Sea Day! Flash Mob Day!!

 December 15, 2022

Making good time toward Labadee, Haiti, a resort leased by Royal Caribbean.  We meet Tobi and Dean for breakfast, then part ways.  We go down to Guest Services to make sure that our departures are all in order and then spend some quality time shopping the sales on Deck 5.

We're really moving!  And you can feel it a bit, even 
though the ship is so humongous!

They are getting ready for the parade.

So artistic that I have to stop for a photo.  Some man I don't know says,
"Hey lady, are you still taking pictures?"!

The girls stay down there to watch the parade, this time from the front, and I go back upstairs to do yesterday's blog!  Robin and I have our final rehearsal at two and Ma and Maureen will go keep Tobi company as she crochets up on Deck 16, under cover by the pool.

We finish our rehearsal and get a glass of water, after a man cuts in front of us to fill not one but two water bottles! My phone isn't connecting to the net and we decide to go back to the rooms and see if our partners in crime are there.  They're not;  but my computer is getting my text messages and Ma and Maureen are up on Deck 15 listening to the band, so we join them.  We also find Dean up there and he says that Tobi is taking a nap.

The band is cool and we stay until it is time to go down and get dressed.  It's formal night again, which doesn't fit with the dress code for the flash mob, which is Christmas all the way!  I decide to go with my red Christmas t-shirt and black dressy leggings.  Kind of a compromise!  And Robin convinces me that my sandals will be just fine for the limited amount of dancing that we're really doing!

We get downstairs in plenty of time, especially since the Harmony Guests Choir is performing first!  They're pretty good considering they've had a much rehearsal time as we have!  The it's time for the flash mob.  Happily Trevorn, our instructor from T&T  (Trinidad and Tobago), is dancing with us! Maureen is filming for us and has our purses, and Ma's got my glasses. It's pretty successful, in that no one smashes into anyone and no one falls down and we all end up facing the front for the final pose!  Basically it was just a lot of fun!  The video is too long for Blogger to process in one clip, so I'll have to play with it and insert it here tomorrow.

We head to dinner and aren't even terribly late! Because the ship is trying desperately to make Dean happy after the first night's fiasco, we get a free bottle of champagne!  Dean doesn't drink champagne, so the four of us girls get it all!  He and Tobi get a lovely bottle of pinot noir for free! Dinner is amazing, as usual, and since Maureen and Ma chose the lobster tail, they each are offered a second one! The wait staff is falling all over themselves to be sure they get a good review!  They didn't have to work very hard to convince us!  They've been so professional and caring.

There's lemon and harissa roasted chicken. Ole was right!  It does exist!

Velroy is so adept!

Vidalia Onion Tart baked with sauted red peppers, creamed leeks, smoked bacon and Parmesan cheese

The head waiter being obsequious!

Pan-seared barramundi (sea bass) served atop green beans and squash with parsley potatoes and a creamy black truffle sauce

Baked Alaska!

After dinner Roque has a new trick to show us!  He suggests we take a video and Blogger has decided that they belong at the bottom of this post!  Anyway, he puts down a plate with ten toothpicks radiating out from a central point.  He drops a couple of drops of water in the center and they gradually move into the shape of a star!!

Final form!

After dinner we take some photos since everyone (almost) is in their formal wear.  Then we split up, with Dean and Tobi going to the casino and we girls going shopping and exploring before going up to the Schooner Bar to listen to Kelly play the heck out of the piano!  We each get one drink and enjoy the music.  

One of the carousel horses

Lots of watches on sale!

A gingerbread village has appeared on Deck 5!

White Russian

Could he be any cuter??

Ma is falling asleep and Robin takes her us.  We last until the break and then we go up to.  Kelly will be playing a Neil Diamond tribute at 10:30 until 4:30!  We won't make that!  We won't even make it to the 70s party that is starting at 9:30!  The champagne has taken it's toll and we're ready for bed!  Or at least for some quiet time!