We had to add another hour to our clocks last night, so now everything, including the sunrise is later. We are now 4 hours ahead of Perth.
Once again did the pool exercise, shower and brunch first thing. Then nothing much until Carl joined me for a bit more jigsaw. A couple of hours is enough for us. Carl brings in the table from the balcony. I sit on the bed and Carl on the only chair! But it is working well! Here are the start and finish photos for today.
Carl went up to the gym whilst I went to dinner! Bathroom was flooded again!!!!!!! My bear obtained eyes this morning, lol.
Location map and sunrise at 6 am. Including a westerly view as there was a touch of colour!
Solarium pool was open again at the proper time, so more exercises. This time because it was cold they started running heated water into it. Not overly warm, but at least not as cold! It was a rather grey day for a while!
Carl and I made a start on the jigsaw. I had a thought or two at 3 am about what to use to sort out pieces as nowhere to put them out. I had 2 bowls from my evening fruit salads and used the box Maria’s jigsaw was in. Also the empty rubbish bin until I finish tonight’s fruit salad! Spent a couple of hours on it!
After a relax, I only just managed to get the sunset, went to use the facilities and my bathroom floor was flooded!!! So headed upto the dining room a little earlier than planned.
I mentioned that I was doing the ‘Behind-the-scenes’ tour tomorrow when Carl said there are lots of steps! When I booked it I wasn’t using this wretched crutch, so had to cancel it. I had been really looking forward to it!!
Back to a dry bathroom, blog & fruit salad, lol.
P.S. for last cruise. There were 1100 children on it, only 100 on this cruise!
We had to put our clocks forward an hour again, so even though it was 6 am it did feel like 5 am!!
Headed up to the solarium and the pool was actually open!! Spent a chilly half hour exercising and then back for a nice hot shower. The water pressure is amazing, way better than home!! Brunch and then another day of doing nothing much.
You know the boat is rocking when the horizon disappears occasionally! The variation of visible water was very noticeable sometimes!
My location right next to the orange dot this time!
Met up with Carl for dinner and talked about a large variety of topics. AI, satellites, books, the state of the world, you know, usual stuff, LOL.
Well today was a bit different! Finished packing and then did a bit of family tree! Left my room and headed for the Star Lounge where the consecutive cruisers were meeting. There must have been a couple of hundred people! We all had to have a numbered sticker and our passports labelled with our new room number. I was sitting chatting to a couple of American guys when the organiser asked if anyone needed a wheelchair and one of them raised his hand and said I needed one! Well it was really just as well because it was a long way off the ship, into the terminal, out onto the concourse and then back into the terminal. Had to hand in our incoming passenger declarations and then sat and waited for the immigration people to start work. What did we do before games on phones to pass the time? Then through passport control and back up the long series of ramps to the ship. Where we had to leave our passports for the French Polynesia part of the trip! Had an early lunch whilst waiting to be allowed into my new room. This one is on the other side of the ship next deck up, so now I’m completely turned around when getting out of the elevator. However, it’s identical to the last one, LOL.
Carl popped in for a chat and then we were going to meet in the WIndjammer for dinner. Out signals got a bit crossed as we waited for each other in different spots, but I’m sure it’ll be sorted before the 25 days are up!
This guy surprised me at lunchtime, moving around the outside of the ship!
I was on the wrong side of the ship to get a full sunrise this morning, but got a bit of colour out the back!
I did some more family tree this morning and then sat a while in the Crown Lounge breakfasting on smoked salmon!
Packed up the jigsaw and thought about the rest of my stuff but didn’t get to it! I have thought about leaving it until the morning but it will be the one day I don’t wake up between 3 & 4 am! Will probably do it after I’ve finished writing this!
Very cleverly I managed to leave my key card behind when I went off to dinner. Just as well the stateroom attendant was out there! It was a Greek theme tonight. The moussaka was very nice. They also had some seafood, their idea of a prawn cocktail is Shrimp salad to which you add Mary Rose sauce.
I did manage to get the sunset though as I was on the correct side of the ship for that!
At least I don’t have to leave my case outside, so maybe some now and finish in the morning!!
Another quiet, though rocky day. It’s rather disconcerting when walking along and the deck isn’t quite where your foot expected it! Sitting has it’s own sensations, lol.
I had to go down to deck 2 this morning to have my passport and visa checked. Apparently the passport is retained by the ship, after going through Australian Immigration at Brisbane, for the French Polynesian visit. It should be back by Hawaii for the US immigration check there. I just can’t seem to get the sunset. The daily newsletter said 6.05 pm, but it was dark at 5.30, so obviously way too much cloud!
One more day of cruising. Have to pack all my bags tomorrow, but I can leave them in my room when I go down to Immigration and they should be in my new room when I return! I’ll have to text Carl my room number so he can find me!!!
As it was very pleasant outside and a nice calm sea, the flatest it’s been, I decided to stay out on the balcony after watching the sun rise and finish the jigsaw. I had already done half of it, so thought it a good opportunity to finish it. I will admit I took a shortcut. It was just too hard to do the normal way, as not able to have all the pieces spread out and visible. It has numbers on the back of the pieces, so I did a hundred at a time. I only used the numbers to sort, didn’t look at them whilst assembling!!! It has 501 pieces, 438 of them edges! It only just fitted my board with a little scrunching! Will do it properly when it gets to Helen’s jigsaw room!
Had a very late breakfast and then only the usual occupations until dinner! Here’s a panorama from the balcony once we had docked. The tenders were in use again, but unlike Mystery Island there was no early boarding. It took 2.5 hours for everyone to get to shore. All that hanging around just didn’t appeal to me.
Today was elephant day!
2 days cruising now back to Brisbane. Another time change tonight, back an hour!
I had a bus tour of Noumea and a visit to the Aquarium. First stop was to a lookout dedicated to the Virgin Mary, who looks after the large Catholic population of New Caledonia.
Our guide talked about many things, including the education system. High school students attend daily from 7 am to 5 pm. They have 2 weeks off after every 6 weeks of classes with 2 months for the long break. Primary schools are 8 am to 4 pm. English is a mandatory lesson and most students go to France for their university courses.
Next visit was the Aquarium, very nice it was too, so lots of fishy pictures. I do feel a bit sorry for the inhabitants though, sort of like birds in cages! A skate, 2 seahorses, pipe fish, sand-eels (these were funny, they just kept going up and down in the sand!), a banded shrimp and a peacock mantis shrimp.
There are 6 bays that the city is built around so the tour took us around all of them. Then up to another lookout. I didn’t get out as I was feeling rather stiff from getting up and down the bus steps!
Back at the ship I had lunch and then back to my room for some rest and relaxation, LOL. Here’s a panorama off my balcony. It was scenic on the otherside of the port works!
Port Vila, Vanuatu tomorrow, but there weren’t any tours I liked the sound of and as it’s a tender process again, I probably won’t go ashore this time.
Had a bit of a rocky night. There was a cupboard door banging occasionally out in the corridor, testifying to it being rocky!
Location map for 5.30 (Mystery Island is too small to see!)
Arrived at Mystery Island in time to get the sunrise behind the main island Aneityum.
The tenders started running at 7.15 as there are no port facilities for docking at. My tender had quite a few issues trying to dock at the pier as the swell was rather strong, we kept hitting it quite hard. Eventually he swung around to the other side and and docked more easily.
I don’t remember what year it was when I was last here, maybe 2013, and it sure has changed. It is now all touristy with buildings, toilets, sand packed footpaths, garden beds. I wandered away from the crowds and found a nice quiet pathway and enjoyed the peace. I only saw/heard one bird (it had a bright red throat) and apart from ants, no bugs or spiders!
I did try to get a photo of all the little fish near the pier but the waves kept washing them away, lol. I didn’t stay long and was probably the first person back on board, had the tender all to myself!
Had smoked salmon at the Crown Lounge again, had a chat and then changed into my bathers. However, the pool was once again closed. Not impressed, so much for the 8 am opening! So back to my room, for my usual occupations, lol. There was a bear awaiting me when I got back.
Tomorrow is Noumea and I have a city tour and the aquarium. Happy Birthday Mum!
Well today didn’t go as planned. – My location at 5.15 am.
This was the sunrise this morning.
Got to the Solarium about 8.30 and the pool was still closed. It was having its chemicals checked and modified and no one knew when it would be open. Waited until 9, but still chained off, so wandered back down the ship planning on going to the Crown Lounge again. However, the Windjammer (the general buffet restaurant) is near the elevators, so decided on breakfast there. American style, crispy bacon and biscuit with gravy. Then back to the Solarium and it was still chained off, so back to my room! Mind you I am getting exercise walking!
My room is under the red dot! Can’t get much further back, lol. It’s quite a walk to the elevators! The Solarium (Deck 11) and the Crown Lounge (Deck 5) are both up the front on the other side of the other elevators!!
So basically did the same as yesterday, a bit of family tree, napping, reading, playing games, a bit of jigsaw! Here’s my setup on the balcony for family tree stuff!
Also, a PS to yesterday. I received some complimentary yummies for being in the loyalty programme! Very nice.
