Thursday, May 31

Decisions, decisions, decisions!

A nifty Princess phone app allows us to access the daily calendar of events, send messages to each other, and get general information.

The calendar of events offers a little something for everyone…

– Want to knit and knat? Join the Knitters and Knatters at the Crooners Bar.

– Want to relax and be entertained? Sit in the hot tub on the top deck while watching The Greatest Showman on the giant screen…or join the bridge or Texas Hold’Em tournaments.

– Want to waste money? Flush a $20 bill down your cabin commode or head to the casino.

– Want to learn something? Go to the Digital Photography Basics Seminar, the Fruit and Vegetable Carving Demonstration, the Detox for Health Energy Seminar, the Medi Spa Seminar: How to Look 10 Years Younger, or the Harmonica Class.

– Want to get in shape? Head to the Zumba class, walk the ship’s perimeter, lift weights, ride an interactive exercise bike, get a therapeutic massage, or go line dancing.

The above constitutes 1/3 of the available options…on just the first morning!

What caught my attention, though, was the Interdenominational Bible Study at 0830 hrs at the chapel. 4 Reasons:

1. I love studying God’s word.

2. I was curious as to what assortment of people might show up for such an event.

3. I’m on a hunt for interesting stories/people /ideas for a devotional book I’m writing.

4. I don’t Zumba.

Of the 2870 passengers and crew on board, 8 of us showed up for the Bible Study. A few minutes went by and nothing happened. Everyone just sat there. A few more minutes…still nothing. I glanced at my calendar and noticed the event said “Unhosted.” In other words, we’d been given a time, place, and purpose—an opportunity. But the rest was up to us.

Unable to stand another second of awkward silence, I turned around and asked the group if they wanted me to lead the discussion and they agreed. For the next 45 minutes, I led a discussion on my favorite passage—Ephesians 2:10. For the gist of what I covered, check out my blog entry from a couple years ago at…

https://www.bigsteveandliljan.com/masterpiece-on-a-mission/#comments

I appreciated the contributions from the class—people hailing from California, Georgia, Wisconsin, and the Philippines. In a world so full of division and political strife, it was encouraging to sit down with like-minded people from different countries, backgrounds, and faith communities and feast on God’s word together.

After watching an insightful movie/documentary with Janet on Alaska residents entitled The Spirit of Alaska, we made our way to the massive Horizons buffet. Fruit, cheeses, salad, meats, made-to-order omelettes, sushi, breads, vegetables, desserts…the list goes on and on!

At lunch, I learned that Janet and Tami had attended a shopping seminar…which is akin to Van Gogh attending a painting seminar. For $25, they received a booklet with coupons for free gifts on board and at various ports of call. For a moment, I thought about questioning how free gifts cost $25, but didn’t want to get thrown overboard.

While some of our gang played cards in the games lounge, I rode the exercise, soaked in a hot tub on the upper deck, and got an ice cream cone from the ice cream bar. I suppose exercising and then eating ice cream makes as much sense as paying $25 for free gifts.

At 1630 hrs, we gathered our cameras and binoculars and headed for the outside deck to take in the wonder and majesty of The Hubbard Glacier! I’d seen many pictures of it and other glaciers before, but to pull up beside it is stunning! This is why you might choose an Alaska cruise over something in the Caribbean. It was a sight I’ll never forget.

We reassembled for our group dinner on one of what they call “formal nights”…which for our group is loosely defined as no swimwear, chacos, or exposed belly buttons. After dinner, we took in a musical production called Encore, featuring singing, dancing, and an orchestra.

Speaking of singing, we noticed an event on the calendar called The Voice of the Oceans auditions. I told Janet, “You need to try out. This is your dream.”

“I’m thinking about it, but it makes me nervous. I’m not sure I’m good enough,” she replied.

“You’re very good, it’ll be fun, and besides, it’s up to the audience to decide who is good enough.”

After more encouragement from our group, Janet (aka contestant #4) nervously took the stage, dedicated her song to me (Awww!), and belted out Shania Twain’s Looks Like We Made It. She did a wonderful job, the audience cheered wildly, and she was voted into the finale! Go Janet! So now she’ll get a voice coach, head shots, and get to perform with an orchestra in front of all the passengers! That’s my girl!

As a guy who believes in living life to the fullest, taking chances, and pursuing crazy, bucket list dreams, I couldn’t be more proud of my wife. By setting her fears aside and taking the stage, she has already won!

And if she happens to win the whole thing, I’ve got a free gift in mind for her. It cost us $25.