FREE Tai Chi.....sometimes once/day, sometimes/twice. In the upper level Crow's Nest or outside on the deck, weather permitting. There were always 30 in the class, usually 40 and sometimes 50!!!! AND MORE MEN THAN WOMEN!!!
The infamous electronic Hold'em table.....which is where it all started!
We spent as much time at the Blackjack table as we did at the Hold'em table....maybe more!
They let Richard "out of the cage" for the night....he is the cashier.
Blogging took lots of time when we were in port and had a "decent" connection....which was not a decent connection. This is also the Crow's Nest....we spent a lot of time up there. The library, coffee shop, big bar, dance floor....and happy hour daily.....
While we are blogging, in port, in the Samoas, all the tourist personnel are permitted on board to tour, eat, take pictures....some brought their children, too!
A youth group from a local church boarded in Apia, Samoa, to perform native song and dance.....they also did some Michail Jackson and a few Christmas carols. The theatre was standing room only with standing ovations!!!!
Finally, after a month on the QE and 2 weeks on the Oosterdam, a passenger starts a Mah-jongg group. There were two tables of Chinese games and two tables of American.
Nina and Ramesh were our bridge opponents....and we had a running duel! We also toured Tasmania with them and their daughter, Kavita. They have lived in Vancouver for over 30 years.
A few days after Honolulu, the Captain announced a medical emergency....a patient onboard needed medical supplies from the mainland. We all watched the drama unfold on the high seas as the U.S. Coast Guard plane circled our ship four times; once to confirm the position, twice to "drop" medical supplies and a third time to confirm the drop and the safe return to the ship.
This circle of new friends met one day in the Pinnacle restaurant for lunch....Bob and Carolyn of anniversary and Waikiki fame, Cheryl, Orlan and Irene (to whom we owe thanks for getting it all started), and Mauro and Melissa.
We gathered in the Board Room at 2 p.m. on sea days.....to make ourselves an extra 15% which is the casino's rake. Aussie Bob also joined us.....he is on his way to Vegas to enter the World Series of Poker event!!! During our "gatherings", people would peek in the windows/doors, checking out what "meeting" was going on....the cash was on the table!! Once, an officer took a picture, but we never received any admonishment.
And if the Board Room happened to be occupied, we set up in the bar next door.
Regretfully, this hand did not belong to either of the Sanders!
