Our last day is always a bit sad knowing the cruise was
coming to an end. Despite that, I had a
wonderful day.
On the first day, we had signed up for the Ultimate Ships
Tour. It’s a behind the scenes tour of
the ship that visits places passengers aren’t normally allowed to visit. I had done it before on other ships and
enjoyed it each time. Linda had never
heard of it, and when I told her about it, she said it sounded very
interesting, so we had signed up. The
tour is very limited with no more than 15 people (on some ships, no more than
12), and if there are too many people signed up, then the participants are
chosen by lottery. On Wednesday, we had
received a letter stating we had been selected to participate, and I was
excited to do the tour again.
We met outside the Medical
Center on Deck 4 at 8:15 and after
turning in our release forms, we were escorted into the Medical Center Medical
Center
Our next stop was the forward Mooring Deck where the anchor
is located. An officer explained how the
ship is tied up at her berth and how the anchor works to keep the ship in
place. We then headed to the galley,
where a nonalcoholic drink was waiting as well as several chocolate
desserts. One of the chefs on board
talked about the galley operations, and walked us through the different areas
including the bakery where all the wonderful bread is baked (I love the bread
rolls). We then went to the food storage
areas and the provisioning officer walked us through the refrigerated areas
where the vegetables and meats were stored (in different areas so there is no
cross-contamination).
Our next stop was the Engine Control Room, where one of the
engineers explained all the different areas of the ship they monitor and
control. I always find it fascinating to
learn about how the ship generates electricity, creates water, and handles
waste water. It really is a small,
self-sufficient city.
From there, we went “below the waterline” to the laundry. Linda really enjoyed all the different
equipment that folded the sheets and towels (it really is kind of neat to see). We also visited the print shop where all the
Patters are printed and the photo lab where all the photos are printed.
We then headed up to the navigation bridge. This is always my favorite. I never tire of the incredible view from the
bridge and hearing about the navigation and ship’s operations. The staff captain and first officer explained
the different controls and how they maneuver the ship. The captain then came over and talked to us
and then asked if there was anything in particular we wanted to see. One of the passengers asked about his cabin,
and he offered to take us there. First,
he took us behind the navigation bridge to where all the monitors are located. This is also where the ship’s officers would
be in the event of an emergency; it did look more like a command post than the
navigation bridge and is the first time I’ve see this part of the ship.
The captain then did take us all to his cabin, which had a
living room, a bedroom, and an office and conference room. He asked us all to sit and he explained that
the conference room was where the senior staff would hold their meetings. He had Champaign
delivered (which took a while) and we sat there for well over an hour talking
with him, listening to some stories he told, and asking questions. In all the tours I’ve taken, I’ve never seen
a captain do this, and it was so interesting hearing some of the stories he
told.
The tour is very expensive at $150, but is well worth it,
even without all the gifts you get. The
photographer takes a group picture at some of the different areas, and the
printed photos are delivered to the cabin later along with a robe from the
laundry, an apron from the galley, personalized stationery with our names
printed on it from the print shop, and a picture frame. As I said, I’ve done the Ultimate Ships Tour
on almost all the ships and even without these gifts, I thought it was worth it
and each time I’ve learned something new.
After the tour, we decided to do the Pub Lunch, which was
held in the Crown Grill. I had the fish
and chips with mushy peas, and also asked for the shrimp. Lunch was good and it was nice to finally sit
down after all the walking up and down stairs.
The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing with my Kindle,
and I spent a little bit of time in the casino.
The weather was getting progressively worse, cold and very windy, and
the ship was rocking quite a bit. There
was no one out at the pools, so the ship was getting a little bit crowded with
everyone inside.
Looking at the dinner menu, Linda and I decided to just eat
at the buffet. As we got off the midship
elevators, we could see the pool water sloshing from one side to the other as
the ship pitched up and down. Water was
sloshing up so high, it was washing over the sides of the pool and onto the
deck!
Dinner was good, and I even had blueberry pie for dessert
(not something I usually have). I
thought briefly about seeing a movie on MUTS, but the wind and cold convinced
me it would be better to stay inside.
The ship was pitching and rolling so much that even the shows were
cancelled—it would have been too dangerous for the dancers with the ship moving
so muc.
Surprisingly, we were both tired, so ended up in the cabin
very early, before 8:00 (and with the time change, that meant it was “really”
before 7:00). I watched an episode of
Love Boat on TV, then read for a little while before turning out the light and
going to sleep by 9:00 (or 8:00).
I fell asleep to the rocking, pitching, and rolling of the
ship for the last time. Tomorrow it
would be time to disembark.
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