22 August
Pago Pago which is pronounced Pango Pango. Cloudy with some showers Temp 27c
This is our third visit to this small island so we had not booked a tour. Instead after a late breakfast we met Coral and we all went for a walk ashore. The ship was docked almost in the Main Street. After we had walked a short way Coral decided to return to the ship as her back was aching.
I should mention that all of us also had our sleep broken by a call on the ship's PA at 2am calling the special response team to go to some area on the ship where smoke had been smelt. Then shortly after the Captain spoke to say a smoke detector had triggered and he was waiting for a report from the response team and he would keep us informed. About 15 minutes later he came back to tell us that no fire had been found so the response team have been stood down. I actually wonder why we needed to be so informed about just one detector going off until the problem was confirmed and why do they have to call for the response team via the cabin PA when it seems every crew member has pager. Just another thing to take care of when I redesign the ship.
To continue, Betty & I continued our walk through a market selling mainly fruit and veg where there was a group playing some great music. I would have bought their CD if they had one. Further on down the street was a MacDonalds store with a McCafe so we had coffee there. Inevitably with so many clothing shops around we were going to find something that Betty liked. However it was actually me who encouraged her to buy a skirt and top which looks very nice. Around the wharf area stalls had been set up selling mainly clothes and jewellery, I left Betty looking here and went back to the ship just in time to miss a sharp shower.
Entertainment tonight was by one of our favourites Roland Storm who some of you will remember from Six O'Clock Rock and Bandstand. He certainly is no spring chicken but he still puts on a great show. Now that we are on our way to New Zealand we have the usual rough sea although so far it's not that bad.
I think I will make this my last report because we now have 6 sea days with just a break for Auckland in the middle and they will be pretty repetitive. For those of you who have followed us all the way round thanks for watching. Next year we will be touring Oz in our new baby.
Saturday, August 23, 2014
Friday, August 22, 2014
21st August
21st August
Sea Day Sunny Temp 27c Smooth Sea
Betty actually got to Tai Chi this morning at 8.15am I stayed in the cabin and read the Herald Sun. After breakfast Idid my laps of deck 7. Not much in the Patter to interest us today, I did consider going to se what John & Kim were teaching for Rock n Roll but decided that I would be better served by reading my book. Betty went with Bev & Ian to see the movie " Life is Beautiful" they decided to sit at the back in case they did not like it and could leave easily. It was a foreign film with sub titles so they left early. Today there was an Art Auction and they tell me the Wheelhouse Bar was packed. Perhaps the free champagne was the attraction.
Tonight we had a choice to go to the Vista Lounge and see Glynn Nicholas a comedian or go to the Princess Theatre and see Bob Howe again for his repeat show. The other alternative was to watch a movie " Fever Pitch" on the cabin TV. Betty decided on the later, Coral and I went to the Princess and his show was a repeat word for word but the music was still good. Clocks go back another hour tonight as we approach Pago Pago.
Sea Day Sunny Temp 27c Smooth Sea
Betty actually got to Tai Chi this morning at 8.15am I stayed in the cabin and read the Herald Sun. After breakfast Idid my laps of deck 7. Not much in the Patter to interest us today, I did consider going to se what John & Kim were teaching for Rock n Roll but decided that I would be better served by reading my book. Betty went with Bev & Ian to see the movie " Life is Beautiful" they decided to sit at the back in case they did not like it and could leave easily. It was a foreign film with sub titles so they left early. Today there was an Art Auction and they tell me the Wheelhouse Bar was packed. Perhaps the free champagne was the attraction.
Tonight we had a choice to go to the Vista Lounge and see Glynn Nicholas a comedian or go to the Princess Theatre and see Bob Howe again for his repeat show. The other alternative was to watch a movie " Fever Pitch" on the cabin TV. Betty decided on the later, Coral and I went to the Princess and his show was a repeat word for word but the music was still good. Clocks go back another hour tonight as we approach Pago Pago.
Thursday, August 21, 2014
20th August
20th August
Not much doing for us today. I did go to a lecture by Evon entitled "Why did Japan go to war with the USA" In case you don't know according to Evon it was because the US supplied oil and other supplies to them and these had been cut off as sanctions because of Japan's invasions of other countries. They knew that the USA was building up their navy and they thought that if they had any chance of beating them they had better destroy their navy a lot of which was in Pearl Harbour. In the afternoon Betty went with Bev & Ian to see the movie As Good As It Gets. I have 2 books & the Herald Sun on the go so I was happy to stay in the cabin and read. In the theatre tonight was Instrumentalist Bob Howe with the Orchestra. He played the guitar and harmonic with music from lots of eras. He was excellent.
Not much doing for us today. I did go to a lecture by Evon entitled "Why did Japan go to war with the USA" In case you don't know according to Evon it was because the US supplied oil and other supplies to them and these had been cut off as sanctions because of Japan's invasions of other countries. They knew that the USA was building up their navy and they thought that if they had any chance of beating them they had better destroy their navy a lot of which was in Pearl Harbour. In the afternoon Betty went with Bev & Ian to see the movie As Good As It Gets. I have 2 books & the Herald Sun on the go so I was happy to stay in the cabin and read. In the theatre tonight was Instrumentalist Bob Howe with the Orchestra. He played the guitar and harmonic with music from lots of eras. He was excellent.
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
19th August
19th August
Moorea Sunny Temp 27c
I am not sure where we went last night but with only 10 nautical miles to go between Papeete and Moorea we should have been there early but when we woke at 6am we still had not arrived. Our tour was due to leave at 8.15am but due to one of the Tender Boats not working we were 1 hour late. Our tour included a drive around the Island, a visit to a Pineapple juice factory and a show at the Tiki Village. The buses being used are normally used to transport school children and as such did not have PA systems. Our guide had a portable system which was next to useless even after yours truly tried to improve it. The visit to the Juice Factory was a very rushed affair, we had no tour and only one tasting when there should have been a few. This factory makes not only normal juice but they also make various alcoholic drinks from the juice. The one we tried was very nice and most of us bought some to drink at our Happy Hour which we are having in our cabin next Saturday. Next we visited a pearl shop which was not mentioned on the tour and wasted 30 minutes of our time which meant we did not stop at many photo opportunities because we would have been late for the Tiki Village show. We past other buses who had stopped and guess what we had to wait for them at the Village. At the Village there was an area set up with tiered seating facing the sea. When the performance started it was hard to see them because they appeared to have black faces etc due to your eyes adjusting for so much light behind them. If by now you are thinking that we did not enjoy this tour you are right. Betty and I think it is the worst tour we have been on. Ian actually missed it because he has got the dreaded bad throat and did not want to be coughing over everyone. Bev came and sat with Coral. Coral thought that the Village Show was so good that she left partway through and walked down to the beach and had a paddle. Betty says that is what she should have done. Don't get me wrong the scenery on the Island is glorious we just choose the wrong way to see it.The only one who really enjoyed it was Kenny who made some new friends and those of you that go on Facebook will see the photo of him with them. Sorry I can not work out how to put photos on this blog since my Laptop broke down.
After dinner we went to the Vista Lounge to see Sarah Jones a Ventriloquist from Australia she was very good and funny.
Moorea Sunny Temp 27c
I am not sure where we went last night but with only 10 nautical miles to go between Papeete and Moorea we should have been there early but when we woke at 6am we still had not arrived. Our tour was due to leave at 8.15am but due to one of the Tender Boats not working we were 1 hour late. Our tour included a drive around the Island, a visit to a Pineapple juice factory and a show at the Tiki Village. The buses being used are normally used to transport school children and as such did not have PA systems. Our guide had a portable system which was next to useless even after yours truly tried to improve it. The visit to the Juice Factory was a very rushed affair, we had no tour and only one tasting when there should have been a few. This factory makes not only normal juice but they also make various alcoholic drinks from the juice. The one we tried was very nice and most of us bought some to drink at our Happy Hour which we are having in our cabin next Saturday. Next we visited a pearl shop which was not mentioned on the tour and wasted 30 minutes of our time which meant we did not stop at many photo opportunities because we would have been late for the Tiki Village show. We past other buses who had stopped and guess what we had to wait for them at the Village. At the Village there was an area set up with tiered seating facing the sea. When the performance started it was hard to see them because they appeared to have black faces etc due to your eyes adjusting for so much light behind them. If by now you are thinking that we did not enjoy this tour you are right. Betty and I think it is the worst tour we have been on. Ian actually missed it because he has got the dreaded bad throat and did not want to be coughing over everyone. Bev came and sat with Coral. Coral thought that the Village Show was so good that she left partway through and walked down to the beach and had a paddle. Betty says that is what she should have done. Don't get me wrong the scenery on the Island is glorious we just choose the wrong way to see it.The only one who really enjoyed it was Kenny who made some new friends and those of you that go on Facebook will see the photo of him with them. Sorry I can not work out how to put photos on this blog since my Laptop broke down.
After dinner we went to the Vista Lounge to see Sarah Jones a Ventriloquist from Australia she was very good and funny.
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
18th August
18th August
Papeete Sunny Temp 26c
About 7.30am we arrived at Papeete where we are docked beside 2 beautiful yachts and within walking distance to the town. Part of the Windward Islands, Tahiti makes up more than one-quarter of the total surface of French Polynesia and two-thirds of the population. Papeete is a busy bustling town. There is a centrally locate 2 story market, the lower floor is full of fruit and veg, the upper floor has lots of clothing and jewellery stalls. It also has a cafe where I was able to get fast WiFi to update our Facebook apps. I have never seen so many shops selling pearls as there is here and you guessed it both Coral & Betty bought some. They of course sell the Black Tahitian Pearls. I think everyone is glad to be here because it is the first opportunity to go ashore since we left Lima. It feels quite warm.
We heard that just outside the port gates they set up food stalls and that some are cooking crepes. We decided to go to the Horizon Court for a light meal and then to go ashore to have a crepe. We met Bev & Ian in the Horizons and came with us ashore. It was a lovely balmy night and we don't sail until 4am as it is only 10 nautical miles to Moorea. We found the area where the food stalls were. It was an open piece of land and a number of vans are there with tables and chairs set up around each one. We found one that sold crepes and ordered and paid. It was obvious that they were not very well organised but we sat and waited. After a short while down came the rain which had everyone crowding under the little shelter there was around the vans. It did not last long, after we dried off the seats and table we sat down again to wait all the while keeping an eye on the queue at the van where we had ordered. After what seemed like a long time Ian & I went up to the the van to enquire about our order and were assured that it was coming. Not to confident because of the apparent lack of organisation we stood and waited. I'm happy to say that we did get our order and the crepes were delicious, every one said they were worth the wait. There was a Folkloric Show in the Princess Theatre tonight but as we went ashore we missed it.
Papeete Sunny Temp 26c
About 7.30am we arrived at Papeete where we are docked beside 2 beautiful yachts and within walking distance to the town. Part of the Windward Islands, Tahiti makes up more than one-quarter of the total surface of French Polynesia and two-thirds of the population. Papeete is a busy bustling town. There is a centrally locate 2 story market, the lower floor is full of fruit and veg, the upper floor has lots of clothing and jewellery stalls. It also has a cafe where I was able to get fast WiFi to update our Facebook apps. I have never seen so many shops selling pearls as there is here and you guessed it both Coral & Betty bought some. They of course sell the Black Tahitian Pearls. I think everyone is glad to be here because it is the first opportunity to go ashore since we left Lima. It feels quite warm.
We heard that just outside the port gates they set up food stalls and that some are cooking crepes. We decided to go to the Horizon Court for a light meal and then to go ashore to have a crepe. We met Bev & Ian in the Horizons and came with us ashore. It was a lovely balmy night and we don't sail until 4am as it is only 10 nautical miles to Moorea. We found the area where the food stalls were. It was an open piece of land and a number of vans are there with tables and chairs set up around each one. We found one that sold crepes and ordered and paid. It was obvious that they were not very well organised but we sat and waited. After a short while down came the rain which had everyone crowding under the little shelter there was around the vans. It did not last long, after we dried off the seats and table we sat down again to wait all the while keeping an eye on the queue at the van where we had ordered. After what seemed like a long time Ian & I went up to the the van to enquire about our order and were assured that it was coming. Not to confident because of the apparent lack of organisation we stood and waited. I'm happy to say that we did get our order and the crepes were delicious, every one said they were worth the wait. There was a Folkloric Show in the Princess Theatre tonight but as we went ashore we missed it.
Sunday, August 17, 2014
17th August
17th August
Sea Day Sunny some cloud. Temp 25c smooth sea
Betty was going to go to Tai Chi this morning until she read the Princess Patter and found out that the time had changed to 7.30am. I suspect that this was because the Church Service this morning was at 9am in the same venue. We did go to church and the preacher went longer than normal and we had to rush to the other end of the ship to catch the port talk on Pago Pago. It had started but we managed to get seats down at the front. As usual after the talk we went to deck 5 for coffee. Today the buffet was Italian "Osteria" The movie this afternoon was "Captain Phillips" which is about the hijacking of a ship, not quite the film you want to see while on a ship but we are out of the pirate area now. This afternoon we both went for a walk round deck 7. At lunch we saw Bev & Ian you said they were going for a Pizza tonight so we decided to join them. All 8 of us went so it would have been a quiet time for Arty our dinner waiter. We tend to be one for all and all for one which is great. Only Howard went to a show tonight because he did not see the Motown show last night, he went to the Captain Circle party instead. The rest of us did not want to go to Maggie's last show because none of us liked her first show. We listened to the music in the Atrium by the Tritones Duo until they finished when it was time for the second seating dinner. Then Betty watched a movie on our cabin TV entitled Just Go With It she tells me it's a chick flick so I read the Herald Sun instead. Tomorrow we should be able to go on land at last in Papeete.
Sea Day Sunny some cloud. Temp 25c smooth sea
Betty was going to go to Tai Chi this morning until she read the Princess Patter and found out that the time had changed to 7.30am. I suspect that this was because the Church Service this morning was at 9am in the same venue. We did go to church and the preacher went longer than normal and we had to rush to the other end of the ship to catch the port talk on Pago Pago. It had started but we managed to get seats down at the front. As usual after the talk we went to deck 5 for coffee. Today the buffet was Italian "Osteria" The movie this afternoon was "Captain Phillips" which is about the hijacking of a ship, not quite the film you want to see while on a ship but we are out of the pirate area now. This afternoon we both went for a walk round deck 7. At lunch we saw Bev & Ian you said they were going for a Pizza tonight so we decided to join them. All 8 of us went so it would have been a quiet time for Arty our dinner waiter. We tend to be one for all and all for one which is great. Only Howard went to a show tonight because he did not see the Motown show last night, he went to the Captain Circle party instead. The rest of us did not want to go to Maggie's last show because none of us liked her first show. We listened to the music in the Atrium by the Tritones Duo until they finished when it was time for the second seating dinner. Then Betty watched a movie on our cabin TV entitled Just Go With It she tells me it's a chick flick so I read the Herald Sun instead. Tomorrow we should be able to go on land at last in Papeete.
Saturday, August 16, 2014
16th August
16th August
Sea Day Sunny Temp 24c Smooth sea.
We woke this morning and it was still dark. That's because we keep putting the clocks back as we head west. At breakfast this morning we sat with another couple and after talking to them for awhile about retirement villages we found out that the gentleman is the brother of some one we know very well at Mulgrave Country Club. His name is Graham Pyle brother of John. They live in Sydney. The port talk this morning was on Moorea. Although we have been there before it was interesting to hear what she had to say. We have booked a tour there and we are still happy with that. An Indian Buffet was served in the Horizon Court for lunch but we just had soup and salad. It appears that each year on this ship they hold an Interdepartmental Tug 'O War Competition and today was the day. Each department puts up a team. The Casino team won, I think they had a few ring-ins from the Gym. The Captain & His Wife presented the trophy. At 4pm I went to another lecture by Geoff Gray entitled "The Middle East Conflict. Will There Ever Be Peace" I hope so but it is going to be a long time. At present it is a mess..
Tonight the singers and dancers put on another production show " Motown Gold"
I forgot to say that today the weather was great. We actually saw some sun and the ship has stopped moving around which made my walk around the deck quite pleasant.
Sea Day Sunny Temp 24c Smooth sea.
We woke this morning and it was still dark. That's because we keep putting the clocks back as we head west. At breakfast this morning we sat with another couple and after talking to them for awhile about retirement villages we found out that the gentleman is the brother of some one we know very well at Mulgrave Country Club. His name is Graham Pyle brother of John. They live in Sydney. The port talk this morning was on Moorea. Although we have been there before it was interesting to hear what she had to say. We have booked a tour there and we are still happy with that. An Indian Buffet was served in the Horizon Court for lunch but we just had soup and salad. It appears that each year on this ship they hold an Interdepartmental Tug 'O War Competition and today was the day. Each department puts up a team. The Casino team won, I think they had a few ring-ins from the Gym. The Captain & His Wife presented the trophy. At 4pm I went to another lecture by Geoff Gray entitled "The Middle East Conflict. Will There Ever Be Peace" I hope so but it is going to be a long time. At present it is a mess..
Tonight the singers and dancers put on another production show " Motown Gold"
I forgot to say that today the weather was great. We actually saw some sun and the ship has stopped moving around which made my walk around the deck quite pleasant.
Friday, August 15, 2014
15th August
15th August
Pitcairn. Partly cloudy with some sun.
Around about 10am we arrived at Pitcairn Island. There is no anchorage at the Island so it was not intended for any of us to go ashore. What happened is that a boat came out from the Island with some officials and a group of people who setup stalls in one of the dining rooms selling artefacts, tee shirts etc. During the morning a local gave a lecture Ellington us what life is like on the Island which is one of the remotest island in the world. There are about 50 people living on the Island and most are related to the Bounty Mutineers. There are only 8 children living there and next year 3 of them will be going to New Zealand to go to High School. The Island is subsidised by the UK but administered from New Zealand. During the morning and early afternoon we cruised around the Island.After the Pitcairners packed up and left we sailed for Papeete.
Tonight Bayne Bacon gave another show in the Princess Theatre along with the Band. He played piano, sang, played guitar and told jokes. One joke he told was about a man who took his family to tour the Holy Land and all went well until his Mother in Law dropped dead. He asked an undertaker how much it would cost to ship her body back to the USA. The undertaker said it would cost $10,000 or they could bury her in the Holy Land for $500. The man said inspire of the cost he would take her body back to the US. The undertaker was surprised and asked why. Well said the American 2000 years ago who buried a man here and 3 days he came back to life. I am not taking that chance.
Pitcairn. Partly cloudy with some sun.
Around about 10am we arrived at Pitcairn Island. There is no anchorage at the Island so it was not intended for any of us to go ashore. What happened is that a boat came out from the Island with some officials and a group of people who setup stalls in one of the dining rooms selling artefacts, tee shirts etc. During the morning a local gave a lecture Ellington us what life is like on the Island which is one of the remotest island in the world. There are about 50 people living on the Island and most are related to the Bounty Mutineers. There are only 8 children living there and next year 3 of them will be going to New Zealand to go to High School. The Island is subsidised by the UK but administered from New Zealand. During the morning and early afternoon we cruised around the Island.After the Pitcairners packed up and left we sailed for Papeete.
Tonight Bayne Bacon gave another show in the Princess Theatre along with the Band. He played piano, sang, played guitar and told jokes. One joke he told was about a man who took his family to tour the Holy Land and all went well until his Mother in Law dropped dead. He asked an undertaker how much it would cost to ship her body back to the USA. The undertaker said it would cost $10,000 or they could bury her in the Holy Land for $500. The man said inspire of the cost he would take her body back to the US. The undertaker was surprised and asked why. Well said the American 2000 years ago who buried a man here and 3 days he came back to life. I am not taking that chance.
14th August
14th August
Sea Day Cloudy not much sun. Moderate sea Temp 23c
It was a quiet morning for us today as there was nothing programmed that we wanted to go to. We amused ourselves by eating, drinking, reading and watching the world go by. Betty did go to a Pearl Seminar which she assured me was informative. The way to tell pearls from fakes used to be to rub them on your tongue to see if they are smooth or rough. Do not do this as you don't know who did it before you. Just rub two together and the rough one is the genuine one. (I am just passing on what I have been told). Betty picked out a Tara black pearl which she was interested in at $1500 with a Princess 5 year guarantee. I managed to talk her out of it but it was not hard. In Horizon Court today there was a Pub lunch with Bangers & Mash, Sausage Rolls etc. This afternoon Geoff Gray was talking about Singapore The Miracle State however I could not go as we had emailed Cheryl to say we would try to call her on Viber to wish them a good trip as they leave for Fiji this weekend. We did managed to get her and she was able to tell us that Mitchell is in a football final on Saturday and is doing his Deb at school on Saturday night. They have a busy weekend. We failed to get FaceTime to work. Tonight we were spoilt for choice as far as entertainment was concerned. We decided to go first to the Vista Lounge to see Jonathan Neal & Liane the Magician in a brand new show. Once more he was very good. One trick was to get 4 rings from the audience and link them together in a chain. Right in front of the owners. Then we went to the Princess Theatre to catch the 9.45pm show of Kuba Kawnik also in a new show, he has so much talent it makes you sick. Just to see the shows makes coming on this cruise worthwhile.
Sea Day Cloudy not much sun. Moderate sea Temp 23c
It was a quiet morning for us today as there was nothing programmed that we wanted to go to. We amused ourselves by eating, drinking, reading and watching the world go by. Betty did go to a Pearl Seminar which she assured me was informative. The way to tell pearls from fakes used to be to rub them on your tongue to see if they are smooth or rough. Do not do this as you don't know who did it before you. Just rub two together and the rough one is the genuine one. (I am just passing on what I have been told). Betty picked out a Tara black pearl which she was interested in at $1500 with a Princess 5 year guarantee. I managed to talk her out of it but it was not hard. In Horizon Court today there was a Pub lunch with Bangers & Mash, Sausage Rolls etc. This afternoon Geoff Gray was talking about Singapore The Miracle State however I could not go as we had emailed Cheryl to say we would try to call her on Viber to wish them a good trip as they leave for Fiji this weekend. We did managed to get her and she was able to tell us that Mitchell is in a football final on Saturday and is doing his Deb at school on Saturday night. They have a busy weekend. We failed to get FaceTime to work. Tonight we were spoilt for choice as far as entertainment was concerned. We decided to go first to the Vista Lounge to see Jonathan Neal & Liane the Magician in a brand new show. Once more he was very good. One trick was to get 4 rings from the audience and link them together in a chain. Right in front of the owners. Then we went to the Princess Theatre to catch the 9.45pm show of Kuba Kawnik also in a new show, he has so much talent it makes you sick. Just to see the shows makes coming on this cruise worthwhile.
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Message
I note I have posted some days a number of times that is because we have been having problems with the connection and I did not know they had posted. Better twice than none.
Regards to everyone
Alan
Regards to everyone
Alan
13th August
13th August
Sea Day Partly cloudy with some sun. Temp 21c
A port talk with a difference today. It was titled "The Bounty & Pitcairn Island" but we are not docking there. We are going to cruise around it. Instead of the usual talk she actually gave us a history lesson about Capt Bligh and Fletcher Christian and the mutiny. After Capt Bligh was set adrift in a lifeboat Fletcher Christian had to find a hide out because he knew the British Navy would be coming after him. His crew wanted to go back to Tahiti and those gorgeous girls and they did but after kidnaping some girls they eventually got to Pitcairn Island where they beached the Bounty and burned it. Over the years there were many disputes and Christian was murdered but not before he had fathered a number of children. Eventually the British government found them and they were all moved to Norfolk Island which is why today you find a number of families on Norfolk Island with the name Christian. Evon also did a lecture today titled "The Mutiny on the Bounty" I did not go to it because it seemed to me to be a duplication.
Lunch today in the Horizon Court was a Fruit Pastry Buffet. Betty took some photos of the lovely creations, I just tasted one. We had lunch with Carol as usual and she went to 2 sessions of Bridge today. At 4pm I went to another lecture by Geoff about Thailand which in spite of their various problems still have a successful economy.
Entertainment wise tonight Betty, Coral & I went to hear Rebecca Lowe sing with the Orchestra. She was again fantastic. For some of her performance she was joined by her husband Koba. What a talented couple. She sang one song which she said is from a new musical called Havana. I hope it comes to Melbourne.
Sea Day Partly cloudy with some sun. Temp 21c
A port talk with a difference today. It was titled "The Bounty & Pitcairn Island" but we are not docking there. We are going to cruise around it. Instead of the usual talk she actually gave us a history lesson about Capt Bligh and Fletcher Christian and the mutiny. After Capt Bligh was set adrift in a lifeboat Fletcher Christian had to find a hide out because he knew the British Navy would be coming after him. His crew wanted to go back to Tahiti and those gorgeous girls and they did but after kidnaping some girls they eventually got to Pitcairn Island where they beached the Bounty and burned it. Over the years there were many disputes and Christian was murdered but not before he had fathered a number of children. Eventually the British government found them and they were all moved to Norfolk Island which is why today you find a number of families on Norfolk Island with the name Christian. Evon also did a lecture today titled "The Mutiny on the Bounty" I did not go to it because it seemed to me to be a duplication.
Lunch today in the Horizon Court was a Fruit Pastry Buffet. Betty took some photos of the lovely creations, I just tasted one. We had lunch with Carol as usual and she went to 2 sessions of Bridge today. At 4pm I went to another lecture by Geoff about Thailand which in spite of their various problems still have a successful economy.
Entertainment wise tonight Betty, Coral & I went to hear Rebecca Lowe sing with the Orchestra. She was again fantastic. For some of her performance she was joined by her husband Koba. What a talented couple. She sang one song which she said is from a new musical called Havana. I hope it comes to Melbourne.
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
12th August
12th August.
Easter Island. Partly cloudy some blue sky. Temp 20c.
Breakfast in the cabin this morning as we had an early start for our tour. As usual breakfast came earlier than we ordered it. In fact it was still dark outside. By the time we had showered ab
Nd had breakfast we began to wonder if in fact we would be going on a tour today because there is no dock here and so we had to use the ships tenders. There was quite a swell which makes loading and unloading the tender boat unsafe. Sure enough the Captain came on the PA to tell us that they had lowered a boat but it was deemed unsafe so we would not be leaving the ship. In stead we spent all morning and part of the afternoon circling the island at about 10 knots. We took lots of photos and were even able to see some Moais. Moais are the main attraction of the island, they are statues which have been carved out of the hardened volcanic ash. They stand about 13 feet high and weigh up to 14 tons. They stand with their backs to the sea and are believed by most archaeologists to represent the spirits of ancestors, chiefs or other high-ranking males. The Island is controlled by Chile, it has an area of 292,258 sq miles and it has a number of extinct volcanos.
There was a revised Princess Patter issued and the social program was changed. At 9.45am Evon gave a lecture called "Immigration to Australia, where they came from and why" as I was one of them and know why we came I did not go to it. Later on at 1.15pm the production show which we missed earlier due to illness of one of the cast, was put on. It was called "Classically Yours" and it was exactly that, music and dance of the classics and it was as usual very good. At 3pm the video which was made of the ship' s tour of Machu Picchu was shown. As none of us went on this tour we were all very interested in seeing it. Coral says if she was younger she would have loved to have gone there, Betty and I have our doubts but the video was good to see. We have ordered the DVD set from Southampton to Sydney so we may get it as part of the set.
Show time tonight was Bayne Bacon in the Princess Theatre. He is an American who now lives in Australia. He told jokes, sang, and played the piano and the guitar. He was excellent.
PS. I notice that I posted yesterday's blog more than once. I thought it had only gone once.
Easter Island. Partly cloudy some blue sky. Temp 20c.
Breakfast in the cabin this morning as we had an early start for our tour. As usual breakfast came earlier than we ordered it. In fact it was still dark outside. By the time we had showered ab
Nd had breakfast we began to wonder if in fact we would be going on a tour today because there is no dock here and so we had to use the ships tenders. There was quite a swell which makes loading and unloading the tender boat unsafe. Sure enough the Captain came on the PA to tell us that they had lowered a boat but it was deemed unsafe so we would not be leaving the ship. In stead we spent all morning and part of the afternoon circling the island at about 10 knots. We took lots of photos and were even able to see some Moais. Moais are the main attraction of the island, they are statues which have been carved out of the hardened volcanic ash. They stand about 13 feet high and weigh up to 14 tons. They stand with their backs to the sea and are believed by most archaeologists to represent the spirits of ancestors, chiefs or other high-ranking males. The Island is controlled by Chile, it has an area of 292,258 sq miles and it has a number of extinct volcanos.
There was a revised Princess Patter issued and the social program was changed. At 9.45am Evon gave a lecture called "Immigration to Australia, where they came from and why" as I was one of them and know why we came I did not go to it. Later on at 1.15pm the production show which we missed earlier due to illness of one of the cast, was put on. It was called "Classically Yours" and it was exactly that, music and dance of the classics and it was as usual very good. At 3pm the video which was made of the ship' s tour of Machu Picchu was shown. As none of us went on this tour we were all very interested in seeing it. Coral says if she was younger she would have loved to have gone there, Betty and I have our doubts but the video was good to see. We have ordered the DVD set from Southampton to Sydney so we may get it as part of the set.
Show time tonight was Bayne Bacon in the Princess Theatre. He is an American who now lives in Australia. He told jokes, sang, and played the piano and the guitar. He was excellent.
PS. I notice that I posted yesterday's blog more than once. I thought it had only gone once.
Monday, August 11, 2014
11th August
11th August
Sea Day Partly Cloudy with a few showers. Temp 20c Slight Sea.
Evon Anderson gave a lecture this morning entitled " The Polynesians-the mysteries of Easter Island" both Betty & I went to it. She talked about Polynesia in General with not as much about Easter Island as we would have liked but it was interesting. At 12.15pm Geoff was giving another of his lectures "Malaysians are living in Harmony, but with challenges". He told us the history of Malaysia with it's British and French history. He did say that Singapore got kicked out of Malaysia but a book I have previously read said Singapore wanted to leave because their population was largely Chinese. While giving us details of Penang he mention that real estate is cheap there at present. He showed a photograph of 2 blocks of apartments where each apartment has a complete floor with 4 bathroom, 4 bedrooms and a maids quarters and they sell for $600,000 each. Our villa in the retirement village costs more than that. The photo did show Mosque in between the towers and he said if you are looking to buy don't get one so close to a mosque unless you don't mind being woken up by the call to prayers. At 12.15pm the Band played Dixieland Jazz in the Atrium which I would have liked to go to also. Betty & Coral did go and said it was good.
I did my 4 laps around deck 7 this morning and Betty did twice around this afternoon. Entertainment for us tonight was "Maggie presents Show Stoppers" in the Vista Lounge. Maggie is Australian, she sings, tells jokes and plays the piano. Just too much talent for one person. She was good.
Early night tonight because we have an early start tomorrow in Easter Island.
Sea Day Partly Cloudy with a few showers. Temp 20c Slight Sea.
Evon Anderson gave a lecture this morning entitled " The Polynesians-the mysteries of Easter Island" both Betty & I went to it. She talked about Polynesia in General with not as much about Easter Island as we would have liked but it was interesting. At 12.15pm Geoff was giving another of his lectures "Malaysians are living in Harmony, but with challenges". He told us the history of Malaysia with it's British and French history. He did say that Singapore got kicked out of Malaysia but a book I have previously read said Singapore wanted to leave because their population was largely Chinese. While giving us details of Penang he mention that real estate is cheap there at present. He showed a photograph of 2 blocks of apartments where each apartment has a complete floor with 4 bathroom, 4 bedrooms and a maids quarters and they sell for $600,000 each. Our villa in the retirement village costs more than that. The photo did show Mosque in between the towers and he said if you are looking to buy don't get one so close to a mosque unless you don't mind being woken up by the call to prayers. At 12.15pm the Band played Dixieland Jazz in the Atrium which I would have liked to go to also. Betty & Coral did go and said it was good.
I did my 4 laps around deck 7 this morning and Betty did twice around this afternoon. Entertainment for us tonight was "Maggie presents Show Stoppers" in the Vista Lounge. Maggie is Australian, she sings, tells jokes and plays the piano. Just too much talent for one person. She was good.
Early night tonight because we have an early start tomorrow in Easter Island.
11th August
11th August
Sea Day Partly Cloudy with a few showers. Temp 20c Slight Sea.
Evon Anderson gave a lecture this morning entitled " The Polynesians-the mysteries of Easter Island" both Betty & I went to it. She talked about Polynesia in General with not as much about Easter Island as we would have liked but it was interesting. At 12.15pm Geoff was giving another of his lectures "Malaysians are living in Harmony, but with challenges". He told us the history of Malaysia with it's British and French history. He did say that Singapore got kicked out of Malaysia but a book I have previously read said Singapore wanted to leave because their population was largely Chinese. While giving us details of Penang he mention that real estate is cheap there at present. He showed a photograph of 2 blocks of apartments where each apartment has a complete floor with 4 bathroom, 4 bedrooms and a maids quarters and they sell for $600,000 each. Our villa in the retirement village costs more than that. The photo did show Mosque in between the towers and he said if you are looking to buy don't get one so close to a mosque unless you don't mind being woken up by the call to prayers. At 12.15pm the Band played Dixieland Jazz in the Atrium which I would have liked to go to also. Betty & Coral did go and said it was good.
I did my 4 laps around deck 7 this morning and Betty did twice around this afternoon. Entertainment for us tonight was "Maggie presents Show Stoppers" in the Vista Lounge. Maggie is Australian, she sings, tells jokes and plays the piano. Just too much talent for one person. She was good.
Early night tonight because we have an early start tomorrow in Easter Island.
Sea Day Partly Cloudy with a few showers. Temp 20c Slight Sea.
Evon Anderson gave a lecture this morning entitled " The Polynesians-the mysteries of Easter Island" both Betty & I went to it. She talked about Polynesia in General with not as much about Easter Island as we would have liked but it was interesting. At 12.15pm Geoff was giving another of his lectures "Malaysians are living in Harmony, but with challenges". He told us the history of Malaysia with it's British and French history. He did say that Singapore got kicked out of Malaysia but a book I have previously read said Singapore wanted to leave because their population was largely Chinese. While giving us details of Penang he mention that real estate is cheap there at present. He showed a photograph of 2 blocks of apartments where each apartment has a complete floor with 4 bathroom, 4 bedrooms and a maids quarters and they sell for $600,000 each. Our villa in the retirement village costs more than that. The photo did show Mosque in between the towers and he said if you are looking to buy don't get one so close to a mosque unless you don't mind being woken up by the call to prayers. At 12.15pm the Band played Dixieland Jazz in the Atrium which I would have liked to go to also. Betty & Coral did go and said it was good.
I did my 4 laps around deck 7 this morning and Betty did twice around this afternoon. Entertainment for us tonight was "Maggie presents Show Stoppers" in the Vista Lounge. Maggie is Australian, she sings, tells jokes and plays the piano. Just too much talent for one person. She was good.
Early night tonight because we have an early start tomorrow in Easter Island.
11th August
11th August
Sea Day Partly Cloudy with a few showers. Temp 20c Slight Sea.
Evon Anderson gave a lecture this morning entitled " The Polynesians-the mysteries of Easter Island" both Betty & I went to it. She talked about Polynesia in General with not as much about Easter Island as we would have liked but it was interesting. At 12.15pm Geoff was giving another of his lectures "Malaysians are living in Harmony, but with challenges". He told us the history of Malaysia with it's British and French history. He did say that Singapore got kicked out of Malaysia but a book I have previously read said Singapore wanted to leave because their population was largely Chinese. While giving us details of Penang he mention that real estate is cheap there at present. He showed a photograph of 2 blocks of apartments where each apartment has a complete floor with 4 bathroom, 4 bedrooms and a maids quarters and they sell for $600,000 each. Our villa in the retirement village costs more than that. The photo did show Mosque in between the towers and he said if you are looking to buy don't get one so close to a mosque unless you don't mind being woken up by the call to prayers. At 12.15pm the Band played Dixieland Jazz in the Atrium which I would have liked to go to also. Betty & Coral did go and said it was good.
I did my 4 laps around deck 7 this morning and Betty did twice around this afternoon. Entertainment for us tonight was "Maggie presents Show Stoppers" in the Vista Lounge. Maggie is Australian, she sings, tells jokes and plays the piano. Just too much talent for one person. She was good.
Early night tonight because we have an early start tomorrow in Easter Island.
Sea Day Partly Cloudy with a few showers. Temp 20c Slight Sea.
Evon Anderson gave a lecture this morning entitled " The Polynesians-the mysteries of Easter Island" both Betty & I went to it. She talked about Polynesia in General with not as much about Easter Island as we would have liked but it was interesting. At 12.15pm Geoff was giving another of his lectures "Malaysians are living in Harmony, but with challenges". He told us the history of Malaysia with it's British and French history. He did say that Singapore got kicked out of Malaysia but a book I have previously read said Singapore wanted to leave because their population was largely Chinese. While giving us details of Penang he mention that real estate is cheap there at present. He showed a photograph of 2 blocks of apartments where each apartment has a complete floor with 4 bathroom, 4 bedrooms and a maids quarters and they sell for $600,000 each. Our villa in the retirement village costs more than that. The photo did show Mosque in between the towers and he said if you are looking to buy don't get one so close to a mosque unless you don't mind being woken up by the call to prayers. At 12.15pm the Band played Dixieland Jazz in the Atrium which I would have liked to go to also. Betty & Coral did go and said it was good.
I did my 4 laps around deck 7 this morning and Betty did twice around this afternoon. Entertainment for us tonight was "Maggie presents Show Stoppers" in the Vista Lounge. Maggie is Australian, she sings, tells jokes and plays the piano. Just too much talent for one person. She was good.
Early night tonight because we have an early start tomorrow in Easter Island.
11th August
11th August
Sea Day Partly Cloudy with a few showers. Temp 20c Slight Sea.
Evon Anderson gave a lecture this morning entitled " The Polynesians-the mysteries of Easter Island" both Betty & I went to it. She talked about Polynesia in General with not as much about Easter Island as we would have liked but it was interesting. At 12.15pm Geoff was giving another of his lectures "Malaysians are living in Harmony, but with challenges". He told us the history of Malaysia with it's British and French history. He did say that Singapore got kicked out of Malaysia but a book I have previously read said Singapore wanted to leave because their population was largely Chinese. While giving us details of Penang he mention that real estate is cheap there at present. He showed a photograph of 2 blocks of apartments where each apartment has a complete floor with 4 bathroom, 4 bedrooms and a maids quarters and they sell for $600,000 each. Our villa in the retirement village costs more than that. The photo did show Mosque in between the towers and he said if you are looking to buy don't get one so close to a mosque unless you don't mind being woken up by the call to prays. At 12.15pm the Band played Dixieland Jazz in the Atrium which I would have liked to go to also. Betty & Coral did go and said it was good.
I did my 4 laps around deck 7 this morning and Betty did twice around this afternoon. Entertainment for us tonight was "Maggie presents Show Stoppers" in the Vista Lounge. Maggie is Australian, she sings, tells jokes and plays the piano. Just too much talent for one person. She was good.
Early night tonight because we have an early start tomorrow in Easter Island.
Sea Day Partly Cloudy with a few showers. Temp 20c Slight Sea.
Evon Anderson gave a lecture this morning entitled " The Polynesians-the mysteries of Easter Island" both Betty & I went to it. She talked about Polynesia in General with not as much about Easter Island as we would have liked but it was interesting. At 12.15pm Geoff was giving another of his lectures "Malaysians are living in Harmony, but with challenges". He told us the history of Malaysia with it's British and French history. He did say that Singapore got kicked out of Malaysia but a book I have previously read said Singapore wanted to leave because their population was largely Chinese. While giving us details of Penang he mention that real estate is cheap there at present. He showed a photograph of 2 blocks of apartments where each apartment has a complete floor with 4 bathroom, 4 bedrooms and a maids quarters and they sell for $600,000 each. Our villa in the retirement village costs more than that. The photo did show Mosque in between the towers and he said if you are looking to buy don't get one so close to a mosque unless you don't mind being woken up by the call to prays. At 12.15pm the Band played Dixieland Jazz in the Atrium which I would have liked to go to also. Betty & Coral did go and said it was good.
I did my 4 laps around deck 7 this morning and Betty did twice around this afternoon. Entertainment for us tonight was "Maggie presents Show Stoppers" in the Vista Lounge. Maggie is Australian, she sings, tells jokes and plays the piano. Just too much talent for one person. She was good.
Early night tonight because we have an early start tomorrow in Easter Island.
Sunday, August 10, 2014
10th August
10th August
Sea Day Partly Cloudy Temp 20c Slight sea. We even saw some blue sky briefly.
The church service this morning was at 8.30am and we did not wake up until 7.45am so we went to the service and then to breakfast. As usual we met Coral for lunch but today it was a little earlier because we had decided to give the ballroom dancing another try particularly as they were doing the Chicago Swing which we like. While I did not mind it too much Betty says she is not going anymore because John insists on making every dance progressive, even when they are not intended to be progressive. He is a nice guy but he has ruined it for us.
In the afternoon I went to another lecture by Geoff Gray this time about Japan where we have previously done a land tour whenZara & Rod lived there so I found it most interesting. Did you know that 35 million live in Tokyo and that Japan's population is shrinking. Another piece of useless information is that the Australian Government bought a block of land with a house on it so that they could build an embassy. They sold part of the garden for $53 million which paid for most of the new building. The people who bought it were going to erect a multi-story building on there but were met with objections from Club which also bordered the land.To Geoff's knowledge they have still not built anything.
Tonight in the Princess Theatre we went to the production show" Rock This Town" and the songs came one after another. I would like a CD of the music but that's not possible. Afterwards our dining group went for hot chocolates in the Atrium and listened to the Tritones Duo who are quite good.
Sea Day Partly Cloudy Temp 20c Slight sea. We even saw some blue sky briefly.
The church service this morning was at 8.30am and we did not wake up until 7.45am so we went to the service and then to breakfast. As usual we met Coral for lunch but today it was a little earlier because we had decided to give the ballroom dancing another try particularly as they were doing the Chicago Swing which we like. While I did not mind it too much Betty says she is not going anymore because John insists on making every dance progressive, even when they are not intended to be progressive. He is a nice guy but he has ruined it for us.
In the afternoon I went to another lecture by Geoff Gray this time about Japan where we have previously done a land tour whenZara & Rod lived there so I found it most interesting. Did you know that 35 million live in Tokyo and that Japan's population is shrinking. Another piece of useless information is that the Australian Government bought a block of land with a house on it so that they could build an embassy. They sold part of the garden for $53 million which paid for most of the new building. The people who bought it were going to erect a multi-story building on there but were met with objections from Club which also bordered the land.To Geoff's knowledge they have still not built anything.
Tonight in the Princess Theatre we went to the production show" Rock This Town" and the songs came one after another. I would like a CD of the music but that's not possible. Afterwards our dining group went for hot chocolates in the Atrium and listened to the Tritones Duo who are quite good.
Saturday, August 9, 2014
8th August
8th August
Sea Day Cloudy Temp 20c Moderate sea.
Narelle gave a port talk today for Easter Island. We are doing a private tour there with Coral which we booked through Louise. The island looks to be a very interesting place quite different to anywhere else we have been. There are lots of statues around which are carved out of the volcanic rock. More about it after we have been there. There is one negative to come out of this mornings talk that is there is no harbour there so we will have to use the ships tenders. If the sea is rough and at present it is, we will not be able to visit. Figures crossed it will have calmed down by then which it seems to be doing.
We recrossed the Equator a couple of days ago but they delayed the crossing ceremony until this morning because some people went to Muchu Pichu ( not sure of spelling) and they did not get back until yesterday. Because it's now a little cold outside they held the ceremony in the Atrium. People were 6 deep around the railings to see the Pollywogs put through their paces. As usual we had lunch with Coral who had been to Bridge in the morning and was having another session in the afternoon. I am up to page 600 of a book of 2070 which I hope to finish before Sydney so I read in the afternoon so did Betty. Entertainment wise tonight we went to the Princess Theatre for a show by Kuba Kawnik. He played an electronic Xylophone and he was terrific. We now have 2 of his CDs. He of course is the husband of last nights singer Rebecca Lowe.
Sea Day Cloudy Temp 20c Moderate sea.
Narelle gave a port talk today for Easter Island. We are doing a private tour there with Coral which we booked through Louise. The island looks to be a very interesting place quite different to anywhere else we have been. There are lots of statues around which are carved out of the volcanic rock. More about it after we have been there. There is one negative to come out of this mornings talk that is there is no harbour there so we will have to use the ships tenders. If the sea is rough and at present it is, we will not be able to visit. Figures crossed it will have calmed down by then which it seems to be doing.
We recrossed the Equator a couple of days ago but they delayed the crossing ceremony until this morning because some people went to Muchu Pichu ( not sure of spelling) and they did not get back until yesterday. Because it's now a little cold outside they held the ceremony in the Atrium. People were 6 deep around the railings to see the Pollywogs put through their paces. As usual we had lunch with Coral who had been to Bridge in the morning and was having another session in the afternoon. I am up to page 600 of a book of 2070 which I hope to finish before Sydney so I read in the afternoon so did Betty. Entertainment wise tonight we went to the Princess Theatre for a show by Kuba Kawnik. He played an electronic Xylophone and he was terrific. We now have 2 of his CDs. He of course is the husband of last nights singer Rebecca Lowe.
9th August
9th August
Sea Day Cloudy Temp 19c Sea calmed down as day progressed.
At about 6am an alarm sounded and a response team was called for over the PA in the cabin. Not long after The Captain came on to tell us that there was a smell of burning on Deck 9 and he was waiting for a report back from the response team. Almost immediately became back to tell us that a fan belt on the ventilation system had jammed and that was the cause of the smell. We did get back to sleep causing us to have a late (10am) breakfast. Today was my eggs and bacon day yummy!
Not much doing for us during the morning except to go to the Outlet Sale where there was nothing for me but Betty bought a top which I actually choose. There was an Australian Pie Buffet up in the Horizon Court for lunch and judging by the length of the queue you would think they had never seen a pie before. We gave them a miss. In the afternoon Betty, Coral & Bev went to a Cruise Critic function and heard Evon one of the lecturers talk about her collection of pearls. Ian & I went to Geoff Gray's lecture " Asia's New Super Stars" which was mostly about China but he did touch on the other stars like Korea & India. He told us of so every interesting facts about China's progress with 60% of the world population and the second largest economy. They have the largest army in the world and are building a sizeable navy.
For entertainment tonight we went to the Vista Lounge to see Jonathan Neal and his nice looking assistant Liane. Jonathan is a magician and his presentation was better than the usual stand up magician. He did a lot of it to music. He was very good.
Sea Day Cloudy Temp 19c Sea calmed down as day progressed.
At about 6am an alarm sounded and a response team was called for over the PA in the cabin. Not long after The Captain came on to tell us that there was a smell of burning on Deck 9 and he was waiting for a report back from the response team. Almost immediately became back to tell us that a fan belt on the ventilation system had jammed and that was the cause of the smell. We did get back to sleep causing us to have a late (10am) breakfast. Today was my eggs and bacon day yummy!
Not much doing for us during the morning except to go to the Outlet Sale where there was nothing for me but Betty bought a top which I actually choose. There was an Australian Pie Buffet up in the Horizon Court for lunch and judging by the length of the queue you would think they had never seen a pie before. We gave them a miss. In the afternoon Betty, Coral & Bev went to a Cruise Critic function and heard Evon one of the lecturers talk about her collection of pearls. Ian & I went to Geoff Gray's lecture " Asia's New Super Stars" which was mostly about China but he did touch on the other stars like Korea & India. He told us of so every interesting facts about China's progress with 60% of the world population and the second largest economy. They have the largest army in the world and are building a sizeable navy.
For entertainment tonight we went to the Vista Lounge to see Jonathan Neal and his nice looking assistant Liane. Jonathan is a magician and his presentation was better than the usual stand up magician. He did a lot of it to music. He was very good.
Thursday, August 7, 2014
7th August
7th August
Lima Peru Overcast Temp 21c
We overnighted here and as we did not have a tour booked we decided to have a late breakfast. There was a shuttle bus running to a shopping centre in Lima but as we had our tour yesterday and we did not need anything from a shopping centre we gave it a miss and stayed on board. Bev & Ian went on the same tour that we did yesterday, as expected they came back tired and did not come to Dinner tonight. Coral stayed on board as well. We all did boring things like checked emails, read, ate and drank coffee.
One tour was late back due to the heavy traffic so we were late leaving. Tonight we went to the Princess Theatre to hear Rebecca Lowe sing. She comes from a musical comedy background and it showed. She was very good. The sea has a decent swell tonight so we hope we sleep well.
Lima Peru Overcast Temp 21c
We overnighted here and as we did not have a tour booked we decided to have a late breakfast. There was a shuttle bus running to a shopping centre in Lima but as we had our tour yesterday and we did not need anything from a shopping centre we gave it a miss and stayed on board. Bev & Ian went on the same tour that we did yesterday, as expected they came back tired and did not come to Dinner tonight. Coral stayed on board as well. We all did boring things like checked emails, read, ate and drank coffee.
One tour was late back due to the heavy traffic so we were late leaving. Tonight we went to the Princess Theatre to hear Rebecca Lowe sing. She comes from a musical comedy background and it showed. She was very good. The sea has a decent swell tonight so we hope we sleep well.
6th August
6th August
Callao for Lima Peru. Cloudy Temp 22c
We arrived in Callao which is the port of Lima around 7am. As we were on an early tour we ordered breakfast in the cabin for 7am and it turned up at 6.40am. We had woken early so it did not matter. As arranged we met Coral outside the Princess Theatre at 7.45am and although we were not supposed to be there before 8am we were the last people on bus number one. Our tour was a City Drive, Cathedral, Gold Museum & Indian Market. Indeed we did do a short tour of Callao which is a port and the housing looked pretty poor. We had already been warned not to walk out the port gates as it can be unsafe. All day we did notice the presence everywhere of security people but we did not see any trouble. After this tour we headed for Lima and were struck by the ornate colonial looking buildings. The Spanish influence was obvious. Our first stop was the square which contains the Cathedral and the Archbishop's Palace. Also in this square is the Government Palace and the Town Hall. We visited the inside of the Cathedral which was begun in 1746 although several earthquakes resulted in much of the structure being rebuilt.While it all looks very solid it has been constructed mainly of bamboo and plaster so that it will with stand further earthquakes. While it is not as ornate as some European Cathedrals the side chapels are magnificent. The altar and the choir stalls are carved out of red cedar. The Altar has been covered in gold leaf. After the Cathedral we walked to the Monastery of San Francisco which is working monastery with 40 Monks although we did not see any. It is also a lovely building. On the way to the Monastery we passed many buildings which have wooden balconies, these are a feature of Lima and some of them are very ornate. Our bus picked us up at the Monastery and took us to the Gold Museum. This museum houses an extensive private collection of gold items belonging to Miguel Mujica Gallo, who since an early age started his life as a collector. Not only does the collection have gold pieces some of which have come from tombs but also a lot of weapons and armoury. Next it was lunch at a local restaurant and then to the Indian Market for shopping, the Market is actually named Inca Market so I do not know where the Indian Market came from it is definitely not Indian. We bought some material which Betty is going to turn into table runners when we get home. This was a long day but we enjoyed it and now have lots of memories. Tonight we did not go to the dining room but Coral, Betty & I went to HorizonCourt and we met Bev & Ian up there who told us that they too had a great day. They went to see the Pachacamac Ruins & the Peruvian Prancing Horses. We all went later to the Princess Theatre to see the Callao Folkloric Show. The show was music & dancing from Peru, it was good in parts but the music was repetitive.
Before I close I must tell you of our excitement at the lunch. With about 10 minutes to go before our bus leaves after the lunch Betty needed to go to the toilet. After the 10 minutes and when people began to leave to get on the bus I became concerned that Betty was taking a long time so I asked Coral if she would go and check to see if she was Ok. Coral came back and said could not find her. I said well she has not come out so she must still be in there. Coral said there was some confusion in there as a lady was stuck in a toilet but it was not Betty because Coral had looked under the door and the lady had brown shoes on and she knew Betty did not. She went back in there and eventually found out that it was Betty in there but one of the attendants had crawled under the door to help her get out. The lock had broken making it impossible to open. They tried a hammer but finally. Got a screwdriver and took the lock off. When most of the people around where speaking in Spanish it was an exciting time for Betty. There was cheers when we got onto the bus. Betty says she will always check the lock in future before using public toilets.
Callao for Lima Peru. Cloudy Temp 22c
We arrived in Callao which is the port of Lima around 7am. As we were on an early tour we ordered breakfast in the cabin for 7am and it turned up at 6.40am. We had woken early so it did not matter. As arranged we met Coral outside the Princess Theatre at 7.45am and although we were not supposed to be there before 8am we were the last people on bus number one. Our tour was a City Drive, Cathedral, Gold Museum & Indian Market. Indeed we did do a short tour of Callao which is a port and the housing looked pretty poor. We had already been warned not to walk out the port gates as it can be unsafe. All day we did notice the presence everywhere of security people but we did not see any trouble. After this tour we headed for Lima and were struck by the ornate colonial looking buildings. The Spanish influence was obvious. Our first stop was the square which contains the Cathedral and the Archbishop's Palace. Also in this square is the Government Palace and the Town Hall. We visited the inside of the Cathedral which was begun in 1746 although several earthquakes resulted in much of the structure being rebuilt.While it all looks very solid it has been constructed mainly of bamboo and plaster so that it will with stand further earthquakes. While it is not as ornate as some European Cathedrals the side chapels are magnificent. The altar and the choir stalls are carved out of red cedar. The Altar has been covered in gold leaf. After the Cathedral we walked to the Monastery of San Francisco which is working monastery with 40 Monks although we did not see any. It is also a lovely building. On the way to the Monastery we passed many buildings which have wooden balconies, these are a feature of Lima and some of them are very ornate. Our bus picked us up at the Monastery and took us to the Gold Museum. This museum houses an extensive private collection of gold items belonging to Miguel Mujica Gallo, who since an early age started his life as a collector. Not only does the collection have gold pieces some of which have come from tombs but also a lot of weapons and armoury. Next it was lunch at a local restaurant and then to the Indian Market for shopping, the Market is actually named Inca Market so I do not know where the Indian Market came from it is definitely not Indian. We bought some material which Betty is going to turn into table runners when we get home. This was a long day but we enjoyed it and now have lots of memories. Tonight we did not go to the dining room but Coral, Betty & I went to HorizonCourt and we met Bev & Ian up there who told us that they too had a great day. They went to see the Pachacamac Ruins & the Peruvian Prancing Horses. We all went later to the Princess Theatre to see the Callao Folkloric Show. The show was music & dancing from Peru, it was good in parts but the music was repetitive.
Before I close I must tell you of our excitement at the lunch. With about 10 minutes to go before our bus leaves after the lunch Betty needed to go to the toilet. After the 10 minutes and when people began to leave to get on the bus I became concerned that Betty was taking a long time so I asked Coral if she would go and check to see if she was Ok. Coral came back and said could not find her. I said well she has not come out so she must still be in there. Coral said there was some confusion in there as a lady was stuck in a toilet but it was not Betty because Coral had looked under the door and the lady had brown shoes on and she knew Betty did not. She went back in there and eventually found out that it was Betty in there but one of the attendants had crawled under the door to help her get out. The lock had broken making it impossible to open. They tried a hammer but finally. Got a screwdriver and took the lock off. When most of the people around where speaking in Spanish it was an exciting time for Betty. There was cheers when we got onto the bus. Betty says she will always check the lock in future before using public toilets.
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
5th August
5th August
Sea Day Partly Cloudy Temp 22c Low Swell,
causing some movement of the ship.
This morning We split for breakfast Betty had it in the cabin, I went to Horizons and then to a lecture. The lecture was titled " Is Australia America's Best Friend" We certainly have been in a few wars together as catalogued by the speaker. We have the ANZAS treaty which used to include New Zealand but since they refused to let nuclear powered ship into their ports they are no longer in it. The lecture was a potted history of our relations with America in recent times which I found very interesting. I then joined Betty at a Photography Seminar given by Antonio one of the photographers on board. As usual we had lunch with Coral who we found out slept in and missed her Bridge session this morning but she went this afternoon. Betty did her exercises in the cabin this afternoon I went on a walker in the Gym because it was quite cool outside you see we are not used to temperatures in the low 20s.
Tonight all 8 of us from our dining table decided to go to La Scala Pizzeria for dinner because we had already seen the menu and most of us did not fancy any of it. I think we just wanted a change of venue. We had all already. Decided that tonight we would go to the production show that was repeated from last night. What we did not know was there had been a last minute change because one of the cast is ill. Instead two of the crew who normally work back stage in the theatre sang and even accompanied themselves on a keyboard. They were better than some of the normal entertainers we have seen. Tomorrow we will be in Lima for an overnight stay.
Sea Day Partly Cloudy Temp 22c Low Swell,
causing some movement of the ship.
This morning We split for breakfast Betty had it in the cabin, I went to Horizons and then to a lecture. The lecture was titled " Is Australia America's Best Friend" We certainly have been in a few wars together as catalogued by the speaker. We have the ANZAS treaty which used to include New Zealand but since they refused to let nuclear powered ship into their ports they are no longer in it. The lecture was a potted history of our relations with America in recent times which I found very interesting. I then joined Betty at a Photography Seminar given by Antonio one of the photographers on board. As usual we had lunch with Coral who we found out slept in and missed her Bridge session this morning but she went this afternoon. Betty did her exercises in the cabin this afternoon I went on a walker in the Gym because it was quite cool outside you see we are not used to temperatures in the low 20s.
Tonight all 8 of us from our dining table decided to go to La Scala Pizzeria for dinner because we had already seen the menu and most of us did not fancy any of it. I think we just wanted a change of venue. We had all already. Decided that tonight we would go to the production show that was repeated from last night. What we did not know was there had been a last minute change because one of the cast is ill. Instead two of the crew who normally work back stage in the theatre sang and even accompanied themselves on a keyboard. They were better than some of the normal entertainers we have seen. Tomorrow we will be in Lima for an overnight stay.
Monday, August 4, 2014
4th August
4thAugust
Sea Day Overcast with some mistTemp 18c
No port talk today as expected so we stayed in bed a little longer. Evon'slecture today was titled "Last Tsar of Russia" this did not appeal to Betty or I. At 12.15pm Geoff gave one of his lectures which did appeal to me Titled"The Pacific Century. The importance and growth of Pacific Nations" He gave a brief overview of the major nations bordering the Pacific. He is going to do more in depth discussion of some of the countries later. He said years ago the economic power house was the Mediterranean then with the advent of the New World (USA) it moved to the Atlantic but now it is the Pacific.
At 2pm there was Ballroom Dancing to the music of the Dawn Princess Orchestra which we went to. This was after I had walked around deck 7 4 times so I definitely had my exercise.for today.
Tonight we could have gone to see a Production Show titled "Classically Yours" or a Variety show with Jade Milian & Sam, Sean O'Shea and Two on Tap. We chose that later because we can see the other show tomorrow night.
Sea Day Overcast with some mistTemp 18c
No port talk today as expected so we stayed in bed a little longer. Evon'slecture today was titled "Last Tsar of Russia" this did not appeal to Betty or I. At 12.15pm Geoff gave one of his lectures which did appeal to me Titled"The Pacific Century. The importance and growth of Pacific Nations" He gave a brief overview of the major nations bordering the Pacific. He is going to do more in depth discussion of some of the countries later. He said years ago the economic power house was the Mediterranean then with the advent of the New World (USA) it moved to the Atlantic but now it is the Pacific.
At 2pm there was Ballroom Dancing to the music of the Dawn Princess Orchestra which we went to. This was after I had walked around deck 7 4 times so I definitely had my exercise.for today.
Tonight we could have gone to see a Production Show titled "Classically Yours" or a Variety show with Jade Milian & Sam, Sean O'Shea and Two on Tap. We chose that later because we can see the other show tomorrow night.
3rd August
3rd August
Manta Equador Cloudy Temp 26c
Our tour today had an early start so as usual we ordered breakfast in our cabin. We ordered it for 6.30-7.00am but it turned up at 6.10am. and I was still asleep but Betty heard the faint knock on the door. We did have a wake up call for 6.30. First stop on our tour was at a workshop where they cave ornaments like animals and birds out of a nut which they call the Ivory Nut because after it is dried it is as hard as ivory. The conditions in the workshop certainly would not pass our health and safety standards. Next we went to Monticristi, home to the famous Panama Hat. We saw skilled artisans still making the best ones by hand. They split palm into thin strips and weave it to make hats worth thousands of dollars. Nearby was a market where every second stall was selling these hat most of which were much cheaper. Scarves were for sale at $5 for 2 so Bev & Betty bought one each,what a bargain! On the way back to the ship we past an area where they still build wooden ships by hand the traditional way.
Tonight in the Vista Sean O'Shea a vocal impressionist performed. His was a high energy performance which was quite good."
Manta Equador Cloudy Temp 26c
Our tour today had an early start so as usual we ordered breakfast in our cabin. We ordered it for 6.30-7.00am but it turned up at 6.10am. and I was still asleep but Betty heard the faint knock on the door. We did have a wake up call for 6.30. First stop on our tour was at a workshop where they cave ornaments like animals and birds out of a nut which they call the Ivory Nut because after it is dried it is as hard as ivory. The conditions in the workshop certainly would not pass our health and safety standards. Next we went to Monticristi, home to the famous Panama Hat. We saw skilled artisans still making the best ones by hand. They split palm into thin strips and weave it to make hats worth thousands of dollars. Nearby was a market where every second stall was selling these hat most of which were much cheaper. Scarves were for sale at $5 for 2 so Bev & Betty bought one each,what a bargain! On the way back to the ship we past an area where they still build wooden ships by hand the traditional way.
Tonight in the Vista Sean O'Shea a vocal impressionist performed. His was a high energy performance which was quite good."
Sunday, August 3, 2014
2nd August
2nd August
Sea Day Cloudy Temp 28c Moderate sea
We are now in the Pacific Ocean which is the largest of earth's oceans. During the night we went through a spectacular thunder storm with lote of lightening and rain. It kept some of us awake. By morning it had gone but during the morning there was a sea mist. This morning we went to Narelle's port talk on Calleo and Lima. During the day we were sent a letter warning us of the crime rate in the next two ports. It suggested that we don't wear expensive jewellery and be careful where we keep our wallets etc. I did not stay for Evon's lecture entitled "Poyal Scandals from Henry Vlll to Edward Vlll". Instead I went with the others of our dining buddies for coffee in the Atrium. In the afternoon I did go with Ian to Geoff Gray's lecture about the Pacific President Barack Obama which was quite interesting about his early life the Hawaii.
In the evening after dinner which was a Formal one we were entertained by the best act we have seen so far. The act is called "Two on Tap" and it is a lady & a man who sing and tap dance. They have both had extensive theatrical experience and it showed. They were so professional and fit.
Tomorrow we will be in Mantra Equador.
Sea Day Cloudy Temp 28c Moderate sea
We are now in the Pacific Ocean which is the largest of earth's oceans. During the night we went through a spectacular thunder storm with lote of lightening and rain. It kept some of us awake. By morning it had gone but during the morning there was a sea mist. This morning we went to Narelle's port talk on Calleo and Lima. During the day we were sent a letter warning us of the crime rate in the next two ports. It suggested that we don't wear expensive jewellery and be careful where we keep our wallets etc. I did not stay for Evon's lecture entitled "Poyal Scandals from Henry Vlll to Edward Vlll". Instead I went with the others of our dining buddies for coffee in the Atrium. In the afternoon I did go with Ian to Geoff Gray's lecture about the Pacific President Barack Obama which was quite interesting about his early life the Hawaii.
In the evening after dinner which was a Formal one we were entertained by the best act we have seen so far. The act is called "Two on Tap" and it is a lady & a man who sing and tap dance. They have both had extensive theatrical experience and it showed. They were so professional and fit.
Tomorrow we will be in Mantra Equador.
Friday, August 1, 2014
1st August
1st August. Panama Canal Cloudy with some showers Temp 28c
We put our clocks back another hour so it was no problem waking up at 7am to see us enter the Panama Canal. It was 9.30am before we got to the Gatun Locks, the first of the 3 locks. During most of the afternoon we sailed through the Gatun Lake. The Panama Canal is 77.1 Kms long connecting the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean. The locks lift the ships 26 meters up to the Gatun Lake and down again. The building was started by the French in 1880 and finished by the USA in 1914. During the construction more than 30,000 died mostly from disease.
The best place to experience the ship going through the locks is definitely out on the open decks. As we where through here 4 years ago we were happy with the view from our balcony. After breakfast we did walk around deck 12 but it was very hot and the rails were already well populated. Some people did not take the proper precautions for the heat and some had to be treated for over exposure. Yesterday there was an opportunity to make signs to hang from your balcony during the transit and the ships photographers went ashore to take pictures as we went through the locks. They even had a helicopter flying round the ship with photographers on board. It was all very exciting.
For entertainment tonight we went to the Vista Lounge to hear Don Friesen a comedian. He was very funny.
We put our clocks back another hour so it was no problem waking up at 7am to see us enter the Panama Canal. It was 9.30am before we got to the Gatun Locks, the first of the 3 locks. During most of the afternoon we sailed through the Gatun Lake. The Panama Canal is 77.1 Kms long connecting the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean. The locks lift the ships 26 meters up to the Gatun Lake and down again. The building was started by the French in 1880 and finished by the USA in 1914. During the construction more than 30,000 died mostly from disease.
The best place to experience the ship going through the locks is definitely out on the open decks. As we where through here 4 years ago we were happy with the view from our balcony. After breakfast we did walk around deck 12 but it was very hot and the rails were already well populated. Some people did not take the proper precautions for the heat and some had to be treated for over exposure. Yesterday there was an opportunity to make signs to hang from your balcony during the transit and the ships photographers went ashore to take pictures as we went through the locks. They even had a helicopter flying round the ship with photographers on board. It was all very exciting.
For entertainment tonight we went to the Vista Lounge to hear Don Friesen a comedian. He was very funny.
Thursday, July 31, 2014
31st July
31st July Sea Day Partly cloudy Temp 29c
I have some excitement to report. Last night the wind blew up quite a lot causing some movement of the ship so much so that as the noise was keeping me awake I decided to take a sleeping tablet. Just prior to me going to sleep there was a call over the ship's PA for a person from the Engineering staff to contact the bridge. Betty tells me that we got a call on the phone at 2am to ask if we were OK. (Not sure what this was about but will tell you more soon). A little while after this she heard what she thought was a plane circling us. I slept through all of this. Eventually all went quiet and she went to sleep. A bit of background. I don't think I have mentioned this before but if at any time we go out on our balcony and leave the door open we get a call from the bridge to say are we OK because our fire alarm has triggered. Last time it happened Betty queried why this should happen all the time. They promised to get it checked out. This morning before we left for breakfast a technician came and changed the detector with what looks like a new design we will see what happens tomorrow when we will be on the balcony during the Panama Canal transit. When we asked the technician what happened last night he told us that someone on a yacht was injured and as we were the closest ship we went to their aid. A helicopter was also sent out but as the wind was strong it could not do a rescue so a boat from the ship was lowered and the person is now on board and will be taken off in the Panama. People in cabins at the stern of the ship were disturbed when they prepared the back deck in case the helicopter had to land there. How exciting and I missed it all.
The port talk this morning was for Mantra for which we had not booked a tour so we were interested to hear what there is to see there. We are now booked on a tour.
Entertainment wise tonight in the Princess Theatre was. Production show called Vintage Vegas and you guessed it the costumes were great, as Bob on our table said what there was of them. The dancers have improved a bit but the singers stole the show with music of our era. The night was topped off with the group having hot chocolates.
Should anyone like to you can see us going through the locks in the Panama Canal by tuning in to www.pancanal.com We go through the Gatun lock at 8.50am the Pedro Miguel lock at 12.35pm and the Miralores lock at 3.20pm all are Panama time which is 15 hours behind Melbourne time.
I have some excitement to report. Last night the wind blew up quite a lot causing some movement of the ship so much so that as the noise was keeping me awake I decided to take a sleeping tablet. Just prior to me going to sleep there was a call over the ship's PA for a person from the Engineering staff to contact the bridge. Betty tells me that we got a call on the phone at 2am to ask if we were OK. (Not sure what this was about but will tell you more soon). A little while after this she heard what she thought was a plane circling us. I slept through all of this. Eventually all went quiet and she went to sleep. A bit of background. I don't think I have mentioned this before but if at any time we go out on our balcony and leave the door open we get a call from the bridge to say are we OK because our fire alarm has triggered. Last time it happened Betty queried why this should happen all the time. They promised to get it checked out. This morning before we left for breakfast a technician came and changed the detector with what looks like a new design we will see what happens tomorrow when we will be on the balcony during the Panama Canal transit. When we asked the technician what happened last night he told us that someone on a yacht was injured and as we were the closest ship we went to their aid. A helicopter was also sent out but as the wind was strong it could not do a rescue so a boat from the ship was lowered and the person is now on board and will be taken off in the Panama. People in cabins at the stern of the ship were disturbed when they prepared the back deck in case the helicopter had to land there. How exciting and I missed it all.
The port talk this morning was for Mantra for which we had not booked a tour so we were interested to hear what there is to see there. We are now booked on a tour.
Entertainment wise tonight in the Princess Theatre was. Production show called Vintage Vegas and you guessed it the costumes were great, as Bob on our table said what there was of them. The dancers have improved a bit but the singers stole the show with music of our era. The night was topped off with the group having hot chocolates.
Should anyone like to you can see us going through the locks in the Panama Canal by tuning in to www.pancanal.com We go through the Gatun lock at 8.50am the Pedro Miguel lock at 12.35pm and the Miralores lock at 3.20pm all are Panama time which is 15 hours behind Melbourne time.
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
30th July
30th July Bonaire Partly cloudy Temp 29c
We were safely alongside at 7am and we were docked on our side which is always nice. Today we had a tour booked which did not leave until 12 Noon which would mean either an early lunch or no lunch. We elected to have the later but to have a big breakfast. We had bacon & eggs instead of our usual cereal and fruit.
About 10am we went ashore for a walk in the town which is about 100 meters from the ship. The town is not much more than one or two streets as far as shops are concerned. We did however find a nice coffee shop which had fast WiFi and I was able to update some of the Apps on my iPad. We now have another Frig magnet to add to our collection. We originally thought we would just put the magnets on the Frig in the garage but they have now taken over and I am going to have to think of a more suitable display.
Our tour met on the dockside as often the afternoon tours do. They were using Toyota Coasters today so there was only about 18 on our bus. Our guide was born in Iraq, she came to Bonaire on a holiday and stayed. She spoke very good English with an American accent and was very good. After a short tour of the town we headed to the North end of the island along the coast. This island is famous for diving and you can see why, the sea is so blue and clear. There is a reef of course. We passed quite a few groups who were obviously diving. At the end of the island is Goto Lake where if you are lucky you can see flamingos. We were lucky and saw about 4 quite close. In the same area is the oil facility. Oil is shipped in, blended and shipped out again. Because near Bonaire the sea is very deep they can get big tankers in. From here we turned inland to Rincon the oldest village in the Caribbean, it was first settled by the Spanish. Most of the countryside on this tour reminded me of the country between Adelaide and Port Wakefield it is very dry with lots of cactus growing. In fact they make Whiskey out of the Cactus juice. We did not try any but those that did said it was like fire water. Along the way we stopped at a house which years ago belonged to the King but now after falling into disrepair is being resorted by the locals. We returned to the ship with a half an hour to spare before the ship sailed for the Panama Canal.
Coral has spent the day in her cabin today as she has the dreaded Dawn Princess bad throat. She has been getting room service for her meals. We hope she improves by tomorrow. At least we have effectively 3 sea days now as we go through the Panama Canal etc.
Tonight we were entertained in the Princess Theatre by Jade Milian & Sam. Jade sings like Whitney Huston and Sam who is her husband backs her on piano. The DP orchestra also played. She sang one of my favourite songs "One moment in Time" Apart from being a little too loud we all enjoyed the show. Jan particularly as Whitney is a particular favourite. Bev & Ian have not been to dinner for the last 3night because the menu was not suitable, how ever they came tonight.
We were safely alongside at 7am and we were docked on our side which is always nice. Today we had a tour booked which did not leave until 12 Noon which would mean either an early lunch or no lunch. We elected to have the later but to have a big breakfast. We had bacon & eggs instead of our usual cereal and fruit.
About 10am we went ashore for a walk in the town which is about 100 meters from the ship. The town is not much more than one or two streets as far as shops are concerned. We did however find a nice coffee shop which had fast WiFi and I was able to update some of the Apps on my iPad. We now have another Frig magnet to add to our collection. We originally thought we would just put the magnets on the Frig in the garage but they have now taken over and I am going to have to think of a more suitable display.
Our tour met on the dockside as often the afternoon tours do. They were using Toyota Coasters today so there was only about 18 on our bus. Our guide was born in Iraq, she came to Bonaire on a holiday and stayed. She spoke very good English with an American accent and was very good. After a short tour of the town we headed to the North end of the island along the coast. This island is famous for diving and you can see why, the sea is so blue and clear. There is a reef of course. We passed quite a few groups who were obviously diving. At the end of the island is Goto Lake where if you are lucky you can see flamingos. We were lucky and saw about 4 quite close. In the same area is the oil facility. Oil is shipped in, blended and shipped out again. Because near Bonaire the sea is very deep they can get big tankers in. From here we turned inland to Rincon the oldest village in the Caribbean, it was first settled by the Spanish. Most of the countryside on this tour reminded me of the country between Adelaide and Port Wakefield it is very dry with lots of cactus growing. In fact they make Whiskey out of the Cactus juice. We did not try any but those that did said it was like fire water. Along the way we stopped at a house which years ago belonged to the King but now after falling into disrepair is being resorted by the locals. We returned to the ship with a half an hour to spare before the ship sailed for the Panama Canal.
Coral has spent the day in her cabin today as she has the dreaded Dawn Princess bad throat. She has been getting room service for her meals. We hope she improves by tomorrow. At least we have effectively 3 sea days now as we go through the Panama Canal etc.
Tonight we were entertained in the Princess Theatre by Jade Milian & Sam. Jade sings like Whitney Huston and Sam who is her husband backs her on piano. The DP orchestra also played. She sang one of my favourite songs "One moment in Time" Apart from being a little too loud we all enjoyed the show. Jan particularly as Whitney is a particular favourite. Bev & Ian have not been to dinner for the last 3night because the menu was not suitable, how ever they came tonight.
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
29th July
29th July Sea Day Sunny some cloud Temp 27c smooth sea.
The Port Talk today was about the Panama Canal. As we have already been through the canal in 2010 we decided to have a sleep in and a late breakfast. Later I went to Evon's lecture "Pirates, Privateers & Bucaneers". She told us a lot about pirates through the ages, particularly the recent one off the coast of Somalia. Did you know that Julius Caesar was once captured by pirates and held for ransom of 25 talents. He told them they did not realise who they had captured and gave them 50. They released him and he then got his legions to capture them, they were crucified and his money recovered. I am not sure how true all this is but Evon told us.
Today we had lunch in the dining room with Pam & Peter a couple who were on our dinner table on the World Cruise 2010. We have kept in touch with them since then by email and just missed meeting up with them last year when we went to Nth Queensland. Coral came with us. Also on our table was Evon the lecturer. Pam was able to show Betty how to use Facebook with Candy Crush. Both of us did our walks around deck 7 this afternoon.
In the Vista Lounge tonight was a comedian Gabe Ableson who was quite good.
The Port Talk today was about the Panama Canal. As we have already been through the canal in 2010 we decided to have a sleep in and a late breakfast. Later I went to Evon's lecture "Pirates, Privateers & Bucaneers". She told us a lot about pirates through the ages, particularly the recent one off the coast of Somalia. Did you know that Julius Caesar was once captured by pirates and held for ransom of 25 talents. He told them they did not realise who they had captured and gave them 50. They released him and he then got his legions to capture them, they were crucified and his money recovered. I am not sure how true all this is but Evon told us.
Today we had lunch in the dining room with Pam & Peter a couple who were on our dinner table on the World Cruise 2010. We have kept in touch with them since then by email and just missed meeting up with them last year when we went to Nth Queensland. Coral came with us. Also on our table was Evon the lecturer. Pam was able to show Betty how to use Facebook with Candy Crush. Both of us did our walks around deck 7 this afternoon.
In the Vista Lounge tonight was a comedian Gabe Ableson who was quite good.
Monday, July 28, 2014
28th July
28th July St Lucia Some Cloud Temp 27c
St Lucia is an island which is part of the Lesser Antilles. It has a population of approx 170000 and it's capital is Castries where we docked. It has been fought over by the British & the French with each taking control 7 times. Eventually Britain made it a colony. It is now an independent member of the Commonwealth with the Queen as it's head of state. Today we chose the ships tour 110A which left at 9.30am. Unfortunately due to a mixup Coral was not on the same tour. Our tour took us first to St Marks a colonial mansion where we were given a tour of the house plus refreshments including some Rum Punch. The views of Castries form here were spectacular. Next it was onto another lookout over looking Marigot Bay another beautiful stop. This bay is used during hurricanes as a place to shelter yachts. Next we visited Caribelle Batik where we had a demonstration of Batik dyeing. Finally we went to a rum distillery for a tour of the plant plus the opportunity to taste over 20 different rums. Needless to say we did not try all 20 but we did try the Banana Cream, Coconut Cream and the Nut Cream and we are bringing a bottle of each home with us. Coral says even though her tour was not the one she booked it was a good one and she enjoyed it.
For entertainment tonight we went to the Princess Theatre to listen to Antonio Salci a pianist perform with the Dawn Princess Orchestra. He was very good and they were queued up to buy his CD afterwards.
St Lucia is an island which is part of the Lesser Antilles. It has a population of approx 170000 and it's capital is Castries where we docked. It has been fought over by the British & the French with each taking control 7 times. Eventually Britain made it a colony. It is now an independent member of the Commonwealth with the Queen as it's head of state. Today we chose the ships tour 110A which left at 9.30am. Unfortunately due to a mixup Coral was not on the same tour. Our tour took us first to St Marks a colonial mansion where we were given a tour of the house plus refreshments including some Rum Punch. The views of Castries form here were spectacular. Next it was onto another lookout over looking Marigot Bay another beautiful stop. This bay is used during hurricanes as a place to shelter yachts. Next we visited Caribelle Batik where we had a demonstration of Batik dyeing. Finally we went to a rum distillery for a tour of the plant plus the opportunity to taste over 20 different rums. Needless to say we did not try all 20 but we did try the Banana Cream, Coconut Cream and the Nut Cream and we are bringing a bottle of each home with us. Coral says even though her tour was not the one she booked it was a good one and she enjoyed it.
For entertainment tonight we went to the Princess Theatre to listen to Antonio Salci a pianist perform with the Dawn Princess Orchestra. He was very good and they were queued up to buy his CD afterwards.
Sunday, July 27, 2014
27 July
27th July Antigua Sunny Temp 29c Feels very warm.
Antigua Sunny Temp 29c Feels quite warm.
A little bit wobbly during the night but it calmed down as we approached Antigua. We took our time getting up today because only tended to walk into town and nothing opens before about 10am particularly as today is Sunday. We have done the only tour that appeals to which is to Shirley
Heights and Nelsons Dockyard. Bev, Ian & Coral have taken this one.
We walked off the ship to the town through the throng of taxis drivers all trying to sell you a drive around the island. Quite close to the pier is a all full of shops selling normal tourist items and a lot of clothing. In one area there is barely room to walk between the stalls. As usual we managed to get our souvenir plate & frig magnet. Jake we looked for a Pirate card to send to you but could not find any.
For those of you who may not have been to Antigua it is in the centre of the Leeward Islands in the Eastern Caribbean and it is the largest of all the English speaking Leeward Islands. Nelson's Dockyard was a British naval yard used extensively by Lord Nelson. Shirley Heights has commanding views of English Harbour & Nelson's Dockyard. It was originally built as a signal station to alert troops of approaching ships.
Bev & Ian must have worn themselves out today because they did not come down to dinner. Our entertainment tonight was in the Princess Theatre to listen to Bobby Brooks Wilson take us down memory lane. He traded a bit on his father's reputation who had wrote songs for other singers as well as performing himself. Bobby did not quite make it. He tried to impersonate some other singers but he would have been better to just sing.
Antigua Sunny Temp 29c Feels quite warm.
A little bit wobbly during the night but it calmed down as we approached Antigua. We took our time getting up today because only tended to walk into town and nothing opens before about 10am particularly as today is Sunday. We have done the only tour that appeals to which is to Shirley
Heights and Nelsons Dockyard. Bev, Ian & Coral have taken this one.
We walked off the ship to the town through the throng of taxis drivers all trying to sell you a drive around the island. Quite close to the pier is a all full of shops selling normal tourist items and a lot of clothing. In one area there is barely room to walk between the stalls. As usual we managed to get our souvenir plate & frig magnet. Jake we looked for a Pirate card to send to you but could not find any.
For those of you who may not have been to Antigua it is in the centre of the Leeward Islands in the Eastern Caribbean and it is the largest of all the English speaking Leeward Islands. Nelson's Dockyard was a British naval yard used extensively by Lord Nelson. Shirley Heights has commanding views of English Harbour & Nelson's Dockyard. It was originally built as a signal station to alert troops of approaching ships.
Bev & Ian must have worn themselves out today because they did not come down to dinner. Our entertainment tonight was in the Princess Theatre to listen to Bobby Brooks Wilson take us down memory lane. He traded a bit on his father's reputation who had wrote songs for other singers as well as performing himself. Bobby did not quite make it. He tried to impersonate some other singers but he would have been better to just sing.
Saturday, July 26, 2014
25th July
25th July Sea Day Beautiful day Temp 28c Sunny with some could smooth sea.
I will try to continue to write my blog using the iPad. I have found I can cut and paste into the blog when on line so I can compose off line to save those valuable online minutes.
Port talk today was for St Lucia. We did not have a trip planned for there so we were particularly interested to hear what she had tosay about the island. We have now booked a tour on the same one as Coral.
At 11am. there was Part 2 of the JFK lecture so Ian & I stayed in the theatre and our good ladies went to get us a coffee to go. They did not stay for the lecture. For the Port talk we have quite a row as all the people on our dinner table now sit together. Each saving seats for the others. The JFK lecture continued from his election to President, with details of his affairs, the Bay of Pigs incident and the Cuban Missile crisis. We heard more about how ill he was and how it was covered up. He was not the golden haired boy some of us thought him to be. She did go into his
assassination quite a bit and show evidence that Lee Harvey Oswald definitely did the deed and something I did not know was that when he was arrested he shot a policeman. Once more we spent the rest of the afternoon with Betty sorting her photos and me reading although I did go for a walk around deck 7 it was so nice out there that I kept going for 5 times.
As I think I have previously mentioned the singers and dancers all got off in New York and a new group got on, with a new set of shows. Tonight was their first show called "Oh What A Night" There are 4 singers and 6 dancers in this group. We gave the singers 10 out of 10 but the dancers need more work, they were a little untidy. One of the singer we have seen before when we were on the Round the Pacific cruise. Also tonight there was a later show in the Vista Lounge with Shirley Dominguez a Harpist playing with the Ships band. Before her show there was the opportunity to dance to the music of the band so we went to do so. Afterwards we thought we would stick around to listen to Shirley and were glad we did she was very good. It all made for a late night, Midnight before we got to bed.
I will try to continue to write my blog using the iPad. I have found I can cut and paste into the blog when on line so I can compose off line to save those valuable online minutes.
Port talk today was for St Lucia. We did not have a trip planned for there so we were particularly interested to hear what she had tosay about the island. We have now booked a tour on the same one as Coral.
At 11am. there was Part 2 of the JFK lecture so Ian & I stayed in the theatre and our good ladies went to get us a coffee to go. They did not stay for the lecture. For the Port talk we have quite a row as all the people on our dinner table now sit together. Each saving seats for the others. The JFK lecture continued from his election to President, with details of his affairs, the Bay of Pigs incident and the Cuban Missile crisis. We heard more about how ill he was and how it was covered up. He was not the golden haired boy some of us thought him to be. She did go into his
assassination quite a bit and show evidence that Lee Harvey Oswald definitely did the deed and something I did not know was that when he was arrested he shot a policeman. Once more we spent the rest of the afternoon with Betty sorting her photos and me reading although I did go for a walk around deck 7 it was so nice out there that I kept going for 5 times.
As I think I have previously mentioned the singers and dancers all got off in New York and a new group got on, with a new set of shows. Tonight was their first show called "Oh What A Night" There are 4 singers and 6 dancers in this group. We gave the singers 10 out of 10 but the dancers need more work, they were a little untidy. One of the singer we have seen before when we were on the Round the Pacific cruise. Also tonight there was a later show in the Vista Lounge with Shirley Dominguez a Harpist playing with the Ships band. Before her show there was the opportunity to dance to the music of the band so we went to do so. Afterwards we thought we would stick around to listen to Shirley and were glad we did she was very good. It all made for a late night, Midnight before we got to bed.
25th July
26th July
We have had a computer melt down so unless I can fix it I will not be continuing this blog for the rest of the trip.
We have had a computer melt down so unless I can fix it I will not be continuing this blog for the rest of the trip.
I may try using my iPad to send.
24th July
Sea
Day Sunny partly cloudy Temp 27c Moderate sea.
As
is quite usual on sea days after breakfast we went to a port talk by Narelle
Froude this time about Antigue our next port. As we have been there already we
have decided to just do our own thing there. However it was good to be reminded
about the area. Coral and most of our table are doing the tour of Nelson’s
Dockyard and Shirley Hieght which is what we did.
We
have new lecturers onboard and Ian & I went to the fisrt one today at 11am.
Evon Anderson will be giving a series called “History & Maritime Series” The first one is part one of “John F Kennedy”
She told us lots of things about JFK which we did not know and have only been
made public recently. She started with his childhood and detailed all the
illnesses he had. He was quite a sick person almost from birth. He was always
in competition with he elder brother who was being groomed by his Father to be
the President. The family were mega rich and were able to buy their way
anywhere. Joe Kennedy gave funds to President Roosevelt who gave him the plumb
job of Ambassador to England, only to
sack him later when he did not need his money. JFK went to Harvard University
and probably gain entry through his Fathers money. He wanted to join the forces
but was rejected because of ill health however after his Father called one of his high ranking friend JFK was
admitted and we all know he commanded a
torpedo boat. After many girlfriends he of course went on to marry Jacqueline
Bouier. (not sure of the spelling). As we all also know he eventually became
President with the help of a huge PR campaign. While he was President he had
numerous affairs including the well know one with Marilyn Monroe. Jackie
apparently was aware of a lot of them. They certainly led different lives to
us. Tomorrow we will get part 2 of this lecture.
As
usual on sea days we met Coral for lunch at 12.30pm after she had been to Bridge
lessons. Another new lecturer is Peter Anderson who is doing an astronomy
series but as this does not appeal to either of us we spent the afternoon
reading and sorting out photographs. At 5pm I went to another lecture given by Geof
Gray called Political & Economic Series. Geof has spent a lot of time in
the Australian Diplomatic Corps and today talked about his time spent in New
York. It was a very interesting talk but I wished it had been on before we went
to New York rather than after we had left.
Our
entertainment tonight was in the Vista Lounge to see Michael Ziegfeld a
Comic-Ventriloquist who was very funny with his Jewish humour. The usual gang
then when together for hot chocolate before bed.
Thursday, July 24, 2014
23rd July
New York Sunny Temp 29c Sultry
We were awake early this morning to enjoy the sail in to New
York. Most of the sights of Manhattan were on the Starboard side but we had a
great view of the Statue of Liberty and we will see the skyline of Manhattan
lit up when we sail out. I have had a cold for the last few days and in growing
eye lashes in one eye have made the eye sore so this morning I decided to go to
see the Doctor. They open at 8am and I was there about 10 minutes to eight and
there was one lady in front of me. After filling the usual form we sat down to
wait, others came in and obviously were on return visits because they went in
ahead of us. The lady in front of me went in also but I think they forgot me
because it was sometime before a nurse did could up and ask me if I was being
attended to. He apologised saying that they were short staffed because some
were leaving in New York. I eventually got seeing by a Doctor he pulled out the
offending eye lashes and loaded me up with medication to fix my cold. I am
happy to say I am now much better. As we have been to New York on a few
occasions we decided to walk into Time Square (about a 20 minute walk from the
ship) and check out the Hoop on Hop off bus, which we did and got talked into
paying for all routes at a reduced price. After being told there were no queues
to get on we found that the queue at the first stop was about 100 metres long.
They told us there would only be a 15 minute wait but it was longer. Their
excuse was the traffic and to their credit they did bring along extra buses and
the queue cleared. We got a top deck seat with great views of parts of the
building which we would not have seen from the ground. Progress was slow because
the traffic was horrendous. Although it was hot in the sun we enjoyed the ride.
We got off at the Waldof Astora Hotel stop and walked a short way to Grand
Central Railway Station which may seem an odd thing to do but we had heard the
inside is worth seeing and it was. The concourse hall is huge. There is a great
food court there where we had lunch before reboarding the bus at the same stop
and continuing back to Time Square for more photos and coffee. There were
people everywhere because of course it is school holidays here. Our intention
was to get back to the ship in time for me to visit the Air and Space museum
setup on the decommissioned aircraft carrier Intrepid which was moored next to
our ship. However as the time was already 5pm and you would need at least a
couple of hours to tour the museum I abandoned the idea. By the time we walked
back to the ship we were a couple of very tired and hot people badly in need of
a shower which we got. We had previously arranged with Coral for her to come to
our cabin for the sail away and we would order room service for our evening
meal which we did.
Coral had a mixed day. She had booked on a tour of New York
in the morning and there was some mix up with buses. A number of people were
disembarking the cruise here and should have been well and truly off before
Coral’s tour left but they were not so her tour was delayed by 1 hour which,
including the traffic problems made her return later than she thought. She
intended to go to the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art but ran out of time
which was a little disappointing for her. However the sail out was terrific
which was added to by a short spectacular thunder storm with a lighting
display. We were warned earlier by the guide on our bus that it could happen
because it was so humid. It was a bit of bad luck for the people on the
Starboard side because the storm came while we were passing the Statue of
Liberty which made photos impossible.
Everyone on the ship appears to be tired after a full day so
I am not sure how many went to hear the Harpist Shirley Dominguez at 9pm we did
not. As I write this Blog we are now sailing to Antigua where we should be
after 3 sea days which has allowed me to catch up.
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