With a fairly low key day planned, it turned into full on day. The port lecture in the morning took 75 minutes instead of the usual 45 (Naples and surrounding areas) that had out us late for 10:30am trivia, run by Cruise Director Mark. By the time we arrived, they were already on question 9, but it didn’t stop us poking our noses in and changing a couple of answers. Fortunately they were correct and we ended up on 18 – tying for first place. We should really have had a clear 19 had our Western Australian team members known what a bandy-bandy was. (It is a Western Australian snake, so henceforth, Alex will be known as Bandy.) The tie breaker question was getting closest to the Royal Baby birth time. (I didn’t even know he had arrived.) Woohoo! We won Trivia, thanks to Sue – who is not from Western Australia…
After coffee we headed for Corey’s revision class – foxtrot and salsa. We have got to really like Corey after a somewhat uncertain start. A lot of fun.
After a light lunch, we headed for the future cruise desk, hence the at sea again (and again). Next year, we join some of the others on the world cruise return leg from Southampton back to Auckland, so we’ll be in the UK. As Paula has never been to the Baltics and ever conscious of our advancing years, it was timely that the Emerald Princess does a 14 day cruise from and to Southampton, arriving back at 7am on the day we leave, on the Dawn. So we booked.
That means we now have to sort out getting to the UK before then. Our original plan was to try and do Florida but we don’t now think that will be possible. Hopefully there will be others who will join us on the Emerald, as the route looks interesting with only a couple of sea days. When I say “others”, I hope that there will be UK based friends or relatives willing to sign up.
Southampton suits us so much better than Dover as brother Malc is only about 30 miles away and we missed seeing him in 2011. It is also more accessible than Dover, which is out on a limb for anyone wanting to travel north or even west.
The Dawn Nomads had a pre-dinner meet at 4:45 so we went to 4:30pm trivia first anyway. Just Paula and I. We didn’t win of course. The Nomads meeting was lively with a Sherlock Holmes getting to know you session, before getting ready for formal night number 2. There was an influx of white jackets on our table, with Colino, Gazzo and Arni looking like waiters. I suppose being in black, Raymondo must have been Maitre D’. The lamb racks were tasty.
An excellent Princess show “Moments to Remember”, from the Charleston and swing area forwards. Great costumes and a very polished performance, particularly from the dancers, who I believe have just signed an 18 month contract – 5 months on, 1 off.
SEA DAY 2
As promised, station two of the hot buffet. (I can sense your excitement from here!)
Another 7 hot dishes starting this time from the near side.
Minute steak – probably a special but no idea what the rotation is – probably ham steak.
English bacon – staple
Crispy American bacon – staple
Scrambled eggs – flavoured. Staple other than the flavour changes daily
Scrambled eggs plain – staple
The next two are an ever changing mix of maybe 4 different items such as baked apples, French toast (flavour changes), pancakes – plain and flavoured etc. I rarely look in there so I have no real idea of what the daily changes are.
So that is station 2 – making 14 hot dishes so far but wait, there is more! (Tomorrow, maybe.)
I had my most enjoyable poached eggs on toast, with English bacon, sausage and fried onions. Fried onions? Poached eggs? Yes, I did say there was more.
CROSSING THE EQUATOR
After a morning coffee with Norm and Marion, morning quiz was tough – with questions set by previous cruisers, so it was really tough. I think we ended up with 11. We didn’t win.
Afterwards, it was back to the cabin for a quick change and to prepare for the Dawn Nomads mid-year Christmas lunch and gift exchange. Not sure how many were there but it was a good turnout. It was a Pirate gift exchange, so if you weren’t too thrilled with what you got, you were allowed to pirate a gift already drawn. Unfortunately, the one we pirated was pirated from us!
Then it was up on deck for the infamous crossing the equator ceremony, where first timers (by ship) have to endure the ceremony, which usually means being covered with all sorts of goo and gunge and also having to ‘kiss the fish’.
The early pics show the Pollywogs awaiting the ceremony and that includes the crew members. Later pics show what they looked like once declared Shellbacks, having survived the ceremony. Silly it may be, but it is a very long standing tradition.
It was pretty hot out on deck so we were glad to escape to the cabin until quiz time – via the ice cream parlour for a small (free) soft freeze ice cream.
With an excellent 18/20, we thought we were in with a good chance – but were beaten into second place. So near yet so far. We failed on a film director quote and a Wizard of Oz character question.
With no early show, time to relax until a pre-dinner drink – one of my precious stock of Bundaberg ginger beer. Friend Marilyn would have enjoyed the lamb shank/knuckle at dinner. Come to think of it, she would have enjoyed all the food so far.
In an earlier post I was less than complimentary about a comedian and it seems I wasn’t the only one, so when the cruise director alluded to a funny comedian this time, we knew exactly what he meant. The comedian was genuinely funny. We had seen Ivor Richards before, though I couldn’t remember him until he walked on stage. His typically Liverpudlian quick-fire delivery was right on the button and had most of the audience laughing out loud for a considerable time. A very funny man and I’ll give him a 9/10, as anyone who can get me laughing out loud for so long deserves it. Without any attempt at writing it in a humorous way, Ivor’s advice for shopping in Singapore:
“If they say $10 for two tee shirts, ask how much for one. They’ll probably say $7 – so ask for the other one…”
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