Halloween Panorama: Day 2
Good Morning! This is the view that’s just a few steps from my room.
This is standing in front of my door.
Just to the left is this room with the forward window that will be mine on Vista.
And to the right is the door that takes you out to the “secret deck.”
They have a couple benches out here.
The bridge is here. If you have one of these forward rooms with a window one deck below the bridge you have to have your curtains closed at night.
Or you can go down to a lower deck.
The Sky Zone trampoline park is in my elevator lobby. I think my room is far away enough not to hear anything. This area will be crawling with urchins once the ship is back at full capacity. We are sailing with just over 2,500 guests this week. I want to say the last time I was on this ship we were closer to 4,500.
The stairs here go down into the arcade.
I’m heading out for coffee.
I opted for no line at the Ocean Plaza bar vs. the 10 person line at Java Blue.
Large Mocha.
This is today’s schedule of events.
This is what some call the secret buffet. It’s located back in the corner in Ocean Plaza. It’s very convenient for people staying in the Havana area.
I’m not a buffet person so I’m heading down to deck 3 for sea day brunch.
They require you to request a table on the Hub app now. If you don’t have a phone you can walk up and request a table but they are really trying to get everyone to use the Hub App.
It only took one minute for the app to assign me a table but I had to wait while they showed all the walkups how to use their app. So it was another five minute wait after I had my table assigned.
This is the skillet cake with a side of bacon and hash browns.
It’s an NFL Sunday and football starts at 10am in this time zone so I’m heading down to the Hero’s bar.
Every table and bar seat in the Hero’s bar is spoken for already. I assume they’re going to put on football in few minutes or there will be a riot.
I walked up for a spicy Bloody Mary and got a standing spot. I’m hoping my Red Zone works. If it does I can go anywhere and not miss football.
The screenshot comes out blank but Red Zone is working! Seven hours of commercial free football starts right now!
Is that an empty seat at the bar?
A seat at the table!
The lady next to me is going for pizza. I told her they deliver and she did look at it on her app but I guess she didn’t want to pay the delivery charge. I believe that would’ve been a $5 charge to have it delivered here. I think it’s kind of questionable holding a bar spot to go get lunch. I wouldn’t be too happy if I were standing in the back. The bathroom is one thing. Lunch is another.
I got another Bloody Mary.
I snagged a shot of this sports schedule from behind the bar last night.
I’m switching to Toasted Amber. The bartender here, Nikola, is really good.
The pizza lady is drinking blue moon with ice in it. That’s just wrong.
I left in time to catch the unch portion of brunch. I’m not holding that bar spot. I’m going to let someone else have their chance. If I come back and there’s a seat available, great. If not no big deal. There are a couple thousand people on this ship. I don’t need to tie up one of six sports bar seats all day on Sunday.
If you’ve done breakfast here, you can’t use the app to check in a second time for lunch. They had to do it manually.
No I don’t want coffee. Thank you no. It looks like the last person had a burger with sesame seeds maybe.
Here’s the what I think. They leave these coffee cups sitting here while the people eating aren’t using them. And maybe food flies out of their mouth into the cups and is left there for the next person to enjoy. Yes I’m a germophobe and that’s how I think.
I am a cantina burger enthusiast. But I’ve heard good things about the voyage burger so I’m giving it a shot.
The voyage burger was good. I’m still a cantina burger enthusiast. I haven’t switched to a voyage burger enthusiast or anything. But it was good.
I hear the lady behind me telling the waiter “It wasn’t great. It smelled like grass.” I’m not sure what she got.
Being on a ship with thousands I don’t believe I should own a bar spot for the day. So I went to lunch and let it go with the attitude that if I come back and there’s a spot great. If I have to stand in the back that’s fine too. I came back and almost got a spot at the end of the bar. Another guy beat me to it by half a second.
I headed up to see what Pig & Anchor had on their TVs. At the bar they just have that one small TV on the side. Then in the back they have that one big TV I watched the fight on yesterday and one smaller one further back.
All of the Pig & Anchor TVs were on the Raiders vs. Eagles. A group of Eagles fans were watching on the big screen. I have a small fantasy football stake in Dallas Godert. Derek Carr is a backup for me. But my money is more with the Rams and Lions. Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp with the Rams and TJ Hockenson with the Lions. I’d much rather watch that game.
The people by the small bar TV are holding their spots with cell phones.
I got a porter.
I carried it back down to the Hero’s bar. It’s still a full boat down here but I got a Purell station to set my beer on.
The fact that this place was loaded for the Dodgers yesterday and nobody is here to watch the Rams or Chargers just tells you why all football teams left Los Angeles.
Let’s see which games I get on my phone. Maybe I can ditch this scene.
That’s the game I wanted to watch. Yeah I’m out of here.
I went to the room to get my headphones so I could listen to the game. When I did that I locked my room key in the room. Now I have to go to guest services for another key.
On the way down I noticed the kid’s club is decorated for Halloween.
I headed to the Alchemy Bar. There are no TVs here but they have good drinks and I can watch the games on my phone now.
A reader of mine named Amy is here. She recognized my monkey.
Tijana is behind the bar slinging drinks today. I normally don’t tell people about my website but Amy told Tijana. She instantly struck a pose.
Tijana made this for me. Amy said it needs a name. Tijana calls it a Greg special.
Tijana makes this for me. Amy asks what it’s called. Tijana says it’s a Greg special 2.
I think you can guess what this one is called.
A friend of mine onboard stopped by for a drink or three.
Tijana makes sure everyone is hydrated.
Tijana successfully recreates Nikola’s 4343 drink from my Panorama: Coronavirus Day
I have been officially anointed a member of the Alchemy Bar Drinking Society. I am truly honored. This isn’t something they are giving to everyone here. Just me and a couple of the alchemists. I don’t have a prepared speech. I am truly honored. Thank you very much.
This is like one of those after dinner mints.
It’s 6:30pm on elegant night and the ship is nuts!
I ordered a table on the Hub app. It only took a few minutes for a table to be assigned.
Baby spinach salad
Lobster, risotto, and broccoli. They used to give you three large shrimp with this. You can get more lobster if you want. They offered me a second plate but I declined.
Chocolate melting cake.
After dinner I headed down the the Hero’s bar for Sunday Night Football.
It’s difficult for me to process that we’re in the 4th quarter at 7:45pm. But I better figure it out soon because the Saints are on Monday Night Football at around 5:15 tomorrow.
Toasted Amber.
This receipt was from the Alchemy earlier so I’m at 13 or 14 by now.
I’m in the comedy club for Derrick Eason’s show. Fortunately I saw him last night. I won’t be seeing him tonight with that pole!
Football is over but the cricket crowd is out in full force!
They have a string trio playing in the atrium.
I am at the deli getting a turkey sandwich to stash in the room for later.
I didn’t order fries but I got them anyway.
I headed down to the Daran Howard comedy show. They aren’t allowing you to stand in the back. They find you a seat and they put a “We are at capacity” sign out by the door even with seats still available.
I am really struggling to adjust to this time. I’m so tired by 10pm which is midnight back home. I just left the comedy show a few minutes early and passed out.
This should be my “Rhythm of the Night” excursion ticket for Puerto Vallarta.
Good night. Tomorrow is another sea day.
