I settled down to a nice bowl of porridge in one of the “alcoves” in the King’s Court, this morning, looking out onto a now sunny Promenade Deck. The air was warm enough to allow me on to my balcony in shorts and t-shirt anytime of the day or night. While enjoying my oatmeal, a German travelling with, presumably, his wife, settled at an adjacent table. He attempted to engage me in conversation about, and seek my opinion of the Russia/Ukraine crisis. I wanted to remain silent on something which may well be controversial, and although I spoke, I said almost nothing! Personally, I detest conflict at any level. Behind me in the King’s Court, a woman exclaimed excitedly that a rainbow had appeared on the surface of the ocean, something which she had never seen. I looked out; nor had I! I was off like a shot to capture this rare sight before it disappeared. The picture above is the best I could achieve which I still felt was worthwhile sharing.
The rest of this third of three consecutive sea days was idyllic. Although very windy on the higher decks, that wind was balmy, the weather not too hot at just 25°C or 77° Fahrenheit. Annoyingly, the arm of my newish pair of sunglasses became detached. If I can find proof of purchase, I shall seek to have them replaced. In the meantime, the nice man in the on-board shop was more than delighted to sell me a replacement pair. I shall keep the receipt!
From New York, maintaining my walking schedule has been far easier than during the tempestuous crossing from Southampton. Currently, I am now averaging the recommended 10,000 steps/day; that is since Southampton. I am still walking for charity and it shouldn’t be too long before I reach 500,000 steps, half of my intended target. This will not include incidental walking at home, but will include the kind of hikes I went on last year in my local area, some of which were for Christian Aid.
Jo and I dined in the main Britannia Restaurant and for the first time, I couldn’t manage dessert. There’s a “first!” Showtime in the Royal Court Theatre featured magician Mark Shortland. His show was clever and superbly presented. I’m sure I have seen him not so long ago on a pre-coronavirus cruise. But none of his material was familiar.
Tomorrow, we dock at Charlotte Amalie, capital of the U.S Virgin Islands, the largest town in St. Thomas. The island is hilly, even mountainous and “offers little opportunity for farming.” Originally Danish, St. Thomas was purchased for 25 million USD as part of a defence strategy in WW1. U.S. citizenship was granted to residents in 1927. My first visit here was, I think, in 1996 on board Royal Caribbean’s Sovereign of the Seas as part of their Eastern Caribbean itinerary. I would return a year later on Splendour of the Seas with Pat and Ron who I met for the first time, and with whom I remain very much in touch. R.M.S Queen Mary 2 called here on its maiden voyage in 2004.
I shall write more about the visit to St. Thomas tomorrow. In the meantime, thanks for reading, David, 00.00hrs in my cabin, 25-26/2/22.
Note: Even in the Cruise Terminal at Barbados (1/3/22) the Internet is not strong enough to upload illustrations. There are now several gaps where pictures should be. I shall republish again when I get home (15/3/22) This applies to Blogs 743, 744, 745, and 746.
David's Cruise 