I Spy Art

Sunday, February 1, 2026

Today is a sea day. The low temperatures in southern Florida are breaking records. We are still close enough to Florida to be feeling the cold temperatures and the choppy water.

We are going to go on a tour of the art on Deck 2 today. Deck 2 is where you will find the main dining room and the Pinnacle Grill, a specialty restaurant. Also located on Deck 2 are the theater, the casino, several bars, and the Explorer’s Lounge, which is used for lectures, classical concerts, and daytime reading. There are two dedicated music venues on this deck: Billboard Onboard, with a resident pianist who plays popular music and sings, and the Rolling Stone Lounge, with a resident rock band and space for dancing. You will also find a Cariloha shop and a photo gallery and portrait studio here. 

The photographers don’t seem very busy on this segment, but they always have some kind of backdrop set up to tempt you into posing for a photo. I have developed a robust immunity to this attempt to get my money. However, I would consider getting a professional photo taken for a milestone event such as an anniversary or big birthday.

The photographers also have a new gimmick, which is a little creepy, IMO. You can get a photo of your iris. They blow it up to about 2 feet square and print out a color image suitable for framing. Everyone’s iris is different, like a fingerprint, and iris scanning can be used as a form of ID, but it is not something I would hang in my living room.

About the art on Deck 2: I did not include all of it. In general, I did not include things I didn’t like at least a little bit, and I did not include most of the pieces that lacked a plaque with information about the piece. Sometimes I did include something I didn’t like because I wanted to share how ridiculous or awful it was. Sometimes the location of a piece made it difficult to photograph due to reflections, glare, or location. Think of this as “highlights” rather than a full catalogue.

These two still lifes came from germany and were painted in the 18th century. There is something about the plump, shiny fruit that seems much quite modern and makes me wish I could have some grapes.

This floor-to-ceiling painting of Venice seems an especially appropriate format to properly showcase the grand scale and the drama of Venice. By Fred Arends, The Netherlands, 2001.

“Venetian Doge,”  bronze by Lebigre & Roger, Italy 2001

If I had a nightmare about Carnaval in Venice, this might be part of it. These life-size figures are over the top and sort of disturbing. (Apologies for the reflections.) Carnaval characters by Daniel Ogier, France 2001

This one is a man with a really long neck. A boat is worn on his neck like a collar.

These two have mermaid tails

This looks like a veiled, masked, one-legged woman

Glass objects, single and double Graal technique, by Peter Bremers, the Netherlands, 2002

Fresh flowers mixed with dried branches

Painting of B.B. King

Model of a large American Paddle Wheel Boat, by Sheet Metal Workers, Int., United States, circa 1865

Unlabelled print, possibly a young Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands

Beatrix on her wedding day, 1966

I found the wedding photo of Beatrix on Wikipedia. I think it proves that the print is a representation of Beatrix. 

Beatrix of the Netherlands, was born in 1938. She reigned as Queen of the Netherlands from 1980 until her abdication in 2013. Beatrix was about 75 when she abdicated, saying “It is time to place the responsibility for the country in the hands of a new generation.”

Finally, we visited the Gallery Bar, for the first time, during our Deck 2 art tour. It was tucked away behind the casino, and we had never seen it. The pictures below show only a portion of the art displayed there. None of it is labeled. It is quite a hodge podge of different styles, but it makes the bar very interesting and entertaining.

My favorite picture from the Gallery Bar

In the evening we saw the dance show called “Move.” We also saw it last week, but enjoyed it enough to see it again. This time  I noticed different things You can’t watch all six of the dancers all of the time. This time I tried to focus on the facial expressions of one of the female dancers. She was very expressive and very funny. How can you do that and also perform all the dance steps?

Today’s fabric is eyelet lace. Usually cotton, eyelet lace can be found as a fabric or a trim. It features stitched-edge holes, known as eyelets. It is valued for its breathability and its vintage and feminine aesthetic.

Photo from lacejamila for Etsy