4/11 – 4/12 At Sea
The short version via pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/mpquinn/Asia2010
The narrative version:
4/7 – 4/8 Dallas to Singapore
4/9 – 4/10 Singapore
4/10 From the Ritz Carlton to the Seabourn Pride
4/11 – 4/12 At Sea
4/13 – 4/14 Laem Chabang
4/15-4/16 Ko Kood and at sea
4/17 – 4/19 Ho Chi Minh City (Siagon)
4/20 Da Nang
4/21 – 4/23 Halong Bay
4/24 Hong Kong
4/25 Homebound
Service Specific Comments on the Asia trip
4/11 First day at sea
Brook woke up in the morning feeling a little better and she certainly looked better. Of course, this was the first full night of sleep for her since getting to Singapore.
We wonder around the ship for a little while and end up at the open air restaurant for breakfast about 15 minutes before the buffet is opened. Of course they are serving coffee and were taking grill orders. Brook ordered some juice and scrambled eggs. I ate a normal breakfast while Brook finished her juice and ate a couple bites of eggs.
We head back to the room, and Brook asks how long she should wait before she goes to the ships doctor, suggesting maybe the afternoon or the next day. The ship hospital has open consultation at 9am and it is about 8:30am, so I tell her that she can wait until 9am and I make it clear she lacks other alternatives.
A visit to the doctor results in a couple of treatments for the symptoms. I believe that Brook’s main problem is lack of sleep caused by her sleep disorder, and the side effect is a feeling of being sick to her stomach without ever being sick. I actually feel the same way if I skip a night or two of sleep. It doesn’t really matter, as long as she gets better and can start to function normally. She was prescribed pepto, charcoal and maybe something else.
We didn’t do much the first day at sea. We had lunch in the dining room, which was quite good, but Brook hardly ate. We were invited to Einar, the Master of Staff’s, table for dinner that night. Dinner was very good, 4 courses, but Brook had to retire before dessert. Dessert took maybe 15 more minutes and when I returned to the room, Brook was ready for bed, but not in bed yet. We quickly went to sleep a little before 10pm.
Dinner was with Einar, Alyson, me, Sue, John, Brook, Mark (Alyson’s son a guitar instructor), Sue’s husband (didn’t catch his name), John’s wife and Alyson’s sister.
4/12 Second day at Sea
Brook wakes up and wants to eat. Finally! We are too early for early breakfast, but head up a little early. Coffee is already out and quickly pastries that Brook cannot eat are brought out. Brook isn’t ravenous, so coffee is enough to entertain her for now. As soon as regular breakfast is ready we head to the restaurant and I get kicked out for wearing shorts. And it isn’t really just shorts, it is shorts that are not Bermuda shorts that gets me kicked out. I head back to the room and put on slacks, a button down and dress shoes. I don’t own shorts that cover my knees, and I really have packed more dress shirts and slacks than anything else because I knew this cruise is rather formal. Still sucked to be kicked out for breakfast and I joke for the next couple of days that I will wear outrageous stuff to the dining room that meets the dress code.
After returning to the dining room, I discover my wife seated and that the assistant maitre d’ (Richard) shows me to her table. He actually apologized to my wife, and she of course told him that it was perfectly alright, we can’t have riff raff in the dining room. The head maitre d’ (Bronson) actually was the one who kicked me out, so I instantly dislike him and like the assistant maitre d’. It is also worth noting that while the riff raff had to change, Brook was also wearing shorts, they just happened to hit her right at the knee and were allowed.
Breakfast in the dining room is good, but there isn’t really anything they do in the dining room that that they can’t do at the buffet.
After breakfast we met with Chef Pascal to discuss Brook’s options for the Virtuoso dinner. The options are that she can take a snack pack, but he does not have anything he can prepare ahead of time given the heat, that will survive until dinner. The general plan is for fruit and nuts so that she doesn’t starve and eat when she gets back. Not ideal, but we are rather realistic about the situation.
No idea now what we did between breakfast and lunch.
At lunch time, I re dress up because I am not going to be kicked out again and head back to the restaurant. We are seated for a second time at table 38, soon after lunch service begins and I watch no less than 10 people be turned back because their shorts are too short. Even an entire table was refused seating. Sucks to be them! Most people take this rather well, and one man actually went out of his way to thank the staff for pointing out the dress code. I still want to kick the maitre d’s ass.
Lunch was good, but the dessert from the first lunch (a carmel cake with carmel sauce) really impressed. The sommelier already knows I am a Pinot Noir drinker. He is my best friend until about the third glass, than he is my enemy. I cannot figure out how to get him to stop filling my glass when I am not looking.
Brook laid out in the sun and I did a tethered swim in the pool. This lasted all of 30 minutes since we decided to do this in the heat of the day during a cloudless hot summer (for Thailand) day. The pool was 90+ and I was probably in the water for under 20 minutes and got out about ready to die. The rest of the afternoon was spent rehydrating before dinner.
Before dinner we went to the Virtuoso cocktail party. When we first walked up the stairs, Rachel, the cruise director was standing there inviting people in. Rachel was wearing a button down exposing a lot of cleavage that Brook talked about quite a lot afterward while accusing me of bringing up the topic.
Upon entering the lounge where the cocktail party was being hosted, Barbara Stein, the Virtuoso host introduced herself. It was quite funny, because she was literally SHOCKED when we introduced ourselves as she was expecting a couple much older than ourselves. As soon as the next couple appeared, we moved into the lounge and met Rod and Gaye. Rod’s hobby being raising cattle which entertained us quite a bit. Being from Texas, we know damn well that 1400 head and 1200 acres is a serious “hobby”. Wendy Stein, Barbara’s daughter quickly introduced herself and double checked that we were going to the Virtuoso dinner being hosted the first night in Saigon. Apparently everyone was going. We tried to sneak out, but just as we were leaving, they started in on the announcements, and since they were blocking the door, we were stuck until the end.
After all the announcements were made, which weren’t too over done, Mark and Dianne Prothro reintroduced themselves. Brook had introduced herself earlier that day when Mark walked by in a Texas shirt.
We finally headed out to dinner, trying to beat what we thought was the 7:45 rush. There is only a “rush” the first night at sea, and afterward, everyone is a bit more laidback in their schedule.
Dinner was just the two of us at a table in the back of the dining room. Dinner was good, and Brook managed to make it until just before dessert to use the restroom. Of course, the staff were very concerned that she got up abruptly and left. Not surprising, Brook is probably one of the few who can’t make it two hours without using the restroom.
After dinner it was straight to bed.