Day 134 – Sail the Atlantic Ocean

Today was our last day at sea before we arrive in London in three days. Although we will have only one port day in France, Tim and I decided to start the day with a lecture by Dr. Caroline Malloy on the “History of France.”

History of France

Timeline of French History

Since the majority of those on the World Cruise will disembark in London, today was a “final day” for so many things, from the Final Team Baggo to the Final Team Trivia. Although not billed as such, I suspect that today’s Pool Deck Brunch was a final culinary extravaganza for those who will be leaving us.

Once again, Chef Alastair and his team pulled out all the stops for an exquisite feast celebrating cuisines from around the globe, which we are in the process of circling. Those guests who depart in London won’t make it all the way around the globe, unlike Tim and me, but they will come close. The food was delicious, and the artistic displays created by our Sushi and Pastry Chefs were amazing.

The Culinary and Beverage Teams Pulled Out All the Stops

The Pastry Chefs Even Baked a Map of the World Cruise

The Sushi Chef Always Creates the Best Displays

So Many Options from Which to Choose

The Magnificent Dessert Finale

Since many of our friends and crew members will also be leaving us, we took the opportunity to take photos with some of our favorite people tonight. Jacquee and Larry have become great friends, and we have enjoyed our conversations over our many meals together. Joleen, the Assistant Restaurant Manager, has gone out of her way to look after the four of us, and we will miss her as well.

Tim, Jacquee, Larry, Priya, and Sarah (top) and Sarah, Tim, Joleen, Larry, and Jacquee (bottom)

As I left the World Café tonight, I noticed an unusual sight on the starboard side of the ship – a submarine! I had never seen one on the water before, and it attracted quite a bit of attention. I asked Hotel General Manager Marcel if this was a Russian sub, and he learned that a Russian submarine had been transiting the English Channel as it made its surfaced journey back to Russia from the eastern Mediterranean. A Royal Navy warship, which I also saw, had been deployed to keep a watch on the sub.

Is That a Russian Submarine Being Shadowed By a Royal Navy Warship

Since I always appreciate it when Viking offers a lecture on architecture, I ended the evening with Dr. Dan Jones’ talk on “Sacred Architecture in France, Europe and the Mediterranean.” It was a good overview and refresher on the creation of such spectacular buildings.

Sacred Architecture in France, Europe, and the Mediterranean