18 April 2013; At Sea.

It is 677 miles from Aruba to Panama and thus we have a day at sea while we cross the Columbian Basin. This is the bay like indenture, where the narrow strip of land that is Panama connects with South America.  We are sailing on a south westerly course and thus we had the North Easterly wind and current in the back. Still a considerable wind of 27 knots, which gave a relative wind of 10 knots over the deck, as we were going with a speed of 16 to 17 knots.  Thus with the sun shining it was a pleasant day on the ship. Had we been going the other way, it would have been much less pleasant as the 14 feet high waves and strong wind would have been full on the bow with rather nasty results. But we are going the right way and thus all is well on board. And I needed nice weather as today is our birthday. The company exists today for 140 years. So we wanted to pull out all the stops and for that we needed nice weather and a steady ship and both were achieved.

The Stars of the Showroom at Sea, performing a Jive in sailors costums.

The festivities started at 10 am in the morning with an official kick off in the show lounge. After an opening speech by Yours Truly, there was a Jive dance by the Cast of the showroom At Sea, followed by a presentation from the Future Cruise Consultant. This because the company was offering a number of special discounts and other goodies to the guests on board. 

The birthday cake being cut by the two Guests who had their birthday today.

But you cannot have a birthday without a cake and thus the Executive Chef had made one. However if you want to get 140 candles on the cake, then you need a BIG Cake. And that cake was paraded in. Escorted by six quartermasters with company flags, the two bell boys and two doormen carried in a big round cake on a stretcher.

What had given us the biggest headache, was the fact who to choose for cutting the cake. We did not have a crewmember on board whose birthday was on the 18^th. but we had two guests. One from Australia and one from the Netherlands.  And thus it was done accordingly.

The next item was the Hal History lecture by yours truly, which of course could not be held on a better day than in this historical context. That brought the day to 5 pm. and then it was time to get ready for dinner which was announced on a special menu. That menu was one we had used during our south Pacific cruise during Retro Day. We also had a retro beverage menu to keep everybody in the right mood and context. (*)  That was followed by the show and then the 140 years HAL Ball.

The ball had as the theme sail away through the decades. With our zero overboard policy we do not throw streamers and confetti over board anymore, but nothing stops us from throwing it all over the place in the show lounge. So the lounge was decorated in a nautical theme and the ships bell arranged on the stage to ring in the festivities. The band dressed up as the Big-band setup we used to have in the past when Count Basie and Glenn Miller and the other big names would perform. I had moved the hour back to this night so that all the officers could attend and the guests would stay out as well. Start at 10.30pm  and after an hour of dancing it is still 10.30pm.   The guests enjoyed the idea that they have a captain who decides when the sun goes up. (At least on the ship)

We took the theme songs for the dances from the old Holland America Line dance cards (*) and a number of songs (Andrew sisters, Frank Sinatra etc.) were performed by the Members of the Cast of the Showroom at Sea. For the officers the setup was as the regular Black and White Officers ball as that is a system that works and what they are used to.  We had a full house with guests in the beginning and I heard that some stayed very late. I did not. I was gone by 10 pm new time, as tomorrow morning I will be on the bridge again at 0400 hrs. for the approach through the Panama Canal. We are to be at the Cristobal breakwater at 0500, to line up in the Convoy and then be out on the other side around 1800 hrs.

The weather looks good, no rain, no wind and temperatures not higher than the low 80’s………..supposedly.

(* courtesy of www.Halpostcards.com)