Cruise Day 18: Day at Sea

(Note:  Another word regarding yesterday's magnet...in addition to the date being wrong on it because Disney Cruise Line rearranged the date of the Villains show...I also, when I was going back and reviewing the posts I'd submitted so far, noticed that the word "villains" is spelled wrong! (the "i" is missing).   AAAAHHHHH!!  I don't know how Jason and I missed that up to this point....but we've decided this is our excuse:  Spelling doesn't count on vacation! LOL...so file that little nugget away for a rainy day! *smile*)

OK...now back to business.  Yup it was day 18 and, you guessed it, we were still cruisin' out in the middle of the Atlantic making our way from one continent to another!  Fortunately for us----this day, unlike our magnet for the day, did not include any piracy or run-ins with Captain Hook (we wouldn't be seeing him again until the official "Pirate Night" at our next port of call, St. Maarten in the West Indies).

I hesitate to even type this so as not to jinx what little time is left of our vacation----but our weather could NOT have been better.  On our last TransAtlantic voyage, it wasn't awful...but it was a little windy and chilly and the water was definitely choppy...and, of course, we are sailing across the Atlantic and into the Caribbean now during hurricane season and reportedly dodging tropical storm fronts along the way....but the truth of the matter is you would never know it.  The sun has been out daily, we haven't seen a drop of rain on the ship since we left Gibraltar and we haven't REALLY felt the boat moving under our feet since we left the Mediterranean!   This voyage has truly been amazing.....

Here is, once again, what we woke up to...

...I really wish the pictures I post here could more accurately capture what the sky looks like out here at sea.   I mean, these pics are beautiful (I think)....but they really do pale in comparison to the real thing!  And, on this third of five consecutive sea days, we were probably at about the midpoint of the Atlantic Ocean----as far as we could possibly be from land in any direction.  I don't want to get too existential here....but let's just say that it a truly humbling thing.  On the Med portion of our cruise, there were seldom days where we couldn't see land of some kind at at least one direction.  Out here at sea, though-----NOTHING. (For those of you who have traveled to Walt Disney World in Orlando and seen the "Finding Nemo" stage musical at Animal Kingdom, the tune for the song "Big Blue World" is playing in the back of my mind even as I type this! LOL).  You are literally just surrounded by the vastness of sky and the ocean----and it certainly reminds you of how small you are in the grand scheme of things.

Anyhow....I'll stop....and focus on what we did on this sea day.  Although that little divergence isn't necessarily a bad thing because, once again, there isn't much to say or show for this day! LOL  I have been separating out the pictures we take each day so I can keep them organized on my computer.  The highest number we've taken in one day is from Rome---with 281 pictures in one day---and on most other days we've averaged between 75 and 150.  On each sea day, however, the number of pictures we have taken has been smaller and smaller....and this, Day 18, was the smallest of our entire trip so far...with only TWELVE pictures from the whole day in our camera! LOL

We started our day in the rainforest room again.  We really only go for about 45 minutes each morning....pretty much right when they open between 8 and 8:30 am....but it's such a relaxing way to start the day!!  As opposed to other days in life where it's get up, cram something into your stomach, rush to shower and get ready and out the door to whatever needs to get done that day....when you get up and head to steam room with heated tile lounge chairs and lay about for 45 minutes for a slow relaxing start....it really sets a much more laid back tone for the entire day!

(On another side note....can you STAND it?!?  I am getting up by 8:30am every day.....ON VACATION!!! LOL  All my friends back home and at work will know that this is HUUUUGE for me.   I usually have to be to work AT 8:30am every day and, because I live basically 2 blocks from my office, I pride myself on being able to get up at about 7:45am daily! LOL   Of course, turning the clock back an hour every night before bed probably helps some! *wink*)

After our visit to the spa and breakfast, we came back to our room and, because there wasn't much going on in the navigator for the morning, decided to do one of the most exciting things possible:  LAUNDRY!!!  Oh yes, that's right...I'm not only getting up early on vacation...I'm also spending time on a cruise ship doing loads of laundry! LOL  It' the price you pay for taking a 30 day vacation, I guess----there is physically no way we could pack enough clothes to last for the whole trip...which is why we each packed about 10 days worth of clothes (and luckily we are close in size so we can wear each other's clothes which means we each have about 20 days of outfits really)....which means that laundry two or three times during this trip has been a necessary evil. (Although, if you've been paying attention as you look at  pictures in the posts since this vacation started....you've probably noticed that the clothes pop up repeatedly....so hopefully you're relieved to know that those clothes are clean and that we're not stinking up the boat wearing dirty laundry! LOL)

After laundry was done....we did what we've been doing a lot of at sea:  ate lunch, played board games with Johanna & Kimberly, hung out on deck, played some ping pong or shuffleboard, etc.-----you know, real strenuous vacation stuff. (LOL)

We had really three major things on our agenda for today:

1.)  Tea with Alice & the Mad Hatter:  You may recall that earlier in the week we went to high tea at Palo, the adult restaurant....well today we did something similar but also totally different.  We went to a silly tea with Alice and Mad Hatter.  This is an event you have to get a ticket to attend...and which is usually only open for children and their families (I think)...but because there are so few children on the boat with us this voyage, they opened it up to the public----so Jason, Johanna, Kimberly and I all signed up! (Aren't we cheesy?!?! LOL)  The "tea" was apple juice...and the snacks were basic (chocolate chip cookies)...but it was still a very fun and cute event and a good photo opportunity, too!

2.)  Once Upon a Song:  This was the evening's show.  I don't have any pictures of it (flash photography in the theater is not allowed and so any pictures you try to take without a flash often turn out really crappy).  This show was very basic....no "production" to speak of...and just featured five members of the ship's performing cast (3 men and 2 women:  Matthew, James, Mo, Becca and Rayna) dressed as themselves (no elaborate costumes) and singing, both solo and in groups, some of the beloved songs from Disney films.  I had been told by some others who'd seen this show (which is usually only done on longer or special cruises like this one....and which I'd never seen before) that this show wasn't that good and was "boring."  I'm writing about it here as its own section because those people couldn't have been more wrong.  "Once Upon A Song" was a sheer delight for me....and is probably my second favorite Disney Cruise Line stage show (after "Twice Charmed") ever.  The whole show was only about 45 minutes long but it probably could have been twice as long and I wouldn't have noticed one bit.  Animation is fun to watch and amazing...yes.  The stories that Disney tells, and has always told, are wonderful...yes.  The characters that Disney brings to life are great, yes.  But this show really reminded anyone in the audience who was willing to go along for the ride that the MUSIC of Disney has always been one of the things that makes it special....that every word and every note of every song is intentional and important and that these songs are important to the Disney magic, and the memories it evokes, as the characters who sing them!  I had butterflies in my stomach and cried for easily half the show.  I know, I know....could I get any gayer?!?! But I just loved this show....and in the following day or two I went out of my way to find each of the 5 cast members involved (which is also why I posted their names) to let them know how much the show had meant to me.

...and....

3.)  Formal Night:  This was the second of our two formal nights and gave us an excuse to break out the tuxes again.  Tonight was another formal set I made myself....a colorful Mickey mouse set. They were a big hit.  (Mickey and Minnie were, of course, beside themselves with joy at seeing themselves on our clothes again! LOL).  Here are some pictures:

(Note:  If the Trotta and Eckman families, two of my cheerleaders back home, are reading this blog.....you can't really see it....you can kind of see it in the Belle pic....but on my left lapel of my jacket this evening I wore the Minnie Mouse pin I got for my birthday!  Minnie LOVED it! hehehe)

More happened today----like another installment in "Desperate Shipmates," a Disney trivia game and Music of the 1990's Name that Tune (we did very well again!)----but this post is already kind of long....so i'll go ahead and close with our towel animal for the day:

Tomorrow?  Another sea day!!  HOORAY!!!