DAY 77 - CRUISING THE SOUTH CHINA SEA

Enjoyed The Purim Celebration On The Ship ✔ Excellent Dinner At Prego Last Evening ✔  Fantastic Talk Given By Former Major League Baseball Great Hank Aaron  ✔ Enjoyed Another Wonderful Sea Day On The Ship  ✔


Often we talk about the ship being a village or like a small town particularly when many of the guests are on a long voyage or are very familiar with one another.  This happens often on a World Cruise.  This is because on top of those guests who take the entire World Cruise there are other who take two or more segments of the World Cruise and/or take one segment but come back from year to year so there is great familiarity amongst the vast majority of the guests.  On top of this, you have so many of the crew who are sharing the same experience with each other and with the guests.


While that feeling of a village is present each and everyday it is also present at other times such as on Holidays.

Yesterday was Purim and late afternoon the Jewish Festival of Purim was held on the ship.  All guests were invited to the celebration and many guests of various denominations not only attended but participated in the event.    As usual, Rabbi Morri was superb in leading the celebration which included reading the Scroll of Esther.  The Purim Party was a big hit and there was traditional foods including Hamantashen.  There were plenty of opportunities for the guests to participate including dancing at the end of the service which many did as well as other opportunities including singing.  


There was also a Llezmer Band which included music by the Rabbi and members of the Galaxy Orchestra.  Keith attended the festival but Anne Marie was unable to attend as she got back late from the Massage and also needed to get ready for dinner.

Keith sat with Bob and Glo.  About ten guests were dressed up in festive attire for the event.

Bob and Glo looked great in their outfits.

Keith wore an item he also picked up along the way.

As always, Rabbi Morri was made this a very festive event with a combination of humor and prayer while making everyone feel a part of this Holiday.

Hamantashen

Last evening we dined at the Crystal Dining Room and these are the dinner menus.  The theme for the dinner was the Neptune Dinner.

Before dinner we listened to music in the Crystal Cove.  On the left is Raphael Derkson who is the Galaxy Orchestra Bandmaster and on the piano is Pianist John Mentis.  The music was very upbeat and a lot of fun to listen to.

We enjoyed another delicious meal in the Crystal Dining Room.

We began our meal with Keith having Tuna Tartare which Augusto prepared especially for him.  Anne Marie had a Shrimp Cocktail.

Our second course was salad.  Keith had his standing order salad while Anne Marie had the Medley of Assorted Lettuce Salad which was accompanied with other items.

We had pre-ordered Lobster Tail and had them prepared as we did the last time around.  It was prepared Norwegian Style and is boiled with pepper, onion, dill and juniper berries.  We also had a Milanese Risotto which includes peas and carrots.  The lobster was very moist and quite tasty and the risotto was also very tasty.  We also enjoyed a side order of steamed vegetables.

We passed on the evening show last evening and enjoyed a good night sleep.   We were still fairly tired from staying up past Midnight the night before and also having woke up fairly early yesterday morning.

Keith was up early and ready for another wonderful sea day on the ship.  He began the day by working out in the Fitness Center.  He ended up enjoying a "Super Duper" extra long workout which he had not planned.  About three-quarers into his workout the manager of the various on board shops got onto an Elliptical Machine and they both began to chat about a wide range of topics including working out at home and on the ship along with eating healthy and by the time Keith looked at the time he realized he had been on the machine way beyond his normal goal.  Just as one might have a conversation with someone at home this is all part of the sense of the ship being a village or small town.

He stopped by the Lido Cafe for some coffee and also enjoyed the time with some of the Lido Cafe Stewards.  Accidentally, some very upbeat music came out of the speakers.  Yes, the kind that the teenagers and twenty year olds would normally play and in the short time the music was on a couple of the Lido Deck Stewards and even one of the Chefs started to move around to the beat of the music and even a few guests did.  Keith thinks the guests enjoyed that minute or two of the music as much as the crew did.

After having some coffee at the Lido Cafe, Keith returned to the room and then did some reading and writing.

Anne Marie got in her normal worked before breakfast as well.

Rao brought breakfast to our room and we enjoyed it as we watched the Daily Morning Show with Cruise Director Rick Spath and World Cruise Hostess Elise Ivy.  We enjoy the chemistry and the good back and forth humor between  Rick and Elise.  During the show, they mentioned that sometime during the last segment of the World Cruise there will be a party where guests who have bought some type of local clothing along the way can wear it to this party.  Keith may go with the top that he purchased a few weeks ago and wore to the Purim Party and Anne Marie also has something to wear that she purchased in the same port.  Of course, there is plenty of time to purchase something else.

Since today is a sea day it was another busy day on the ship with lots to do.

Keith took the indoor Cycling Class at 10:00 AM and then left a little earlier to attend a special talk with Anne Marie by legendary Major League Baseball Player Hank Aaron.

As a youngster back in the 1960's when Keith would play baseball with his friends Hank Aaron was one of several greats of that era who everyone would try to emulate.  Often, the "kids" would play as if it was the American League versus the National League All Star Game.  The team that Keith would play on would be the American League and each boy would emulate one of the All Stars of that time whether that was Mickey Mantle or say a Carl Yastrzemski of the Boston Red Sox.  Others would emulate say a Hank Aaron, or a Willie Mays, or maybe Roberto Clemente, Bob Gibson, Juan Marichal, Ernie Banks, or a Sandy Koufax (even though Keith is an American League fan you can get the idea why the National League was much better in that era of baseball).  Each kid would pick one player based on the position they were playing.  This was all about what was America's Pastime in those Summer months.

It was so very nice to have the opportunity to listen to a Baseball great who many of us idolized during his span of 21 seasons.  Keith happened to see him hit his 715th home run on Television which broke the all time home record of the time that Babe Ruth had for all those years.  Ironically, it was hit off a former New York Yankee, Keith's favorite team.

The highlight of the day was indeed HankAaron's talk.  He made several important points during his talk and related many of them to baseball.

He began by discussing  a program that he started in 1990 called World Children's Baseball Fair.  Then he talked about some highlights playing baseball, his family and growing up to become a ballplayer.

He gave some examples of why ballplayers need to realize that their actions are quite important because they are indeed role models to youngsters such as a young high school player who chewed tobacco because he saw a sports player in commercials and how he ended up getting cancer at a very young age and dying from it.

He spoke about what he learned from his mother including her belief to reach for the stars and how he reached for the stars by working hard to become not only a big league baseball player but one of the best of all-time.

Upon his retirement he talked about another important goal which is to help children which is what he has done through the foundation.

At the end of his talk he took questions in a Q&A from around ten guests and Keith asked him one about
whether or not ballplayers who have been linked to steroids should be voted into the Hall Of Fame.  He talked about why he believed they should not be voted in, and that any player who breaks the rules should not be elected to the Hall Of Fame.

We want to note that he received a standing ovation when he first walked into the Galaxy Showroom, another one when he was introduced and a final one when he finished his talk and Q&A.

We were fortunate that Anne Marie got to the room earlier while Keith was finishing his class because at the end of the session the ships photographer was on hand to take photos of guests with Hank Aaron so we were one of the first to have our photo taken and when we turned to look up there was a line out the door of guests wanting to have their photos taken with Mr. Aaron.  Cruise Director Rick Spath asked one of the last questions as Mr. Aaron which was if he would be interested in being a part of a cruise which might include some of the baseball legends such as Ernie Banks, Willie McCovey, Frank Robinson and possibly one other player and he said he would be very interested.  This is Mr. Aaron's third Crystal Cruise with two as a speaker and one as a guest.

For those who do not have any interest in Baseball, an alternative was offered which was a cooking demonstration for the Prego Restaurant featuring Executive Pastry Chef Harald Neufang and Chef de Cuisine of Prego, Christian Klich.

Following Hank Aaron's talk we were off to Team Trivia.  We answered eleven of twelve questions correctly but overall moved from one ahead and in first place to one behind in second place.

After Team Trivia we had lunch and once again enjoyed a nice Salad Entree.

In the afternoon Keith played Paddle Tennis with guests and crew.  It was quite hot and fairly humid but a lot of fun.  Anne Marie walked for an hour and then watched a movie while Keith met with friend Bob.

Tonight we dine at Silk Road with friends Lynn and Buddy.

TODAY'S THOUGHT FOR THE DAY........

"I'm hoping someday that some kid, black or white, will hit more home runs than myself. Whoever it is, I'd be pulling for him." - Hank Aaron


Keith and Anne Marie