The Doors of the Island Princess

The morning was beautiful, sunny and light breezes. I worked for a couple of hours before participating in my first Tai Chi class. It was interesting at first, an experiment, a diversion; but as I got into it, I decided I liked it. It felt freeing, calming, settling. I'm not going to become a guru, but I could see incorporating it into my daily regime..

Tai chi. Martial arts

Tai chi, short for Tai chi ch'üan, sometimes called "shadowboxing", is an internal Chinese martial art practiced for defense training, health benefits and meditation. Tai chi has practitioners worldwide from Asia to the Americas.

After Tai chi, it was time for the weekly church service. There's also a Friday night Jewish service so I'm covered either way.

Interestingly, by the time we got out of the service, the weather had turned stormy and would remain that way till about 7pm. So it turned out to be a great day for an indoor activity like photographing the doors the the island princess.

I've always liked those posters that show the doors of Baltimore, the doors of San Francisco and so on. Doors are important. They're a first impression, a glimpse of what's inside, an invitation of sorts. There are doors clearly intended to keep the outside out. And there are doors that draw you in. Never underestimate the power of a good door.

So coupled with the fact that today was the first inclement weather day in the 31 days thus far (we're really lucky about that), today really was a great day for a project like this. AND it took me exactly an hour of brisk walking which replaced my workout for the day. So, it was a win win win.

If you're new to cruising, you may not know that many people decorate their doors. At first I thought it was kind of sophomoric, since we decorated our doors in college. Like college, some people were very utilitarian and simply hung a dry erase board for notes to and from visitors. For others, it was like mascara on Tammy Fay's eyelashes .....never enough and always room for more. It's a personalization for sure. The doors of the island princess are no different. And for 111 days, it was arguably worth the effort.

A few I really liked and will likely order some similar signs before our next cruise. Props to the couple with sign "Warning, we've got the drink package". That would be me. There are 24 in all and after looking at it on my phone, it really looks interesting in a good way. I hope it looks as good on your device of choice. Here goes:

If nothing else, it will give you ideas for your next cruise.

Dinner was so pleasant. Nice couples were seated with us, engaging conversation, and great food. When I looked at the menu earlier today (it's available on the app), I was going to order the salmon...my go-to, but upon closer investigation, the crispy red snapper sounded good and it was. Served with bok choy and rice and a siracha sauce, it was surprisingly good.

Interestingly enough, I'm continuing to write today's blog from the Lido deck, watching the movie under the stars with my lovely wife. Moulin Rouge on the big screen. The weather has turned spectacular. That happens when both the storm and the floating city are moving in opposite directions. You can go into a storm at alarming speed and out of it just as fast. My wife looks cold in the below pic but she just likes to snuggle. They just handed us warm popcorn. I'm in heaven.

I'm not sure what the rest of the night holds but I'm pretty sure it doesn't include blogging. So I'm signing off. Till tomorrow.