After a lazy morning, I was happy to see they had meat loaf in the Lido!  One of my favorite sandwiches is a leftover meatloaf with ketchup.   Sometimes it’s just nice to have a comfort food, even though there are many choices!

We skipped attending the King Neptune ceremony for crew members who were crossing the equator for the first time.  We’ve seen it before and it was fun, but we just didn’t want to bake in the sun at the Seaview Pool.  This ceremony is fun for those graduating from pollywog to shellback.  It’s considered an initiation rite that may have originated as a “folly” that was sanctioned to boost morale.  It makes sense that it was a test for seasoned sailors to ensure their new shipmates could handle long, rough times at sea.  Typically the initiates are brought before someone portraying King Neptune.  The “King” pronounces a sentence upon them and most are smeared with colorful foam and either directed to lay in the sun for a specific period of time, or jump in the pool.  I understand that some military ceremonies were rather brutal, so it’s good that doesn’t happen here!  The British Royal Navy has had well established ceremonies since the eighteenth century.  

We were provided with a certificate to commemorate our crossing.  Hubby has a really colorful one that he received when he was on a troop transport ship with his mom on the way to Guam after WWII.  Ours was not so elaborate.

 
Following a little time to catch up on the computer and Happy Hour, we opted for dinner in the dining room.  We were seated with Tanis and Robert from Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Rosie and Mike from Ohio.   Depending on the menu, we have had dinner there more often and the opportunity to meet new people.  We had a nice chat afterward with our favorite bartender, Pete.  We met on our Alaska cruise in 2018, and we were astonished he remembered us when we saw him on this ship.  We spent our ten dollars in the casino and were ready to head to slumber-land.