29 March Sea Day Number Four, Dinner With The Captain

We’re off on a 10 sea days’ excursion to Barbados. I think the remaining days will be repetitious. Placing our saliva samples outside the door by 0800. PCR testing everyday. No positives have been announced. That’s a good thing. We both get dressed in gym attire and since I’m fastest, I make a coffee run for Karla. At 0900 our time I can attend morning prayer via Zoom with my fellow Franciscans. The ship’s internet has been stable enough to allow it. After that I make a quick run through the buffet for yogurt and a pastry and take that to the room for my after workout breakfast. Today’s workout had a virtual instructor over the small gym’s TV. If not that, there are weights, ellipticals, treadmills and bikes. After today’s session I cooled off on the aft deck, returned to the room, showered and picked up my breakfast to join Karla for her lunch.

I pushed my breakfast aside to share the nachos and very spicy chili prepared especially for Karla. This team at Viking, your wish is their command. All Karla had done was ask if there was going to be a Mexican Buffet dinner one night. Our maître d' said, “No, but I will have the chef fix you something special the day after tomorrow.” So here we are having a Mexican lunch in the South Atlantic Ocean. We aren’t the only ones getting this special care. Another couple mentioned they were going to miss the green mint shakes served by McDonalds around St Patrick’s Day. Voila-two green shakes appear as they are finishing their meals.

After our Mexican meal, the boys lost at Trivia. How long is a kangaroo at birth? (The women knew.)

We spent 90 minutes with the excursion manager selecting excursions from Barbados to Toronto. From Toronto to Milwaukee is still unsettled but should firm up in the next 10 days.

Rick attended a Veteran’s get-together before dinner. Only three of us, an Air Force vet who was an HVAC technician and went on to work for Carrier evaluating and installing big industrial systems for 40 years. The second was a Navy jet engine mechanic who went on to rise through the ranks of the Alcohol Control Board in Pennsylvania. Strange how things work out.

While catching up on the blog, Karla got a call inviting us to dine with the Captain and the Chief Engineer.

What fun. We shared a table with seven other passengers in the private dining room between The Restaurant and Manfredi’s. Our Captain was asked to serve five days before his arrival when the scheduled officer became ill. It is his first time with Viking, but he has captained seven other ships and has Antarctic experience. What a family history he has. One aunt still in the States with various other members spread out. This branch from a sister who returned to Sweden when her mother decided the US wasn’t for her. However, being the oldest daughter of 7 daughters, when this daughter turned 18 or 19 made the US her home, never to return to Sweden.

The Chief Engineer was also new to Viking, and had Antarctic experience. There were sea stories aplenty, the revelation that the Captain’s mother was born in Duluth, MN, and even a discussion on the differences of health care in Norway (Chief Engineer), Sweden (Captain) and US (one of the guests is a doctor).

We did eat, but there were almost no pauses in conversation. Lots of wine and good food. Could not eat it all, so Rick helped me out. Apricot sorbet again..hard to resist. I paired it with strawberry, but apricot still stood out. We rocked and rolled all night. So happy Rick and I have no trouble tolerating the high winds and waves. Others are really suffering. The patches help them, but then some develop one or many of the side effects from their use. A no win situation. Our cabin neighbor could barely eat anything, stating quietly she was ready to go home.