Today was the last day for many of our cruise friends who
left the ship in Rome. It was out with the old and in with the new—literally.
Sixty teenagers came aboard along with their parents and some younger children.
A staff member told me they are mostly home schooled. The restaurant was full
tonight and so was the life boat drill. One hundred and fifty people are
assigned to our life boat. I think the crew will have to swim alongside.
That was the end of swimming in the Lido pool. It’s full of
kids. I discovered that the aft pool is reserved for adults and so I swam in
that one this afternoon. I had a lovely chat with Marion from New South Wales.
We compared arthritis symptoms, husbands, children, etc. We are about the same
age and deteriorating at approximately the same rate.
There are a few children living on board with their parents.
There is a gorgeous one year old whose mother is a ship officer. She said they
will be on this ship together for four more months. I didn’t have the heart to
ask her what happens then. I suspect that one parent will take her home and
raise her while the other one stays on the ship. This is the usual situation
for most of the crew who are married with children. I asked a crew member how
they handle the diapers and he said the crew gets free laundry service.
The new captain who took over the Eurodam in April is
married to another ship officer. So, hopefully, he will try really hard to keep
us all safe.
We took a ship tour and discovered that there is a bar area
called the Silk Den. The LGBT staff and guests hold meetings there. It doesn’t
look much like a bar.
