant (Italian food) on HAL ships (the menu is posted after the Mariner s brunch menu below). Bread, balsamic vinegar and oil are served up first, along with selections from an antipasti plate salami, prosciutto, mozzarella, tomatoes, olives, and marinated mushrooms, zucchini and eggplant. Soup follows, minestrone for us. Entrees: Chicken Marsala for Dale, Lasagna for me. Desserts: Limoncello for Dale, Madagascar Chocolate for me.

A short stop at the showroom to listen to the singer/comedian (why is everyone a something/comedian?) Tony Pace. He can sing although he s over the top, e.g., holding a note long past the point of impressing.

3 A short stop at the showroom to listen to the singer/comedian (why is everyone a something/comedian?) Tony Pace. He can sing although he s over the top, e.g., holding a note long past the point of impressing. Also in his impersonation of singers impersonations are usually over the top anyway he takes it even further, such as Louis Armstrong s gravelly voice punctuated by blowing his nose into the cloth Sachmo wipes his face with, also exaggerated. Not our cuppa-tea, so we retired for the evening. Tonight s towel animal: Entertainment tonight Showroom at Sea: Tony Pace, Singer/Comedian Ocean Bar: The Neptunes (HAL s in-house band), cocktails and dancing Mix: Will Wyatt, guitarist; Lee Strubeck, Piano Man Explorer s Lounge: Adagio Strings Crow s Nest: Name That Tune, Abba Hour, Spinning the Hits Movie: Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn Part I

5 CANELETTO MENU Starters Antipasti E Zupe: Our chef s selection of antipasti, cucumber and olives Insalata Canaletto Seasonal greens and tomato, cucumber and olives Minestrone A flavorful tomato broth consisting of white beans, pasta shells, fresh vegetables and thyme Zuppe Di Pesce Assorted seafood simmered with vegetables, tomatoes, flat parsley and saffron Pasta, Carne, Pesce E Pollo Penne Alla Vodka A deliciously light combination of our Pomodoro sauce, cream and vodka Linguini Frutti Di Mare Linguini pasta and clams, mussels, shrimps and scallops tossed in garlic, onions and cherry tomatoes Baked Meat Lasagna Pomodoro Baked with meat and tomato sauce and gratinated with four cheese sauce. Veal Milanese Breaded veal scaloppini with porcini mushrooms, spaghetti and vegetables Chicken Marsala Cod Putanesca Marinated in lemon, oregano and olive oil, quickly sautéed and coated with a flavorful herbed tomato concassee with kalamata olives, capers and chopped parsley, served with grilled cheese polenta and balsamic glace Spaghetti with Meatballs The classic way to eat spaghetti; home made meatballs braised in a tomato and meat sauce served over olive oil tossed spaghetti Dolci Trio of Tiramisu Italy s most famous dessert: presented in three flavored variations, espresso, lemon and Amaretto Limoncello Crème Refreshing crème topped with Tuscan lemon liqueur Mille-Feuille of Madagascar Chocolate With walnut praline and ice-cream Gelato A refreshing and full-flavored selection: strawberry, mango, vanilla, lemon, strawberry, pistachio, vanilla bean, Gianduia

Day 10 Huatulco, Mexico 3/11/2012 Weather

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