Good morning! I slept until 9am and didn’t hear a peep out of the hallway. I think this is a great spot to be on the ship. Nobody has any reason to walk past my room really since I’m in the middle.

I did wake up a couple times. It rained at one point. That noise kept me up a little bit. But I like the room.

There are some good on demand movies here since we’re getting into ones I’ve seen in the theater. This is Ticket to Paradise.

Here are today’s Fun Times.

I’m not a fan of this.

The Wave morning show is happening in the theater.

Two years ago they had a breakfast buffet in here on sea days. Now they’re using it to fold towels.

Plaza bar line looks better than Java blue.

That took 10 minutes.

It looks like we’re still on for a car in Bonaire.

Pig & Anchor was slammed. I know it was tough getting drinks there yesterday when they were packed. 

I’m the only one in the atrium so it’s easy here 

I checked in for brunch.

One for the road.

I stopped by the Havana bar to try another Cuban coffee.

This is cafe con leche. That means coffee with milk for the non-Spanish speakers. It really tastes like leche con leche to me. 

This white sugar is what they’re using. That’s not how they do it in Little Havana. They use brown sugar and sort of muddle it.

This is better than yesterday but I am running about an hour later than yesterday.

They’re squeezing us in but I’m next to the sparkly guys from last night.

Captain just made an announcement. We’re traveling at 18 kts. We’re 750 miles in with 350 remaining. The water depth is 9000 feet. The temperature is 81. High will be 82.  We will be arriving in Aruba at 8am tomorrow.

This doesn’t look like the best eggs benedict ever. Again they’re just throwing everything on one plate.

I was on the opposite side of the dining room with a different wait staff today. But while I was waiting for my food Augusto, who I mentioned was great yesterday, walked by really fast and said “enjoy your breakfast, Greg.”

The post-brunch coffee line is 12 at Javablue. 1 at the plaza bar.

I’m telling you hidden messages to casino players are everywhere. The first song: “The Gambler”

Spicy bloody mary from John Wick in the Pig & Anchor.

Day 3 Pig & Anchor internet speed test.

I’m stopping by the room because I had three straws this morning and two of them fell out of my pocket somewhere.

ri ben cai

There they are.

A banana daiquiri  from the Red Frog Rum Bar.

Noon lido deck.

Ice carving is about to start.

Mudslide

So everything in yellow is reserved for a particular type of person?

Here is the lunch buffet menu.

Cakes

I am back in JiJi’s to try another bowl. I’m going with the combo today.

I’m also trying the Japanese beer.

Afternoon lido deck.

Serenity is open and there are some nice seating areas available. But it is a bit windy and it has sprinkled twice in the past half hour.

Strawberry daiquiri 

It started really raining so everyone vacated.

I decided to head to the room and get ready for the Alchemy bar.

They have a solo guitarist in the atrium.

Today 15 minutes late was too late.

It had cleared up by the time I left the room.

With no room at the Alchemy I went down to Pig & Anchor and found one spot available.

Spicy bloody mary from John Wick.

If you remember I said I booked three nights at JiJis. When I looked at my planner there were only two. I thought maybe I was mistaken. Last night was not one of the 2/3. I paid full price because the MDR was closed when I decided to eat so I had limited options. 

I looked back at my email and it shows I did buy three nights at the $15 price. I stopped by guest services. They were showing the 3rd night as the 1st night of the cruise. I showed them how that wasn’t in my planner. They were supposed to call JiJi when it opened to work something out. I told them they could either refund me last night or add one on Curacao night. Whichever is easier.

I’ve been pointing out how the coffee line has been shorter at the plaza bar than the JavaBlue. Now they’ve put a big sign by JavaBlue with “Express coffee at Plaza Bar” on it.

This is a Hotel Nacional from the Havana bar. It’s not my favorite.

It started raining again.

This is a Tiramisu from the Tides bar.

The Havana pools have been vacated on account of the weather.

It’s clearing up and we do still have people in the lido pools.

It looks like they’re going to have hockey playoffs in the sports bar.

Comedy host Sarah T. Today is her birthday 

Percy Crews 2

We dine!

compliments of the chef.

Risotto

Stuffed mushrooms

Mac n Cheese

Mushrooms

Filet mignon

I ordered a watermelon martini that they never brought. 

I guess there are a few Florida fans onboard.

I don’t frequently see Cruise Directors welcoming guests to the comedy shows.

Sarah T.

Russ Nagel

The string trio in their Celestial Strings costumes.

This is the Celestial Strings set. It’s one of the best shows Carnival has. It was designed for a theater like this where performers are on stages in the audience. Now they are performing it on other ships without the moveable seating but this is how it is supposed to be viewed.

The Celestial Strings after show in the atrium.

Rock n Glow party on Lido deck.

I’m off to bed. Tomorrow we are in Aruba. Good night!