10/26 – 10/27/13 - Boarding and a Day at Sea

Saturday morning we had a leisurely breakfast and then checked out of our hotel.  The day was not as sunny as the previous few had been but still pleasant and no rain.  The cruise line sent a car and driver to pick us up and take us to the ship.  Getting all our luggage in was a challenge but we made it.  Check-in was easy and we were quickly onboard.  Our suite was ready so we dropped our things off before going to the Colonnade, the casual restaurant.  It’s up on Deck 8 and has both indoor and outdoor seating.  Boarding day there was a nice buffet with a large variety of both hot and cold foods.  Wine flows freely!

After lunch we found our luggage already delivered so we unpacked.  There is lots of storage space and as quickly as we unpacked a bag Natalie, our cabin stewardess whisked it away to be returned when we’re ready to pack.

Our cabin is fantastic!  We have a living room with dining area, a bedroom, a butler’s pantry, a bath with double Jacuzzi and a walk-in shower, a half bath, a conservatory which is an enclosed balcony with a tub and daybed, and a veranda.  We've never had a cabin like this; it's truly luxurious.  I can’t wait to enjoy it on the sea days to come.

Our living-dining room with the wet bar on the right

Double jacuzzi tub

Walk-in shower

The conservatory with tub and daybed

Our veranda

Sunday, the 27^th was our day at sea traveling down the coast of Spain for arrival in Gibraltar on Monday morning.  The sea has been like glass all day with bright blue skies.  This morning we went to hear one of the speakers on the voyage.  He is Tony Mendes, the man behind the movie Argo.  He was the CIA agent who planned the rescue of the 6 Americans who had escaped from our embassy in Tehran and were given asylum in the Canadian embassy until their rescue.  He will speak again on our next sea day, but let me tell you, he must have been a very audacious man to plan the operation that was done successfully!

In the afternoon we were invited to take a tour of the Main Galley with the Executive Chef, Rafael Peterkovic.  There were only 7 of us so it was a very personalized visit.  While not as large as the galleys we’ve seen on our previous cruises, this one was equally impressive.  Something I found particularly noteworthy is that each entrée is cooked to order.  As a matter of fact, the food so far has been outstanding.  Last night was our first formal night.  The meal began with Ossetra caviar if you wanted it and continued on with broiled Maine lobster and delicious Beef Wellington.

The bread bakery

Chef Rafael in the Galley

After a full day, it was time for bed since we have an early wake-up call tomorrow for our trip of Gibraltar.

One other thing, the internet is very slow, particularly for uploading photos.  I’ll try but I’m sure when we’re on our way south in the Atlantic, it may prove problematic.