TA Day 7. At Sea.

I was wide awake before 5 this morning. It was still dark so my morning picture (pic. 1) was taken after coffee, 2 laps around the ship, a round of miniature golf, another lap around the ship, and finally breakfast!

At 11:00 this morning King Neptune came aboard the ship (pic. 2) for the mid-Atlantic crossing ceremony. Some of the crew were still pollywogs (meaning they've never cruised across the Atlantic Ocean) so they had to be punished by kissing the fish, eggs cracked on their heads, and spaghetti poured over their heads. Once they had been punished to King Neptune's satisfaction, he granted them shellback status (meaning they had now cruised across the Atlantic Ocean). He started with the lowest officers and worked his way up to the highest officers (pic. 3). The officer on the far right was none other than Captain Arild Hansen. The other men with the captain were John Rae, Hotel Director and Juan Luis Caranti,  Staff Captain.

By the time King Neptune got to these men, the punishment was much harder. Not only did they get the same punishment as all the others, ice water, slime and flour were added (pics. 4, 5, 6 and 7). Oh my, what a mess! But quite also hilarious!

As Topi Ylonen, Cruise Director, was finishing up the ceremony, King Neptune decreed there was one more who needed to be punished. Topi, himself. He was forced to the ground and rolled in the muck that was leftover from all the people before him (pics. 8 and 9).

We finally saw Ferdinand this afternoon and asked him what last night's towel animal (pic. 10) was. After he put the sunglasses on it, and pointed out that the two little round things were nostrils, it did look like a pig!

My suitcase was so packed, I didn't have room to bring my water bottle, so I had to buy one (pic. 11). I'll have more room coming home since I won't have 10 pounds of candy or Seahawks clothes for my Australia friends!

Jim got a Father's Day gift (pic. 12) while on board too. He looked at this globe over Christmas when we were on the Serenade but wouldn't buy it. A couple of days ago we were in the shops and he looked at them again. Today, Tracy and I were in the shops and she bought him one! Each country is made out of the gem stone that country is famous for.

Yesterday, Tracy and Jim and Ian were playing a couple rounds of miniature golf and the ship's photographer took this photo of Tracy and Jim (pic. 13).

I've learned a few tips over the course of our cruises. One is to bring magnetic clips to hang on the wall to hold papers, etc. As you can see (pic. 14), mine holds the Cruise Compass, the cruise calendar, a paper with all the cruise managers, my Seahawks lanyard with my Seapass cards, our Australian Akubra rain hats and my Seahawks beads I bought down on Bourbon Street in New Orleans!