At Sea

Thursday, February 28, 2019

It’s an all day/all night cruise from Tauranga to Wellington.

Where am I?

So, what’s been happening?

Well, it’s another day at sea so, what shall I tell you about?

Hmmmmmm.

OK! I know!

Starting just a few days after we set sail from Ft. Lauderdale a surprise showed up in my stateroom. At first, I though perhaps Ayu, my stateroom attendant, had left something behind accidentally. On closer inspection there was a card attached. The card said what I was looking at was a gift on behalf of the Captain of the ship.

Digging in a bit, here’s what it turned out to be:

Inside of the protective plastic wrapper was this very nice, and very new, messenger bag. It’s full of nice pockets and divided areas. Since I received it, I’ve been using it to carry around all of my digital equipment when I go ashore. It can easily hold my MacBook Pro, my iPad Pro, my iPhone X, my iPhone XS, chargers, USB adapters, my Kindle Oasis, and a host of other small stuff that I use less frequently. I also keep copies of my official documents (passport, driver’s license, visas, etc.) in it, just in case.

It’s a very cool gift and it came totally unexpectedly.

Then, a little more than a week later, another interesting looking gift appeared in my stateroom. I was very amused to receive this little distractifier. (I just made that word up.)

This gift is still in the wrapper. I have not taken it out. It is a miniature Jenga-style game. Can you make that out from the photo?

To me, the most amusing part about this gift is something you may have already considered as you read these words. Can you imagine trying to play Jenga on a ship that is rolling back and forth and sometimes even shuddering in seas with swells up to 8 meters? I mean, even when we’re not in the roughest of seas, if we’re moving the ship is pitching, even if it is only a little bit. There is no amount of pitching that would be acceptable while trying to stack little sticks of wood upon an increasingly unstable base!

Then, tonight, a new little white box shows up, with a card again stating that it is a gift courtesy of the Captain and crew. I open the box and there is something wrapped in a soft piece of tissue. It’s almost exactly the size and shape of a new iPhone. An iPhone? Really? OK, I can always find a use for another one.

However, on closer inspection it turns out to be a very nice power bank! It’s a 10,000 mAh power bank with two USB-A ports! This means I could charge two phones at the same time, or offer to share some power with an attractive lady in electron distress. (I hope I get a chance to do that!)

One very eye-catching feature of this power bank is that while it’s charging, the top of it glows and shows the Holland America “Grand World Voyage” logo, reminds me that it’s the 2019 voyage, and mentions the Amsterdam. The glowing logo slowly pulses from bright to dim and back to bright again. It’s just the gadgety kind of thing that I love. It’s not a new iPhone, but I’ll keep it just the same. It’s one more thing to keep cozy in my new messenger bag!

I also received a box full of small, party-sized dishes that also represent the Grand World Voyage. I’m not too sure when or where I’ll get a good chance to use them, but I’ll take them home with me anyway. Maybe they’ll get some use at an “I’M HOME!” party sometime in the future.

So, any more friends on the cruise?

I’d like for you to meet Reb. He is one of the most important and most influential people on the crew of this ship. Reb is a bartender!

Reb and I hit it off pretty early in the cruise. His regular position is as the bartender on the Lido deck, aft, also known as the Sea View Bar. So, he’s the guy that conducts the “Cigars and Cognac” evenings that occur 4-5 times a week.

Reb is, like me, a big fan of Game of Thrones. We’ve shared our favorite moments from the various seasons. This particular conversation started the night I was wearing my Greyjoy’s Hot Dog sweatshirt.

I always have fun hanging out at the Sea View Bar with Reb. Like I mentioned earlier, Reb is an important and influential man!

What is it?

Well, look who just made an appearance. My towel animal for the night. This will be the last one since we’ve completely run through Ayu’s repertoire. It’s pretty clear to me what it is. Too bad we’re ending this with such an easy one.

Still, here’s your chance to end on a high note.

What is it? Post in the “Reply” section of this post, or send me a little jingle with your guess.

Tomorrow I’ll wake up in Wellington. I don’t have real big plans for Wellington other than to conduct my own “brews cruise” through the town.

G’night!