I woke up to the sound of the sea and a cool breeze wafting in as I spotted my parents conversing in the balcony. There were SO MANYYYYYYY activities we had planned today, I doubted we’d even be in our room! As one of my classmates proclaimed, “On the cruise, the only time you are in your room is when you wake up and when you sleep”. We had booked a myriad of activities on Day 2, ranging from swimming to acrobatics shows to dancing!
The first thing we did was head to Windjammer(which was a place we picked immediately for daily breakfast as the buffet was awesome!). After a hearty meal of juice, eggs, pancakes, and croissants, it was time to put our plan into action. First, we would go swimming. After that, we would head to a guitar performance. Then, my parents would go for a dance class after lunch. After that, we would go for an orchestra. Finally, we would watch the two highlights of the night, featuring a show with the name Duo De Soleil and a unique experience at a place called Two70, which was the most technologically advanced theatre that had been built on all the different cruise ships present in the fleet of the Royal Caribbean.
We rushed to the swimming pool after our breakfast to escape the crowd. It was warm outside, so we decided to go to the outdoor pool. I discovered that the pool was 5 feet 3 inches deep, deeper than anything I had swam in before. However, I knew swimming very well, so I decided to jump in right away. There was a LONGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG queue, but we waited patiently. Well! The next few minutes, I was clinging on to my dad for warmth as I found myself recollecting the idiom “as cold as ice”. This wasn’t figuratively cold as ice; it was LITERALLY as if frozen ice was melting in the pool. I clambered out, shivering, and concluded that the pool inside would be warmer. Why? I thought that as inside, it was air-conditioned, the pool should be temperature regulated.
Well, I wasn’t exactly wrong…ATLEAST the pool inside was NOT as cold as the one outside. After swimming for one and a half hour (including the long thirty minutes spent clinging to the railing for warmth☹), we scurried all the way back to our room. After changing (it was pure relief to change out of the freezing cold swimsuit), we went to watch the guitar performance. I did enjoy the peppy tunes that were played, and with an abundance of skill, as I noted. However, we decided we had to head to lunch as the dance class was commencing soon.
After a filling meal, (the food was REALLY good😊), we headed to the dance class.
Quick disclaimer: My mother LOVES dance. My dad…well! He is more into music.
However, I had the laugh of my life watching my parents move around in completely opposite directions as they tried their best to make head or tail of what their dance instructor was demonstrating. The instructor was an extremely peppy individual who lit up the room with her enthusiasm. Overall, I really enjoyed the class and my parents’ weird dance performance. Now every time I feel down, I’ll watch the video!
We returned to our room to change as I insisted on wearing elegant dresses for the shows that followed. We rushed to the Music Hall for the orchestra. I could feel the floor vibrating from the moment the drums started up their solo. The entwined ensemble of trombones, saxophones, pianos, drums, and guitars generated an enchanting rhythm, and I was mesmerized.
I realized that I was always famished even after being in food paradise. We headed to the fine dining restaurant that I had mentioned on the first day for our dinner. The ambience was perfect for a classy dinner. I grasped the opportunity to learn fine dining etiquettes from my father which…may not have ended so well☹. In the end, I gave up and stuffed myself using a spoon instead. I mean, for me, loading myself with good food had gained importance over finesse.
We rushed to the Royal Theatre and clearly, the acrobatics show was incredibly popular. The queue stretched a LONGGGGGG way, but due to the efficiency of the staff, we had grabbed the front-row seats soon. I felt a thrill as the dramatic music played. I was captivated by the gracefulness and the jaw-dropping acrobatics. Every performance had a story, and I was amazed as I had never seen a show like this up close. The performers were incredibly light on their feet, and it seemed like they were gliding. The show involved contemporary dance, trapeze, and towards the ending, it took a more exciting turn as the acrobatics became more and more audacious and intricate and seemed more and more impossible. We nearly missed a beat towards the end when one of the performers jumped down from the other acrobat’s shoulders. It looked like she was going to fall but she executed a perfectly timed turn and landed neatly on her feet! My dad remarked that these shows were clearly not meant for them as they were literally heart-stopping!
We moved on to the last show of the day, the Two70. The cruise director, who had a pleasant personality, introduced all the features of the room, which included robotic screens, 3D effects, and 16 PROJECTORS that skillfully rotated to make the special effects look more stunning. The robotic screens even performed a dance which was flawlessly synchronized and was REALLY COOL! But the real highlight was the show that was going to be performed next.
The next show was performed by a world-famous violinist named Victoria Stryker. The moment she began to play, we were bewitched! With one flourish of the bow, she created music so ethereal, I would remember it for the rest of my life! I can still feel the sound of that music resounding in my ears, etched clearly in my memory. I thoroughly enjoyed the performance.
As it was getting late, we retired to our room for a good night’s sleep. I sighed contentedly as I was certain that the next two days of the cruise would be pure bliss.
Signing off…