The Periphery of the Mind

Okay, so the boat we were on is big. I mean really big. We kept getting lost, and didn't really learn our way around until the last day or so. That said, what was there to do on the boat?

There were 2 pools I found, one with a slide, about half-a-dozen bars, two stores, a casino with a lot of slots and blackjack and a few other games, some live shows I never went to, bingo, art auctions that were neat but expensive, a really pretty gymnasium, a spa, pay-per-view movies, photographers everywhere, a cruddy video game arcade, about 5 hot tubs, and eating.

Lots and lots of eating.

With 24 hour room service.

And a 24 hour pizzeria.

Don't like that steak they brought you? Return it and get something else. It's free. It's all free.

Booze and sodas weren't free, but I'm more of a water and juice person anyway. But I was hitting the hot dogs, the soft-serve, and the buffet way more than I should. Keep in mind, if you go on a carnival cruise, the first places to get hit after a shore leave is the food. And while you can avoid lines by ordering room service, the room service menu is kind of small and can get old after a while.

One of the things I noticed about my boat is not only how big it is, but how decorated. Giant, aquatic themed abstract paintings were in every landing of every staircase, giant glass elevators looked over bars and shoppers as little lights lined everything, sculptures of "foo dogs" in blue, and themed rooms and bars everywhere. It was all very pretty really, and somehow just barely able to escape from being tacky and gaudy. The ship almost asked you to go look for what was on the next floor or on the other side, rather than feeling like a pack-rat's yacht.