First Day at Sea

 

We had an extra hour of sleep last night because of time change, and it was much appreciated! A tiny bit of motion in the night, and I had a great sleep.

A bit of a line-up for specialty coffee at 7am, but service was quite fast. Breakfast in Windows before going to the 9am Specialty at Sea class.

There are at least 25 Travel Agents, although not all are a part of the Seminar at Sea. There are a few that are onboard on their own , and a few that are hosting groups.The majority of the agents come from the southern U.S. only 1 other from Canada. Very diverice in the amount of experience, from just over 1 year to 50 years in the industry. Most are on their first Azamara Cruise. We had a very informative 3 hour class including a visit from the captain who was very entertaining! We had an opportunity to view a variety of cabins at the end of our seminar including an owners suite.

Our seminar ended about noon, so we were able to catch the end of the brunch buffet. A really fantastic variety of food, with lots of cooking stations. I particularly enjoyed the many types of smoked or pickled fish, and the fresh pasta station. I sat with several other agents all with an Italian background and had a very entertaining lunch. (I learned the difference between a Roman and a Neopolitan. The first talks and the second eats!) A dolphin or porpoise was spotted following the ship for a while.

I then had time to join the dance fitness class to wear off my pasta. Then Karen and I did a few circuits of the sundeck. By that time the sun had come out, the seas were smooth and the wind was light so we decided to go to the pool deck. I hadn't expected to sunbath on this cruise but it was possible for several hours today! Lots of people out enjoying the pool, hot-tub or just soaking up the sun. And of course the sun stays high in the sky for a long time.

Later we went up to the Living Room on the top deck for a pre-dinner drink. We joined a couple that are part of the Seminar group. It's really surprising how smooth it is. I always think of the North Sea as very rough! However the forecast is for rougher seas ahead.

Dinner tonight in the Dining Room. We joined 2 Australian couples from Melbourne. A very good relaxed seafood dinner, then on to the lounge show, getting the introduction of the senior cruise members followed by songs from movies.

As we head back to our cabin we start to feel more motion. And we can see by the location map that we're crossing the top of the British Isles between Orkney and Shetland, heading into the Atlantic. So I think we'll be rocked to sleep tonight!





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