Monday, May 12, 2014

607. Enlightened

607. Enlightened
Definition: (adj) having or showing a modern, rational, or well-informed outlook
Location Placed: Photography Center, Cruise Ship, The Middle of the Ocean
Date Placed: 5/2/14 at 6:35pm





Now that I am back from vacation, I'm slowly working on getting caught up and getting back into routine. I have not yet looked through my pictures, sent an email out to close friends and family, or even written out my postcards. I think my next task will be to send those postcards out and then work on sorting out my photos. I look forward to seeing what moments during the trip I managed to capture. And what moments I captured that I didn't even realize were happening at the time. That's one of the joys of digital photography. Take tons of photos, weed out the ones you don't like. Capture things you didn't realize were captured. Relive the moments over and over again.

606. Improved

606. Improved
Definition: (v) achieved or produced something better than
Location Placed: The Champagne Bar, Cruise Ship, The Middle of the Ocean
Date Placed: 5/2/14 at 6:31pm





The only time we went in this bar was to get the signature and assistance of the bartender when we were doing one of the ships scavenger hunts. And what a helpful bartender he was! We learned the different classes of ship that the cruise line had, several names of cruise entertainment staff, and a few piece of information that weren't part of the quiz. Definitely a good resource and a lot of fun to do a scavenger hunt. We ended up coming in second place, which wasn't too shabby. We put that in our pockets along with our only trivia win, which happened to be a three-way tie for first place. Cruise line pens never seemed so sweet.

605. Normal

605. Normal
Definition: (adj) usual, typical, or expected
Location Placed: Royal Promenade, Cruise Ship, The Middle of the Ocean
Date Placed: 5/2/14 at 6:29





The Royal Promenade, which was visible from a bunch of floors is where the 70s dance party and the Royal Parade took placed. It was also where all the shops and a few eating areas and bars were. My favorite eatery was the one that was open pretty much all the time serving a few selected Starbucks drinks, and little finger foods throughout the day. I popped over there for morning pastries on the mornings we didn't go for a proper breakfast. I think it also contributed to my being constantly hungry upon getting home... But the Promenade was a funny little area to walk around in and have a poke in the stores.

604. Steady

604. Steady
Definition: (adj) firmly fixed, supported, or balanced
Location Placed: Guest Services, Cruise Ship, The Middle of the Ocean
Date Placed: 5/2/14 at 6:27pm





Being that this was the first cruise I had ever been on, I was a bit concerned about getting motion sick. I brought with me several tubes of dramamine, a motion sickness bracelet pack, and the knowledge that the infirmary was on the lower level. But I didn't actually need any of that. I determined the rocking on the boat, while noticeable, was not an issue. I didn't actually get motion sick on the cruise ship at all. Odd as it may be, the only time I felt motion sick was after a longer bout of snorkeling! I guess that was quite back and forth, which didn't agree with me. I am looking forward to going on many other cruises in the future, although none yet planned.

Sunday, May 11, 2014

603. Aware

603. Aware
Definition: (adj) having the knowledge or perception of a fact
Location Placed: Adventure Ocean, Cruise Ship, The Middle of the Ocean
Date Placed: 5/2/14 at 6:22pm





While I am aware that vacations cannot last forever, it certainly was a bummer to be faced with the last evening of the trip. I was certainly not ready to come back to all those adult responsibilities: laundry, cleaning, work, bills. But all good things must come to an end. So I made sure I had a last crane releasing hurrah before we all departed to our various towns, states, and countries.

602. Qualified

602. Qualified
Definition: (adj) officially recognized as being trained to perform a job or task
Location Placed: Dizzy's Bar, Cruise Ship, The Middle of the Ocean
Date Placed: 5/2/14 at 6:17pm





Dizzy's was an awesome bar that overlooked the main swimming and lounging area. The main pool area is where we watched the belly flop contest as well as one of the first nights dance parties. Dizzy's was where we enjoyed the first karaoke night as well as the welcome speech for the motorcycle group. Mind you we were not part of the group. But people in the bar at the same time allowed us to basically sit in on it. There were a group of about 2 dozen or so people who had brought their motorcycles on the ship with the plans of riding them around the islands we were visiting. I had no idea that was even a thing, but apparently it is. Learn new things each day! 

601. Boundless

601. Boundless
Definition: (adj) unlimited, immense
Location Placed: Skylight Chapel, Cruise Ship, The Middle of the Ocean
Date Placed: 5/2/14 at 6:15pm





In poking around the ship, I stumbled upon the Skylight Chapel. It was quite pretty in the uppermost floor of the ship. It had a wonderful stained glass window. It looked as if some sort of Friday evening service had ended prior to my finding it. It definitely was a nice quite nook on the ship to sit and reflect or participate in your worship of choice.

600. Secure

600. Secure
Definition: (adj) feeling safe and stable
Location Placed: ShipShape, Cruise Ship, The Middle of the Ocean
Date Placed: 5/2/14 at 6:07pm





The cruise ship has a rather nice gym that I did not end up visiting during the time on the ship. We managed to keep quite busy between walking everywhere and taking the stairs. But from my popping my head in, it looked pretty nice with all the standard equipment. They also had a track that went along the upper deck of the ship. I believe 5 laps around was a mile. We saw a number of people running it, so it seems like it got pretty good use.

Saturday, May 10, 2014

599. Levelheaded

599. Levelheaded
Definition: (adj) calm and sensible
Location Placed: Cruise Ship Library, Cruise Ship, The Middle of the Ocean
Date Placed: 5/2/14 at 5:38pm





I didn't realize cruise ships had libraries! I actually had brought 4 books from the library and then loaded my e-reader up with a few books from the e-library. I probably still would've brought books with me had I known only because I wouldn't have known what to expect in terms of titles and availability. But I certainly think it's really neat for people who didn't bring enough books to be able to pick something up for when they are away. Given my love for libraries, I can certainly appreciate a cruise ship having one.

598. Romantic

598. Romantic
Definition: (adj) inclined toward or suggestive of the feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love
Location Placed: Cruise Internet Room, Cruise Ship,The Middle of the Ocean
Date Placed: 5/2/14 at 5:36pm





As this room was on the same floor as our cabin, we often passed through it when we got a bit turned around (see: often). It was hard to remember which things were at the front of the boat and which were at the back. So we realized we were often walking ourselves from one side of the ship to the other and from the front to the back with quite a good frequency. If we were counting to make 10,000 steps in a day, I feel like there was a good chance we would've done so with all the back and forth we did. I'm not complaining though as it definitely helped to work off all the food we ate!

597. Balanced

597. Balanced
Definition: (adj) fair, objective, impartial
Location Placed: Future Cruise Booking Area, Cruise Ship, The Middle of the Ocean
Date Placed: 5/2/14 at 5:40pm





I love the new paper I bought in NYC for my cranes. It's so bright with so many different colorful patterns. It's super thin though, which makes it a bit harder for me to fold cranes. There's a happy medium with paper. It cannot be thick like card stock. I do have some paper that is quite thick that requires me to double fold (folding in one direction and then back in the opposite direction). But it also can't be too thin because then it's also less likely to stay folded when I'm trying to make subsequent folds. Just one of the little tips I can bring to the table after folding over 600 paper cranes! 

596. Definite

596. Definite
Definition: (adj) clearly stated or decided
Location Placed: Maharajas Lounge, Cruise Ship, The Middle of the Ocean
 Date Placed: 5/2/14 at 5:15pm





 Maharaja's Lounge was one of the locations we saw first during our muster drill (or the what to do in an emergency) and then weren't exactly sure how to get back there for the next few days. Thankfully there was no emergency! We also ended up going to an art auction (where we didn't buy anything), a men against women game show, and a karaoke evening. I think they probably had the most comfortable chairs, perhaps next to the loungers in the Schooner Bar.

595. Introspective

595. Introspective
Definition: (adj) inward-looking, self-analyzing
Location Placed: The Palace Theater, Cruise Ship, The Middle of the Ocean
Date Placed: 5/2/14 at 5:12pm





The Palace Theater is the large theater at one end of the ship. We went there a couple times to watch different shows (a version of the Newlywed Game among them.) They also showed movies in there every day. We didn't end up going to any of those as we always had something else to do. But I thought it was really cool that we could've went to see one in there.

594. Groovy

594. Groovy
Definition: (adj) enjoyable and excellent
Location Placed: The Crown and Kettle,Cruise Ship, The Middle of the Ocean
Date Placed: 5/2/14 at 11:36am





Outside the Crown and Kettle was one of our usual haunts. It sits in the middle of the Promenade, which is an indoor shopping and dining/bar area. It is in the heart of the boat. So it was a good place to meet and people watch (and once to watch a fruit carving demonstration.) It had a British feel so it was a nice place to just relax in the middle of a sea day when the weather outside wasn't all that great.

593. Recognition

593. Recognition
Definition: (n) appreciate or acclaim for an achievement
Location Placed: Aquarium Bar, Cruise Ship, The Middle of the Ocean
Date Placed: 5/2/14 at 10:38am





I was impressed to find several aquariums on the ship in the Aqua Bar. It was pretty neat to sit around by the aquarium and read during the occasions when we wanted to be out of the room but not outside. Often in the evenings they had a band play and there was dancing in the walkways. Definitely a lot of fun when you're passing through to go to dinner or go to an activity.

Friday, May 9, 2014

592. Able-Bodied

592. Able-Bodied
Definition: (adj) fit, strong, and healthy
Location Placed: Da Gama Dining Room, Cruise Ship, The Middle of the Ocean
Date Placed: 5/2/14 at 10:36am





The Da Gama Dining Room was our main formal dining area. We had a very lovely waiter and assistant for the nights that we went there. We got to learn a bit about them, their cultures, and their families back in India. It became a bit of a running joke that every appetizer I got was a chilled soup. I had never had chilled soup and they seemed to have a wide variety of flavors over the course of the trip. I had to try them. One night the whole wait-staff gallivanted around the 3 leveled dining area and then sang a song all together on the stairs. It was really neat.

591. Endurance

591. Endurance
Definition: (n) the capacity of something to withstand wear and tear
Location Placed: Casino, Cruise Ship, The Middle of the Ocean
Date Placed: 5/2/14 at 10:35am





The Casino was in the middle of the ship and somewhere we had to travel through quite often. Although I don't gamble, it was fun to see all the different games. There appear to be some favorites amount people that hung out there often. Spin the Wheel was definitely a big hit. I don't think I actually saw anyone win more than they started out with, but that's the way of a casino. I came out of the casino $1.20 richer than when I went in because someone accidentally forgot to claim their ticket. Not too shabby!

590. Leisurely

590. Leisurely
Definition: (adj) unhurried or relaxed
Location Placed: The Chamber Bar, Cruise Ship, The Middle of the Ocean
Date Placed: 5/2/14 at 10:33am





The Chamber is a dark, two-story bar with a dance area. The only time we visited this area was when there was a silent dance party. We were quite intrigued to figure out what a silent dance party was. We stood on the balcony while about a dozen people danced in the area below. Except they all were wearing wireless headphones! So they were dancing to either a slower beat song or dance music. It was hilarious watching people dance and occasionally sing. At one point, half of them were doing the cha-cha slide while the other half were dancing away. We stayed for about 15 minutes and called it a night. Definitely something new and different.

589. Alert

589. Alert
Definition: (adj) vigilant, attentive, observant
Location Placed: Schooner Bar, Cruise Ship, The Middle of the Ocean
Date Placed: 5/2/14 at 10:31am





The Schooner Bar was basically our main haunt at the cruise. They held many of the activities we participated in there. We did trivia challenges every day, often multiple times a day (as they usually had 3 or 4.) We also did napkin folding and listened to a recycling talk in there. So it was a definite hub of activity. So I figured what better place to release a crane than after our last trivia challenge. You can also see the map in the background. The screen rotated through a few different screens, one of them being where we were on our trip. Definitely quite useful!

588. Inquisitive

588. Inquisitive
Definition: (adj) curious and inquiring
Location Placed: Labadee Artists Market, Labadee, Haiti
Date Placed: 4/30/14 at 2:16pm
Status: Found!





The last island we stopped at was Haiti. The cruise line has their own walled off section of the island, so it wasn't the same as the other islands. We were only around other people from the cruise and the people that worked in the compound. It was definitely quite relaxing with all the beach activities and we even tried the ziplining! There was even a little artists market where local artisans came by with their pieces. Lots of wonderful things. If only I had more room in my luggage! It definitely was a wonderful island to cap off the stops on the cruise.

Thursday, May 8, 2014

587. Flirty

587. Flirty
Definition: (adj) playfully romantic
Location Placed: Starbucks, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Date Placed: 4/29/14 at 11:32am





It wouldn't be a complete trip without a visit to a proper Starbucks. I actually just passed by it on the street to see if it looked the same as every other Starbucks. (FYI- It does!) I didn't end up getting anything though as we were on a hunt for some authentic Puerto Rican restaurant. A few doors down, we found it. Another couple on our cruise said they found it last time they were visiting PR and couldn't wait to go back. The food definitely stood up to their review. I had some beef empanadas with a pink dressing of sorts (perhaps a Thousand Island-esque dressing) and they were fabulous. Had we a microwave in our room, I definitely would've taken them for a midnight snack!

586. Irreplaceable

586. Irreplaceable
Definition: (adj) priceless, unique, unparalleled
Location Placed: Hamilton Visitors Center, Hamilton, Bermuda
Date Placed: 4/26/14 at 10:55am





Before we took the high speed ferry back to the boat, I decided to pop into the visitors center. I probably shouldn't have as it showed me all the lovely things I wasn't going to have time to do. Just means I'll have to go back to Bermuda in the not too distant future, I guess. I'm alright with that. I think the caverns and the pink sand beaches will definitely be on the top of that list!

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

585. Perfection

585. Perfection
Definition: (n) flawless, excellency, greatness
Location Placed: Bermuda Bookstore, Hamilton, Bermuda
Date Placed: 4/26/14 at 10:34am





I couldn't help but stop into this small little bookshop as we were shopping around in Hamilton for the morning. I definitely could see myself enjoying it more often if I actually lived on the island. It had charm and seemed like the sort of place where the owner would go above and beyond to get you books you would enjoy. I only got to take a brief peek around, but I liked how cozy it was.

584. Advance

584. Advance
Definition: (v) move forward in a typically purposeful way
Location Placed: Gosling Brothers Liquor Store, Hamilton, Bermuda
Date Placed: 4/26/14 at 10:11am





I think one of the most interesting things I learned on the tour was that non-native Bermudans or descendents of Bermudans could not buy property. They are trying to keep Bermudan property "in the family" so to speak. Apparently property there is also crazy expensive, so I'm pretty glad I couldn't even buy property there if I had the opportunity! I'll just stick to the hotels and visiting all the sights.

583. Sterling

583. Sterling
Definition: (adj) (of a person or their work, efforts, or qualities) excellent or valuable.
Location Placed: Navy Yard Visitors Center, Ireland Island North, Bermuda
Date Placed: 4/26/14 at 8:55am





Bermuda was our first island stop on the cruise. After a day and a half at sea, we pulled it. It was really neat to see how the ship maneuvered into a port location. I was excited as it has been several years since I've gotten to travel internationally and to several places I had never been before. Bermuda did not disappoint! Given a number of interesting excursions that the cruise line had lined up, I definitely could see myself going back to Bermuda and spending several days doing all the neat things.