Ashdod, Israel

Stateroom View

We had a first last night! Our trivia team scored a perfect score and won first prize (of course). Our regular team consists of four couples: us as well as one each from LA, Vancouver and Hawaii. There is a buzz about the ship as the mighty “Seafarers” (our team name) are the force to be reckoned with! We shall see how we do today.

Our Trivia Team

Today we opted not to leave the ship in spite of being docked in Israel. We arrived at noon and waited some time before being called for the face to face matching with our passports.  Everyone on board needed to meet with the Israeli immigration with their passports and issued and stamped landing card which you must have in your possession when you leave the ship. They had taken our passports in Barcelona and this will be the first time we have seen them since and we hand them back in again when we leave Israel.  Apparently unless you are going on an organized tour there is not a lot to do or see in Ashdod. The shuttle goes to a three story mall and we would rather shop for authentic items. The attached picture will be the view from our cabin deck for two days. I think you get the idea.

We can practice people watching instead.  Already we have encountered a few interesting shipmates. We don’t mean to be catty but some personalities are clearly showing as you spend a lot of time with a group of people. Who knows what they are saying about us.

1. We were having dinner a few nights ago when we first met “Morticia”. Escorted by her husband in a tuxedo this bleached blonde entered wearing an evening dress and a mink stole, pounds of makeup including ruby red lipstick and white 50’s style glasses. Has Halloween come early this year? Both Doug and the fellow at the next table commented simultaneously about this.

2.  Next are Judy and we don’t know his name. The first encounter was in the theater when they came in yelling at each other, he stormed to the front stating loudly that was where he was going to sit and she eventually went to the front row but did not take a seat next to him. The next night they did the same thing but sat together, then left arguing in the middle of the show. Next we saw them in Antalya yelling at each other in the market.

3. There is the cheating oriental golfer. She gave us reason to watch when she keeps winning yet we see her take 3 and 4 strokes per hole – we usually do it in 2. Today we learned her secret. She pretends to have a practice round then stands near the activity co-ordinator listening to the scores people are recording then knows what she needs to beat, heads out on her round merrily writing her scores to match or beat. What a sad lady. We keep thinking we should offer to keep score for her!

4. Then there is the lady souse who joined our trivia team yesterday cause “I know all the answers” though she kept telling Doug her head just wasn't clear when she didn't get any. Her “friend” – she made that very clear – thinks he is a pianist and keeps making his way to the piano in spite of being asked by the cruise personal to leave as the real pianist will be “along shortly”.

5. And the cancer researcher from Melbourne University who we have seen many times now laying baking in the sun by the pool in his skimpy swimsuit.

Sunrise on the Mediterranean

They told us there are 54 nationalities in the service staff. They all have their names, area they work as well as country of origin. Interesting that the majority of the waiters, busboys, room attendants, etc. are from Central America (e.g. Nicaragua, Honduras), Asia (e.g. Indonesia, India) and eastern Europe (e.g. Romania, Croatia) whereas the “higher” staff are from USA, Britain, Canada, Germany and the like. There is apparently a large number of Canadians on board as guests. We opted not to go to the Canadian get-together cocktail party a few days ago but have met a few anyway.