At sea - cruising past Gallipoli

Monday 2nd

David and I managed well sharing a room without waking each other up. I had taken a sleeping tablet and David generally sleeps well anyway. I was disappointed to be wide awake by 7am. I knew I needed more sleep. We were both ready to get up by 8:30.

Breakfast in the dining room is something I rarely manage. I’m normally asleep. It was a pleasant change, as was lunch later on. The waiting staff are all pleasant and friendly and food is served with a smile. I could get used to this!

We had nothing planned for the rest of the day. David wanted sunshine and hunted for a sunbed with no luck in the morning. He ended up on our balcony instead. In the afternoon, after the sun had left our balcony, he managed to find a seat in the sun. I did odds and ends like connecting to the internet. He came and fetched me for an hour in the sun after it had cooled down, plus a taste of his strawberry daiquiri.

The Black and White Ball was scheduled for that evening, which meant we had to be looking fabulous by 6.20pm. Of course we managed it! I wish I’d taken photos. I was in a long black dress with gold beading at the midriff; David was in a black Armani suit with a mandarin collar plus a silk scarf.

We were meant to go to a cocktail party before dinner but did not want to get ready that early. Instead we sneaked into the after-dinner one, which was supposed to be for people who have late dinner. No one knew the difference. We started off with champagne but then saw people ordering strawberry daiquiris. That suited David! We both ordered one but finished it too late to order a second one for David, as the speeches were about to start. I think we’ll attend all the cocktail parties in future.

The show was a singing and dancing one and was worth watching. I think we managed to get the last two seats in the theatre, so we could watch in comfort.

The room was packed for the Black and White Ball, as was the dance floor. David navigated well around people who suddenly changed direction. We varied between our usual long, gliding steps, and sudden stops to dance on the spot until someone moved on. I managed to follow a bit better but I’m still not up to standard. It’s puzzling. I can follow David in my lessons much better than this. Perhaps I only dance well in a deserted room! Despite that, we had people coming up and asking if we were professional. One lady who can only manage one dance per evening decided she wanted it to be a good one and asked David for a quickstep. One of the Dance Hosts asked if he could have a dance with me one evening. On some cruises I feel like a wallflower; on this cruise I feel like the Belle of the Ball! Many thanks to David. I also think that we spend so much time laughing together at my mistakes that people know we are approachable.

Once again we ended the evening sitting out on our balcony with a drink, relaxing in the balmy air and listening to the sea.