I'll introduce the submariners now. All are Sonar Technicians, and all retired at the highest enlisted pay grade (as did O). First, Tom Teters & Sandy. Tom and O served together on Seadragon's second North Pole trip in 1962, so they've known each other for 60 years. Tom then served on a Polaris submarine (as did O, different boat). Then he became an Acoustic Intelligence Specialist - they learn all the characteristics of foreign ships and submarines and are temporarily assigned to boats going to areas where they might encounter such things; there, they advise the ship's sonarmen and Captain.
The second such is Richard Phillips and Joyce. Rich was also an ACINT specialist. O first met him about 1970 as Richard came through San Diego where O was stationed (and meeting D), working on an improved intelligence-gathering system. Rich saw what we were doing and gave some ideas.
Third is Richard (Bing) Bingman (and Saidia), yet another ACINT guy. O doesn't recall specifically where they met. It seems a long time ago, probably at one of the ACINT conferences in the 1970's.
All four of us couples have been on commercial cruises together. 2011 saw O, Tom, and Bing on a Danube river cruise. 2018 saw all four of us, plus other such persons, on the Submariner Reunion cruise in the Caribbean. 2019 saw us all together again on a cruise from Alaska to Vancouver.
All three retired in the San Diego area; the picture is from 2002 there. Later the Teters and Phillips moved to the North Carolina shore.
Photo Link
Cuba will be in the distance off to starboard. We run along its north shore to the Windward Passage, then turn south and pass through it with Haiti to port. From there it's a straight shot to Aruba.
Up, shower, breakfast with a lady nurse named Mary, tour of the public levels 3 & 2, shopping for Dolores, and so forth. Ran into Tom/Sandra & Bing/Saidia while roaming and chatted a bit with them. Then back to the cabin for quiet time & computing.
D off to check on winning a drawing in the shops (nope), then back, then off to Trivia with Fran/Duane (sometimes F/D henceforth).
Ships time set ahead to Atlantic Standard (1 hour).
We + F/D gathered for Lightning Trivia at 1300. None of us did particularly well at General Information, but we agreed on our meeting at the M&M by Cruise Critics. That turned out to be sort of a dud. Aryeh had organized it so well there was a big crowd. Since there were so many people, HA didn't do the usual level of service for it. Too bad. We left in the middle.
We went on to the Team Trivia in the Billboard room. We did well but not great. We moved to the Ocean Bar for Happy Hour. A glass and chatting there, then up to the cabin to change for "Gala Night". Slacks, blazer & tie for O, slacks and brilliant top for D.
Gala Night in the Dining Room was quite nice once we were seated. O's filet was great, and the others enjoyed their selections also. Afterward Duane went off to their cabin and the rest of us went to the show by Cantare, a four-person group doing various-era group songs.
O was getting annoyed with notices from home that the temperature was 69* and 68*. He took off mid-show to return to the cabin and get on the internet to the thermostat. There, he found the low-temp alarm temperature was set for 70* but the auto-control of the thermostat to switch to Heat was set at 67*. Duh.
Then off to bed just after 2200.
Owen's birthday today. Some say he's old but he insists it is merely advanced middle age.
We slept like logs and for a long time. When awakened, we felt it was senseless to have breakfast to be followed quickly by lunch - so we ordered a pot of coffee from room service.
The internet service this morning is terrible, perhaps totally down. Spent some time fighting it; got a few emails of little importance but nothing else. Loafed away the morning. Finally they took it down and brought it back up.
We met F/D for Lightning Trivia, did moderately well but no winners.
O looked at our Statement and found a charge for a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon today ($41.30). We haven't bought a bottle yet, so Customer Services received O's complaint. Fran said she had an improper charge last night - they're not doing well in this regard, either.
Internet still not worth having on my iPhone but D's is working fairly well.
We did Trivia at 1600 with a Texan named Bill. Didn't do all that well.
Later we met at the Martini Bar for one such thing. Then we moved to the Pinnacle Bar for another, then were seated in the Pinnacle Dining Room to celebrate O's birthday. O had the Candied Bacon appetizer, certainly a first. Good food.
Internet came back up, working better.
Then off to bed…
Back again. We spent a cruise day here in 2015 and a long weekend here with D's brother & companion in 2019.
Docked on time, running straight into the sun which made it hard to see. One cruise ship ahead of us (Vision of the Seas) in the #1 position, we're aft of him in the old warehouse dock. Ship is running shuttles to downtown which will help Duane. Our mob is departing, we're waiting till 0930 or so to go shore.
We departed around 0930 and took the shuttle to the near tram stop. All the schlock vendors were out vending the same things. We stopped at the Starbucks in the Renessonce (sp) lobby to use Internet. We walked inland a ways following the tram tracks, looking at stores. During the hike we saw such things as the jail/police building and a wedding party aligned on steps to have their picture taken - so we took pictures of them and gave them thumbs up and wished them well. They laughed with us and smiled. Then we started back toward the Renessonce (sp) to Lucy's Retired Surfer's Bar & Restaurant (R).
Lucy was doing Taco Teusday, so we each had a taco and a margarita. Fran wanted to walk more, so she headed off while we came back to the ship via the schlock shops. Nice little 2+ mile hike for us.
We showered and rested in the cabin for a couple of hours. The ship got underway for Panama. O went up to the pool bar for a beer. Back to the cabin, then set up the Chat function in the HA tool. Fran sent a note they were in the lounge for Trivia so we went to join them. Exchanged some stories. Found out Fran had done 5 or 6 miles on the walk. Bill from yesterday joined us. We did quite well but didn't win.
We decided after Trivia to eat in the Lido and have an early evening. We went up and somehow became separated. D & O ate alone then returned to the cabin. We sat in deck chairs reading, then came in.
Now we've received notice that the HA ship's doctor requires all passengers to perform a self-administered RAT test tomorrow morning and send in the results. This just flat irritates me. No explanation beyond our "itinerary" needs it.
We decided after Trivia to eat in the Lido and have an early evening. We went up and somehow became separated. D & O ate alone then returned to the cabin. We sat in deck chairs reading, then came in.
Now we've received notice that the HA ship's doctor requires all passengers to perform a self-administered RAT test tomorrow morning and send in the results. This just flat irritates me. No explanation beyond our "itinerary" needs it.
Ships time back to Eastern Standard. Cruising westward toward Panama.
The stewards came around with the nose test stuff and helped us through the process. The little analyzers show one line for each of us, signifying Negative. Picture of same in the photos.
Went to breakfast to celebrate. Afterward we stepped onto the Sea View deck aft to check out the weather - hot and humid.
Back to the stateroom to loaf. Turned in our first load of used clothing to the laundry.
At 0650 we entered the first lock of Gatun Locks of the Panama Canal. At 0732 we had been raised and entered the second lock of this set of three that raises the ship to the level of Gatun Lake, in which we transit to the other side.'
Since we can't tell where the transition point is located, we'll end the Atlantic here and continue in the Pacific (next page).