Thanksgiving
Seabourn Sojourn
At Sea
Cloudy - 77 Degrees
Winds at 30 - 40 Knots
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
It was a quiet day aboard the Sojourn. Moderate winds and moderate seas made for a bit of a bumpy ride, and the persistent cloud cover put a damper on the fun in the sun, but we are happy to be at sea.
This doesn't feel like Thanksgiving at all. It's gray enough to look like home, but too warm and humid to feel like home. We haven't had a single argument about what part of a turkey to cook, by what method and for how long, or whether to cook one at all. Our germophobe is obsessed with norovirus from the buffet and hand sanitizer instead of salmonella from the turkey and Clorox cleaner. There isn't the faintest whiff of sage in the air. There's no football on TV. There is certainly much to be thankful for, both here and now, and back at home, but that is about the only reminder of Thanksgiving to be found.
Destinations Manager Chad gave the "Port and Tour Talk" today, with a primer on each of our ports of call, and a review of the tours on offer.
Ports of Call:
Saturday, November 30th
San Juan, Puerto Rico
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday, December 1st
Basseterre, St. Kitts
10:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Monday, December 2nd
St. Johns, Antigua
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday, December 3rd
Cruz Bay, St. John, USVI
7:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Wednesday, December 4th
Isla Catalina, Dominican Republic
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Destination Expert, and guest lecturer, Niki Sepsas gave his first talk today, "The Fairest Sea I Ever Beheld: The Caribbean Sea of Christopher Columbus."
"A pen and a passport have been the tools of the trade for Niki Sepsas for most of his life. He learned at an early age that he had a problem keeping the seat of his pants attached to the seat of a chair. Any chair. After college at West Point and the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Niki served in the army before embarking on a thirty-year travel career that has taken him to more than 160 countries and each of the world’s seven continents."
"Niki began fueling his passion for adventure by signing on to work for oil drilling companies operating offshore rigs in the Arctic Ocean of Alaska, Southeast Asia, the North Sea, and the Middle East. Realizing that he was enjoying climbing the hills as much as he relished discovering what lay on the other side, Niki began working as a freelance tour guide and tour manager for travel groups visiting Europe, Africa, Central/ South America, Antarctica, Asia, and throughout North America. His myriad adventure programs now include Mount Kilimanjaro climbs, hot air balloon trips across the Serengeti, kayaking in Iceland, paddling canoes through the Amazonian rainforest, hiking the Peruvian Andes to the lost city of Machu Picchu, and other excursions to the world’s wild and scenic places."
"As a freelance writer, Niki has documented this world of wonders that beckons to each of us. More than 900 of his travel adventures have been published in over fifty national, regional, and local magazines and newspapers. He is a contributing author to the Chicken Soup for the Soul series of books and has written more than a dozen coffee table books, several personal memoirs, and a novel."
Cruise ship lectures are almost always informative, sometimes well-researched and well-presented, occasionally entertaining, and rarely riveting. Niki Sepsas brings it all. If there was a cruise ship lecturer action figure, it would be Niki. He is like Jack Ryan, MacGyver, and Rick Steves, all in one. The theater is always the coldest place on a cruise ship. Niki Sepsas makes it cool.
Finally, this evening, it was time to celebrate Thanksgiving. We had Thanksgiving dinner in The Restaurant, our first time back in the main dining room since the lifeboat drill last night. Thanksgiving dinner out, rarely turns out well. Even at the very best restaurants, the food is prepared in advance with neither the comfort of home, nor the thrill of the road. This was not the best Thanksgiving ever, but it was far from the worst, and may be the best holiday meal we have ever had at sea. The turkey was moist and, if anything, just a degree underdone. The roulade of dark meat was nice in theory, but rubbery and flavorless on the plate, easily passed over in favor of the thick slice of juicy breast, well-seasoned, with an impossibly crisp layer of shimmering golden skin at the top. I can't remember a better executed bite of bird. The roulade was the foundation for a matching round of dressing, pleasing in texture, but too subtle in flavor. The peas and carrots were nicely done, fresh and bright, with the perfect balance of crunch and yield. The sweet potatoes were not unpleasant, but a side of mashed potatoes soaked up the gravy and rounded out the plate. The "Traditional Pumpkin Pie," was more a variation on the theme than an authentic reproduction, but satisfied our need for pumpkin spice at the end of the meal. This Thanksgiving dinner at sea was actually something to be thankful for.
We hope your tables were full, your bellies bursting, and your hearts overflowing with thanks.
Friday, November 29th
Seabourn Sojourn
At Sea
Mostly Sunny - 77 Degrees
This was a much nicer day at sea, some sun to go with the wind and waves. We took our books, and took a little nap, up on deck this afternoon with the rock of the boat and the sound of the surf.
As much as yesterday didn't feel like Thanksgiving, today does not feel like the Apple Cup. We can't watch it on TV, but we have ESPN Gamecast on the laptop, and we are ready to rumble.
GO COUGS!!!
GO DAWGS!!!
Next Stop: Puerto Rico
No comments:
Post a Comment