DAY 74---AT SEA

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Our position at noon today is half way to New Orleans.  Sunny skies with 25 to 35 knot wind the seas to be rougher.  I put my wrist bands on this morning after working out.  They are supposed to help prevent getting seasick.  I have never been seasick and do not plan on it either.  Temperature is 69 degrees.

In case you are wondering about the map above.  The white line is where we have been and the red line is where we are going on this segment of the cruise.

LAST NIGHT:

                         I thought I would start this post with photos of our sail out from Tampa.  

                                                 This is where we used to be docked.

After having safe separation from the dock, the Captain backed the ship up before swinging around to head out of the bay.

                                                 He is swinging the bow around to head out.

Small lighthouse on the way out.  It was a long way from our pier near downtown to the Gulf of Mexico.  It took us over 2 hours.

                                                   Looking back at Tampa downtown.

                                                 This is a small airport along the way out.

We were having cocktails in the Horizon Lounge until we approached the "Sunshine Skyway Bridge".  I went out on the back outside area of the lounge to take some photos of going under the bridge.  This is a covered area which is also protected from the wind and is one of 3 designated smoking areas on the Mariner.

This is the wrap around windows of the Horizon Lounge on deck 6.  As you can see this outside area is covered so you can also enjoy cocktails while sitting outside.  Good place to take photos also.

     I have my camera sticking out over the side looking forward as we approached the bridge.

                       It is 430 feet from the water to the bridge so we had plenty of clearance.

Note the green light at center and red lights on each side.  These lights show where the ships should aim for.

        Not long after this the harbor pilot departed the ship and we continued out into the Gulf of Mexico.  Not long after that we encountered a dense fog that lasted for several hours.  When visibility is reduced to a certain point the ship's horn has to be sounded every so often to let other smaller ships we are here.  Of course our ship has surface radar and can see larger ships.

We decided to dine on the opposite side of Compass Rose that we usually sit.  It was a nice, quiet table in the front corner of the restaurant.  May be our new dining table.  This is our waiter, Sherwin, whom we have cruised with many times.  Excellent waiter!  I know he appreciated that we dined at his table.

                                                             His assistant waiter was Ed.

We both enjoyed some panko coated shrimp with spicy mayo and farfalle pasta with tomatoes, shrimp, pesto, and mozzarello cheese.  Both were good. 

This is definitely my new favorite dessert although I have had it before on the cruise.  It is called malva pudding with butter scotch sauce and butter pecan ice cream.  Rebecca even had a couple bites of it.

Waiting for Andy's show to start as I was there 25 minutes early.  Rebecca joined me after a run up to the suite for a few minutes.  We sat on the back row again.  Just two seats on that side which are raised so still a good view in case someone sits in front of us.

One of the bar waiters in the theater is Nawaz from Goa.  He brought me an Amaretto on the rocks.

I think everyone enjoyed his show including us.  I did notice two leave the theater in the not long after his show started.  There was a nice crowd for the show.  More than usual.

After the show we were summoned down to the front row so I could take photos of the group with their cameras so I got this one too.  L to R:  Jimbo & Mary Ann Todd, Marcia, Barbara, and Wily.  All are super nice folks and we enjoyed several laughs before adjourning.  Jimbo turned 85 yesterday.

TODAY:

        At 11am every day at sea there is the "officers challenge".  This is where some of the officers play against guests.  The games are different but today's was "top toss".  Officers won today!

        We're just spending a relaxing afternoon in our suite making plans for tomorrow in New Orleans.  We want to go shopping as I need some new slacks.  Some of mine have shrunk.  We will be docked at the Julia Street Terminal which is attached to the Riverwalk Mall and the Canal Place Mall is very close by.  There is also a Cafe du Monde in the Riverwalk Mall.  Not the original one down by Jackson Square but good enough.  Weather forecast for our second day there is not good--rain & wind.  So we need to get our running around done the first day.

        Best thing about New Orleans is the FOOD.  Love that cajun cooking--fried catfish, oysters, crawfish, shrimp, etouffee, gumbo, etc,  We rarely dine off the ship on cruises (did in when in Buenos Aires) but we certainly plan to tomorrow night.  I have selected the Olde NOLA Cookery for dinner.  Marcia will also be joining us as this will be her first visit to NO.  The restaurant does not accept reservations for less than 10 people but I just called from the ship and talked to the manager.  He will have a table for 3 reserved at 7pm for us.  I'm a sweet talking devil!!!

        BTW, I did go up for my Sunday caviar this morning.  Well, another interdenominational worship service at 5:30 today.  Cocktails following church (that somehow does not seem quite right!).  We did not care much for the Compass Rose menu for tonight so have 7pm reservations at Prime 7.

        As I mentioned in a previous post, the chef does a fantastic job of cooking the steaks/filets just as you ordered them BUT the filets seem to be tasteless.  So when in Tampa we bought this.  It is what I have to put on all of Rebecca's meats before I grill them.  So we will be "doctoring" our filets up this evening with some of this.

        "Tuxedo" production show will be in the theater at 9:15.  It is more of a singing show with little dancing which is a good thing for tonight as the ship is rocking a bit.  Dancing would be dangerous maybe.  

        Ok, the Captain says we will be picking up the first of 3 different river pilots at 11pm near the mouth of the Mississippi River.  In case you thought the Mississippi ended in New Orleans, WRONG!  It is another over 100 miles of river before you get out into the Gulf of Mexico.  The river winds quite a bit and is not that wide so kind of tricky to navigate.  We were on a Princess cruise ship early 2000's, and as I knew the Captain, I asked him if I could come on the bridge when cruising up the river.  (Pre-911 of course)  He told me to wait until he was well established on the river before coming to the bridge door.  I did and when I entered there were two big Coast Guard men with weapons not looking happy that I had arrived.  The Captain immediately told them that I was invited.  I then discovered that every ship going up the Mississippi had Coast Guard on the bridges.  If a ship was sunk in the Mississippi all navigation of other ships would be stopped.  Think about how much commerce uses the river.  Almost all of the grains grown in the midwest goes down the Mississippi and out into the Gulf for export.  That's just the tip of the iceberg.  Anyway, my time on the bridge (it was day time) was soooo interesting.  Especially when we met another ship going the other way as the river is not that wide.  Big tanker/grain ship meeting big cruise ship!!!  As I said there are 3 different pilots who are very knowledgeable on their section of the river.  It will take our ship 7 or 8 hours to make the trip from the Gulf to NO.  I spoke to our Captain at breakfast and he said they would do that in shifts.  Captain, two navigational officers, 2 seamen (lookouts), and a note taker.  Other shift is the Staff Captain with the same number of other fresh bridge manning.  This manning is basically double the normal.  The Captain is not on the bridge all the time nor is the Staff Captain.  One or both of them have to be on the bridge for docking and leaving the pier (of course), navigating in more hazardous areas, bad weather, emergencies, etc.

We will be saying a special prayer this evening for the Ukrainian people.  Unbelievable what they are going through.