Yesterday was our 2nd port, after 5 sea days, in Funchal Madiera. It was a pleasant and sunny day with temps in the mid 70s. We walked into the old town and visited the market in the morning and enjoyed an afternoon excursion to the interior of the island which was quite an experience. Pat (and several other wives) quickly moved from the window to aisle seats as we negotiated the narrow switchback roads up and down the mountainsides. We returned to the ship at 6:00pm and missed the local folkloric show. An hour out of port Captain Stan announced that we were returning to debark a medical emergency but the delay wouldn't delay our arrival in Casablanca in 2 days time.
The ship being full, and with many newbies, presents many obstacles. we often wait until 8:00 or later to go to CR or Veranda to avoid the seating rush. It seems as if there are fewer restaurant staff than normal so service is slower. We enjoy leisurely meals so it's OK with us. Trivia, however, is another story. Anyone playing bridge who doesn't have a team already at a table can't find a seat. Today there were 31 teams and many have as many as 10 on their team. The limit of 6 seems to be ignored because it would be impossible to set up enough tables for only 6. this CD has a Harry Potter question daily and nobody on our team has read the books. We have only won once but have fun trying. Beginning tomorrow we have a port every day.
Jim