Wed 12 Nov- Day one, at sea

Wed 12 Nov- the Regatta serves an extensive breakfast buffet, as well as a sit-down breakfast, which is served by waiters in the Grand Dining Room. We usually opted for the buffet at the Terrace Cafe, going for the fresh fruit, fresh bread, cooked-to-order eggs or omelet, and plenty of coffee (Stan added the cocoa mix to his, as might be expected).
After breakfast was an Oceania@sea presentation, 'Digital Camera and Photography - Tips and Tricks' presentation that Stan enjoyed, learning several new things. Then it was lunchtime, and we usually go to the Terrace Cafe for the extensive luncheon buffet; Kiyomi having pasta, vegetables and salad while Stan tries several of the desserts and ice cream with various toppings (usually including chocolate syrup).
In the afternoon there was an enrichment lecture 'Journey into Space' (or why you don't want to be an astronaut!) by Derek Clark of the RAF (retired). His talk considerd the effect on the human body of space flight, and the living and working conditions in a space microgravity environment. The talk then considered the uses of space, such as the Global Positioning System (which I used extensively in Europe) and space surveillance, before ending with a discussion of the Challenger accident. He had a host of stories, and lots of pictures about the early days of space travel.
At 4 pm daily is the Afternoon Tea, which features hors d'oeuvres and tea, but more interestingly, music by the Regatta String Quartet. The quartet is composed of 2 violins, a viola, and a cello. The performers are 3 lovely ladies and a handsome guy, all Russians, all professional musicians, playing all kinds of music, from classical to pops, and often very unusual and interesting arrangements. There is a photo here: http://hutchings.smugmug.com/photos/433158617_LCFmC-L.jpg. Stan made it a point to attend the Afternoon Tea daily to hear the quartet. On our trip over, there was also a Regatta String Quartet, but they were 4 different musicians, 4 lovely ladies.
I'm not going to do a thorough daily report on the food experiences; if you've taken a cruise, you know the experience; and if you haven't taken a cruise, imagine dining in a four-star restaurant. Suffice it to say each evening was a gastronomical adventure: delicious food in an elegant setting in the Grand Dining Room, served by attentive waiters. Each day had a different set of choices for appetizers; salads; soups; main courses; and desserts. Fortunately the servings were not excessively large; unfortunately, it was extremely difficult to decide on one each - sometimes Stan or Kiyomi just had to order more than one.
After dinner was the entertainment, first the 8:15-9:00 performance by the Regatta String Quartet, than at 9:45 the featured show. Tonight was Hanna Starosta, a virtuoso violinist. You can see a Hanna Starosta Promo at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jL6Ap03twtc. She gave a rousing performance, similar to the YouTube performance. .