04 November 2017; At Sea Day 04.

We have now passed the half way mark with some 2000 miles behind us and some 2000 miles to go. If it all works out then we will arrive around 05.00 in the morning of the 8^th. of November. Part of it will depend on what time we will fit into the pilot’s port entry schedule but most of the time that is not an issue. Frontal systems are normally not small systems and the one we are under now is no different. It will take about 24 hours before we haves sailed past all of it. But the weather forecast does indicate that sunny skies will return.  Today the guests had to keep themselves happy with indoor activities or go for a bracing walk around the deck. No much of a problem as the ship was heaving with lectures, get togethers and other activities. The ship is running at 19 knots and we are having a gentle push in the back by the northern edge of the West Equatorial Current. The wind has gusts of occasionally 45 knots but on average it is about 30 knots. We had some rain, but not enough to really satisfy the Bo ‘sun with his salt on deck challenge.

I flipped Satellites today as we now nearing the Caribbean Basin. For the remainder of the cruise and the beginning of the next cruise that is where our challenges might come from. We are now busy with getting rid of the weather front. (Photo Courtesy, the Weather Channel, Caribbean Sea)

I was on about the new Atrium yesterday as that was the largest refit on the ship. And it is a considerable change from the old warm and fuzzy interior to a modern sleek and focused interior. Focused on the message that we want to give; enjoy the Rijksmuseum Experience. To create the largest space possible, one flight of the Atrium stairs have been removed so the Area in front of the Front Desk is now wide open and uncluttered. With the removal of the stairs also the Atrium Bar was removed.  This makes sense as this bar was never very popular; the original idea was to have a sort of walk by and stop off bar where you could just have a quick one when coming from the shore or when in between activities. Most of our guests, if they go for a drink, make it a bit more of a ritual than just a walk in and thus the concept lived not up to expectations. In the end the Bar was only used for cocktail tasting events organized by the Bar Department. That was very successful (and very rowdy at times) but this can be done at another bar as well. And thus the whole area has now focused on the “Rijksmuseum Experience”.

This is the old Starry night ceiling centre piece.

I am always interested to find out if a new concept works as with these sorts of things you do not know what the guests will think and do until it is there. And I do see quite a few guests nosing through the books or going over the big coffee table picture books. If this was planned or not, I do not know but it has also become a waiting and reception area for the Front Desk and I see on occasion Front desk Ladies and Event Staff having little meetings in the alcoves or in the seating areas in the middle. The antiques we had here in the various corners have been relocated to other areas in the ship and I am currently chasing those and documenting them. Only the large glass center piece of the Atrium has been removed to shore side and will hopefully be used somewhere else.

And this is the new Day sky Ceiling

On the upper Atrium levels, deck 2 and deck 3, everything has remained the same. The Pinnacle Grill and the Pinnacle Bar are still on deck 2 and the Ocean Bar and Ocean Bar sitting area are still on deck 3. Happy Hour is still there and is now from 1600 to 1700 hrs. What has changed as well is the Bar menu setup. Each bar now has its own specialties and not every bar serves everything. As an example if you want to sample Cognac Louis XIII ($ 99 a shot) then the only place to do that is in the Pinnacle Bar. I have to agree this is the bar with the best setting for such an indulgence.

A corner of the lower Atrium, seen from the Front Desk. On the wall the large painting projections which rotates 24 hrs. a day.

Further on, on deck 2, there are two changes. The Music Walk has been introduced and the Northern Lights Disco has been changed into the Gallery Bar. First of all to compensate for losing the Sports Bar (now taken up by Billboard) and secondly as the Disco was really underutilized. The Bar behind the former disco has been kept and now also serves Draft Beer and not just the regular lagers. Blue Moon and Newcastle Ale have a bit more taste and depth than an average lager.

Tomorrow we are on our 5^th. day at sea and Florida is coming closer very rapidly and it should start to feel quite like Florida weather.