20241226 Seabourn Sojourn Grand Africa Cruise Day 31/96 - Sea Day

Grand Africa Cruise Trip Day 31/96 - Almost to South Africa - Suite Freedom!

Today is the last full day of this segment of the cruise. Many of the guests will leave tomorrow when we reach Cape Town and many more will board. The net result is that we should go from about 250 guests to around 300 tomorrow. No matter, we still have a very low guest compliment today.

The weather improved today with the temperature reaching the 70s by mid-afternoon and the sun making its first appearance in several days. That didn't impact me much as I was still confined to the suite.

Arlona worked on a couple of beading projects today. The first was a beaded bracelet.

The second was a set of wine stem rings.

The warmer weather let me pop out and capture a few photos of what looked like sheerwaters cruising along with us.

Trivia went like, well, trivia, and we finished the progressive match somewhere in the top 90%. Today's reasons for not doing better:

• What are the holes in Swiss cheese called?
• Eyes
• In what year was Nelson Mandela freed from prison?
• 1990
• What is the heaviest naturally occurring element?
• Uranium

The good news is that I would have offered exactly zero help on these, so my being missing was not an issue. I'll take my wins where I can get them.

We watched The Santa Clause after lunch, rounding out our Christmas movie marathon. At about 4:10, the phone rang. It was Medical, checking in with me. Since my symptoms had ended more than 24 hours ago, I was given clearance to leave the suite. 

Ahh, suite freedom!

We filled our usual stools at the Observation Bar before attending another hosted dinner in The Restaurant. Tonight's host was Kerry, one of the production singers. It was yet another nice dinner with spirited conversation.  Arlona's dessert was presented so nicely, she had to take a photo.

Pavlova with lemon curd and blueberry compote

We're off the west coast of South Africa and will dock in Cape Town tomorrow morning. We will be touring our 93rd country on my 65th birthday, tomorrow.