You're off your cob!

It’s true what they say about the food on board a ship, it’s everywhere, heaps of it & just about everything you can imagine, even an ice-cream station! And very easy to overeat if you want to try a bit of everything . If you’re really keen or just a piggy, you can basically eat from 6am to 11.30pm. At our first dinner last night we could order up to 5 courses, way too much food you’d think but the portions are small enough that after our 3, we didn’t feel overly full or bloated. A nice Sauv Blanc to accompany from California. Decided we’d try the local stuff, not a bad drop. The company on our shared table was interesting & I learned of a new sandwich combination that sounds just delicious! *cue sarcastic tone* refer Sandie’s blog. My mother taught me to be nice to people less fortunate than myself, good thing I had wine as a buffer. 

Could get very used to this cruising business. Has taken us the first 24hrs to get our bearings & remember where everything is. We did go for a walk all the way around the ship this morning & you certainly get plenty of walking in from one end to the other, up & down all the decks. Even did some shopping which at duty free prices my eye cream was nearly half price . Score! 

The excitement level was perhaps the reason we just couldn’t sleep last night at all. Light was out but we kept talking & after about an hour & deciding we were wide awake, we got up again. Thought it might be an opportunity to see the stars from our balcony now we were out far enough for a dark sky. Saw about two & thought that was a little odd until we noticed the fog rolling in. A little bit at first which swirled around the side of the ship & looked magical in the ships lights. And as it got thicker I really, really wanted to yell out "iceberg, dead ahead!" but knew it would freak Sandie out as we’d already had several Titanic references randomly come up over the last couple of days & I’m not really that mean! Okay I am & I yelled it anyway! And I laughed!

We’re having our afternoon on deck 10 in comfy chairs right by the window as we write today’s blog. It’s in the library area & internet café & yes, I’ve looked at all the books & chosen one but not started it yet. I had visions of sitting on a lounge chair on deck & reading it but little bit cold at the moment. The view is absolutely magnificent from every window & at lunch time as we headed into Alaskan waters, land only seemed mere metres away on either side. This view is so amazing that every photo we take is a masterpiece. The fog is rolling in again & getting thicker as we sail further north . Captain is sounding the horn every so often, confirming we really are on a cruise ship & making it all so much fun. It is a very nice way to relax & I feel myself doing just that slowly but surely.

Its 5pm & happy hour just finished at the nearby bar & we need to start thinking about getting ready for our first formal night at dinner. Still not sure how the seating works & if we now stuck on table 7 with Gus the Bruce! Do we go earlier & try to avoid or wait till later & it he’s there try & sit on the other side of the table? Sandie absolutely refuses to take her turn next to him in a worst case scenario, how very rude. 

So off we go into the foggy abyss for more fun & frivolity with the knowledge that it’s all a good experience & thank God I’m not off my cob like Gus the Bruce! 

PS – must check on our balcony Chinese laundry J
xo Sammy..now over to Sandie:

How's about a Satay Sangar?
OH MY GOD we LOVE cruising!..my usual travel sickness has not yet really showed up – there have been a few times when I have leaned into the side to side wake & noticed that no one else around me is moving.

There was a small (internal) freak out last night when my brand new you beaut travel calm wrist band broke..so after a really interesting ½ sleep of me rockin' & rollin’ & feeling like I was going to slide out of bed, I got up this morning & dug out the old fashioned stretchy wrist band & am all upright again!

Most memorable moments so far are actually getting ON the ship (no, no NOT the 3 hour wait at faaarking US Border Control again!) ..getting on & realizing that we’d 'made it’ – how did we get so lucky?

We swanned about the ship for a bit, hung out on our private veranda & then casually hit the bar for the drink of the day..a fairly weak but still delicious rum/juice concoction & followed it up with a rather heavy handed strawberry /vodka thingy for Sammy & a dirty big rocket fuelled Margarita for myself.. That’s more like it!

As it was 'casual night’ we didn’t really bother with clothes so just face ’n’ hair for dinner & found the restaurant rather easily - as there was a bit of a line up the attendants asked us if we were happy to be on a group table.."Sure” we chimed…BIG BAD MISTAKE for Sammy….as she got stuck next to the bogan aussie wanker from hell …..FANTASIC & BRILLIANT entertainment for me…..as Sam was stuck next to the bogan aussie wanker from hell!! (hereafter who shall be referred to as BAWFH)

It was simply hilarious & at one stage trying to suppress my laughter I actually began to snort at the dinner table – the more I tried to stop the more I choked & snorted…poor Sam, I kept telling her to stop looking so interested & he’d give up but she is way too nice & I do now wish to publicly thank you Sam for turning last night into my fave so far!

Here’s how it all went down…get to table say ‘hi’ to 4 other Aussies & 2 locals (previously from Ukraine)…all good so far - a bit of casual chit chat ‘where are you from?’ blah de blah etc ..then names are exchanged & the fun starts:

BAWFH: What’s your names’ then?

Sam: I am Sam & this is Sandie

BAWFH: My name is Bruce.

Us: Hi Bruce

BAWFH: Oh well no one alls me Bruce

Us: Oh OK

BAWFH: Yeah I get called Gus

Sam: Oh right so why do you get called Gus then?

BAWFH: (defensive tone) What? Oh I don’t know

Sam: You don’t know the reason why you get called Gus not Bruce?

BAWFH: NO..there’s no reason

Me: cough giggle snort.

Sam: Sandie ..stop that (giggle)

BAWFH: You play Golf?

Sam: NO I haven’t really had the opportunity but I can often be found at the nineteenth! (waaay to cheery Sammy!)

BAWFH: (to me) You?

Me: Nup!

BAWFH: 10 minute bore me to death crap on about golf, his swing, his score, clubs etc

Me: Oh this is fantasic!

Sammy: Sandie! Stop it! LOL

BAWFH: To Sammy (with accusatory tone & horrified look)..well you should learn

Sam: Open mouth stare

Me: NO!

BAWFH: Oh well OK then..frowns

BAWFH: To Sam, on seeing a waiter with a bottle of Tabasco sauce "Hey oh har har, you wanna know what the best meal ever is a peanut butter & Tabasco sandwich!’

Sam: That doesn’t sound like a very nice combination at all!

BAWFH: How do you know if you haven’t had it, have you HAD one huh? No! well don’t say you don’t like it if you haven’t even tried it!!

Sam: Well I don’t actually like the sound of that!

BAWFH: Oh YEAH well haven’t ya eva heard of satay sauce ..you had THAT? I betcha like that?

Sam: Oh right like a poor man’s’ satay then?

BAWFH: Oh I don’t know how ya get that

Me: sculls wine snorts & scoffs

Sam: Sandie!

And so on it went..we were awake most of the night laughing/chatting & saying to each other ‘you’re just not a satay sanga..ya know?”

I hope this translates well, as it was just hilarious!

As we sit here typing our blogs in the internet café/library area – 20 feet away in the Crows Nest bar sits about 100 people at the end of today’s first happy hour – lot’s of laughing & glass clinking in the background. Neither of us feels like a drink yet but there will be some!

Now we just have to work out what time to go for dinner (first formal night of 2) & how the HELL to avoid the BAWFH tonight!

I have warned Sam that if we get stuck with him again I’m gunna place an order for a satay sangar for dinner & watch the fun fly!

Over & Out

Xox Sandie J