Day 1, Monday April 16, At Sea, Formal

The ship has wifi, but I am not using it. There is an ethernet jack at
my desk and I'm connected to the ship's network by a cable. Satellite
internet is still slow, but I think the hard wired connection is a nice
touch and both faster and more secure than wifi.

I woke about 6 and was up for 12 laps (1.5 mi) ending about 7:30, with
the ankle holding up well. Sunrise was about 7:40, and there was just
enough of a break in the clouds to allow a small slice of sunrise. At
breakfast in Blu I was greeted by name both by the Maitre d' and by my
dinner waiter John.

We had our Cruise Critic Meet and Greet, a very large affair, at 11 in
the Sky Observation Lounge. Esperanza and about 5 other senior officers
were present, and plans were finalized for out luncheon, our cabin
crawl, and the murder mystery night. Apparently a recent issue has
caused a change in Celebrity policy and M&G organizers are not generally
permitted use of the microphones at these events but Esperanza made an
exception for Raptor Bill and our other event leaders.

There were 2 Celebrity Life speakers today. Smithsonian Journeys
speaker Marc Kaufman spoke at 11:30 on "Is there life beyond earth",
covering the unexpected places on earth (hot, cold, desert) where life
is found and exploring the possibility that there could be life
elsewhere in the universe. Kaufman is a science writer for the
Washington Post. At 1:00 Beyond the Podium presenter Steve Javie talked
about his journey from an aspiring major league baseball player to
becoming a 25-year NBA referee. I think his lesson was follow your
dreams but be prepared for a fork in the road. At noon, Captain Berdos
told us we were about 120 miles past the nearest land. It is cooler at
sea with a temperature of about 60F, and a light motion to the ship.

The Neptunes performed mid-afternoon in the foyer. Their closing number
was "When I'm 64". It was great music in the Barbershop Quartet style
but also a reminder that 64 is now just a fond memory.

The formal night dinner in Blu was wonderful as expected. I enjoyed a
salad entree. After dinner we had the Captain's welcome toast and the
Stars of Solstice - The Show, a combination of aerial acts, acrobatics,
and dancing.

Today's parting shot comes from the Cruise Critic Meet and Mingle. It
is wonderful that Celebrity hosts these events for us and a shame that
the actions of a few have apparently caused them to restrict our access
to the microphones. A party is never an appropriate venue to start a
public gripe session or to organize events which directly compete with
products offered by the hosts.

Roy