I was up very early today, and got dressed and went right up to the top decks. We were passing between Ireland and Scotland, near the Isle of Skye, and the Captain had said that at this point it was only about 12 miles from one country to the other.
Magic sunrise, and just me and the statue man, and it was so peaceful, (and cold), but I managed to get some stunning shots of the coastline and the sunrise. (Statue man is a featureless figure that appears in several parts of the ship, usually near the pool areas. I don't think he adds much to the decor, but he is there all the time).
We believe the pyramidal mountains are on Skye, and we had seen these close up when we came off the ferry from Harris/Lewis, some weeks ago.
We saw the last of Scotland around midday, (probably Lewis/Harris), and the midday report from the Bridge mentioned them, and the rest of the day and night we were on open sea, and it was calm, but fairly cold. We were at about 56 06 degrees North at 7.30am. The Arctic Circle is 66 33 North, just above Iceland.
We had pizza for lunch. They have a pizza bar on one of the decks and you just turn up and order what you want, and they make them on the spot. Small in size, but just enough for lunch and quite tasty. All this is included in the fare. The only thing you pay for are your alcoholic drinks. They are not cheap, but you have to forget that and just go with the flow, because if you restricted yourself because of your budget, then there are some drinks you couldn't afford on a daily basis. Typically, any bottle you could buy here in Australia for say, $14, would be £12-14 (which is about $20).
(Needless to say, our bar bill formed a substantial part of our account on board!!!)
We both went to the music quiz today, but the theme was mostly based on British TV shows, so we didn't do too well this time. Tonight is another "straight jacket" night, i.e Black Tie, (they seem to do them on the nights you are at sea), so we had an early drink and then went up to the buffet.
Tonight's dinner theme was Meditterranean, and we tried a few bits of everything, including some moussaka (the Greek version of Lasagne, done with lamb), and other Greek and Italian dishes.
We were able to go back to the Glass House for an after-dinner tipple. On Black Tie nights they restrict access to certain areas, but the Glass House is not included, but you have to walk past and through the throng of 'uncomfortable penguins' to get anywhere. Tonight was also the Gala Reception in the Atrium, right in the middle of the ship, so you can't avoid them.
Lee retired early but I threw caution to the winds and went and saw the show in the Theatre, which was excellent, and was a composite theme of many Broadway shows, so just the thing for me. These shows are the things I would go and see more often, but you have to get there early to get a seat. I was in the back row, just in front of the area where people in wheelchairs can sit. There is a seat beside the wheelchair space for the partner, so it is very well organised.
The gentlemen behind me were talking about the access they have as wheelchair bound passengers, and they agreed they were well catered for, but one chap was saying that he had to book 18 months ahead, as the accessible cabins are not plentiful.
Nobody gave me a second glance at my attire, which was jeans, shirt, and a woollen jacket, so what is all the fuss I ask myself.
I think the cruise lines are trying to keep alive a tradition of elegant sophistication that perhaps people don't really want. I believe if any of them offered "Completely Casual Cruising", it would sell out just as quickly!
Next - all at sea...
