May 21, 2012
The Mediterranean is generally very calm this time of year. But there are still moments that this large body of water can reflect the influences of the elements and get a bit choppy. Since we had left the Atlantic Ocean we hadn’t encountered any rough water. There are many times when you are not looking at the sea that you could not be able to tell if we were sailing or at dock. But this afternoon was one of those times when you definitely can tell you are at sea. It wasn’t horrible, as we have had far worse days onboard, but it was enough to make it uncomfortable for a couple of hundred people on the ship, including members of the crew. Yes, the crew is not immune to the perils of seasickness.
Unfortunately, one of the people who the sea made queasy was Rosie. As she was doing Zumba that afternoon she could tell that the ship was moving, as it made it somewhat difficult to properly hit all the dance steps. But it wasn’t until she returned to my cabin and she began to get ready to go out for the evening that she fully started to feel the effects. This was not great timing as we had scheduled an HR team dinner to jointly celebrate Tim’s and Dwight’s birthdays, as well as Rosie’s and my upcoming anniversary. Rosie didn’t want to take any medication and grow too sleepy to attend but being sick was also not an option. I headed down to our Medical Clinic and grabbed a few sets of what we consider our ‘magic pills’ on board. Not only will it help you with motion sickness, it can also serve as an effective sleep aid. Rosie gamely took the tablets, finished getting ready, and bravely faced the dinner ahead.
If you ever cruise on a ship, remember the analogy of the pencil. The motion of the ship is worse at the ends and gentler in the middle. If you were to grab a pencil in the middle and begin to wiggle it back and forth you will see this property in action. Unfortunately, the restaurant we were going to this evening was the Tuscan Grille, as far aft as you can go on Deck 5. I knew it took full will power for Rosie to enter the restaurant the way she was feeling. However, Tim held out his arm to escort her to the table, and with Dwight and I in tow, she made it to the table. Lavern joined us later, making the other guests wonder who this guest was who was being dined by four ship’s officers. Fortunately, the pills and the distracting conversation both took effect at the same time and soon Rosie was talking and laughing with the rest of us.
Given the great food in Tuscan it is important that you come with a healthy appetite. In my opinion, and others may disagree, the filet mignon at Tuscan is the best on the ship. For starters the best bets for me are the Italian Onion Soup, which actually seems to improve upon French Onion Soup as it is creamie. I followed it with a made at the table Caesar Salad before my filet to create a perfect meal. The dessert menu is equally as scrumptious but we are generally too full to indulge in more than a nice bowl of gelato. Of course, if you are living large, you can ask for it in a waffle cone bowl, made freshly at our gelataria on Deck 5. As is often the case in our team dinners the food and ambience of the restaurant are great, but it is the companionship that creates the memory. Two hours later we had reminded ourselves how special our team was and Rosie had become part of the extended family.
Praise God for the little ‘magic pills!’
And the adventure continues . . .
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