Lazy Days

Days at sea are the perfect time to relax.  There are lectures and enrichment talks scheduled, but you attend only if the subject interests you.  We have had only 2 mandatory events since we left Miami, one on the very first day and one on the day we left Los Angeles.  Can you guess what there were?  Yes, that's right.  These were the safety drills, letting us hear the emergency siren and practicing what to do if we hear it.  DO NOT return to your cabin.  Go directly to your gathering point.  If you are in your cabin, bring a jacket and necessary medicines.  I am not sure what good a jacket would do when the average high temperature is in the 80's and the low may get down to 72 degrees.  Once everyone has checked in by having the room key card scanned, the Cruise Director reads a sccript and the crew demonstrates how to put on life jackets, which are NOT kept in the rooms, but at the assembly stations.  Each life boat also has enough life jackets for everyone, and if that is not enough, there are also life jackets in the additional rafts.  All together, there are enough boats, rafts and life jackets for at least twice as many people as the ship holds.

If you are fitness conscious, the outside walkway on deck 2 is a quarter mile walking or running deck, counterclockwise, please.  The exercise room has treadmills, exercise balls, weights, floor mats and other equipment.  I have not explored this room!  For further relaxation, or torture, the spa has a co-educational steam room, single sex saunas (in case you prefer to sweat in the nude,) a hot tub, a wave pool where you can swim against the current and get nowhere, a hot tub kept at 100 degrees and a snow room.  Yes, that's right -- a snow room where the snow piles up so you can sit on it or just cool off after getting hot in the steam room.  For a true Nordic experience, you leave the steam room and head to a specific shower stall where you dump a bucket of cold water over your head, another thing I have not tried and probably will not try!

Several varieties of massage are offered, an I may try that a bit later in the trip.  Those who have tried it say it is great.  Also in that area are the beauty salon where you can have your health analyzed so you know what to eat and how to exercise, etc.  Facials, manicures and pedicures are offered.  I have had my hair cut once, and she cut it so short that I may not need another one any time on the cruise.  Darrell's haircut turned out better.  I refused to bring along the clippers and cut his hair myself!

I have mentioned reading and puzzling.  Many people brought along Kindles or something similar and there a a lot of places to sit and read indoors or out.  If you did not bring books or a reader, the ship provides an extensive library scattered in bookcases all over the ship..There does not seem to be much organization to the books, so you just look around and find an interesting title.  Darrell is currently engrossed in a book about World War II in the pacific, Eagle Against the Sun.  I picked up a book of Cat Stories.

Have you always wanted to learn bridge or mahjong or how to write and publish a journal or memoir or learn new dance steps?  There are classes.  Is trivia your thing?  Team Trivia contest take place every day.  The big screen by the pool broadcasts live sports, mainly soccer.  The theater shows movies, complete with popcorn.  For the more intellectual, each day has a different theme of TED talks shown in the theater.  Movies, TED talks and documentaries are available on demand, 24 hours a day in every cabin.

The Sports Deck has shuffleboard, mini-golf and a few other things I have not tried. Did I mention the swimming pool (82 degrees) with a retractable roof?  How about live music in the Atrium.  You can enjoy a very good guitar player, a pianist or a classical trio of flute, violin and cello.

How about shopping?  Perhaps a little bobble from the Jewelery?  or, more practically, a nice memento of the cruise?  Both are available.

I get tired just talking about all the ways to relax.  I think I will go take a nap.