We slept very well last evening and enjoyed gaining another hour since we set the clocks back one hour before we went to sleep. We are now seventeen hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time. Truly amazing!
Since we had the extra hour Keith woke up earlier than normal and went up to the Fitness Center and then Anne Marie arrived about 45 minutes later. We both enjoyed a wonderful workout in the center and by the time we left it was very crowded. More people were up there earlier given the time zone change. Many of the regulars were working out including Mary and John. Keith spoke with Mary for part of the workout and they each talked about what they did in Samoa. We just want to highlight, once again, how friendly we found the locals of Samoa to be.
After our workout, we went up to the Lido Café for breakfast. We enjoyed a very nice breakfast. We are happy to report that new Bananas have been brought on board so we are both happy campers. ☺ We sat with a couple of our fellow passengers who we normally sit with for breakfast.
All of the Lido Deck stewards helped us during breakfast. We learned that last evening there was a crew party to celebrate the Chinese New Year. While most of the crew is not Chinese, it was a nice opportunity for Crystal to have a party for the staff, which is greatly, appreciated by the crew. This is one of so many examples of how well Crystal treats their staff and we believe this is a reason why they have retained so many of their staff over the years and why the crew works as one cohesive team. We applaud Crystal for their approach to teamwork.
After breakfast we decided to go ahead and do the laundry since most of the machines were not in use.
Later in the morning, Keith went to Rap with the Rabbi while Anne Marie finished up the laundry. We had a nice turnout for this session and there was a great deal of group participation.
At 11:00 AM we both attended the second lecture given by former United Nations Weapons Inspector and author of Waging Peace; Scott Ritter. The title of his presentation was “Waging Peace: The Status of the Anti-War Movement in America Today.” This presentation was very well attended and the presentation was very informative. Scott Ritter covered a variety of items and made several excellent points. His presentation also included sufficient time for a Question and Answer Period.
Afterwards, we had lunch with Scott Ritter and his lovely wife. The other day we had asked Scott Ritter if he and his wife would be available to have lunch with us in the main dining room. One of the nice things about those who lecture on Crystal is that they are very accessible to talk with outside of the formal lectures. We enjoyed a wonderful conversation with both Scott and his wife along with a fabulous lunch. We talked about a variety of items and appreciated all of Scott’s insight to all of our questions. We look forward to his third and final presentation.
This afternoon we enjoyed a walk on the Promenade Deck. The temperature was quite nice. According to the Captain’s morning talk the ship is utilizing five of six engines and we are cruising along at approximately 21 knots per hour.
Before dinner, we attended the Crystal Society Reception, which is for all passengers who have previously sailed with Crystal. These receptions always provide a nice opportunity to talk with fellow passengers. We sat with a few couples including John and Linda who we first met on last years World Cruise. John is one of the regulars who works out at the same time we do in the Fitness Center and we see both John and Linda in the Lido Café each morning during breakfast and at other times during the day. Following the reception the four of us dined together at the Silk Road Japanese Specialty Restaurant. Since tonight was a formal night many passengers dined in the main dining room but we thought it would be a nice opportunity to dine at Silk Road since it would be less busier than normal.
Tomorrow we arrive in Lautoka, Fiji.
Keith & Anne Marie
