Around the Horn

Day 8 : At Sea

A warm sunny day as we leave the Caribbean and start the journey to our next port of call in Brazil. Sea days can be as busy as you want to make them.....you can do everything or nothing at all. Team trivia is a favorite pasttime of many of the Hornblowers, and there are a couple of opportunities each day to play: a pick-up team trivia session in the Schooner Bar late morning, and a "Trivia Bowl" Challenge headed up by cruise director Abe Hughes in the Lotus Lounge at 1 p.m. This is a cumulative challenge with the highest team scores at the end of each leg winning the prize. Team Trivia is a great way to not only learn interesting facts to file away for future reference, but also a way to exercise your brain a little each day.

I have mentioned the the ship is only half full for this cruise.....and if you have cruised this class of ship at all, it is very evident that the passenger load is light. Push a button for an elevator and one magically appears seconds later, very often empty. Slot tournaments have only 10 or 12 entrants instead of 10 or 12 rounds. The Royal Promenade is seldom crowded, and only 2 of the 3 dining rooms are in use for main seating at 6 p.m. There are seldom lines for anything, and bartenders await at your beck and call. However, since the age demographic for this cruise definitely leans toward the senior side, the entertainment venues are often deserted by 10 pm.

This the first of 5 days at sea before we reach the port of Salvador de Bahia in Brazil.