I was intrigued about crossing the Atlantic Ocean by ship. I had read about people crossing the Atlantic. Some enjoyed it very much and others absolutely hated the experience. Carol and I decided that we would try it. I think it has turned out for us to be a very good experience. We have enjoyed the people we have met on the ship. The staff of the Prinsendam have gone out of their way to make our trip enjoyable.
Our cabin is small but very functional. We have a king size bed and it is really comfortable. The rocking motion of the ship seems to add to the relaxation of a good nights sleep. Our bathroom is a one at a time bathroom. The shower is superb. Folks spent time making sure that the cabin was comfortable and we are enjoying it.
We have developed a schedule during the week that we are happy with. We have a simple breakfast in our cabin, lunch in the Lido Restaurant which is the casual restaurant, and then dinner with friends in the main dining room. I like the freedom we have for meals at breakfast and lunch and we both enjoy a more structured meal at dinner time. The food is fabulous and we have both been careful how much and what we eat.
Yesterday when we docked in Lisbon, we realized that we had indeed crossed the Atlantic. The seas were mild to moderate all the way across. In talking with some of the staff they said we had one of the smoothest crossings they had experienced. We have thoroughly enjoyed our Atlantic crossing.
Amazingly we haven’t felt like time was dragging. The time change three different times was at noon so those three days were shortened. Then the night after we left the Azores the time changed at 2 a.m. I think we still have to lose one more hour by the time we get to Rome but that is nine days from now so we still have quite a bit of sailing left.
I’ve read several good books on my Kindle. Each day Carol and I both have used the gym for exercising. I’ve kept up my 10,000 steps per day program. That was tough at first but after a few days the routine was set and I found it much easier to maintain. The movement of the ship has become part of our own movements. When we were off the ship in Lisbon I found myself still rocking. That was odd being on solid ground.
We befriended two couples on the ship and have had dinner with them each evening. After the first two nights we were able to get table 304 and have had dinner at that table and with that group of waiters since then. The don’t give you a reservation if you choose the at leisure dining but the the head steward sent us reservations today and has reserved that table for us.
Ken and Jan Sorenson from Boulder, Colorado; and Paul and Carolyn Cooper of Corfino, Italy are the two couples we dine with. Both couples are retired. Paul and Carolyn are expats who live part of the year in Italy and part of the year in the U.S. Both couples are world travelers and we have enjoyed getting to know them and hear about their travel experiences. Paul and Carolyn travel each Spring from the US to Italy and in the fall from Italy to the US by ship. They have found it to be an inexpensive way for them to carry all their stuff back and forth.
I think the only negative about our trip is being out of touch with Jimmy and Retia. We are praying for their continued healing and are already looking forward to seeing them when we get back home. Enough about us. Blessings on you and your family. Sincerely Clay.