Ruby Princess At Sea

We are sailing for one day south, then north back to Fort Lauderdale.

The naming and wedding ceremony yesterday afternoon was like nothing any of us have ever seen. What seemed like the entire crew including cooks marched out, and then up the ladders (that’s sailor talk, they were really stairs) to gather and witness both ceremonies.

The Star Spangled Banner was led by a female singer of note, but I didn’t take that note, so I don’t know her name. My bad, but I just got “a singer of note”. Following the Banner, the Mayor of Broward County, the Port Director, and other dignitaries spoke in marketing mode for about 30 minutes, and then it was time for Gavin McLeod who was to give her away.

They joined attendants Trista and Ryan and the ceremony took place. It was quite lovely. To add to the “romance”, Trista and Ryan were celebrating their 5^th anniversary.

Following the vows,

Trista and Ryan named Ruby Princess and smashed the bottle; not on the bow, but dropped to shatter on the pool deck.

Dinner for our press group was in Sabatini’s and especially concocted for us by the chef. Yes, the food was wonderful, but even more impressive was the service. The waiters constantly paid attention to the tables and made sure what was wanted was promptly taken care of. The great service is also apparent at the buffet. I had breakfast there and must have been asked by three different servers if I needed anything. This attention to detail is apparent ship wide.

OK, now a word of warning. I finally washed my jeans, but didn’t have enough quarters for the dryer, so I decided to hang them in my room. In every ship’s tub or shower area there is a cord to pull and attach to the other side so things can be hung and dried. I wondered why mine was red….oh, of course a Ruby touch.

Then the phone rang. I answered and a nervous voice asked what the emergency was. Oops!!!! The correct cord was inches away.

Walking by the Calypso Reef and Pool this morning I noticed most of the passengers lying in the sun were looking skyward at a 45 degree angle. There was a movie playing on a huge screen.

I quickly went back to my cabin to capture that moment. When I got back, the movie’s credits were rolling. I waited for the movie to start again. The credits rolled for almost ten minutes and I realized it has been years since I’ve seen a whole list of credits. By the time they end, I’m in my car heading home. It was worth watching though to see the Troll Singer acknowledged.

My cabin, a mini-suite, has a balcony with ample room for 4 chairs and a table.

I sunned for awhile, but the weather soon turned cloudy as a cold front was forced into the area by Hurricane Paloma. Even so, the sea was calm.

Tonight we have a cocktail party in the Wheelhouse bar. I’ll get a Margarita on the rocks. They’ll serve it in a pilsner glass. It’s quite elegant. Dinner will be at the Crown Grill.

Before dinner, I’m going to pack. I head for Chicago tomorrow for a meeting of the Radio Museum. It will be snowing.