December 23, 2025

First, a few updates from yesterday at sea… I had a video in yesterday’s post which apparently didn’t transfer to the email of the post. I took a class on iPhone video yesterday and Katherine, the wonderful instructor, said that I had to upload the video to YouTube and then put the link into the blog. But without the streaming package it won’t work. So no video unless you go to the actual blog online to see it. It is of the ferris wheel and the gingerbread village.

The iPhone class was really good. I was kind of surprised about how many things I didn’t know and all of the capability of the phone. Now I just have to remember it all when I take videos.

Norm went to the lecture – Beyond the Horizon: Global Trends that Will Shape Our Lives and he said it was interesting. There is a follow up today. They do post the videos of the lectures that we can see any time on TV. They are also broadcasting the bowl games on TV.

Mark and Ramsay went to the art class – here are their watercolors of the Miami skyline. They are so good!

I didn’t win the blackjack tournament – as a matter of fact, I only had one winning hand out of seven, so no chance.

Our team placed second in trivia. Three men joined our team. Adam, Mark, Ramsay and I also played the majority rules match game which was fun.

The Captain’s cocktail party was last night and it always gives us a chance to meet and greet the officers. After that, we went to dinner at Jacques. We shared the sea bass in puff pastry that Norm and I enjoyed on our three day cruise. Here are pictures of that and of a couple of the appetizers. Ramsay had the scallop dish and I had the French Onion soup.

And I had delicious profiteroles for dessert.

Here’s the family after dinner and before the show – Flashback – starring the very talented entertainment team.

And, we have a wonderful butler, Saji. He keeps us supplied with our favorite drinks, snacks, etc.

Today is a nice restful day at sea. There is another enrichment lecture and there will be some spa deck and sauna time, another blackjack tournament, our trivia in the afternoon, casual dinner probably in the Terrace Cafe and the show. The show is A Song For You: Remembering Whitney Live starring vocalist Nicole Ortiz. I don’t think we have heard her before.

We will be in Aruba tomorrow and there is also a lecture called Explore Aruba Culture, Nature and Heritage. We haven’t been there in many years. We didn’t book a tour and will explore on our own.