April 29th

Last evening we went to dinner at the Boyou Café. This was a special night for Randy and Janeen and the group was going and they invited us to go with them. This was the first time Ken and I have ever gone to a specialty restaurant. I can’t say that we were all that impressed. The food was very good, the service was good but that is always the case on a Princess cruise. The foods were a little different than the usual fare but only a little different. Different cuts of steak were available and some of the vegetables were done differently but really it was not exceptional. But now we know!

I did have Gator Ribs which was a new one for me. Something else that tastes like chicken. It came with a finger bowl by the way.

On May 4^th all of us are going to the Crab Shack but that is different from the regular dining. They serve different sea food there, items that are not normally on the menu in the regular dining rooms. But then again we shall see if it is special or just more of the same.

For some reason we were just very tired after dinner so we did not take in a show, we just called it a night. I think the reason may have been the intense heat.

When we arrived back in our room there were 2 certificates stating that we had been through the Panama Canal. It was signed by Captain Poggi which is kind of nice. I don’t remember if we got such a certificate last time. I will have to check when we get home. I will be interested to see if it was Captain Poggi. I know we have sailed with him before but I do not remember where or when.

This morning we were up fairly early and we went to Horizon court for an early breakfast. We were surprised by the number of early diners. We had a very light breakfast; cereal and fruit and coffee.

Next we went to Sabatini’s to look for the answer to the wake show question. I won this morning and so we will enter using Ken’s name today. They have silly prizes but it is fun to answer. We found the” where is it on the ship” answer in the “Hearts and Minds” center. It was a painting.

We had tickets for an excursion in San Juan del Sur and we decided not to go. The excursion was to be an 8 hour trek into the jungle or rain forest. After yesterday’s heat I knew I could not take that intense heat for 8 hours. Ken was not much better about the heat but for him the deciding factor was all of the warnings about Zika Virus and Dengue Fever. On the front of the Patter they have been warning about th fact that these areas are hot beds of these diseases. So because this excursion would take us into areas of mosquito infestation and because the temperatures and humidity make things very uncomfortable and the fact that we have been here on two other occasions…. We returned our tickets. We are not very daring when it comes to risking our health. Good |Health is our most valued asset.

Then when I got back here I called the SPA and they could give me a shampoo and set if I got there in 2 minutes. I went like a flash and got there on time. My hair really needed washing, tonight is formal night so one has to look as good as one can. The young man who did my hair was from Serbia. I got a roller set rather than a blow dry because the roller set lasts much longer.

Just before ten we left our room and went to see the chocolate demonstration in the Atrium. That chef was very good and was great with the people. I would like to know his name so I could give him a recommendation. I did manage to get a recipe sheet.

I checked out the special sale in the Provence dining room and I was not impressed. The prices were not good at all. The tops I bought for 15 on the Regal were 30 there this morning. It was very well attended, lots and lots of bargain hunters. In the midst of the mob was a lady on a motorized scooter. I could not believe she was there. I could hardly make my way through the crowd but it didn’t bother her. If you didn’t get out of her way she would just run over you. We did not buy anything.

Next we went to the Princess Theatre. Diane McKeever was doing a presentation on I phones. She was very good but about 15 minutes in we realized that without a phone we would never remember the tips she was giving people. We left and headed for Pub Lunch.

We had not attended a Pub Lunch on the Regal and we had already missed one on this ship so it was time. It was as good as usual. All four of us had Fish and Chips with Mushy Peas and Trifle for dessert. I thought I remembered that you could get iced tea but I guess I was wrong because it was not available today. We drank water because we really didn’t feel like having a beer. We sat with a very nice couple from North Carolina, Louise and Ron. They were retired teachers so we shop talked a little and discussed cruising. Like us they prefer Princess but unlike us they have tried a couple of other lines. We gave them a card with a Canada pin and they seemed really pleased. They said they would check the blog.

By this time a nap seemed in order so I had a rest and Ken got more sun.

After my little rest I checked out our clothes and ironing does not seem necessary. Then I decided to catch up on the blog.

We got ready for dinner and enjoyed the canapés with our wine.

The dinner tonight also featured lobster and it was delicious. We also enjoyed another Chocolate Journey. We have already had more Norman Love desserts than we had on the anniversary cruise.

We came back to our room to change. I needed shoes that were more comfortable.

The evening included going to the Princess Theatre for a performance by Tricia Kelly, a singer and vocal impressionist. She did a high energy show of music and laughs with tunes from Janis Joplin to Julie Andrews and everything in between. We were surprised and impressed with this singer. Great!

We planned to complete the evening with a special coffee and our brandy but Ken had a bit of heartburn so we went upstairs and we got milk instead. While there I took some pictures of marvelous desserts. Just looking at these makes me fat.

Then it was back here to call an end to this day.

Tomorrow we are in Costa Rica.