Ship Dancing

Yesterday we tried the Mediterranean restaurant. They really are trying to feed us to death. They have a help yourself antipasti that is unreal. Everything is so good you have to at least taste each one. Even if you just put a drop of each, that looks good, on your plate, you have the entire plate filled and in two layers. Then you have no room for the served part of the dinner. But that shouldn’t stop you. You eat it all anyhow. After which you must go to the help yourself dessert bar. I of course just had one grape, NOT. All was wonderful but the Tiramisu was the best.

The floor show singers and dancers were the best we have seen on a Radisson ship. They had to start and end the show early because for the first time, ever, the Radisson’s Voyager and the Mariner were going to cross paths at sea.

This was really a big deal for the crew. I have no idea why, as I have been on them when they have both been in ports at the same time. It was a lot of fun though.

Everyone went up on outside decks on the starboard side of the ship. Off in the distance you could see a light which we were told was the Mariner. As both ships were traveling toward each other at about 20 knots, the distance closed quickly. That light soon became the many lights of a cruise ship.

As we approached one another both ships slowed, stopped, and reversed engines to be directly side to side. The Mariner was playing very loud music that was really good sounding as it reverberated across the water. Both ships had search lights playing all over one another. We let down a small boat with a gift for the other ship. It was a huge bottle of Dom P. Champaign. The water looked pretty calm between the two ships but the little boat bobbed up and down like a cork. It made it over to the other ship and after several tries they caught a rope and pulled it in. The captain of the Mariner is French so of course had no intention of returning a gift. It took forever but finally their food and beverage manager got together a large box of caviar and sent the boat back.

Once hoisted aboard, the fun began. The two ships started doing tricks. The Mariner did a 360 degree turn, in place while we did a circle around it. All the time the huge ship horns were bellowing at each other like great whales or sea creatures of some kind. It was almost as if they were doing a dance with one another. People were yelling, and lights were shinning from everywhere.

After the Mariner stopped playing their great rock music we retaliated with some wimpy, really bad but very loud classical music. I guess the choice was good or loud and our guy chose loud. Then we took off in opposite directions as we walked back to our suites asking each other: What the hell was that all about? But Bobbi says it was great, so I guess, IT WAS GREAT. And don’t you forget it. Okay, it was cool.

(Posted on behalf of Sherman Rootberg)