Cruising

Norwegian Pearl 

Lori & Janet. Our friends & patrons. 

Seattle. Pike Place Market. 

TC selfie. 

Today is 9/30. We have been afloat on this pleasure palace for 2 days. We stopped in Seattle only to meet "the boys" again, this time with the addition of Lighthouse. How likely is this? We meet them in Vancouver and then in Seattle. Today we are in Astoria and we are expecting to see them at any moment. Presently we are waiting in a line of hundreds of people waiting to be "tendered" back to the Motherload. FC had an altercation with man who yelled at her. She didn't know where to stand and he thought she was butting in line. She does not like to be talked to in an angry voice so she pulled an "Oscar Pistorius" and committed culpable manslaughter. Well, she wanted to but instead exchanged words in a restrained manner staring him down. He turned away and she walked to the end of the line. TC knew nothing of this exchange. She often misses the dramatic moments in FC's life. 

RV style room. Bigger than our tent!!

We also have an outside balcony. 

     The boat is nothing like the PCT. There is food available 24 hours a day. It is not high quality food, thankfully, or else our Bubbies would start to look like the majority of people on this cruise...BIG. I think someone should hijack this vessel and put these people through some major remodeling exercises. If you have a weight problem or an eating disorder (ie eat too much) never go on a cruise. NEVER, NEVER, EVER. It's like placing an alcoholic in a vat of wine. It impossible to swim out. 

 

FCs new duds. 

Best friends since childhood. 

    Entertainment (singers, comedians, dancers, musicians, game show hosts, competitions, casinos etc) surround the ship and you can't help bumping into one of them. Silent places (thank GOD) are available. It is possible to retreat but difficult. Janet and the Bubbies head off to the spa for relaxing water therapies ( steam room, saunas, heated ceramic tables, rain forest showers, jacuzzis, a big tub with the most powerful jet action FC and TC have ever encountered. There is a pipe shaped like an upside down U shooting water at your shoulders. It scares a lot of people away but not our three seasoned spa users. FC's teeth move in her mouth when she stands under it. They might fall out but she is willing to risk it. The spa is at the front of the ship so the views are the best. People are supposed to be quiet and usually are but we have discovered it's hard to speak Chinese quietly and there are a lot of Chinese on board. Big men also have a difficult time whispering. Robes, towels, water, tea, coffee, and lounge chairs are available. There is a library and chapel. The bars are quiet in the morning and a good place to relax. So far the Bubbies have not relaxed much. There is hope. There are two days left and I will advise them to make a concerted effort to lie down as though paralyzed. Tonight dinner at 5:30, Second City comedy at 7:30 and bowling afterwards. Relaxing??

 

   In the process of being "tendered".