Sea Days



     It hasn't rained in Florida for weeks but the day that we were to leave on our S. America cruise a tropical low front came ashore and caused heavy rains and wind throughout the southern part of the state. After a tough 2+ hour drive across Alligator Alley in heavy rain, we arrived at Port Everglades, and were on Holland America's Oosterdam by 2:00 p.m. We immediately felt the relaxation that comes with getting on a cruise ship. We explored the ship and were pleasantly surprised to find our favorite bartender from our April cruise, Ronald, on this ship. Holland America has started including libraries in their ships, so we stopped by there and picked up some shipboard reading. This saves us from having to pack books and take up much needed suitcase space and weight! We were also happy with our signature suite. The room is spacious, has a nice verandah, lots of closet space and a large bathroom. This will be our home for the next 30 days.
     
     We were supposed to leave at 5:30 but we were delayed as the captain waited for the winds to lay down enough for us to depart.  Wevfinally got underway about 6:45 but it was quite rough which made walking a bit challenging.  We looked like we had a few too many cocktails! After a nice dinner in the main dining room, Dan headed to the craps table and I hit the hay. The seas calmed down during the night and we woke to calm seas and a cloudy day. 
     
     Our first sea day helps ease us into the different rhythm of shipboard life.  We slept til after 8:00, then had a leisurely breakfast in the main dining room. After that we went to a beginner's bridge class so we could learn how to play bridge. Then it was off to the gym to work out, followed by lunch at the Lido. We really like the variety and quality of the food on HAL. We try different types of food that we don't normally get. 
      
     Today's weather was pretty cloudy and still a bit windy so there wasn't much outside time. I did sit on the verandah for awhile and saw Cuba as we passed several miles to the east of Guantanemo Bay. After lunch I went to see the Barbie movie and Dan went up to the Seaview to smoke a cigar. 

     Dinner tonight was at the Pinnacle Grill, one of the two specialty restaurants on the ship. We had a great meal to celebrate Dan's birthday earlier this week; Dan had steak and a lobster tail and I had scallops.  The service and ambiance is always top notch. After dinner, we went to listen to a vocal group called Cantare. The group was made up of four guys and their vocal style was sweet. They did a lot of love songs from the 50s to the current days. Each evening of the cruise there is a different type of entertainment- from comedians, musicians, singers and dancers. In addition, there are dance clubs, a piano bar and, of course, the casino. You have so many different activities to choose from - or you can just chill out to your heart's content. 

The view from the ship at the very wet port of Ft. Lauderdale 
The ocean was quite rough, with winds blowing steadily 25-30 mph
Ronald, the best bartender!
Dan checking out the gym with champagne

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