There’s time, and there’s Caribbean time! As well as an hour of difference - the ship changed back overnight to Eastern Standard Time - there’s also a world of difference that isn’t so easily measurable!
Coming to the end of our wonderful holiday, we’re both thinking more and more of day-job problems, the inevitable return-to-Earth with a bang that must happen of course. I even have my first sleepless night in three weeks, must be a record in recent years. Yet we still have another sea day, today spent pretty much all day with Cuba on our port side, just 12 miles away (I remember doing this many years ago and happily sending texts all day, without thinking of the cost - racked up a scary Orange Mobile bill for 2002 - long before iMessages!)
We start with breakfast in Club Orange, and manage two mimosas (your Vitamin-C says the waitress!) with my mushroom eggs Benedict, Hubby more restrained with his traditional version.
A couple of hours on deck first, although it is quite windy today and not the best sun, but with no Internet I actually start the book I downloaded before leaving home! Then we hit the prom deck for our first batch of walkies, the last of eight days doing this. Is it sad that we notice the regular window cleaning young man has a new blade today, or just super-observant?
Lunch is in the lido area as usual, we visit the New York Deli for our last Cæsar, Pizza and Club sandwich. The wine steward Jeremiah insists we give him a hug goodbye - he’s been a star throughout the cruise, keeping a supply of Chardonnay going!
Afternoon walkies, then we attempt to check into our various flights (mixed success) and do the UK passenger locator forms (again rather mixed) thank goodness we’ll have hours to kill tomorrow to get these things finalised. Meanwhile the sun on our balcony is so tempting, but we decide to go upstairs to deck nine and the pool for the last afternoon.
Cocktails in the jacuzzi of course, and a last chat with Debby and hubby, and also our Toronto and Manchester chronies, both the latter couples staying on to do what we did the first cruise. I hope they have such wonderful times we did.
A few more artworks to enjoy in lieu of a busy day …
Sadly we then return to start packing. Obvs that’s the royal we, I don’t go near the suitcases. At least almost all our clothes are laundered, straight on the ironing pile when we get home!
Instead I start checking in to our flights, which reveals something of an issue - Virgin have changed our flight - not by an hour or two but a whole day later. I check all channels of correspondence and satisfy myself that they have not told us about this - or presumably our agents since we haven’t heard from them either.
So we’re stranded, in Atlanta as it stands, but preferably in Ft Lauderdale since we have no winter clothes with us. I send an email and Messenger to our agent, let’s see what magic the lovely Lexi can sort tomorrow! Of course we have a transfer to the airport booked already so we’ll have to unpick or waste that depending on what she can conjure up for us.
Our last walk around the ship, we stop and say goodbye to various people who’ve touched our lives over the last few weeks, all delightful, and desperate to know we’re coming back before too long.
Finally it’s time to return to our spiritual home, the Pinnacle Grill, to enjoy our last meal of lobster bisque, crab cakes, Delmonico rib and the final “pièce de résistance” our most favourite desert ever, no longer available on the regular menu, Grand Marnier Volcano Cake. A massive thank-you to chef Kris, her willingness to replicate this pudding is hugely appreciated!
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