I found our life jackets in the closet, and found our lifeboat station on the back of the cabin door, and then we searched our map for where we were and how to get there. We finished off our champagne and I poured us some more from the bottle, just as a ship's horn bellowed. It was almost two o'clock! I grabbed my life jacket and tossed it around my neck. "Let's go!"
"Right now?", said Marilyn, startled.
"Sure, why not. We can go on deck, finish our champagne, and be at our life boat station."
"Well, why don't we leave our life jackets here?"
I smiled at her. "Because every other person on this boat is going to be doing that and getting lost and shuffling around with these idiot things on and clogging the passageways. You just watch and see if I'm wrong!"
Marilyn looked at me like I was nuts, but she grabbed her life jacket, too, although she carried it. Now, with me carrying my flute and the bottle, and leading the way, we went out into the hallway and towards the bow, to find an exit to the deck and our boat station. It was really just a lovely day. The ship had already started to pull away from the dock by the time we got there. It wasn't at all like the Love Boat, but it never really was. By 2:15 we were already standing out into the seaways, and the swells around us were getting larger.
At 2:15 all sorts of horns and bells and alarms started going off, all over the ship. The intercom announced that the lifeboat drill was underway, and to get to your lifeboat station with your life jacket. No ifs, ands, or buts, it was mandatory! I poured the last of our champagne into our flutes and put the bottle on the deck, out of the way, and then handed Marilyn my glass while I did up my life jacket. Then I returned the favor. She got it wrong, but I showed her how to do it right. Around us was a barely controlled pandemonium, while passengers rushed around, generally lost, generally without their life jackets on or properly fixed, and generally at the wrong boat station. I just smiled at her. "What did I tell you?"
"You think you're so smart!"
"Yes I do!" We traded raspberries at that. After about twenty minutes, during which time the crew practiced lowering a lifeboat and everybody else stood around and chattered, some more whistles and bells rang out and it was announced that we could leave. Cramming over 700 people back into the ship's narrow hallways while everybody was wearing life jackets was silly. I spotted a bar along the way, and took Marilyn by the hand and led her in. We took off our life jackets and I ordered up another bottle of champagne. "We only live once, babe!"
Marilyn laughed at that, and we sipped our champagne, getting pleasantly, if lightly zonked, while the crowds passed by. Then it was our turn. I put my jacket back on over my head, since it was easier to carry that way, and we headed back to our cabin. Fortunately, our luggage had arrived! I immediately unpacked everything, and stuffed my mess dress into a dry cleaning bag, and then hit a button on the cabin telephone and called our room attendant. A little Filipino showed up about a minute later, and I gave him the bag, specifying it needed to be cleaned and pressed by Monday evening. He assured me it would be, and left.
I poured the last of our champagne into our glasses, and set the bottle aside. "Speaking of uniforms, you're out of uniform.", I told Marilyn.
"Oh?"
"Well, we're not flying now, are we? I think it's time to get you into the spirit of things!" I set my glass down and wrapped my arms around her, and pointedly rubbed her bra catch through her top.
Marilyn laughed at that, and then grabbed my crotch. "The same goes for you, Mister!"
We laughed at that and fell onto the bed and wrestled our clothes off. Today, Marilyn got on top and rode me, while playing with her clit as I fondled her tits. Afterwards, she stretched out on top of me, and this time was a lot slower and sweeter. "I love you, Mrs. Buckman.", I told her afterwards.
Marilyn propped her face up on her hands, digging her elbows into my chest as she did so. "I like the way that sounds."
I rolled over and relieved the pressure of her bony elbows to my chest. "I do, too."
I rolled onto my back again, and raised my right arm and tucked it behind my head. That was when Marilyn noticed a Band-Aid under my arm. "What's that?", she asked.
"Hmm? What?"
"That!", she replied, poking it with a finger.
"That's my scopolamine patch. It's for seasickness."
"You jump out of airplanes and don't get airsick, but you get seasick?" Marilyn has never gotten any form of motion sickness.
"Go figure.", I replied with a shrug.
"How's it work?"
It was my turn to shrug. "It's sort of a Band-Aid, soaked in a seasickness drug. I wear it and then change it once a day. The instructions say to wear them behind the ear, but you can wear them anywhere the skin is thin. Tomorrow I put on a different one, under the other arm."
"And you have to do this every day?"
"Pretty much."
"I guess you really wouldn't do well in the Navy, would you?"
I had to laugh at that. "One time my father was teasing me about it, years ago, and then his father came in. He asked my dad if he wanted to tell me about his time on the PT boats during the war, and my dad shut up big time!"
"No! Your dad was in the Navy and got seasick? That's too funny!"
"I agree!"
We snuggled a bit longer, and then got up and showered together. Not much happened though, since the showers on that barge were about the size of an airplane bathroom. I know you have to get really friendly to make it in the mile high club that way, but in this case you'd have to be REALLY friendly! Chubby people need not apply.
There were two seatings for dinner, 6:00 and 8:00, and we were in the second seating. It was still early for that, but it would be nice to walk around and see the sights. Marilyn pulled out a halter topped sundress from the closet and pulled that on, but when she went to grab some panties, I made a tsking sound and wagged my finger at her. She giggled and put the panties back in the drawer, and then slipped on some low sandals. When I opened my drawer, I picked up a pair of briefs, but she made the same sound and gesture to me, so I laughed and put them back. I wore my chinos and a flowered shirt, and slipped barefoot into a pair of boat shoes. Then we grabbed our keys and my wallet, and headed out of the room.
One thing I learned when Parker was in the Navy, and that's no matter how small a ship might seem, they are still damn big places, with about a million miles of corridors and hallways. The bottom three decks were nothing but passenger rooms. The upper decks also had the bars and pools and restaurants and shops. We kept wandering about until we got to the stern, and found a sign pointing the way to the Viking Crown Lounge. This is a hallmark of the Royal Caribbean Line, and all their ships have one. It's a wraparound bar mounted high up at the rear of the ship. On later vessels it would actually be motorized, and rotate around 360 degrees!
We settled into some very comfortable chairs and a waiter instantly popped up to take our drink orders. Marilyn tucked her dress in carefully, and when I noticed, she blushed. "Don't mind me.", I told her. "I sort of like the view."
That earned me another blush, and a "Behave!" comment.
I lowered my voice some. "Too bad you're not wearing high heels. Imagine, later tonight, after it's dark, all alone at a dark railing, with me behind you ... ummm, wouldn't that be naughty!"