We had a day of sailing on the Baltic so we took the time to get comfortable with the ship and get used to our new routines. The first thing we did every morning was spit 2 ml of saliva into a test tube for COVID testing. I had no idea it took so long to collect that much spit. And it’s hard to spit when you’ve just waked up and your mouth is dry. I learned to drink extra water during my Limitless viewings. Had to pee like a racehorse a few hours later but I had some spit. I got rather zen about the testing. We’d been tested before boarding the ship and if I was going to get COVID, there was probably nothing I could do to stop it. Might as well relax and enjoy the ride. And check out the ship.
There was a small pool/hot tub in the center/top deck of the ship. There was also an infinity pool and hot tub in the back. I would’ve gone swimming but I forgot my suit. Suits were for sale at the spa but when I was free the weather was usually too cold. I thought it would be warmer when we booked the trip. I’d googled weather and learned that it’s usually around 70 degrees in that part of the world in spring. Mother Nature obviously didn’t get the memo because it was usually 65 degrees or lower. And it rained every other day. I should have packed more sweaters and a thicker coat but I made do. Back to ship ammenities; there was a putting course, a shuffleboard court and a running track. Gordon ran every day but I took advantage of none of it. I spent my time recovering from our tours.
The food on the ship was great. The first Viking trip I took was a Danube River cruise. German food was mainly served and I found it fatty and uninspired. Except for the strudels. I really like those strudels. Anyway, on the Baltic cruise there were three main restaurants: Manfredi’s (Italian), The Chef’s Table, and The Restaurant (guess they ran out of names and went with the basics). Manfredi’s is self-explanatory. The Restaurant had a diverse menu. But The Chef’s Table had a set 4-course meal with complementary wines. We had the lamb menu the first night, Chinese food another, and seafood the last time. Each meal was excellent as were the wines. We had steaks at The Restaurant and pasta at Manfredi’s. The wine was always excellent and plentiful which didn’t do Gordon much good since he doesn’t drink but I had a good time. We usually had dinner with Bill and Dawn and compared tours. We always had lots to talk about since we only shared one tour. Oh, and the guys had the Good Old Days to remember and discuss. I’m glad we all took the same cruise. They were fun. Anyway, there were other cafe type places for less formal meals. The World Cafe was open most of the day. The Pool Snack bar served hamburgers and hotdogs (I had one with shrimp and mayo; only in Scandinavia but it was good). There were at least three other areas where you could get pastries and breakfast foods. We over-indulged the first two days then simplified things by having milk and a cookie for lunch. I was afraid we wouldn’t have enough TUMS to last the trip otherwise.
During the day there were lectures that educated and music that soothed. I liked the piano player and guitar player but avoided the piano/violin duo. The violinist was slightly pitchy and it was like chalk on a blackboard–although I was probably the only person it bothered. We played (and lost) trivia contests. There were some smart people on board. The first evening show was a medley with four kids and the back-up band. The songs and choreography were professional and enjoyable. But the show I especially enjoyed featured the cruise director, Heather (wish I could remember her last name). The first show I saw her in, she asked if everybody liked opera. Crickets. I figured we’d be forced to listen to a soprano that was the equivalent of the violinist in the atrium. Just as pitchy but much louder. Well, Heather sang the mezzo aria from Carmen and she was great! She claimed to have sung Carmen in 30 productions all over the world. I believe her. She had it down. Then she sang show tunes with the band. She was good. The second show she starred in was even better. She sang jazz and more show tunes. She claimed to have found her niche. I think she did. She got to design her own cabaret show like a Vegas revue and she didn’t have to screw anybody to do it–like in Vegas. She also didn’t have men pinching her –although I don’t think the men on the cruise could have moved fast enough to grab her if they’d wanted to (the demographics on these cruises skews old). Nice gig. A nice well-paying gig. I asked her how they scheduled her time. Did she work two weeks on, two weeks off or what. She laughed–howled really–and said she worked the entire season with minimal breaks. In the Baltic I guess that means four months on, eight months off but I don’t know. She earned her money.
A pianist called Harry the Piano entertained us with two shows. He did mash-ups of music and told stories about playing for the Queen. The stories about celebrities he’s worked with and for were good but his ability to play a Beatles song as if Mozart had written it was amazing. I’ve never run into anyone else who could do that as well.
There was also a magician who did two shows. I love magicians; I can never figure out how they do the tricks so when he had a seminar about doing basic magic tricks I was in the front row with Dawn. Gordon and Bill giggled at us but I was fascinated. And I felt really stupid when I learned how simple some of the tricks were. The magic is in hiding the effort. I forgot the magician’s name but he was a really nice. We talked about his son learning the business. He was even on the Penn & Teller show. I asked if he fooled them and he said ‘no’ but you have to be really good to even get on. They only take the best.
There was always something to do on the ship. And if you just wanted to read a book and listen to classical music (which I did) there was always the 8th deck reading room with the comfortable chairs, wolf skin furniture covers (probably faux), and great views. I enjoyed my time on the ship.
