Life on Board
Trip Start
Sep 12, 2008
1
14
21
Trip End
Sep 29, 2008
Docked at Corfu, Greece - - It is after 9 am and Carol is still sleeping so going to try to tell about the ship starting with the top deck. It is deck 11 and not much on it except a good view, the golf putting greens and a sun deck with private $100 a day enclosed and private cabanas. Going down a deck is the Horizons Bar with a great view off the bow. At the stern is a very large library with many hardback books, fireplace, lots of plush seats and always open. A bit further are the two 5 star restaurants, the Polo Grill and the Toscana. We have eaten at the Polo and have reservations for the Toscana. This is a superb dining experience. Back to the middle of this deck is a fitness track-11 laps = 1 mile. Moving on down to Deck 9 is a huge, high end Spa/Beauty shop with all the trimmings, a card room, the computer room and moving towards the center of ship, The Waves Bar. Mid deck is the pool, 2 hot tubs, many single and double deck chairs, a bandstand, the Waves Grill that is open all day long and a covered patio on both sides of deck. At the Aft is the Terrace Café for breakfast and lunch and it becomes Tapas on the Terrace for our evening meal. This is a buffet, and has way too many choices of everything. When weather permits we dine at the outside seating area. Deck 8 is next and it is entirely staterooms. Deck 7 is our deck and is known as the concierge level but we have not seen one. We have an inside stateroom and like it. The only thing is that we have no window and have no idea of the time or the weather. Our maid Nadezda is a darling little gal and this is her first job on a ship. She cleans and changes all linen/towels 2 times a day. She brings ice 2 times a day, picks up after us, turns down our beds and leaves chocolate. We were even given clean bathrobes and we had only used ours twice. The beds are very comfortable and easy to get to sleep. (Carol does have problems when we 'rock and roll'). Deck 6 has the Lifeboats and we had a drill the first day. It is also all staterooms. There are stairs and elevators to all decks-we try to take elevator if more than 2 decks up, and always walk down. On down to Deck 5 where the Insignia Lounge is located forward, a huge room and the meeting place for tours, a dance floor, comfortable seating for all the entertainment and a bar, and moving toward the back we enter the casino, Martini's Bar, two Boutique shops, the art hall-you can buy art here, the Grand Bar, and the Grand Dining Room- a huge and beautiful place - dinner is very good here- 3-4+ star and the wait team is fantastic, as at all the eating places. They carry our plates to the table, seat us, place napkin in our lap and keep a constant eye on us to meet any needs we have. Deck 4 has the medical center, reception desk, Reception Hall, Destination tours services, and the concierge. Our Cruise Director is David Peterson formally of Costa Mesa Ca, but recently bought a home, cause he got one at a good price, in the Huston area. Hurricane Ike did major damage to it but he has not been able to get back to see it. Deck 3 is the deck where we catch the tender for shore trips, and below that we have no idea but assume that is crew area, engine room and storage. It is a beautiful ship built in 1998 and refurbished in 2008 - 600 ft long and 84 ft wide. Guest occupancy is 684 and staff is 400.
