Weekend Daze

Saturday, January 25 and Sunday, January 26, 2025

Saturday

Breakfast

The sun was out! It was a beautiful day. We spent a lot of time practicing indolence. Our balcony was lovely. My thoughts wandered as I stared out at the sea.

Today’s thought: How does SPF work, given that you can’t even see it after you apply it? 

• Some sunscreens contain physical blockers, such as zinc oxide. Sometimes they leave a white film on the skin. Fine particles of minerals in these lotions reflect UV rays away from your skin. (How do the particles manage to reflect away but not toward your skin?)
• Some sunscreens contain chemical absorbers. They form a thin, clear film that absorbs UV rays. (Okay, I still don’t  understand how it works. How exactly does a thin, clear film of lotion absorb UV rays? What does “absorb” mean in this context? I think the rays have energy. Where does the energy go after being absorbed? Oy, it’s been so long since I studied physics.)
• I also learned that sunblock should be labelled “Broad Spectrum” or PA++++.

Lunch al fresco

The Captain repeated yesterday’s announcement about gastrointestinal illness and hand-washing. We also received a letter about it. Here are some of the changes we have noticed:

• No salt, pepper, or other condiments on the tables. If you want a salt, a waiter will sprinkle it on your food. If you want ketchup, you will be given some in a small dish.
• No bread baskets on the tables. A waiter will give you a roll using tongs.
• No utensils at the International Cafe.
• Cancellation of the Most Travelled Guest Luncheon, planned for tomorrow.
• Doors to public restrooms propped open. (Also, the Captain suggested going back to your cabin rather than using a public restroom, whenever possible).
• In the buffet, there is no self-service. Waiters and kitchen staff are dishing out the food, passing out plates and silverware, and so forth. It’s a lot of extra work for the crew.

Today’s fabric is wave large sky blue by wren_leyland for Spoonflower 

Sunday

Today’s thought: If an overweight 60-ish man sits at a table in the buffet eating for 30 minutes, and he has exposed a lot of “butt cleavage,” wouldn’t he be aware of that fact? And if he is aware, WTF?

The water was much rougher today.

We are very disappointed that the Most-Traveled Guest luncheon was canceled today. It is something we always look forward to. We were lucky enough to make the cut this cruise and had already received our invitation. It’s too bad they cancelled it. I think they were trying to protect the officers, as well as the passengers. Between the guests, the officers, the wit staff, the photographer, etc, there would have been over 50 people.

We went to the dining room for lunch. We haven’t been there yet this cruise. It was delightful. I think I wanted to try everything on the menu. The charred, roasted cauliflower was fresh and delicious.

Again, the Captain made the announcement - into all cabins - about the gastrointestinal illness and washing your hands and the steps the ship is taking to curb the spread, etc. 

Ruh-roh.

Today’s fabric is UPF sun protective clothing. Here we have Women’s UPF Guide Long-Sleeve Shirt in Deep Sea, by Eddie Bauer.

How does UPF clothing work?

• UPF fabric is tightly woven. The tighter the weave, the better the fabric will prevent UV rays from going between the fibers. No fancy chemistry or physics here.
• Dark colors work better than light colors.
• Synthetic fibers work better than natural fibers, such as cotton and linen.
• Most UPF clothing is 50+. A regular white t-shirt might have a UPF of 5.
• FYI, when it’s fabric, we say “UPF.” When it’s sunscreen, we say “SPF.”