jollyjones

There is one thing that keeps niggling at me - I assume it's just on the Nova, it certainly wasn't on the Dawn in February. And that is the new uniforms for the suite attendants. The men wear navy blue trousers - docker style - with mid-blue checked not-exactly-gingham but very similar short sleeved shirts. Very much 'civilian' clothes - I have seen pax wearing almost the same outfits. The women wear long sleeved navy blue tunics and trousers of a style one might expect in the spa. The tunic could be considered to be a descendant of hospital scrubs but is more fitted and fastens down the front. The outfit is plain navy blue but with mid blue trim around the neckline and down the front. This seems a rather discordant design choice - I think that all members of the same team should have uniforms that don't need to be identical but should fall within the same design theme. It's almost as if the designer thought men and women should not look at all alike. It's just a small niggle to my costumier's eyes, and the crew say they are very happy with them, they are very comfortable, so this is really just an idle observation that I post as I await the 11am departure for my little bus tour here in little Golfito, Costa Rica. PS the butlers are unchanged - black tailcoats and white gloves - although they ditch the coats in the morning in favour of gold coloured waistcoats.

And for some neither is an issue. I find the still water and the pour-of-the-day wines to be plenty good enough quality for me.

Thanks for the reply - I knew about Port Everglades and I had a slight - obviously vain - hope that it might be available at more ports.

Just FYI - Dunking is what Americans do with donuts. Ducking is what Brits do with wenches. Hope you enjoy it! PS If it's the same wench as last year, her name is also Laura.

Does it make any difference in Brooklyn if you have Global Entry? Is there a separate queue or do all the hordes just go through the same channels?

For Dr Ron - walking two lengths - ie stern to bow to stern - of each of the four passenger decks plus the stairs in between comes to about two and a half thousand steps. That's according to my phone, not sure I entirely trust it, I'll probably pace out one length and count it manually. Decks 8 and 9 are slightly shorter but only by a few paces. And for rojann - while I seldom eat meat, on my first dinner in La T I indulged in lamb chops - the plate held three plump juicy tender and delicious chops - you would have loved them! Even the spinach underneath them was cooked al dente rather than the usual slightly slimy overcook. La T being down on Deck 4 is slightly less bright and cheerful than it is on other ships up on Deck 7, but otherwise I have found it to be excellent. I eat lunch there often and have had dinner twice so far and am looking forward to more - so far everything I have chosen has been well cooked (or well presented for the raw stuff), and has been of good quality and delicious. I'm guessing flyers, whose experience differs, chooses different dishes - I am not vegetarian but choose mostly fish or vegetarian options because that is what I prefer. I don't eat beef, so much of the general angst that I read about the quality of steaks or burgers completely passes me by. I haven't made it down to Atlantide for dinner yet so can't comment on the relative merits vis a vis La T. Now I must bring my attention back to today - we are just approaching the entrance to the Canal, passing Colon to port, I'm looking forward to an interesting, albeit very warm and humid, day!

Back to random observations about the ship ... (to other posters, please do continue to join in even if we do go wandering off down highways and byways, it's all great fun) Today's observation is how grateful I am that the SALT bar has been raised from the dungeons of Deck 4 up to the rarified air and expansive views of Deck 10. I did once enjoy a delicious cocktail in the SALT bar on the Dawn and would have liked to repeat the experience, but the room was just too small, dark and crowded for me - it induced stirrings of claustrophobia. Now I can enjoy Interesting Drinks and a wonderful Panorama which is a big bonus because the Panorama lounge ain't wot it used to be - more about that on another day. A simple SALT G&T:

Sorry! I was ashore yesterday and, being a person who enjoys her own company I usually gravitate toward the less populated areas of the ship. But this is a long enough cruise, I'm sure we'll bump into each other sometime.

And I think the amount they put in is too much - I have considered asking for no chili flakes but have suspected that’s not possible. Reminds me of les37b and myself re the Muse - he found the food in Indochine to be too bland, I struggled with it as being painfully over spiced. Chili (capsaicin) is sensed in the mouth by the pain receptors - I don’t understand the attraction of food that hurts.

I’m coming to that Lois, but, sadly, no.

I bet you could find me if you try - both les37b and Stumbles managed it first go on cruises long past. (Where are you both? We miss you) I’ll be found strolling the ship solo clutching my trusty iPad and a real book, I’ve short white/grey hair and red rimmed glasses, and - no getting round it - I’m not as slim as I was. More clues in due course if that’s insufficient. Life’s a game, after all. Let’s all enjoy. PS - BTW the duck pasta thing in La T has been rubbish for years - do not let your eyes settle for even a nanosecond on that menu option. It was once good but it is time for that myth to curl up in a corner and die of shame. Maybe the mid-cruise questionnaire would be a vehicle to suggest that? Again.

Instalment the next … To begin at the bottom - Deck 3 - where one will find Atlantide side by side by SALT. Last night I planned to eat at one of these venues so I thought I would try a pre-dinner tipple in the Shelter - an attractive semi circular room on the for’ard side of the huge empty area around the aft stairs. I had been down there earlier to sit in what appeared to be some comfy chairs (they are), but there was a rather loud speed Sudoko competition going on so I retreated rapidly. Upon my evening return, I could see that it is the ante room to the other Deck 3 facility - the toilets - and so it is a completely logical design choice that it is The Place for sophisticated and soignee souls to sink serious dosh buying posh champagne. Being but an ‘umble person (who had to look up the spelling of soignee), I opted for the house champagne which was about to be delivered on a silver tray when CRASH came the sound as a mobility scooter exiting the aforementioned facility somehow tumbled over. I drifted thataway to see if urgent help was required but the need was mechanical, not medical, so I retreated. Help was summoned, the situation saved, peace was restored and my silver tray arrived. It really is a beautiful bar, I will be back. At about 8.20pm I wandered to the restaurants which were of course both busy, the rush of early eaters still eating, (I’m not deliberately awkward, it just works out that way), but the Maitre’d in SALT found me a perfect table and I enjoyed one of the best meals I have ever eaten on SS. I’ll come back to food in another instalment, but suffice it to say that so far every morsel of every meal I have eaten on this ship has been good, great or best … no, sorry, I lie, the French fries at lunch in the Marquee are a bit skinny for my taste ... but otherwise it's all good.

That's why my cabin is on Deck 6! However, this ship is seriously stable. Admittedly the sea hasn't been very lumpy yet but it's a good job there's huge windows everywhere or it could be difficult to believe we're sailing the ocean blue. And it is blue ... and beautiful.

Having 9082 in the foreground was a bit of a giveaway, but full marks. My first thought on viewing these long corridors was OMG, I'm back on a mainstream ship. But they're not that bad. I love 'em because if I get too close to a 'fitness centre' I have an overcoming and have to go lie down till it passes, but I do like to walk. There is a perfectly good walking track up on Deck 10 but it goes through the Dusk Bar, my favourite, which whispers the siren song of temptation on every lap. And if it's too cold, wet, hot, humid, wobbly or whatever, I like to walk indoors along the corridors so these are perfect for me, the other ships are too short. I haven't counted the steps yet but I bet up and back once each on decks 6, 7, 8 and 9 might even be enough for Dr Ron. Or maybe twice.

And your starter for ten: Where am I?