We do love sea days. They provide a good excuse to sleep late and do virtually nothing. Sleeping late is relative since we moved our clocks up another hour night before last and 30 minutes more last night, so we really can’t tell what time our bodies think it is. Midnight at home is noon the following day on board ship. Regardless Walter and I usually manage to run into one another each morning with the lazy bones, Dan in particular, taking their sweet time getting going.

We’ve had overcast skies, temps in the mid-80s, and just enough rain and wind to discourage the average cruiser from lounging on the sundeck. My strategy is to use enough pool towels to absorb the moisture on the lounge chairs and snag a cozy, shaded corner as soon as the skies clear. Perfect for a little snooze as well as reading.

Cleone and I enjoyed two interesting lectures: Life (of the crew) on the Water and a Q and A with the captain and cruise director. We learned there are 800 crew rooms on board and that Celebrity was owned by Greeks until it was sold to Royal Caribbean. That last little tidbit answers the often-asked question of why there are so many Greek captains sailing with Celebrity. Our captain, a Greek, talked about being on a full ship when it became clear that the world would lockdown for the pandemic. It was his responsibility to get all passengers and crew home which took seven months during which time he did not get off the ship even once. The cruise director had a different experience since he was assigned to a brand new ship not yet out of the ship yard. At 90% complete with no passengers, it was not stocked with all necessary provisions, had poor internet, and there were only a few other crew members to create a quarantined pod.

Sea days are fun days to chat up strangers/fellow cruisers. It’s amazing how many, Aussies mainly, got on the Edge in Rome and will sail through to Sidney. That is three back-to-back cruises. Some passengers are even going a fourth and will disembark in New Zealand! I chatted with a Brit who reminisced about picnicking at Stone Hinge as a child. While the adults rested, played cards, and chatted up friends and family the kids climbed all over the now famous but then no-big-deal stones (big eye emoji). Another couple shared their story of meeting the September after her high school graduation, marrying three months later, and celebrating their 63rd anniversary. He was wearing a Retired not Expired t-shirt and told us stories about flying with Chuck Yeager during his Air Force career. Dan met a couple who moved to Panama 12 years ago after taking early retirements. They will move back to the states once they qualify for Medicare. Another couple we met has sailed from Dubai to Singapore four times! It’s always fun to hear other people’s stories.

Speaking of stories, we four know each other pretty well but after bringing out some conversation cards tonight at dinner we learned even more. Did you ever collect anything? Which family members were you closest to when you were growing up? How has your hometown changed? Where are all the places you have lived? What was your most memorable birthday? Which celebrity or important figure from your lifetime would you have liked to meet?

We headed to bed looking forward to our last stop tomorrow.

… Sidebar …

Happy anniversary Jen and Rhett!
My parents and sister also married Thanksgiving week.

Celebrity Edge’s godmother is Malala Yousafzai, the youngest Nobel Prize laureate in history
and an advocate for female education and human rights.

Malala must be happy to know that 30% of the Edge’s crew is female (50% more than is typical) and that Lisa Lutoff-Perlo is the first woman CEO to run a publicly-traded cruise company. It was under her leadership that Celebrity appointed the first American female captain.

The Edge was completely designed in 3D and then tweaked with the help of virtual reality simulation.

Tom Wright, designer of Dubai’s iconic Burj al Arab, designed the exterior spaces on board the Edge.