Crossing the middle of the Atlantic

Tuesday, March 30, 2010 – Mid-way across the Atlantic Ocean
We are now three hours ahead of Delaware…a few more time changes to go at lunch time.
Sunrise at 7:44 AM, sunset at 8:09 PM
Expected sea and swell are low; cloudy and showers – 75 degrees.
ENSEMBLE Cocktail party tonight!

Cooking Workshop with Sous Chef Biju and a wonderful preparation of Indian Lentil Dahl. Just like a live Emeril show!

We cross the halfway point of our voyage across the Atlantic Ocean today so we had a special ceremony to “swim the pond”! People received more “dam” dollars for going in the pool with their clothes on...not me!

Enjoyed an Exploration talk on “The Knights of Malta”, a largely barren group of islands bequeathed to a group of hospital keepers turned knights. This is one of our ports of call in the Mediterranean.

Lunch today with a friend in the restaurant, time to get ready for the cocktail party and
Cupcake tea time! How many varieties can they come up with for formal tea??
Plus an afternoon performance of Justin Miller on the violin with storytelling of great Broadway and Hollywood songwriters, including Irving Berlin, Rodgers and Hart, Cole Porter and more…a 20th Century musical history performance.

The first cocktail party was held in the Crow’s Nest, which is at the top of the ship with great windows and views ahead. We see water, water and more water at this point. We were extremely lucky to have Captain Gundersen (from Norway), Hotel Manager Francois Birada (from France), Beverage Manager Don Collins (from Ireland), Thom Faulkner Cruise Director (USA) and his wife Tina is the Future Cruise Consultant come to the party. People stayed on to talk and then Gene and I went to eat in the Lido buffet, which was extremely nice in the evening! Tablecloths, multiple attendants to carry your food to the table and serve you drinks and food and practically empty! The sun sets late now as we are the western edge of the time zone so it was really nice. You could sit outside under a cover also.

The Event Staff put on a mystery identity game show before our magician performed, Richard Griffin.

Extra information…we had a full moon last night which was absolutely gorgeous on the water. If you can schedule your cruise around a full moon and clear skies, I guarantee that you will not be disappointed.

St. Barthelemy: It is a crooked six miles long, with a fragmented shoreline having some of the most beautiful coves. Settlers first came in 1659 and began their living growing crops such as tobacco and indigo. But the island’s main income came from smugglers and pirates, en route from South America to the Bahamas, who took advantage of the island’s strategic location and well protected harbor to repair their ships and stock up on provisions. In 1784, it was taken over by Sweden. The King of France had simply swapped the island for trading rights in the Baltic without even consulting the people of St. Barts. In 1878, King Oscar II put sovereignty to a referendum and it was handed back to France. The tourist industry has steadily grown in the last 30 years and has maintained an exclusive and luxurious draw of international travelers.

“The only source of knowledge is experience” – Albert Einstein