{"id":8309,"date":"2020-02-05T08:16:27","date_gmt":"2020-02-05T13:16:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ourwanderyears.com\/blog\/?p=8309"},"modified":"2021-01-13T11:16:57","modified_gmt":"2021-01-13T16:16:57","slug":"msc1-day-2-at-sea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ourwanderyears.com\/blog\/2020\/02\/05\/msc1-day-2-at-sea\/","title":{"rendered":"MSC1 Day 2: At sea"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"First<\/a>

First morning at sea<\/p><\/div>\n

The first day was spent entirely at sea, cruising along the north coast of Cuba. The weather was considerably warmer – in the high 70s – and mostly sunny, so it was a lovely, smooth day to cruise the Caribbean Sea. We slept in until after 8, then I embarked on a search for cappuccino. I knew there had to be some on board an Italian ship and I was right. But there was nothing on the ship map that said “Coffee Bar” or “Get Your Cappuccino Here”. So I went to to the reception area and corralled a staff person who was speaking to another staff person at the nearby bar. When I asked where I could find cappuccino he said, “Well, here, for one,” pointing at the bar. Sure enough, the bar had a cappuccino machine. I got a cup, along with a few pastries, and returned to the cabin.<\/p>\n

Jett’s verdict: weak. And she was right. The cappuccino was very bland compared to other cappuccinos I have tasted, both on board ships and on land. Very disappointing. Fortunately, the free coffee available in the buffet restaurant is quite good. I made a second trip out to get a large cup of that brew, along with more pastries. That sated Jett.<\/p>\n

\"Waiting<\/a>

Waiting for free jewelry<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Proof<\/a>

Proof of winnings<\/p><\/div>\n

I then spent some time exploring the ship, partly on my own and partly in the service of Jett. She sent me down to the “grand opening” of an EFFY jewelry section of the boutique which was handing out free pendants. More standing in line, but I am getting good at it by now. We napped and before dinner checked out the Irish pub, “Brass Anchor”. They have some decent ales and stouts and surprisingly inexpensive pub fare – a cheeseburger or a small fish and chips for $5 each. Very tasty.<\/p>\n

My appeal for a later dinner seating was successful so we had some time to kill before 8:30. We decided to drop a few bucks in the casino – which, much to our surprise and Jett’s joy – has a smoking section. She lost a few dollars but I had my best casino day ever, winning over $570 – most of it coming on some “free spins” on a 50-cent machine.<\/p>\n

We met for dinner at the Panorama Restaurant, at the stern of the ship. It was dark at 8:30pm, of course, so the panorama was a pitch black wall. But the food was quite good and the service was outstanding.<\/p>\n

After two days on board the Meraviglia<\/em> I can make some comments about it.\u00a0 First, a few things that set it apart from every other ship we have been on:<\/p>\n