Cruise nuggets

* I noticed something new on the cruise this year. They had added a tissue dispenser to all the walls adjacent to the doors exiting the public restrooms. At first I thought it was for drying the hands of those who don't like the hot air blowing machines, but they were so thin and kleenex-like that you had to pull a dozen tissues to dry your hands adequately. Then I used a bathroom that had two exit doors because of a little vestibule and noticed that there was a dispenser next to both doors. Then it dawned on me - they were for protecting your hands from germs on the door handles. It's a swine flu world after all. (Sing it with me now.)

* In the Bahamas, we were offered the possibility of procuring drugs by the locals. It was very surreptitious the way you'd hear a little "pot, coke" whispered as you walked down the street. In my younger days, I'd have been all over that but now I don't even turn my head. Anyway, one is more likely to be sold oregano and baking soda in such situations.

* In the dining room in the evening there is a little song and dance that all the service staff must perform. It's pretty cheesy Macarena kind of stuff. There was something new this year though. They all performed the final dance scene from Slumdog Millionaire. Despite my disdain for such gooberdom, it was pretty neat. (Weird, blogger is indicating that gooberdom is indeed a correctly spelled word. I thought I had just made it up.)

* When we were in Atlantis, we spent a couple of hours at the water park playing in the river, wave pool and water slides. I wonder how the hotel guests feel about the cruise ship patrons invading their paradise. It really is a resort for the elite. The last ride we went on was a huge drop down into a shark infested pool. (You are in a clear tube so the sharks can't eat you.) It was really hot and we had waited about 20 minutes already in line when two teenage males appeared and joined the two girls waiting in front of us. The boys were wet and dripping from having just been in the pool. Serge and I were dripping from the tropical heat and standing in the sun. I said, "Why are you cutting in line?" One of the girls said, "I'm saving their place." I then looked at the kid and said, "Dude, that is not cool. Not cool at all." He then offered to let us go ahead of them and I took him up on that. In my younger days, I'd have said nothing. Now I will tell the teens what's what.

* As I mentioned the other day, I requested a Friends of Dorothy meet-n-greet from the cruise director. The first was scheduled in the piano bar. Serge was coming late because he had an appointment to get his teeth whitened so I had to go alone at the scheduled time. Ugh. When I arrived at the piano bar, I noticed two Carnival employees sitting at one of the tables and I identified them as dancers from the shows. So I walked up and sat down with them and said, "Hi guys how are you doing?" I tend to be bolder on vacation since I figure I'll never see these people again, but the boys seemed a little apprehensive about my having joined them. I said, "Are you guys here for the friends of dorothy meeting?" They answered rather coolly, "Uh, no, we didn't even know about that." Crappity crap crap crap. I'm sure I reddened then, but I was already sitting there so I asked if they were dancers, how long they had been aboard, where they were from, you know - small talk. After a couple minutes, they excused themselves saying they had to go. They were definitely friends of dorothy, but pretty aloof and snobby. I don't know why we boys are like that sometimes. Shortly after that a pair of guys came in and sat at another table. I got up, went over and sat down and introduced myself and asked if they were here for the friends of dorothy meeting and they answered in the affirmative. Then I told them about the snotty dancer thing that had just happened. We're all friends now on Facebook.

* Another thing I had read about on the cruise forums is that around 4pm in the steamroom, funny business is likely to occur. I suppose this is when the closeted married guys can get there ya-yas out. I've never actually checked the veracity of this information but I shared it with the boys. One of the single guys decided to check it out. It's true! On two separate occasions there were afternoon shenanigans in the steamroom.