Buckley's Blog

Day at Sea #2: Santa Baby

Read the previous installment here.

Today is an easy day.  A day at sea.  Our first day at sea was different.  We had just left port the day before.  We spent the day exploring the ship.  Tasting different foods.  Asking the crew things they couldn't answer.  Going places we shouldn't.  Touching things we were told not to.  It was like an homage to my three year-old, Sofie.

But now we knew things were winding down. Tomorrow we'd be at Half Moon Cay, in the Bahamas, and the next was back to Ft. Lauderdale and home.  This day at sea would be fully appreciated.

 This morning I found two deck chairs on a sunny side of the ship, just 10 feet below our windows.  And with my disposable pulp detective novel in my lap, and Chandra in the next chair, we sat and indulged in reading.  All day.  And intermittently napped.

After lunch, I brought down a tray of dessert and iced tea to continue the indulgence.  It was about this time an announcement was made by Trevor Millar, our Cruise Director, over the P.A.  Because of popular demand, the girl from Canada would be brought back into the competition AND this meant ONE MORE NIGHT OF ZUIDERDAM SUPERSTARS!!!

I nearly had to use a shovel to get Chandra's jaw off the floor. "No!  No, no, no!  They can't do this to me!  I wanted this to be the last night -- no, c'mon!  Tomorrow's my birthday!  I don't to have to perform for everyone on my birthday!"

At least, that's how I remember her rather calm, cool, collected reaction.

So we sat down again with that tired old list of songs and tried find something that she knew and would enjoy singing.  I still wasn't being much help.

"Sweet Dreams?"

"Sweet dreams are made of these..." Chandra sang to herself, "... no."

"Sugar Walls?"

 "No."

"Strut?"

 "No."

"I didn't mean Bob Seger.  I meant the Sheena Easton one."

"Hmmm, I know you meant."

"Santa Baby?"  I was joking.

"Hmmmmm...."

Oh, okay, maybe I wasn't joking.

"Yes.  Yes, I can do that.  Okay, yes.  And I'll be all dressed up because it is a formal evening for dinner tonight."

Problem was, we were set for set for the late dinner, and the show started before our dinner was to end.  We went down to the Vista Dining Room and explained we needed an earlier seating.  Not that the staff had any problem with this -- they all knew Chandra well by now, and hoped to catch the very end of the show after the final seating for dinner.

Because it was formal night, everyone was dressed to the nines at the show.  I really can't recall what Julie Andrews sang, but she was wearing the very large shiny-stoned piece around her neck, and several people around me started poking me, asking "Are those real diamonds?"

"If they are, she won't be getting off the boat with them."  Some shopkeeper in Charlotte Amalie must have been made very happy yesterday. 

The other two young ladies did a good job, too.  The girl from Canada really has some pipes, and I'd say you'll definitely hear more from her... if I could remember her name.

So then Chandra came out.  A confused Trevor Millar introduced her, saying this was a little touch of Christmas in the Caribbean.  To get a taste of Chandra's vamping, click on the photo of Trevor and fellow judge, Becky Allen, or here.

As you can hear, the crowd ate it up, and I'm pretty sure Chandra got the most votes that night.  There were a few other contestants, but when it was over, we were left with four finalists to go on for ONE MORE NIGHT.

Yay.

When we finally got back to the room, exhausted, the latest towel creation awaited us.  I looked at it, and reflected on how Holland America was able to get their passengers to provide entertainment, night after night, for free.

 "How appropriate," Chandra sighed.  "A monkey."

"I wonder if he does tricks, too, if you give him peanuts."

"You think you're very funny, but you're not."

"Hey, I didn't ask them to make a monkey tonight."

 "Hmmmmm."

I looked at the animal again.  It was a real work of art.  "But do you notice how he's hanging by his thumbs.  Like in limbo.  Not knowing what's going to happen, or even if it is worth it?"

"Mmm-hmmm."

"Did they tell you yet what the prize is?"

"No... no..." she said.  "They keep avoiding the subject.  But after all this, it better be damn good."

Next installment:  Half Moon Cay and R-e-s-p-e-c-t