Madang Papua New Guinea

Sunday, February 27, 2011 – Madang, Papua New Guinea

Regular morning activities as we docked around noon. Exercised; worked and ate!

Madang is the capital of the province, on the north coast of Papua New Guinea. Evidence of human settlement extends back 12,000 to 15,000 years ago. Shells, salt, clay pots and wooden bowls, stone axes, feathers and even women were traded from one part of the area to the other. The traditional costumes include bamboo frames decorated with cockatoo and parrot feathers. The ship backed into the dock –which was not large or long – and we were greeted by band playing the same song over and over. The most interesting player was banging on the end of rubber hoses which must have been cut in different lengths for the different notes. And they were colorfully dressed and it was wonderful – even in the rain!
There were 22 vans for the Highlights tour alone.

We were on the North Coast Scenery and Culture tour. We drove 20 miles north of the city (which took an hour due to the road conditions and pot holes. There is evidence of an early German settlement in this area where after WWII large coconut plantations were established. We drove past a cocoa and coconut research station and to the Taledik Vocational School – both primary and vocational. They only learned of our visit the day before, but they were prepared with nine young girls performing two dances to modern music. They had just cut the large grass plain and had set up benches for most of the group.

Can you imagine our 17 minivans holding 10 people each arriving to your remote school and tramping across the grass and school property to sit under trees to watch you dance? I am sure we were quite a sight for them to see – old and young, using walkers and canes and with so many cameras and videos! They made coconut leaf necklaces and skirts for their costume earlier that morning and threw rose petals and fresh flowers over us as we entered a section of the yard. It was touching. They were genuinely glad to see us, and I mean “see” us. We were definitely an anomaly to them. They do not have electricity or telephones in that region.

We continued back down the road to a small village and were again given a very warm welcome. The chief (in his loincloth – the real thing) blew his conch shell, the medicine man had his herbs in the bowl, the dancers, both male and female, danced and the musicians performed, and the other family members wanted to shake our hands and talk. There was a black sand beach and approx. 20 people were downstream fishing from the shore. There was a volcanic eruption in 2005 on the nearby island of Manam; the whole area is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire and has created crater lakes, smoking volcanic cones and beautiful black sand beaches.

They spoke English and Pidgin English - there are over 170 languages and dialects in this region of 240,000 residents. They wanted to know all kinds of things and kept hugging us and smiling and laughing. They had absolutely nothing to sell. To me, that was a sure sign we really were the first visitors to their village. As we left, they all hollered out to us and waved goodbye.

We crossed several one lane bridges, probably built by the Americans during WWII. The coconut trees and cocoa bushes and cows and tall grass…small villages with people waiting for the local transport (we saw just one vehicle that could have held a few people pass in either direction), tables set up as if for a flea market and areas where blankets were spread on the ground with the local produce for sale. It would have been interesting to stop but we were traveling in a caravan and our guide was a University student in Tourism and was not quite ready to deal with tourists. We tried to help her along with many questions but she was timid, with a friendly smile. We had our itinerary but a lot of the practical information was missing.

We headed back in to Madang and stopped at the Museum and Cultural Center. What a place! It had all kinds of masks (HUGE – over 6 feet tall!) and carvings and benches and “stuff” I needed a few hours to figure out what it was. And we had 15 minutes!!! OHHH. And no photos were allowed and there was no book on the museum. The gift shop had one of whatever they had so whoever stopped there first, got the best pickings. Definitely worth a return visit. To put it in perspective with reference to WWII, the Japanese government had a poster at the visitors center asking for any information of any Japanese remains – 670,000 Japanese died in this region.

The drive through town had us pass the airport and hospital – where a lady from the ship was discharged for internal bleeding; not the place I would prefer to have to disembark the ship so we pray she gets to Port Moresby (the largest city) and then back to Mexico in good health. The trees were filled with bats/flying foxes. There was an overgrown German cemetery. And the Coastwatcher’s Memorial, which has a beacon visible for 25 km. It is a reminder of those who stayed behind enemy lines during WWII to report on Japanese troop and ship movements. The shops were closed and the locals had set up blankets near the port so we could buy some handicrafts. That was good fun and they were as friendly as they could be.

It was getting dark and a security officer appeared by our side – he stayed with us until we had entered the secure port area. Several people stopped us and asked us to exchange Australian money for US dollars and for quarters to a dollar bill as they cannot exchange change/coins. Kina is the currency: 2.50 = US$1. The world’s largest moth and butterfly live in Papua New Guinea. (We found a butterfly on the promenade deck of the ship – a stowaway!)

The ship had an American BBQ on the Lido Deck with the Amsterdam orchestra and all the fixings of home. What a contrast from the world outside our ship! We heard the people had gathered in small boats on one side of our ship and people were throwing t-shirts and coins overboard and the kids were diving for them.

It was a sail-out I will never forget. The people were lined up all along the banks of the small channel and they were taking pictures of the ship –we could see the flash from their cameras. And if there was a vehicle, the car lights would flash on and off at us. And then the ship turned the large spot light on them up and down the entire coast and there were hundreds of people out there! And they were hollering goodbye and we could hear them! And we hollered back! It was really quite touching.

The entertainer was Glenn Hirsch, comedian. And to give another view on the day…onboard with us until we reach Hong Kong, we have the Princeton Tailors – charging $450 for an unlined man’s jacket to $1000 for a bespoke suit.

“We may run, walk, stumble, drive or fly, but let us never lose sight of the reason for the journey, or miss a chance to see a rainbow on the way.” - Anonymous

Bridge Tour, sea days. hot and humid again...

Friday, February 25, 2011 – at sea

Much more humid weather in the Coral Sea as we head north to the equator. Slept late; exercised; magician entertainer; lunch and dinner with friends; bridge tour (an exclusive!). Quiet day. We’ve been enjoying the company at our dinner table. We have a table for eight and we are only five so I’ve been inviting all kinds of couples and singles to join us for the night; gives us a nice variety of guests to keep the conversation flowing and we are all continuously meeting new people.

Ship’s information: Delivered on Sept 28, 2000. 62,735 gross tonnage. Panama Canal net tonnage: 50.058 tons (should be able to figure out how much it costs it for the transit based on this!). 780 feet long, 21 knots cruising speed, 22.5 maximum knots, fuel oil consumption 96/gallon per mile. Fresh water production 370,000 gallons per day. Fresh water consumption is 170,000 gallons per day. Heavy fuel oil consumption per day is 39,500 gallons with a speed of 21 knots or 90 gallons per mile. We can store 870,000 gallons of heavy fuel oil and 46,000 gallons of marine gas oil.

Saturday, February 26, 2011 – at sea – Off coast of Papua New Guinea in the China Strait

Scenic cruising in the early morning hours so we were very close to land to see the rolling hills and sparsely populated regions. Coconut plantation was off on one side of the ship. Dutch lunch of meatballs, pancakes and apples, battered fish, fried pork and black beans and small round yet flat dough balls with confectionary sugar and syrup. Hot and humid day. Exercised inside and walked the deck. Love walking the deck and keep looking for dolphins and whales! People say they are out there but I’ve only seen them three times…which seems to be a low average since we have been at sea for so many days! Lecture on Papua New Guinea by the US Consult to Borneo and Papua New Guinea. “Classic formal” night tonight with concert pianist, Ms. Tomono Kawamura..

Loving the ship – loving the days at sea – loving the people – loving my group – loving the crew. It is coming together and it is fun. It will be over before we know it.

Check out the blog by one of the people in our group – www.travelpod.com/members/ospry. David lives in FL and writes for the local paper, has published two books and is working on his third. I have not been able to access his blog yet but his wife said he wrote a moving tribute to the citizens of Christchurch.

Cairns Australia - Rain...

Tuesday, February 22, 2011 – at sea off the coast of Australia – 2nd terrible earthquake in Christchurch

Breakfast and lunch with friends and handling some issues; nap out on deck; computer assistance. Heard the terrible news of the 6.2 earthquake in Christchurch, NZ, where we were on February 11. Have sent off emails to hear some news from our friends. We get two TV stations and as long as we have satellite reception, we get the news as soon as it is reported.

Formal night with a welcome cocktail from Stein Kruse and picture with he and his wife and John Bowles, Broadway and West End singer/actor; great show.

Falling in to the groove of being onboard now. Friends stop you along the hallway to chat; crew stop you to talk and laugh. Longer cruises turn in to a “community-at-sea”, like a retirement village at sea! Your needs are well attended and you are seeing new sights with each port of call. What could be better…

Wednesday, February 23, 2011 – at sea

Breakfast and lunch with friends; we are another hour ahead of you which makes it even harder to call the US during business or waking hours.

The afternoon lecture with the CEO of Holland America Cruise Lines, Director of Mariner Society (past guest program), the Captain and Hotel Director. They explained how they choose their world cruise itinerary, by sending out questionnaires and listening to the ideas of past guests and figuring mileage and where they can pick up supplies and re-fuel.

The dinner was a fantastic evening the crew had spent hours and hours creating – an Australian BBQ under the covered pool deck. We had the aborigine playing the didgeridoo instrument, the bush band playing, the kiosks with Australian wines, an Australian micro-brewery, fresh flower tent, fresh fruits like a stand on the street with Bing cherries by the gallon!!! (Fresh fruit is worth 10 times its weight in gold on a long cruise where re-stocking can be tricky!) Emu, kangaroo, lamb, steaks, barramundi fish, salmon, chicken, pasta, Asian and all kinds of salads, cheeses, fresh dates and figs…whew. And all the alcohol you desired! What a night.

Thursday, February 24, 2011 – Cairns, Australia

Tropical heat, bush hats, grab some shade…that is what it is supposed to be like. We were greeted with RAIN. Buckets of RAIN. Oh gosh. The dreams of seeing the Great Barrier Reef are being dashed. And we have our private group tour today in the countryside. The ship’s TV camera showing the front of the ship is just as gray as it can be. It is depressing BUT hopefully it will clear up. It is very unusual to have an entire day of rain. Their very high humidity creates the rain but it does not usually last long.
Well, today was the exception. An entire day of drenching rain. We probably had the best tour we could have chosen since we were in covered locations.

On the way up the mountain, we were stopped for 50 minutes by a fallen tree. Completely stopped. We knew the weather was even worse than we thought, at this point. We played Australian trivia and learned all about the state of Queensland.

Finally made it to the Rainforestation (www.rainforest.com.au) Nature Park where we rode the Army duck through the rainforest, saw the Koalas, kangaroos, snakes, cassowaries (nasty creature like an emu/ostrich but shorter), quolls (Like a large rat), dingoes, lizards, crocodiles, tried to throw a boomerang, watched the traditional dances of the pamagirri tribe and ate a BBQ lunch of an assortment of the Australian meats and specialties.
Continued up the road to Port Douglas and it is normally a spectacular drive (I can remember when we drove it many years ago) but today you could not see much from the bus windows. Islands and beaches and curvy roads made several car sick and Port Douglas was a small town for shopping. We did drove along to Palm Cove, an exclusive hotel section to see what they offered but it takes on new meaning in the rain.

Back to the ship by 6PM and ate in buffet. Walked in to Cairns and to the night market (massages for $15 for 40 minutes!) and opals and handcrafts; it was late night shopping in the city so the shops were open! Finally opted to go to the internet center and worked. When walking back to the ship, we were harassed on the street by some 20 years olds; it was quite a shock for us and we informed security at the ship. They called the police and mentioned there had been two other incidents. The policeman said it is getting more difficult on late night shopping Thursday nights. We gave a police report and worked from the ship and bed super late!

Sites to see: Great Barrier Reef Marine Preserve, the largest of all living things in the world. There are more 2500 separate reefs with more than 30,000 species. Undara Lava Tubes were formed 200,000 years ago when the McBride volcanic province erupted. Kuranda Scenic Rail travels along one of the world’s most beautiful stretches of track through Barren Gorge National Park past waterfalls and deep chasms. Skyrail will carry you above the rainforest canopy in a six-person gondola.

SYDNEY!

Sunday, February 20, 2011 – SYDNEY, Australia

I have to say that an arrival by sea in to Sydney should be on everyone’s bucket list. It is absolutely beautiful as you enter the long channel and see the morning lights go off as you approach the city, seeing the Opera House and Sydney Bridge ahead. We were up at 6 to enjoy the sail-in.

We worked for a few hours and then explored Darling Harbor. Enjoyed the Marine Maritime Museum with the boat that Kay Cottie sailed around the world in 1988, the kayak used by a man who traveled from Amsterdam to Sydney!, and various exhibits on the first passengers ships and exhibits on child immigrants from Britain to Australia. Some were 11 years old! How sad would that be and the children have written diaries telling how excited they were to be going off in a ship. They were provided clothing and meals and teddy bears.

1) In 1913, aged four, Frederick Snow (1909-1994) is forcibly removed from his home by the Church of England Waifs and Strays Society. In 1925, at age 15, he is given the choice of emigrating to Canada or Australia. Staying in England is not an option. He chooses Canada because his friend is going there also. He will never see his family again.

2) Helen Tatchell (1927- ) is one of seven children being raised by a struggling single mother in Glasgow. The family lives in a one-bedroom house and you are forced to ide whenever the rent man calls. In 1939, you are 11 and your mother decides to send you and your older brother to the Fairbridge Farm School in Western Australia.

3) Laurie Humphreys (1933- ) is placed in an orphanage after his mother dies during childbirth. His home narrowly misses being bombed during WWII. In 1947, at age 14, he is chosen to emigrate to Australia with the Christian Brothers. He has never heard of Australia before.

Sydney was founded on January 26, 1788 when the eleven ships of the first Fleet, bearing 1400 people – convicts, soldiers, and a handful of other settlers – arrived from England to establish a remote new colony. The first free settlers arrived in 1793 and convict transportation to New South Wales ceased in 1840. There are over 4.2 million people in the city today; it is the state capital of New South Wales; the Sydney harbor is the largest natural harbor in the world.

The replica ship of Captain James Cook’s HM Bark Endeavour will undertake an historic circumnavigation of Australia in April 2011. It will follow trace Cook’s original voyage 240 years ago, when he became the first to chart the east coast in 1770. It will return to Sydney in May 2012. www.endeavourvoyages.com.au

The Opera House had three concerts at 5PM (jazz, opera highlights and a classical concert) and the Lyric Theatre had a new musical, “Doctor Zhivago” – missed all of them as we were off exploring. It was an uncomfortably hot day but we had sunshine and some nice conversations with people we met.

Walked to Star City casino and in and out of a few stores (prices have jumped incredible high due to the terrible exchange rate of the dollar), past the Queen Victoria Building (ornate and full of shops but closed) and back to the ship for dinner out on the back deck. It was a beautiful night with a full moon, we had a great dinner with the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House surrounding us – wow. A moment to remember.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge is the widest long-span bridge in the world, is the highest steel arch bridge and it also called the “coat hanger”. The road, two sets of tram and railway tracks were completed in 1931.

“It doesn’t work to leap a twenty-foot chasm in two ten-foot jumps…” – American proverb
Monday, February 21, 2011 – Sydney, Australia

Cloudy and damp as we woke up early to go work via the internet. The Customs House had a nice atmosphere and newspapers from all over the world. And it was air-conditioned! But Skype did not work so we still had to use the phone card. The McDonald’s next door does a booming business; there are long lines and it does not matter the time of day or night (free WIFI).

Back to the ship to return the computers – love being docked so close by in Circular Quay!! Walked up George Street to find the #555 free bus that goes around the central business district every 10 minutes. Hopped on and off…we passed the Central Station and remembered our arrival from Perth (3 nights on the “Indian-Pacific” cross-country train).

Then off at Hyde Park and St. Mary’s Cathedral, down Macquarie Street to New South Wales Parliament to see if our friend the Chief Clerk was in, back to the Sofitel Wentworth to see if our friend the Head Concierge was in, continued downhill to Circular Quay and back to the ship. Passengers were slow to embark as everyone seemed to love Sydney. What is not to love, (except for perhaps the very high prices since our dollar is not worth much?)! It is summertime, being surrounded by water is relaxing, life seems to go at a slower pace, transportation via ferry, car, taxi, bus, foot, train is easily available 24/7…

We had the most fantastic sail-way party! They had a brass band on the upper back deck. We enjoyed complimentary wine, sodas, appetizers and the ship’s horn was tooted frequently. A tugboat led us out of the channel spraying water above and to the sides of their boat (which is only done in special circumstances), the Duyfken, a Dutch replica ship from 1640, sailed with full sails blowing in the breeze ahead of us and helicopters circled above as we sailed slowly up the Tasman Sea. Wonderful afternoon party!! www.duyfken.com

Paul Martell, comedian and singer, entertained us. Onboard for three nights are the President and CEO of Holland America Cruise Line, Stein Kruse and his wife, Linda, and Gerald Bernhoft, Director Mariner Society, and Sally Andrews, VP of Public Relations.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011 – at sea off the coast of Australia – 2nd terrible earthquake in Christchurch

Breakfast and lunch with friends and handling some issues; nap out on deck; computer assistance. Heard the terrible news of the 6.2 earthquake in Christchurch, NZ, where we were on February 11. Have sent off emails to hear some news from our friends. We get two TV stations and as long as we have satellite reception, we get the news as soon as it is reported.

Formal night with a welcome cocktail from Stein Kruse and picture with he and his wife and John Bowles, Broadway and West End singer/actor; great show.

Falling in to the groove of being onboard now. Friends stop you along the hallway to chat; crew stop you to talk and laugh. Longer cruises turn in to a “community-at-sea”, like a retirement village at sea! Your needs are well attended to and you are seeing new sights with each port of call. What could be better…

Hobart and Port Arthur, Australia

Thursday, Feb 17 – Hobart, Australia!

Hard to believe we are where we are and from where we have come. The days pass and sometimes you have to pinch yourself that are really sailing all these days and you are almost to “where???”!! Some of the group leave us in the next few days so that is sad…

Hobart is Australia’s second oldest city; was founded in 1804 and was an isolated prison camp. It is a nice port town; hilly and easy to get around either on foot or with car. We rented a car with friends and headed out to the Bonorong Wildlife Park, where we saw koalas, Tasmanian devils (they whine like a saw buzzing!), wombats (my favorite!), kangaroos, quoll (never heard of them! – indigenous cats), echidnas, emus, all kinds of birds, blue-tongued lizards…most were brought there because they were hit on the road or found in the bush. Emphasis is on conservation, education and rehabilitation of injured animals.

Continuing up the main road on the island, we came across 22,000 fenced sheep so of course we had to stop! (The joy of having your own vehicle)….They had just been auctioned off for $100-125 per sheep. One farmer just purchased 150 and they were counting them out. We saw the sheep dogs in action as they herded the sheep onto the trucks. Some were going to be shipped via ferry to Queensland and New South Wales (states on the mainland). The farmers were very nice and it was great to see this in a real life situation.

We continued up to the small town of ROSS and drove through the two streets. Most of the town’s buildings were built by convicts and there was a female prison, marked today only by a plaque. The buildings were of stone; there was a monument commemorating the fallen from WWI and it had a wonderful small town feel – two bakeries, one hotel, one gift shop, the church, beautiful bridge built by prison stone masons…the rolling hills in the area are covered in dried out grass with a few green trees and there are a few black cows. Along the way, an ironmonger had built statues of animals and people which he placed at the top of various hills alongside the road. Great sculptures!

We continued up to Launceston (LON-sess-tun), the 2nd largest city on Tasmania, to explore the magnificent Cataract Gorge, which is right in the city! We missed the last ride on the world’s longest single span chairlift but that was OK with us. The Bushland, cliffs and tumbling waters of the South Esk River really feel a million miles away from town. We went on two walking tracks (First Basin Loop and Cataract Walk), across the Alexandra suspension bridge over the First Basin and along the gorge.

Wrest Point Casino, returned the rental car but found out the office was closed, the hotel next door was closed where we were to leave the keys and so we had to arrange it with the bar on the corner and we parked in a tow-away zone! Oh dear…
Next time: Cadbury visitor center, MONA private museum, and the markets! There is always something new and exciting to look forward to.

“People grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously. This is how character is built…” – Eleanor Roosevelt

Friday, February 18, 2011 – Port Arthur, Australia

After two ship-to-shore phone calls, found out the rental car and keys had been found and recovered. We tendered right in to the National Historical site of the country’s largest prison, Port Arthur. This area was a timber station in 1830 but it is best known for being a penal colony from 1833-1850. The hardest of the convicted British and Irish criminals and secondary offenders having re-offended after their arrival in Australia called this home. They had some of the strictest security measures in the British penal system. It is now a World Heritage site.

Most of the buildings were damaged by a bushfire in 1895 but you can still see the framework of the church, the round guardhouse, visit the interior of the decorated commandant’s home, hospital and government cottages. There is a harbor cruise to the Isle of the Dead where approx. 1769 convicts and 180 others are buried.

In the 50 years following the establishment of the first settlement in Tasmania in 1803, 57,909 male and 13,392 female prisoners were sent to the island. Many ended up at Port Arthur, where the slightest infraction would be punished by 100 lashes or weeks of solitary confinement on a diet of bread and water. In time, the penal colony became a self-sufficient industrial center where prisoners sawed timber, built ships, laid bricks, cut stone and made tiles, shoes, iron castings and clothing.

Afternoon nap!! Lately, I have been exhausted so I know I need some “me” time. During dinner we sailed past the scenic “organ pipe” rock cliffs on Point Raoul. They were incredibly colorful and the sun was setting on several other islands to cast a beautiful shadow like a white and black photo of the scene.

Saturday, February, 19, 2011 – at sea in the Tasman

This is the first morning we have awakened to rain – a wet deck and rain on the window (which is located inside the promenade deck)!

We were invited to the private engine tour (there were 8 of us) and we saw the three large engines, the waste eliminator, the incinerator and various other loud and hot machines! We wore ear plugs so it was difficult to hear, but nonetheless, interesting to see. Their computer room has a large wall filled with screens and printouts and cameras pointed on the funnels and the azipods. They work a four-hour shift, have time off and then a six-hour shift in the 24-hour work day.
Lunch with friends and then Chorale rehearsal with the band and on stage! We’re semi-professionals! Guest talent show was good fun: magician, accordion player, opera singer, bird whistler, comedian, barber shop quartet, “tip toe through the tulips”…and then the Chorale. We sang a medley of “Try to Remember, Play A Simple Melody, Button Up Your Overcoat, On the Sunny Side of the Street, Bandstand Boogie, A String of Pearls and That Old Black Magic: and finished with our rehearsed encore of “Our Favorite Things” with these words:

“Maalox and nose drops and needles for knitting,
Walkers and handrails and new dental fittings,
Bundles of magazines tied up with string,
These are a few of my favorite things.
Cadillacs and cataracts and hearing aids and glasses,
Polident and Fixodent and false teeth in glasses,
Pacemakers, golf carts, and porches with swings,
These are a few of my favorite things.
When the pipes leak,
When the bones creak,
When the knees go bad,
I simply remember my favorite things,
And then I don’t feel so bad.
Hot tea and crumpets and corn pads for bunions,
No spicy hot food or food cooked with onions,
Bathrobes and heating pads and hot meals they bring,
These are a few of my favorite things.
Back pains, confused brains, and no need for sinning,
Wrinkles and thick waists and hair that is thinning,
And we won’t mention the dent and the dings,
When we remember our favorite things.
When the snow comes,
Or you need Tums,
Do the wisest thing,
Call up your agent and book a GRAND CRUISE,
And then you won’t have the blues!”

Swapped photos from computers and cameras, worked, dinner with the friends who hosted on the Grand Voyage to Asia Pacific in the Fall, Simeon Wood from the UK who played various flutes and pan flutes and Lance Ringnald, gymnast and juggler on the silks were the entertainers.

Every day, we get room service for breakfast. Our room is tidied by the stateroom attendants . When we return from dinner, we have a towel animal creation sitting on the bed – could be anything ranging from an elephant, lizard, penguin, seal or bird…I have never seen such creativity. What takes me 10 minutes, they can do in a minute! We have a casino, movie theater, culinary demonstration center, dance and computer classes, library, lecturers on three diverse subjects and onboard sports where you can earn dollars to redeem for Holland America merchandise.

“Great work is done by people who are not afraid to be great.” - Fernando Flores

Christchurch, Dunedin, Oban, Milford Sound

Friday, February 11, 2011 - Christchurch, New Zealand –the most English city outside of England!

Lovely, brisk sunny morning greeted us in the Lyttleton harbor. Gene hosted a tour to the Manderley Farm to see the sheep dogs in action and I took the first bus to the city to be greeted by our friends, Bob and Evelyn, my southern hemisphere grandparents! After a cup of coffee and a little chat, I settled in to work since it was approx. 3:30PM in Delaware by that time (the previous day’s afternoon!) and I had a few hours where I could use Skype to phone various businesses and clients. It took longer than expected, but of course I under-estimate! Had a great lunch of homemade soup and fresh tomatoes and cucumbers from their large garden. Beans, potatoes, grapes, onions, Swiss chard, rhubarb, carrots, lima beans, garlic…all meticulously tended.

I saw where the October earthquake of 7.1 made their parked and garaged car lurch forward and damage their freezer and the garage door. Many stores and buildings in downtown Christchurch were surrounded by fencing, meaning they would be torn down as they were unstable. Earthquakes are not new to New Zealand and they have an Earthquake Commission to assist in disasters. They regularly experience 15,000 a year but they are very slight tremors; I’ve never felt one. To the bank, met Gene downtown, had a nice blackcurrant juice/coffee and headed to the ship. After saying goodbye, we met two more friends who came onboard for a ship’s tour. Hopefully, a cruise is in their future!

Dinner and show – Solo Mystique – a quick-change (costume change) ballroom dance duo from Australia who have won several dance awards.

Saturday, February 12, 2011 – Dunedin, New Zealand – the most Scottish city today outside of Scotland!

We docked in Port Chalmers and the town provided a complimentary shuttle to the town center. Today was their annual Thieves Market and many streets were blocked off for the various vendors and suppliers in the Octagon (city center) . We toured the First Church of Otago (county) and had a very nice chat with the past vicar, who also created a Heritage Center in the back of the church. The church was opened in 1873 and still has bell ringers in the belfry – the only Presbyterian Church in the world to have bell ringers. We visited the Dunedin Art Gallery and Cadbury World (yes, the famous chocolates!). Next time we would take the train to the Taieri Gorge and explore Larnach Castle and see the rare yellow-eyed penguins and royal albatross colonies! The albatross have a wing span of more than 12 feet. They can circle the world and have been documented to fly an average of 80,000 miles each year.

Our friends, Michael, Sarah and Grace came to visit us on the ship! Michael was an AFSer with me in Denmark from 1977-78 so it has been 32 years since we last saw each other!!!! It was absolutely wonderful. He is a solicitor with the Australian government and has lived in Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and now in Queenstown, New Zealand. They drove over four hours to share a few hours with us. Sarah is a teacher and museum registrar. Grace is a lovely 10-year old and she enjoyed exploring and her time in the pool! They are returning to Denmark this summer to visit his exchange family.

Entertainment was Simeon Wood, musician.

Sunday, Feb 13 – Oban, Stewart Island, New Zealand

This is a remote natural paradise only 15 miles off the South Island. It takes a hearty soul to live in the sometimes-rugged environment, but whaling and logging have given way to a pleasant fishing and farming community. There are approx. 390 people on the island. It is a pristine place of native bush, rain forest, sand dunes and natural wetlands. It is also perhaps the only place where kiwis outnumber people.

Coldest day yet and the long underwear came in handy! We tendered to Golden Bay on the 1st tender and crossed the steep hills to get to Oban and Halfmoon Bay. We climbed (and I mean climbed!!!) to Observation Rock where we had a nice view of the bay and small islands, including Ulva Island, a nature preserve since 1899.

Presbyterian church service at 11 – tea and cookies and savories with the small congregation and visitors – trekked back to ship on a very steep path with a million steps (past Lonnekers Beach up Peterson Hill Road, to Deep Bay to the Deep Bay Track to Golden Bay– worried about making the ship in time! The small museum is open 2 hours a day showing the whaling and European milling industries. The island has less than 20 miles of roads and most of them are unpaved. Would return here again…

Tony Pace, Las Vegas headliner “The man with the voice who just happens to be funny”, performed. Worked until 1:30 AM.

Monday, Feb 14 – Dusky, Doubtful and Milford Sound, New Zealand – World Heritage Sites- Valentine’s Day!

Probably our last day for long underwear for the entire voyage. Very tired but up to see Dusky Sound. We sailed around Resolution Island; Captain Cook first sighted the sounds on February 13, 1770. He spent two months exploring the area on his second voyage. It is believed that the first beer brewed in NZ was brewed here by Cook’s crew. Wandered around the ship and they had pastries in various nooks. 11AM we had pea soup around the ship. Afternoon tea served around the ship; reminded me of the trans-Atlantic steamers and being served out on the decks with people wrapped in their blankets. Lunch with friends; beautiful scenery as we watched from the back of the ship by the pool. Doubtful Sound was next; a very large fjord named Doubtful Harbour by Captain Cook – he was not sure he could ever get out of it!

“There are just a few areas left in the world where no human has ever set foot. That one of them should be in a country so civilized and so advanced as New Zealand may seem incredible, unless one has visited the south-west corner of the South Island. Jagged razor-backed mountains rear their heads into the sky. More than 200 days of rain a year ensure not a tree branch is left bare and brown, moss and epiphytes drape every nook. The forest is intensely green. This is big country…one day peaceful, a study in green and blue, and the next melancholy and misty, with low cloud veiling the tops…an awesome place, with its granite precipices, its hanging valleys, its earthquakes faults and its thundering cascades.” - Charles Lyttelton

Called the 8th wonder of the world by Rudyard Kipling, sailing in Milford Sound (fjord) was absolutely stunning. Brilliant sunshine, sheer rock faces that rise 3960 feet, high peaks including the well-known Mitre Peak, several gushing waterfalls, small day cruising ships passing us, kayaks sailing under the waterfalls…As this is known as the wettest place in NZ, it was quite a contrast to our last visit to the Sound with teaming rain and millions of waterfalls cascading down around us.

Valentine’s Day with hearts and red decorations all over the ship. Valentine’s Day Ball in the Queens Lounge. “Black Tie” opera, piano, cellist and comedian performed.
“The happiest life is that which constantly exercises and educates what is best in us…” - Hamerton

Tuesday, Feb 15 –at sea and on to Australia!

Slept late – so tired. Skipped my classes. Worked; lunch with friends. Lance Ringnald, Olympic gymnast, juggler and musician performed; we went to both shows. Choir rehearsal; cleaned up room (even the room attendant is wondering how we find things?!) Dinner with crew friends in the Italian restaurant, Canaletto.

Wednesday, Feb 16 – at sea in the Tasman Sea

Ship is rocking these past few days but this area is known to be that way. Lunch with friends, dinner with Lance Ringnald, the Olympiad and choir rehearsal. We are now 16 hours ahead of you which will make it difficult to call Delaware during waking hours. Paperwork. P.E.O. gathering (my woman’s group) today and there are at least seven other Sisters onboard! Amsterdam Singers (men only) performed.

Documentary on paparazzi photojournalist (if you can call him that) Ron Galella. Amsterdam singers and dancers performed “Street Singing”.

“The will to persevere is often the difference between failure and success.” - David Sarnoff

Auckland, Tauranga and Napier NEW ZEALAND

Took a beautiful walk around the Auckland harbor at night; similar to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, it is filled with boats and restaurants and a fun time for all is just about guaranteed.

Great Haka legend Maori folkloric show with the chants, songs and dances of the Maori people, the NZ native culture. See it live when you watch the 2011 world rugby match this year!

CRUISE LOG: As of today, we have logged 9,975 nautical miles; have used 140 tons of fuel per day traveling 21 knots (39,500 gallons); have consumed 1,400 tons per day of water (370,000 gallons). The ship is 62,735 gross tons with 1,442 guests with a crew of 597. Our maximum speed has been 24.5 knots.

“In the hopes of reaching the moon, men fail to see the flowers that blossom at their feet.” - Albert Schweitzer

Monday, February 7, 2011 – Auckland, New Zealand
We took the free bus (with the touristy shark-jaws on the top of the bus) to Kelly Tarlton’s Underwater World and Antarctic Experience. It was fantastic! A great introduction to the Antarctic as you walk through a replica of Scott’s 1911 hut, walk under tubes of plexi-glass seeing the fish and shark swimming above you, learn about stingrays , fish and penguins, and ride in the sno-cat through the live penguin area.

Where the ship docks in Auckland just cannot be beat – except perhaps in Sydney! You are in the center of town. Restaurants, transportation, boats, water, islands, beaches, museums, mountains, shops…they are all at your fingertips. And with the perfect summer weather…definitely a port to remember.

“It’s easy to make a buck. It’s a lot tougher to make a difference.” - Tom Brokaw

Tuesday, February 8 – Tauranga, New Zealand
Located in the Bay of Plenty, it enjoys one of the highest proportions of sunny days in the country. It was a hot and humid day and we had a free shuttle the short distance to the main street, which was lined with cafes and shops. Prices have certainly escalated since our last visit. 100% wool or combination wool and possum (yes, possum!) sweaters are over $200. Bracelets of the paua shell which were previously about $10 are now $25. Gorgeous products but the prices make you think twice…

This is a large port for exports of logs, wood chips and timber products. The beaches are wonderful, Mount Maunganui is across the harbor and there are steam/thermal baths in the town.

Most of the passengers took the full day excursion to Rotorua to view the Maori cultural center and thermal mud baths for which the region is famous. Nearly everything is steaming or gurgling. This is the true home of the Maori culture. Geysers, bubbling pools of therapeutic mud, excellent restaurants and luxury accommodations make this area a popular vacation spot.

We did work and I had a fabulous swim in the cool water; fantastic sunshine and nice people at the beach made me not want to leave! We sailed past Mt. Maunganui, which rises 761 feet above sea level.

Sarah Jessica was the cellist and she played a variety of music for a very nice evening.

Wednesday, February 9 – Napier, north island, New Zealand
As this port was only for the afternoon, I did my morning exercises and worked. Rented a Sunny Nissan brand car with a friend and drove to Clifton to the sheep and dog ranch, Wool World. Saw the dogs round up the sheep, sheep shearing with hand-wound shears and the possums.

Drove to the TukiTuki valley and had a great view from the top of the mountain of the valleys and water below. Many, many vineyards in the area. Back to Napier, the art deco city of the country. When the city was leveled by an 7.8 earthquake in 1931, it was rebuilt in Art Deco style of the time. They are now protected and restored; Napier and South Beach Florida are considered the two best preserved Art Deco towns in the world; Napier has been nominated as a World Heritage Site. As we departed, the vintage car association and ragtime band members were at the dock for our send-off. They were fabulous! All dressed in costume and the music was great; so appropriate for this port.
Other sites: Prison tour, National aquarium, wine center, sheepskin factory tour, Cape Kidnappers and gannet colony.

Leo Ward was the entertainer, a magician/comedian, from Sydney, AUS. They are showing the Lord of the Rings trilogy since they were filmed in NZ.

“I soon realized that no journey carries one far unless, as it extends into the world around us, it goes an equal distance into the world within.” – Lillian Smith

Thursday, February 10 – Wellington, NZ – the southern-most capitol in the world
Today, I felt like I was on a cruise in beautiful port with the most glorious weather. Everything went smoothly with our touring, there was no rush in seeing the sites, we enjoyed a sail-away on the back deck with the live band and friends, ate dinner while viewing the green hills and small islands as we cruised past the light houses. The sun was warm, the breeze was brisk and it was just the kind of day I wanted every day to be.

Took the free shuttle in to the city center (not every cruise line gives you a free shuttle to and from the center) and went over to Parliament. Once you have experienced it “live” in your own state, it is fascinating to see the differences, or similarities, around the world.

Took the hour-long tour and then returned to listen to them in the “debating chamber” when they went in to session at 2PM. (Just as we do in the Delaware legislature, they also meet on Tues, Wed and Thursday.) But here, when the “Honorable Member” is speaking in the microphone, other members holler their comments at him/her but only one microphone is turned “on”. The Speaker calls your name and grants you permission to speak, so the other’s comments are not clearly understood but you can certainly hear the rumblings. The first parliament met in Auckland but they began to meet here in 1865 as the south islanders (there are two main islands) took almost two months to travel from their homes to Auckland – some had to sail via Sydney (Australia) to get to Auckland!! Parliament House (an Edwardian neo-classical building replaced the wooden building destroyed fire in 1907), Parliamentary Library (built in 1899, survived a fire in 1907 and badly damaged by another fire in 1992 but since restored) and the Executive Wing (known as the Beehive and looks like one) are next to a beautiful rose garden.

Kate Sheppard is on their currency – the champion of women’s right to vote in 1893. The Supreme Court is their highest court and was established in 2004!!! National Library, Backbencher pub, St. Paul’s Anglican Cathedral and the rail station are all within walking distance of Parliament. We also visited the Museum of Wellington City and Sea. They did a fabulous job of chronicling the city’s history in a captivating 3-D display and told the story of the sinking of the Wahine, a ferry that sunk, very close to shore, in 1968 due to 100 mph winds.

Others activities: cable car, botanical gardens, Te Papa museum (wonderful!), great shopping.

“Great lives are the culmination of great thoughts followed by great actions.” - Peter Sinclair

1st day in Auckland, New Zealand

Saturday, February 5, 2011 – sea
Ensemble cocktail party, questions and answers with Astronaut Duke, Chris Blackmore (magician) and Peter Cousens (London West End singer –fantastic!), lunch with friend, travel work, goodbyes to those leaving the ship in Auckland and cloudy cooler weather – about 65 degrees. Mongolian cookout for lunch on the upper deck; no exercises since I pulled a leg muscle. Dinner with friends at the late seating. Culinary demonstration of Le Cirque’s crème brulee with Pinnacle Grill Chef Das. Book club, star gazing…

Sunday, February 06, 2011 – Auckland, New Zealand
Tried to meet up with friend and go to a softball game but found out he was in Sydney as his friend had the lead tenor role in Carmen at the Sydney Opera House – how exciting!
Free bus around the city center; up to the Sky Tower 61 floors above the city and watched people do the Sky Walk and Sky Jump and toured the casino; the glass floor panels scare me. You look straight down to the street way, way below! Cloudy and humid day about 68 degrees. Computer work at the nearby Hilton hotel. Great restaurants at the waterfront near our ship with a nice sunset. Some of the group went on the America’s Cup excursion and other to the Antarctica exhibition of Kelly Tarlton. Remembered our past visit to the Auckland Museum with an interesting collection of Maori artifacts and the Domain/park around it.

The nearby Edwardian ferry building from 1912 is still used; lovely design with red iron gates.

Sheep outnumber the people in NZ. With a population of 4.3 million people, there are 45 million sheep. The first large-scale wool producing operation was established in the 1850s.

With the advent of refrigerated shipping, a booming meat industry began to replace wool in the 1880s. New Zealand has some of the strictest customs and quarantine laws in the world. We are not allowed to bring any foods off the ship – they have sniffing dogs as we exit. They check our identification cards/driver license two times before we get on the ship: one as we enter the terminal and again before entering the ship. And they check the expiration date of our drive license! Now if the photo and names match, why is the expiration date of such importance?! This one we can’t figure out – we are not allowed to use our passports as they are kept for us for the entire voyage so we use our drivers license. The Canadians had a problem as their ID had no expiration date.

Small island nation of Niue and the Kingdom of Tonga

Tuesday, February 1 – Alofi, Niue
Niue is the largest uplifted coral island in the world, with towering heights over 200 feet high (higher than Delaware!) and the world’s smallest self-governing state. There are 76 miles of paved roads.

We arrived early – by 7:00 and we on the first tender to this 36 mile round beautiful island in the middle of a vast stretch of the Pacific. Niue means “behold the coconut palms”. There are approx. 1500 Niueans on the island. Scarce resources made cooperation essential to survival so disputes between clan-based units united them under an elected monarch. They send an official representative to the UN and there are 20 elected representatives and a Speaker in the Niue assembly. Elections are held every third year. Their currency is the New Zealand dollar and they speak English and Niuean.

With another couple, we rented an older car from one of the only two rental agencies ($40 for the day) and headed north to explore the many caves and coral beaches.
Peniamina’s Grave – who brought Christianity to the island
Avaiki chasm – where the first canoe landed; beautiful swimming hole in a cave
Limu pools – one of the most beautiful swimming and snorkeling areas for fish; caves
Matapa chasm – an easy walk from the main road to the freshwater stream where royalty used to swim
Anapala chasm – an incredible drive on a one-lane road to an incredibly beautiful beach

There were several markers where you could trek to the beach over mossy covered stones. We were on wet, slimy stones and it had rained. I fell. But not badly. But it made my white pants look a right mess! At the next stops, when it looked iffy, I opted to not continue to the bottom. There is only a small hospital and I was not interested in interrupting the trip because of a silly miss-step. Many homes were destroyed and were abandoned. The island had been hit by a cyclone in 2004 and the homes still remain empty. It must have been devastating to them at the time – no where to go and to know it was headed toward you. The joy and perils of living in the South Pacific. Do you know the noni fruit? They had a large farm where the fruits are exported to New Zealand for export again to Japan.

And as we were parking at one location, one of the smaller tour vans backed in to our car. I had opted to walk down this steep hill and since the car’s horn did not work, they did not hear Gene and the others hollering for the car to stop. No real damage to the car and there was so much exterior damage, it was not noticeable (I did tell you it was an older car!) - just a real fright to all of us.

Was supposed to be a free WIFI island but the access was so slow, I had to give up. We left the island at 1:30 and there was so much there we could have stayed longer. Nice shops, the people were friendly and the weather was superb. The beaches had a lot of coral so you really needed good beach shoes to explore.

Sunday is a day of rest and worship and visitors are asked to be considerate of the locals. After church, many people play golf, sightsee or swim. Boating and fishing are not allowed.

After a beautiful sailaway, we enjoyed a special dinner in the Pinnacle Grill tonight with friends from our days on the Queen Victoria. The Pinnacle provides superior service, outstanding menu options, high quality meats and fish in a club setting – very nice! Did aundry and Jack Mayberry, comedian, was the entertainer tonight.

“Life is a ticket to the greatest show in Earth.” - Martin H. Fischer

Wednesday, February 2 – day lost!
Crossing the international dateline: The date line is the imaginary line on the Earth that separates two consecutive calendar days. That is the date in the Eastern hemisphere to the left of the line, which is always one day ahead of the date in the Western hemisphere. It has been recognized as a matter of convenience and has no force in international law. Without the date line, travelers going westward would discover that when they returned home, one day more than they thought had passed. Likewise, a person traveling eastward would find that one fewer day had elapsed than they had recorded. It can be located anywhere in the world and it is fortunate that the area is covered mainly by empty ocean. The position of the line has changed; in 1995, the island country of Kiribati moved a large segment of it to the east, so that the entire nation would be on the same side of the date line.

Thursday, February 3 – Nuku’alofa, Kingdom of Tonga
After going to bed on Tuesday, Feb 1, we woke up to Thursday, February 3 – still a strange concept to me! We are now 18 hours AHEAD of Delaware time.

It is a beautiful sail-in to Tonga as you pass many small islands with palm trees and lovely beaches and reefs. We docked about 9:00 and took the free shuttle to town with some friends. Went to Sunshine Car rentals and went off exploring AFTER we found out 1) you receive a car with almost no gas, 2) you put as much as you need in the car paying with the Tongan Pa’angan dollar (of which we had ZERO) and 3) they do not accept credit cards at the gas stations. So that took some time and she also told us she hoped we would not get stopped by the police as our license was no good. As this is a society that says YES for everything, none of this was discussed until we had already signed the papers for the car rental.

The speed limit is 40 km per hour – a mere 24 miles an hour so even on a small island, it takes time to get around!!

We passed a tent with the locals wearing their black dress (long skirts for both sexes) and a ta’ovala ( a mat wrapped around the waist and tied with rope – for both females and males). It was a funeral, which has enormous cultural significance. Death is a matter-of-fact acceptance and there is a highly ritualized grieving process. Some women cut off all their hair and the men grow beards.

The family is the central unit in the Tongan life. Each family member plays a role, with older persons commanding the most respect. Everything is communal, from food to sleeping arrangements, although brothers and sisters always sleep under separate roofs. Chores are distributed according to gender: men tend the ‘umu (underground oven), grow and harvest food, collect and husk coconuts and perform all manual labour. The women clean, wash clothes, prepare and cook food, and take on the lion’s share of child-minding responsibilities. Land passed down from a father to his eldest son. Religion closely follows the family in importance and almost all Tongans are churchgoers. They are very conservative people, in their dress and language.

The Royal Palace stands by the sea, an ornate white frame home completed in 1867. Drove to 1) Houma to the blow holes where water spouts over 45 feet in the air
2) Captain’s Cook landing place in ‘Alaki
3) Saw the flying foxes (bats)
4) Ha’amonga Trilithon – the Stonehenge of the South Pacific which was erected in 1200AD. There are two upright coral stones about 15 feet high and a horizontal connecting stone about 18 feet long.
5) terraced tombs in Lapaha built in 1200AD – they are formed by quadrilateral mounds surrounded by huge blocks of coral rock up to 12 feet high
6) had a wonderful swim at Keleji Beach in an incredible lagoon with blow holes surrounding the lagoon

After returning the car, we went to the Talamahu market and brought some black coral necklaces and earrings and mother of pearl jewelry. There were both handicrafts and fresh fruits and vegetables in an open-air setting. The internet café was S l o w so that did not work for us. We were the last to board the free shuttle back to the ship and the last to board the ship! And we were not late; guess the others finished their business in town before we did.

A story: Tin Can Mail. In 1882, William Travers arranged with the Tongan postal officials to use 40 pound biscuit tins or kerosene cans as a form of waterproof mail containers. Mail could then be transported from the island to passing steamers and vice versa, thus the term tin can mail. In 1931, one of the swimming postmen was attacked by a shark and the government said that mail must be carried between the islands and ships by canoe. This method of mail delivery was continued until 1983!!! when the first mail arrived by plane.

Friday, February 4, 2011 - at sea
Beautifully calm seas and there were just gentle rolls of waves. Exercise class, watched the DVD from Astronaut Charlie Duke, attended his lecture on the Apollo 16 launch and then enjoyed a nice lunch with he and his wife. They disembark in Auckland and speak frequently to raise funds for church projects. I am interested in his thoughts on passenger space travel as I have passed the tests to promote and sell this type of travel so I hope we can maintain contact. Work on our cocktail party for tomorrow night, formal night with a nice meal, opera singers and work….

Rarotonga Cook Islands

Sunday, Jan 30 – Rarotonga, Cook Islands
The islands are named in honor of Captain James Cook who charted the remote group in 1770. The 15 islands in the small archipelago are spread across 768,800 square miles of open sea!
The capital of Rarotonga is Avarua and the entire island is fairly small. There are a few restaurants, boutiques and an internet café. There is one road around the island and the town retains the nostalgic atmosphere of an old South Sea trading port.

We had very cloudy skies and some rain but took a very nice bus ride (for $10) with a new friend, Willy. We saw the many gardens filled with breadfruit, passion fruit, papayas, mangos, tomatoes, beans, bananas…passed the chickens and pigs roaming wildly…and this was all in the residential section of the island! The hotels are on white sand beaches with nice views to the small motus, reefs and calm waters. Car and scooter rentals require a New Zealand license; English is spoken and the currency is the NZ dollar. It is a 10-hour nonstop flight from LA that arrives on Monday mornings. The 15,000 islands are spread over a territory the size of Western Europe!

It is a Sunday. After lunch, we found the only thing open on a Sunday – the internet office at the phone company – Telecomm. We have to submit a test by tomorrow so we are waiting patiently for a computer. The sun is coming out, along with a rising humidity level. The island is 20 miles in diameter and Te Manga is the highest peak on the island, a volcano nearly 31 miles in diameter. There is no road crossing the island and there are only two bus routes – clockwise and anti-clockwise and the routes are labeled that way!

In the center of town is the “Seven in One Coconut Tree” which is either a single plant with seven shoots or seven separate coconut palms. There are many marae (hallowed meeting places) such as Arai te Tonga. Most of the land is still communally held and huge extended families share all rights and profits from their holdings.

Received the guest list for the voyage – there are two others from Delaware! One from Hockessin and one from Wilmington so I will contact them when I can.

The comedy magic of Chris Blackmore was the entertainment. We have a culinary arts demonstration area which also doubles as the theatre; I watched the movie “Robin Hood” and wondered again why movies must be so violent.

“My eyes are the ocean where my dreams are reflected.” - Unknown

Monday, Jan 31 – At sea
Tai chi, walked, exercise class. Behind the scenes kitchen/galley tour with food samples in several areas. Choir practice. Lectures: 1) (Mr. Cluny MacPherson) “The Paradoxes of Progress” - How community life has changed on the island communities in the Pacific with the arrival of electricity (TV, internet and cell phones), money being pumped into their economy since so many children left to earn money abroad to send home and foreign aid. It reminded me a lecture class from university but it was a gently reminder of the influence we have on the lives of others around the world and 2) with Astronaut/Brigadier General Charles Duke, Jr. from Apollo 16 and the moon landing. He signed autographs and sold CDs on his spiritual and moon-walking journeys. We hope to have lunch with him and his wife, Dottie, later this week.

There are 96 persons in the galley of the Amsterdam with 122 service staff. We are 1187 passengers and 616 crew on the ship. Average weekly consumption of food on board:
8500 lbs meat, 3814 lbs poultry, 1875 lbs fish, 2575 lbs seafood, 1175 lbs butter, 12500 lbs vegetables, 4750 lbs potatoes, 1800 lbs watermelon, 500 qts dairy, 200 gallons ice cream, 18040 eggs, 750 lbs sugar, 2100 lbs rice for crew, 2850 lbs flour, 262 cases sodas, 232 cases beer, 450 bottles champagnes and sparkling wines, 1636 bottles assorted wines and 280 cases water!

Judy Carmichael, a Grammy nominated jazz pianist and vocalist, was the entertainer. I really enjoyed her music – perfect voice for a small club and she had an incredibly soft touch on the keyboard. www.jazzinspired.com
Star-gazing!! Perfect location on the forward deck, with Donna Geisler. We recline on the lounge chairs as we learned about the sky in the southern hemisphere.

We are now six hours behind Delaware time!

“To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funnybone.” - Reba McEntire