March 9, 2022
My first full day of the cruise was very busy. I started out with “Coffee Chat & Needlepoint.” I brought a new sashiko project with me to work on. Our group was small but we had fun talking about quilting and knitting while working on our projects.
A member of the cruise staff handed out free needlepoint kits that could also be worked on. I got a cute eyeglass case. I don’t think I will have time to work on it right now.
After the “Coffee Chat,” the cruise staff member came back to teach us how to make leather bracelets from kits. I made one, but I didn’t finish it because it has to be fitted to the wrist of the person who will wear it and I’m not sure who it will end up with (but I have a pretty good idea).
My next activity was a Meet & Greet with the Cruise Critic Roll Call group for this cruise. Carol B did a great job organizing it. She got swag from Oceania to use for prizes. The group was limited to 30 people and it was held in a shaded outdoor location. A couple there won a prize for having been on the most Oceania cruises (44).
I won a prize for having been on the most cruises overall. There was an Oceania baseball cap in the bag, but I gave it to Carol B’s husband because he was talking about buying one, and it wasn’t something Ken or I were going to use. I got a backpack with a golf towel, water bottle, luggage tag, and golf socks. Not sure I will use any of it.
The Cruise Director told us this cruise has 987 passengers (capacity of ship: 1250). There are around 750 crew members aboard.
For lunch there was a very delicious Mexican Buffet. We were able to enjoy it outdoors again and it was muy bueno.
In. The afternoon I took a class in the Culinary Center. It is a state-of-the-art classroom that has work stations for 12 passengers. Normally the classes are hands-on, but because of the pandemic, the classes on this cruise were lectures.
The class i took was “Knife Skills,” taught by Chef David Shalleck. He is an excellent teacher. The class was interesting and comprehensive. I learned a lot.
At the end of the class I bought Chef David’s book.
We went to Red Ginger for dinner. It’s the Asian specialty restaurant on board and it was worth all the hype.
Appetizers: Tempura Vegetables and Lettuce-wrapped Vietnamese Spring Roll
Salad course: Lobster something, duck and watermelon salad. The duck dish was unbelievable.
The show this evening was a real treat. It was a performance by the Little Opera Company — two men and two women from great Britain. They sang popular arias from several operas, and they were so good! Bravo!
I was almost too busy today to notice the color of the water, but I did. It was azure.
Sweet dreams.
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