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Health & Fitness

Day Two at Sea and Beyond

The Carnival Cruise continues!

Day two at sea dawned bright and frothy. We attend yoga class at the Carnival Spa. It's like sloshing brandy around in a snifter as you wait for it to warm.

Later we attend, "Fun Ashore and Fun Aboard" with Cruise Director, Noonan. He is a Saturday Night Live reject with his puns and one-liners. He tells us about signing up for on-shore excursions, the on-board education seminars on fine art and buying jewelry, and participating in "Showcase of the Stars" (Carnival's version of "America's Got Talent").

We make a mental note to skip the Ice Carving and the "Hairy Chest Contest" that afternoon on The Lido Deck.

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He reminds us that tonight we are to dress formally for dinner. Finally there will be an opportunity to meet the ship's Captain and senior staff before dinner and have a picture taken with them.

We cue up for lunch at one of the most lavish buffets ever. The wait in line is long and you have to be quick to grab a table with your full plates. We snag a table with a beautiful view of the rising swells from the next storm coming in.

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After lunch we purchase "Sting Ray Cove" excursion for the next day. My daughter goes to the jewelry shopping seminar (Tanzanite and loose diamonds), while this blogger attends the Champagne Art Auction. He gets a free small print, enters a drawing for a free painting, and consumes unlimited champagne. Drinking alcohol actually helps with the seasickness feeling as it makes the blogger sleepy and he heads to his cabin for a nap.

Everyone dresses formally and some even purchase boutenaires and corsages.The constant parade of well dressed cruisers with photographers lurking around every corner and stairwell of the boat impedes our journey to dinner. We finally get seated with our dinner companions, Ed and Jessica (veteran cruisers) from Nashville, TN, and Chris and Lasandra (celebrating their first wedding anniversary) from Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Everyone is polite and conversational as we are served unlimited lobster tail and shrimp with all the fixings. There is a choice of four desserts, but "Chocolate Melting Cake" is truly divine!

Everyone staggers back to their rooms (from sea sickness or too much alcohol) to get a good night's sleep. If we all survive the ever mounting storm, we will be on land at Grand Cayman Island in the morning!

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