May 4, 2008

Home/ Day One

Yes, home and not unpacked yet at all. We will start the laundry shortly then I'll settle in to a good read of all your blogs. How nice to see you.



April 29, 2008/Day 1

The main pool area with slide, Carnival Elation, 2008.




After two days of baking in the unaccustomed heat at the baseball field, despite our tiredness, excitement for the upcoming trip woke us early. We hadn’t won our last game in that 98 degree heat, and we had all dragged ourselves home drained and tired. I woke still having to pack for our trip on the Elation.
I confess, I woke surly and cranky, downright bitchy in fact. Beyond grumpy, I snapped at any change in my perceived routine. Take my glasses off for my ship picture? I chomped the poor woman’s head off as if I were five years old. Cross here instead of there, I growled at the traffic person. Perhaps I shouldn’t have been let out of my cage, but there I was climbing a gangway. I had to make a concerted effort to behave myself and change my behaviors.


The Roundies waiting to board.

We took the first day ship tour. Jo Farcus, the Carnival interior designer, shocked us with his over-the-top creations as we came aboard. In the broad light of day, his decorating schemes are beyond tawdry. His early chaotic designs didn’t quiet my over tired thinking any either. Marble floors, granite here or there, miles of poured resin fake stained glass, over done turnings, blinking lights, and garish colors contrasting with the usual public room carpets a la 1980’s Vegas, left me hanging on the edge a bit this first day.


The orange and mauve atrium plus carpet.

An hour walking the decks with camera in hand, helped take me away from tired, drained, and no humor me. The exterior of the ship is perfection. Beautifully kept with its acres of clean teak decks and well maintained paint and wood work. The ship itself charmed me. It’s just a modern box boat, the newest of its class, but it appears well designed, built, and maintained.


Looking down the pool deck and up at the funnel.

We were determined to stay awake through to the opening show. Joining our new tablemates by a window in the stern dining room, we sipped diet cokes and finished a well handled banquet dinner plus coffee which sat well with my assorteds. And desert, did I mention desert?

As the sun began to set, Farcus’s mauve faded to a glowing wood look. Farcus’s dramatic knobs, lumps, and bumps were lit from within and began to glitter. From the gawdawful, much of his design mellowed to a tolerable Tropicana absurd or acceptable Flamingo cacophony. We stayed too late at the table and missed a meeting but made the salsa dancing, trivia quiz, and bingo all pre show in the dramatic Mikado showroom.


The main show room from above and facing the stage. The curtain was a marvelous turquoise velour with sparkling chrysanthemums that didn't photograph well.

We even made that opening night show then didn’t quite sleep well in our two beds made into one. We kept waking up as the stern of the ship wobbled back and forth like the stern of the Airbus 320 we took across the Atlantic to London.

It didn't really matter, we decided, as we were on vacation.

1 comment:

  1. Welcome home. I'm very much enjoying your vacation log. Do hope the tawdry interior soon finds sync with your tongue-and-cheek humour.

    ReplyDelete

postcards

Celebration of Life