DAY 9 and 10 on the DIAMOND PRINCESS

Well the most important thing to report has to do with that typhoon that formed the day we originally departed Yokohama.  According to Wikipedia:

Typhoon Koto, known in the Philippines as  Typhoon Verbena, was a fairly strong and erratic tropical cyclone that impacted much of the Visayas and portions of Luzonand Mindanao in the Philippines. The twenty-seventh named storm and fourteenth typhoon of the annual typhoon season, Koto developed off the eastern coast of Mindanao on November 23, then tracked westward across the country, making seven landfalls before emerging over the South China Sea, where it strengthened into a typhoon. However, the system gradually weakened and became virtually stationary off the coast of Vietnam before dissipating altogether.

Let me begin with Day 9 on the Diamond Princess.  Did not do much except eat and sleep.  Lunch came in two parts.  First, ramen and meats with a Bloody Mary.

Then pizza with beer.

For dinner we went to Sabbatini's, where I abandoned the menu and asked them to just give me an Italian salad and soup combo, ending with a Spaghetti Bolognese meal.  The wine was a Silverado Cabernet Sauvignon.

Actually, the pasta was not at all traditional.  It was brown, not red, and did not taste like the SBs I've had throughout the world. It was, though, while not what I was expecting, still tasty and worthwhile.

Then off to Princess Theater for Mikey Vortano.

 Only 2530 steps today.  Plan to begin my exercise program on Day 10

Then came this awesome Day 10, an unexpected episode that makes life truly worthwhile.  Lunch, for example, came in three phases.  

• First, there was an announced emergency from the Captain at 10:30ish in the morning.  

• 
  One of us us was still sleeping.  
• Essentially a crew member had a medical problem, we think it was one of the main chefs.  
• The ship had turned back to Hong Kong, and a helicopter was to arrive within half an hour to pick him up.  
• Passengers had to drop down to the 7th floor or lower as a safety precaution.  Our stateroom is on the 11th floor. They kept pounding on our door to please leave, and we finally did.
• 
  Walked around to perhaps get an early drink.
• Went into our muster station, the Wayfarers Bar.  Was packed, no seats, but for some reason the bar was available.

• 
  So we sat and I ordered a Bloody Mary, she a beer.
• We then saw the Japanese gin we liked, Roku, and asked if there was a Japanese vodka. Yes, Haku.  So she ordered a Bloody Mary with Haku Vodka.  I thought, why not, and had a Haku on rocks.
• Then I noticed a Macallan Terra, which cost $23/shot.  Premium members can only order up to $20 liquors.  But the bartender said heck, this is an emergency, and I had a jigger up for free.
• So for the first phased of lunch a scotch, vodka and Bloody Mary.  First time in my life doing this.
• Oh, the Terra costs around $400/bottle if you can find it.

Lunch was my almost daily ramen and meats, with a Margarita and Kirin beer.  So I'm up to 5 drinks so far.

On my way back to my room for a nap, saw an ice cream bar, so got a macha cone.

Then, walking to the elevator, I passed the Jaame's Band playing music of ABBA by the pool, and luckily found an empty table.  So I reserved it and went to the bar.  Got a Chivas 18 over ice.  That's six.

I was seated next to a pizza place, so for phase 3 of my lunch, totally unexpected, ordered a hot pepperoni pizza slice with a Stella Artois.  #7.

I then took a two-hour nap.

Went to the 5th floor Good Times at Sea bar, and listened to some music,

In anticipation of the Escargots, got a glass of Flower Chardonnay to take to dinner which turned out to be a serendipitous miracle.  Probably the best meal we have had on this trip.  This Sonoma wine, incidentally got a 94 rating from James Suckling in 2022.  Costs $50/bottle in your liquor shop.

• We went down for our 7PM International Dining Room reservation, but all I wanted was their special of the night, Escargots Bourgogne, and maybe a salad, for I was still somewhat satiated from what I had earlier, like those drinks, cone and pizza.   But they said they were still cleaning up and could not takes anyone until 7:15.  

• 
  Drinks in hand we had to find a place to sit and wait.  This turned out to be just outside of Sushi Kai.  It was not crowded at all inside.  
• The Maitre D' came up to chat with us.  We explained why we were sitting there.  I also mentioned that all I wanted that night was the Escargots.  So he said why not dine in Sushi Kai, and would personally rush down to the Internationally Dining Room and pick up for us two orders of the Escargots Bourgogne.  Why not have sashimi with that?

• 
  Great idea, so I also ordered a sake and sochu.  What am I up to today?  Doesn't matter, our Premium Package features an unlimited number of free alcoholic drinks.
• Escargots came, but withour breads, so our guy went next door to Sabbatini's and came back with a plateful.

• Then like the after-lunch pizza, I went ahead and had a wagyu ramen, which normally would have cost at least $20, but the top guy here gave it to us for free.  Added other seafood.

And the evening was just beginning, for we went to Club Fusion for Karaoke.

There is a couple from Australia which we have befriended.  Here a duet of Sweet Carolina, with considerable audience participation,

I sang a couple of songs too, but will spare you from them.  2497 steps.  Clearly I have yet to start my walking in the hallway routine.  I want to get up to at least 6000 steps/day.

If you were wondering why my pedometer has the background of the next day, it is because they deliver the newsletter  of tomorrow to our room when they finish cleaning up for the night.  Tomorrow, Port of Phu My, the point of departure point for Saigon, which is now called Ho Chi Minh City, 41 miles away.

So what a great Day 10.  Was particularly enhanced by Typhoon Koto suddenly dissipating just ouside of Phu My.  Never even made landfall.

-