Wednesday, November 14, 2018
Somewhere off the Eastern Coast of the Yucatan Peninsula
After breakfast I walked around a bit and watched a little of the Atrium presentation about the running of the ship. Very boring although they did have a few interesting facts like the food and beverages stocked on board for the week's cruise. For instance the galley stocks 140,000 eggs. And the bar supply has over 50,000 bottles of beer in stock.
Being a sea day there wasn't much to do in the am so I made my way back to my room. As mentioned before, I seem to feel progressively more tired and weak as the trip goes on. I could see my steward Albert making up my room from way down the hall so I rode the elevators for a few minutes until I felt he was done, headed back, and he was still working on my room. Probably taking extra time to make one of those stupid towel animals. I made my way down the vast corridor anyway and luckily he was soon done and my door was closed as he walked off. But not far...As I got to my door he was right there in the room to my right bidding me a cheery good morning. These staff are so supplicant and fawning but since 1.) they ALL are and 2.) they have the same sing-song tone and always greet without fail, I know that it's part of their job requirements and, being the rebel I am, it makes me cringe at their automaton-like loyalty to the Corporate Overlord. I almost want to break in to their service areas, group them together and start chanting "Norma Rae! Norma Rae!" Then I'd have to explain what that meant. Not only because they know nothing of American culture but also, since they're millennials to z-gens, they wouldn't know about that old '80s movie even if they were American.
Back in my cabin, I took advantage of the window seat and southern exposure and made myself a little indoor solarium. After "laying out" for an hour or so, I took another mid-day nap as the sunny weather gave way to rain showers.
Ate a late lunch up in the buffet and then back to my room for the first crack at my bottle of Chianti. Drank a couple glasses, but it didn't seem to be going down right so I capped the bottle up and made my way to the Ryan Joyce Hypnosis Show. Now I got there very early, not even 6:30 for a 7:15 show but there was a line stretching halfway down the ship! I got standing room only way in the back of the comedy club. And, to make matters worse, the show sucked. Worse than his magic show the night before...yes, the same guy! The hypnosis "volunteers" were obviously trying to play along but many were too lame to get his hypnotic suggestions right (also, they were sometimes complicated) or, as in the case of one lady, they went and played this up as hammy as could be really going overboard. Well, actually, that's probably how I would have done it if I volunteered.
Luckily, I had the big Broadway musical show to attend right after this. And as I got near the theater for that, again there was a big ass line. Thankfully, since I was pre-reserved, I got in relatively quickly and got good seats. The seats were good but the nearby audience members were not so good. There raring its ugly head again was the specter of entitled dickism. Ah yes, what an affliction. Apparently sufferers of this malady of self-superiority and asshole-ishness are compelled to berate cocktail waitresses for their in ability to see their upper-crust white hand trying to summon them impatiently over. Then they are obliged to insult their ability to get their order of Manhattan with Chivas Regal and Rusty Nail with Grand Marnier right, due, no doubt, to their Asian peasant intellect. I couldn't see the financial transactions for these orders but I'm sure they stiffed them stupid gooks right good!
The show (Rock of Ages) was great. Music seemed a smidgen off for some reason and the story was heavily modified (from the film version I'd seen) to personalize it to some of the player's talents and the venue, of course...several fourth wall breaks acknowledging the cruise ship we were on. Another performance, like every one else so far this week, pumped up to volume 11 and ending with the most ostentatious lights and sound spectacle of a finale ever in the history of musical theater! TADA!!!!! WAKE UP OLD FOLKS...SHOW'S OVER, NOW CLAP!!! They gotta try this technique on the blue haired crowds at the Bob Carr!
After the performance, I made my way over to the Atrium which was supposed to be showing a movie, but they were running a Caribbean party that was originally planned for another location. Oh well, I was tired anyway so after a late night snack at the buffet, I'd missed the dinner, I made my way back to my cabin for the night.