Grand Turk and Nobu 大特克岛

Jan 7, 2024: Yesterday was a full day at sea. Crystal Cruises claims to have the most diverse range of activities during sea days in the industry. There were several lectures on topics such as politics, culture, and history throughout the day, delivered by experts in their respective fields. We attended three of them out of curiosity and they were all very interesting. In the afternoon, we went for afternoon tea and grabbed a bunch of snacks. With so many carbs consumed, who knows how high our blood sugar spiked. In the evening, we dined at the main restaurant, ordering lobster and caviar, which were delicious. After dinner, we watched a comedy show and laughed all night.

This morning, the cruise arrived at the first port of this trip, Grand Turk, the capital of the Turks and Caicos Islands. We participated in snorkeling organized by the cruise line, which was reasonably priced compared to other cruise lines. The weather was sunny today, and the sea was calm. The yacht took us to the famous 7,000-foot-deep Grand Turk Wall. For safety reasons, we were only allowed to snorkel in a 20-foot-deep water area. We saw many small fish, making it one of the most rewarding snorkeling experiences we've had. After snorkeling, the yacht took us to a private beach with clear waters and fine white sand, allowing us to fully enjoy the perfect Caribbean scenery.

Another feature of the Crystal Serenity cruise ship is the renowned Nobu Japanese restaurant. During our last world cruise on the ship, we visited it every few days. The waitstaff got to know that we liked Japanese ramen and mochi, so each time we went, they would have the kitchen prepare these items, which were not on the menu, specifically just for us. Nobu has branches in some major cities, and it is quite expensive. Before boarding, we even made a point to visit Nobu in Scottsdale. Now back on the ship, we could finally indulge in several delightful meals again. Tonight, we had a fantastic dinner at Nobu, ordering all our favorite items from the menu. Despite being on a ship, the food was just as good as what we had at the Nobu in Scottsdale two weeks ago.

In the evening, we watched a Broadway show, which is also a highlight of this cruise and we enjoyed it very much. The ship offers unlimited internet access via StarLink, and the speed is decent. Since the Shanghainese drama "Blossoms" was about half way in the playing before our trip started, with good enough WiFi on the ship, we ended the night by watching two episodes before going to bed.

一月七日：自五号晚上离开迈阿密后，昨天一整天是海上行。水晶邮轮公司自称有着行业中最丰富多彩的海上行活动安排。整天有好几个面及政冶，文化和历史的讲座，而且讲解人都是行业中的专家。我们也凑热闹去听了三个讲座。之后又去了下午茶，服务员拿来一大堆点心，这么多碳水物吃下去血糖不知道要冲到哪个新高度了。晚上去了主餐厅用餐，要了龙虾和鱼子酱等，味道很不错。饭后去看了脱口秀，笑了一晚上。

今天早上邮轮来到这次行程的第一个港口，特克斯和凯科斯群岛的首府 - 大特克（Grand Turk)。我们参加了由邮轮组织的浮潜，相比其它邮轮，这次我们邮轮上提供的岸上游的价格比较合理。今天天气晴朗，风浪也不大，游艇带我们来到著名的七千英呎深的大特克墙边。为安全起见，只允许我们在二十英呎深的水域区浮潜。看到不少小鱼，算是我们仅有的几次浮潜中最有收获的一次。浮潜后游艇又把我们带到了私人海滩，清澈的海水，细腻的白沙，让我们尽情享受了一下完美的加勒比海风光。

水晶邮轮的另一特点是船上有一家久负盛名的Nobu日本料理店。上次周游世界时，在船上时每隔几天就会去一次。去多了服务员知道我们喜欢日本拉面和麻薯，之后每次我们再去那里时，都不用我们说，就会直接让厨房特意为我们做菜单上没有的拉面和麻薯。Nobu 在一些大城市里都有分店，价格不菲。上船之前我们还特地去了Scottsdale 的Nobu。这次回到船上，终于又能痛痛快快地吃上几顿了。一位难求，所以我们早早地就预订晚餐，今晚就在Nobu好好美食了一顿。饭店领班还是我们四年前周游世界时的领班，有几位服务员也是熟悉的面孔，真是不可思议。我们把菜单上我们喜欢的东西全叫上，还有日本清酒，不过没有拉面和麻薯。虽说是在船上，饭店并不大，但菜的味道不比二周前刚去过的Scottsdale 的Nobu 差。

晚上看了百老汇秀，也算是这邮轮的一大特色。邮轮提供无限量上网，用的是StarLink, 上网速度还不错。上船前，沪语版电视剧《繁花》正在热播中，我们也跟着追剧。StarLink让我们有机会在船上继续追剧，每晚看上两集语《繁花》后，才上床睡觉。