We need to dress up for the formal party and then strip down for the after-party celebrations. The birthday cats are those who celebrate their birthdays during the cruise. The party is always a lively affair and sanctioned by management as long as there is no trouble and everything returns to the normal pampered luxury expected by the passengers.
Some of the crew won’t be able to attend, as it is important to cater to every passenger’s whim, twenty-four hours a day. But the birthday cats always have the evening off to enjoy themselves, and many of the crew join them. The crew are shipbound most of the time, and they work long hours, so this gives them a chance to enjoy themselves without worrying about the passengers.
The first part of the evening is a formal dress-up affair and quite formal.
Later in the evening, it becomes casual. Cats wander out onto the deck to enjoy the fresh air and shed their official identities. Little Nero tags along with us. He is the young cat I worked with a few days ago. He has a birthday, but he is far younger than me. He told me he loves jigsaws, so I might make one for him when I work out what he likes. Mitzi and Saphira both come, though Saphira wants an early night, as she has a busy schedule teaching from early morning these days.
And then the fun starts. There is always a band, and things start to get lively. This video is silent.
Things start to get a bit silly after that. Some of the younger staff have strung a rope across the swimming pool, and the challenge is to cross it. That is quite a feat for some who have had too much catnip, or are not at all athletic. I am impressed with Nero’s behaviour.
I think Nero would be a useful cat to have by your side when things go wrong.
A note: these are all fantasy images, not real scenes, and they were created with AI.
