November 27 - A Painted Ship on a Painted Ocean

It’s  Monday here on the good ship Seabourn Encore and we’re on our second of five sea days.  We’re heading south through the Red Sea and at the moment we’re roughly west of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and east of Port Sudan, Sudan.  Those are two places I have no interest in visiting.  It’s quite calm and warm and muggy outside.

Sea days fall into a routine quickly.  I get up generally around 9AM, get dressed and go to the Colonnade for breakfast.  Most days I have fruit and a roll or pastry, but occasionally I splurge and order something special like these eggs royale (eggs benedict with smoked salmon instead of Canadian bacon).  These came with a dollop of caviar on top.  Then it’s time to check e-mails, find my friends and see what we have planned for the day and talk.

Eggs Royale with caviar

At noon it’s time for Trivia.  Yesterday we came within 10 points of being the winners.  We’re doing cumulative scores so on the last day the scores will be added up and overall champions will be announced. We’re definitely in the running.  After trivia it’s time for lunch.  Yesterday we ate in Sushi, the Japanese venue, and had a very nice and light lunch.  A Brazilian lady traveling alone joined us.  Today they’re having the Galley Market Lunch which is great fun.  Stations are set up in the main galley and we go through there to make our selections for lunch.  It gives us an opportunity to thank all the people who work so hard behind the scene. The presentation of the food is always pretty spectacular.  After most of the diners have gone through the galley the food and beverage team come and parade out giving us an opportunity to thank them for all their hard work.

Omar from Peru who serves us bloody marys when we play trivia

Do you make your watermelons look this beautiful?

The cheese and bread station in the galley

The dessert station after it had been nearly wiped out by us

These three men were so tickled that someone was taking their photo. Their smiles are contagious.

Our Executive Chef leading the parade

During both the morning and afternoon there are lectures about a variety of subjects.  There’s a naturalist who has given some talks about birds in the area.  We have a couple of historians and a modern political person who talks about current events.  I have gone to a few of the lectures, but I must confess that occasionally they have voices that sort of lull me to sleep.  I try to sit in the back so it won’t be too obvious if that happens.  

Every afternoon they have a formal tea in one of the lounges and it is always very nice.  I haven’t been at all on this cruise because I would just be eating continuously if I did.  Before I know it it’s time to get cleaned up for cocktails and dinner.  There is a lovely bar up high where they have a duo playing nice music, and, surprise, surprise, they have hors d’oeuvres in case we are feeling weak from hunger.  There’s also a very nice piano bar outside of the alternative restaurant.  Tonight my friends and I are going to a cocktail party for long-time Seabourn cruisers in another venue called the Retreat.  Then it’s dinnertime.  Every night I have an invitation to a table hosted by a member of the staff.  Some nights I go; on other nights I meet with friends.  Tonight I’ve been invited to dine with the captain.  He’s the same captain I sailed with to Antarctica earlier this year.

Dinner is usually over by around 9 or 9:30 in time to go to the show.  Some nights it’s a guest performer and some nights it’s the ship’s entertainment cast.  After the show is when the dancing starts.  My friends and I go down to the club where there is live music and we have a good time dancing. There’s usually just a small group of us down there so we aren’t shy about asking for music we want to hear.  Our philosophy is that the band has to play for the audience not for themselves.  By midnight the live music ends and sometimes we leave; other nights we stay for a while and finish our drinks and have interesting conversations.

Here's the bar in the club where we have our after show parties

Then it’s time to go back to the cabin and rest up for the next sea day.  It doesn’t sound like it should be tiring, but somehow I find I fall asleep almost the moment I turn the light off. I also manage to get in 2.5 to 3 miles a day just walking here, there and everywhere on the ship. I don’t sit in the sun while many people, especially the Brits do.  I do sit on my veranda sometimes and just watch the sea go by.  We’re usually too far off land to see anything. In summary, it’s a very relaxing way to pass the days.