John Edward Cooper’s Notes
Monday 25 January 2016
|
[2016] [Sunday 24 January 2016] Thomson Dream Mayan Treasures At sea Cruise News, Monday 25th January 2016    
Janet had set the alarm clock to sound just before 6am, but because she didn’t get to sleep till the early hours of the morning she didn’t get up till 6.40am. She went out for her “pig-out day” breakfast ca.7am, but because it was a “day at sea” the Lido Restaurant didn’t open the breakfast buffet till 7.30am. The Omelette Station outside there was scheduled to start at 7.00am, but hadn’t done so; so she went up to deck 11 to the Sirens Restaurant for “morning coffee and pastries”, which started at 7.00am. “It was quite comfortable in the Sirens,” she wrote: “warmer than the Lido and, I’d forgotten, a bit classier. Pity it isn’t open for dinner.” She had in mind to use it for breakfast and lunch from here on, though. I got up… and headed out ca.7.45am for the Lido Restaurant and joined Janet there. Again, items to which one would previously have helped oneself were dispensed by the crew. Our turn around the promenade deck, ca.8.30am, was hindered at the bow by a very strong wind. We returned to the cabin.… We went down to the Coffee Port, and finding every table occupied we sat opposite a couple. We were greeted “Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Cooper!” by Maria Deleon of the “wrong Fanta” incident, who served us for the first drinks. She was returning home (to the Philippines, I think) tomorrow. I had two Americano and Janet had a hot chocolate (10:43:52, 11:01:40). “Unfortunately, nice as the elderly couple were,” Janet wrote, “he ‘out-gassed’[i] me (not something that happens often!) and in the end I wanted him to go!” Back in the cabin, I [did this and that]. Billed for this afternoon was a farce in the Broadway:
We had no taste for this or intention to go to see it; but when there was an announcement that it had been cancelled and that instead show-team member Sebastian Kelly would be doing a one-man cabaret in the Medusa Lounge, we decided to go to that. I had a Campari and soda and Janet a ginger beer (13:09:37). We went up to the Sirens Restaurant at 1.45pm for lunch. (There’s a till receipt for a pint of Strongbow cider in Sirens, 11:26:28; but that timing doesn’t correspond with memory or with Janet’s journal. And why isn’t there a drink for Janet on it?) “It was so much warmer on the boat late this morning and this afternoon…” Janet commented. “Anyway, we returned to the cabin and then I went off to the hairdresser without any coat on. Had my hair done by Sandra from Serbia and we chatted. It was such a relaxing experience as she massaged my head [15:11:58]. I returned to the cabin then we went to Tides. We saw Peter and Trudi. They are spending their second week in Jamaica from tomorrow.” I had two Campari and soda and Janet had two different non-alcoholic cocktails (or “mocktails”) (15:22:14, 15:39:34). Then Janet and I went to the Coffee Port, where I had an Americano or two and Janet a hot chocolate (16:42:39, 16:53:54). “It was so lovely and toasty in there,” Janet wrote, “we both removed our jackets.” Out on deck most days it was very warm to intensely hot, but inside in many places the air-conditioning over-compensated and made it chilly. At 5.45pm we went up and along to the Lido Restaurant for dinner. “For the first time I was warm in there,” Janet wrote, though she had the denim jacket back on. I had a glass of house red wine and Janet a ginger beer (17:59:47), but when I asked for a second glass of wine (@ £3.90) the server suggested that I buy a full bottle (@ £11.95) then ask for it to be kept behind the bar for when I came back (18:26:43). There was blue cheese available this evening, which I enjoyed. Usually it’s more bland, Edam or Gouda or similar. We returned to the cabin a little after 7pm… Ca.8pm we went down to the Broadway: a “juke box” musical show:
We occupied our centre-stage front seats again. I had a Campari and soda and Janet a “mocktail” (20:01:04). “The musical was excellent,” Janet wrote; “we had a good laugh.” We were back in the cabin by 9.40pm and in bed by 10.25pm. As I wrote in 20 January 2016’s diary entry: “Unfortunately, our cabin is directly above the Medusa Lounge and the resident rock band’s cacophonous wailing, drum banging and tuneless bass was intrusive.”
|
