15 Jan 2026 - Enroute to Bora Bora - More Ship Pictures

Hello Everyone,

We've been at sea since we left Honolulu Monday afternoon, and we still have four more days until we reach Bora Bora at about 10:00am local time Sunday the 18th. I'm not having any trouble staying busy though!

Laundry

Even in paradise (maybe especially in paradise), you need clean clothes, so Tuesday was laundry day. We have launderettes throughout the ship, and although they're small, I didn't have to wait for washers and dryers. They even supply the detergent! The machines are in great shape and do a very good job.

Laundry and dry cleaning is available for a fee on board, and I may eventually get lazy and opt for that. But for now, the launderette works fine.

Folded Laundry - My USAF Academy
Training Put to Good Use

One of the Ship's Many Launderettes

Promenade Deck

I've taken several walks around the promenade deck (deck 2). One time around the ship is 1/4 mile, and I generally walk 10 laps at a brisk (for me, anyway) pace. This morning when I went out it was very windy, and the headwind combined with the ship's forward speed (16 kts) meant I got a little extra exercise as I walked toward the bow of the ship. I could lean forward about 10 Deg into the wind without falling over!

Promenade Deck - Lifeboats Overhead

Promenade Deck

Promenade Deck

Promenade Deck - Rounding the
Bow of the Ship

Promenade Deck - More Lifeboats

Always Be Prepared...

Because it was windy the last couple days, there have been times when the promenade deck has been closed due to safety concerns. The seas weren't really rough though, and the stabilizers do an amazing job limiting the roll of the ship. Still, the crew saw fit to put barf bags in all the stairwells! I've seen a lot of people wearing bands or patches, but no one seems to be having any problems with motion sickness. 

Barf Bags at the Ready!

Sushi Demo

Yesterday our guest sushi chef gave a demo in the theater. He quartered a whole tuna, then showed us how to select the best bits for nigiri (a small ball of rice, smeared with wasabi paste, then topped with raw tuna). He went on to demonstrate the process of shaping the nigiri. He told us that, as the sushi chef in his restaurant, he'd make a "Russian roulette" platter of nigiri. That is, one of the ten or so pieces on the platter had a very large helping of wasabi hiding under the fish. He said his customers thought it was great fun. Probably so, as long as someone else got the live round!

Here are some pics from the onstage demo. They had a huge, live TV picture on the screen behind him so everyone could see all the gory detail. I felt like I was watching knee replacement surgery on the Discovery Channel!

The Victim - a Whole Tuna

The Chef on Stage, Preparing
to Slice and Dice

One Quarter of the Tuna Removed

Slicing the Filet, Creating Strips Which
Will Be Cut Into Pieces for Sushi

Finished Nigiri - The Yellow Dot
on Each is Fresh Ginger

Equator Crossing Tonight!

We will cross the equator tonight about 10:00pm local time. Although we were still about 180NM north, they held an "equator crossing ceremony" this morning for crew and guests who've never crossed the equator before. I quibbled and rationalized that I'd crossed the equator numerous times in airplanes, so I didn't qualify as a "pollywog", the term for those who have yet to cross it. Once you do, you're considered a "shellback". There were about 20-25 pollywogs among the crew.

The ceremony was a good-natured hazing event where each person had to "kneel before Neptune" and be judged guilty or not guilty of some contrived crime (such as pouring too much wine into guests' glasses). Of course, everyone was found guilty of something and had to kiss a whole tuna, then jump in the pool. Your reward was a glass of aquavit and a dry towel. It was all great fun.

More Ship Pictures

Since today's a sea day and I have some time, I thought I show you some more pictures of our ship.

Speaking of aquavit, there's a nice area at the aft end on deck 7 called the Aquavit Terrace. There's inside and outside seating, as well as a bar, hot tub, and infinity pool. Here are a few pictures of it.

Aquavit Terrace Bar

Hot Tub and Infinity Pool

Aquavit Terrace Outdoor Seating

Here's the Wintergarden, which is just forward of the middle of the ship on deck 7. They use this space for smaller gatherings and events, and they also serve high tea there each afternoon. I haven't gone yet, but will sometime in the future and then show you some pictures of the goodies they serve.

The Wintergarden

There are several restaurants on board. Let's begin with the Word Cafe. This is a buffet-style restaurant that serves a wide variety of foods. Some things are served nearly every day (sushi bar, steaks, salad bar, gelato, etc.) but most of it changes daily. Sometimes there are themed nights, like South American, BBQ, Asian, etc. It's informal, and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

World Cafe Seating Area

World Cafe Buffet

World Cafe Buffet

World Cafe Desserts

Another venue is called simply "The Restaurant". This one is a little more upscale and has a dress code, although sport coats and ties are optional. No shorts or jeans, and you must wear a collared shirt. The provide impeccable table service, and the menu changes daily. No reservations are required. It also serves all three meals. All of the venues share a very nice premium wine list.

"The Restaurant" Reception Area

"The Restaurant" Seating Area

The two "fancy" restaurants on board are Manfredi's and The Chef's Table. Each is open only for dinner. Manfredi's serves Italian food, and it's exceptional. The menu is quite varied, and you can always find your favorite Italian dish.

The Chef's Table is a little more Avant Garde and features a five-course fixed menu with paired wines for each course. The dishes are presented beautifully and are very artistic. Portions are small, so you don't leave feeling stuffed. The menu changes about every four or five days.

Reservations are required at both, and there's a dress code like at The Restaurant.

Manfredi's Dining Room

Manfredi's Reception

The Chef's Table Reception

The Chef's Table Dining Room

The Kitchen Table is located at the back of the ship between the Chef's Table and Manfredi's. Its a small space used for cooking classes. This is where I had my cooking class a few nights ago.

The Kitchen Table

There are bars located throughout the ship. I'll cover those in future posts. There are a couple of other smaller eating places (Mamsen's, classic Norwegian fare) and The Pool Bar (burgers, pizza, fries, etc.). Watch for future posts covering those as well. And of course, there is a spa, salon, gym, sauna, and some expensive shops too.

Speaking of the salon, I went there today to have my beard trimmed. I think Bruno (from Brazil) did a nice job, don't you?

My Trimmed Beard

Other Activities

Of course, I'm still staying busy with various activities. We had a choir rehearsal yesterday, and there are lots of lectures for me to choose from. I went to one yesterday about car racing, and today our resident NASA astronaut talked about his training for space walks. We had a very talented entertainer last night (Terrell Edwards) who did excepts from his show "Unforgettable", showcasing tunes from Nat King Cole, Sammy Davis, Jr., James Brown, as well as many other jazz and soul music hits from the 50s, 60s, and 70s.

I went to a mixer this afternoon for military veterans and got a couple of nice surprises! First, I ran into a gal I flew with in Speckled Trout back in the late 80s. She and her husband (also a Trout alum, but before my time) joined the cruise in Los Angeles with me. Also, one of Ellen's USAFA '80 classmates is on board with her husband. Small world, no?

So, it's all going well and I'm enjoying the ride. More next time!

Cheers,

Jim