Panama Cruise, Day 18: Full Day at Sea

Today was another full day at sea, with mostly clear, sunny skies. The waters were relatively calm and the air temperature was mild compared to yesterday. It was a lazy day, relaxing on my balcony with a new book. The fresh sea air and the relaxing sound of the waves was soothing and comforting. The family met at the pizzeria for lunch, followed by a few spirited rounds of cards.

I went for a stroll around the ship to take in the sights, and get some exercise. The pool deck was virtually empty, as it was not hot enough to be lying in the sun, so I took this great photo of this poolside sculpture.

Later in the day we went for Afternoon Tea and sat with a lady who seemed like an old biddy, but she told us a great joke that made me like her more. It went something like this:

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A man goes into a bar and orders six shots of Tequila and lines them up in a row on the bar. He immediately picks up the first shot glass and proceeds to drink each of the six shots in succession. “Down the hatch”, he exclaims after each shot.

Within a minute, he finishes all six shots of Tequila. A woman who was observing nearby said to the man: “Why on earth would you drink all six of those shots so quickly without a chance to enjoy them?”

The man replies to the woman: “Lady, if you had what I have you’d drink them all that fast too”

The woman asked him: “Oh my, what do you have?”

The man answered: “One dollar!”
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Hopefully you are at least chucking now….it made me laugh anyway. Perhaps it was because it came out of the old woman at the table as she sipped her tea. Afterward I stopped by the Casino to try my luck at the slot machines or a hand of Black Jack. Apparently I have no luck so I decided to quit before I had to jump overboard in distress.

Before dinner I met the family at our favorite haunt, the Rendez Vous lounge for our pre-dinner cocktails. Looking out the windows the sea was still calm, so that meant I could have a martini with no worries! Speaking of martinis, here is the long-anticipated post on the delicious martinis on board. Pre-dinner cocktails and after-dinner cocktails are social events not to be missed while on board!

Martini Madness
Lest you think I made notes on all of these individual drinks, I had some help. The ship’s daily “Princess Patter” includes a “Bar News and Information” section, which features their “Crooner’s Martini of the Day”. Being an old crooner myself, I delighted in the pleasures of these cocktails at one of the swank bars onboard. Martinis always taste best when you are sitting in a nice lounge, or perched on the edge of a bar stool while listening to some hip, swinging tunes, especially Rat Pack music from the 50’s. Anyway, here is a selection of the Crooner’s Martinis of the Day from this cruise. This segment is especially for Maggie Downs, a writer for The Desert Sun, the local Palm Springs newspaper.

The Martinis on Board:
Goldfinger: Grey Goose Vodka, Triple Sec, and Orange Juice
Dr No: Grey Goose Vodka, Chambord & Blue Curacao
007 Classic: Stolichnaya Vodka and Dry Vermouth
Flirtini: Smirnoff Vodka, Champagne & Cranberry Juice
Washington Red Apple: Crown Royal, Apple Pucker & cranberry juice.
Chocolate Banana: Absolut Vodka, white Crème de Carcao & Banana Liqeur
Sergeants: J&B Rare and Sweet Vermouth
Sammy’s Sidekick: Tanqueray Gin, Blackberry Brandy & Grapefruit Juice
Sour Apple: Absolut Vodka & Pucker Apple Schnapps
The Sands: JW Red and Sweet Vermouth
Tropitini: Captain Morgan Spiced Rum, Cruzan Coconut Rum & Crème de Banana
Cosmopolitan: Absolut Citron, Triple Sec, Cranberry Juice & a splash of Lime Juice
Mambo: Grey Goose Vodka, Coconut Rum & Banana Liqueur
Orange-a-Tang: Stolichnaya Vodka, Cointreau and Orange Juice

Photos above: me enjoying a delicous Martini with expert bartender, Jose & the Rendez Vous lounge, with a view of the sea...

Photos above: Left- Our dinner waitress, Gabriella, from Romania (center) who was fantastic poses with me and Peg. She was one of the people on the ship who made our cruise really special. Above Right- The Regency dining room was decorated for our final night on board.

The All Important Dessert Update:
This Raspberry Napolean was delicious. Gabriella served us platters of Petite-Fours pastries after dinner, they were all scrumptous!

Now don’t laugh at this…
After dinner we went to see a remarkable show at the Princess Theatre, it was some guy who was billed as “the world’s fastest banjo player”. It was an interesting show to say the least. I guess those banjo-playing-hillbillies need something to distinguish their act. I thought his fingers were going to burst into flames. At least we had plenty of sea water readily available had that happened.

Tomorrow we arrive in Seattle, and reach the end of our fantastic journey.
-Rick Rockhill
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