Sue Kersh's Epic Adventure

[Happydays]

Enjoying your reports. Nice to hear you're feeling better.

[Dennis The Menace]

Monday 30 Jan 2017 - Final Sea Day before Honolulu

Another very rough night as the Captain tries to outrun the tropical storm. Arcadia copes well although lots of strange noises as the waves hit the side.

The Morning stretch class was not as busy as the last two days probably due to the Motion of the Ocean.

Eggs Benedict was the Special of the Day in the main dining room but the only subject of conversation was the sea state. Yesterday it was described on the TV as being confused today it is no longer confused it is just rough. Stories abound re sea water washing balconies on E deck, a lady on A deck at the bow who embarked in San Fran hadn't slept since then because of the movement, but they had chosen an A deck cabin at the front as they had expected calm South Pacific seas.

The Round the World Coffee Morning was not as well attended as the first one probably due to it clashing with Wayne Sleep talking in the theatre to John Bartram. The officers once again served the delicious cookies but left it to the waiters to serve the hot tea and coffee.

The sun was full on the balcony and was very hot with a nice cooling breeze. We are sheltered from the wind and enjoyed lunch on the balcony washed down with a bottle of beer.

At 3 p.m. It was a toss up between going to the Spanish Class or to the theatre to see the MacDonald Brothers perform their Matinee show. The Spanish Class won as I had missed the 10 a.m. Session and I didn't want to fall behind.

It was the Indian Buffet in the Belvedere and last night we told our waiters we wouldn't be down for dinner as that is where I thought we were going. I haven't eaten in there at all this cruise and I think I have only walked through it twice in over 30 days on board. However last night we were walking past Ocean Grill and somehow ended up booking for tonight. It was excellent as usual and as usual I ended up eating far too much.

By the time we left we had missed the start of the show and headed back to the cabin for a coffee and Drambuie.

The clocks go back another hour during the early hours of tomorrow making us 10 hours behind GMT.

Tues 31 January 2017 Honolulu, Hawaii

The sea had calmed down considerably and the sun was shining as we spied land after 4 sea days. We were a little late docking due to the sea conditions over the last 48 hours.

Our trip wasn't until 10:30 am so after a hearty breakfast we set off to explore the dock area of Honolulu. It took 10 minutes to realise there was nothing whatsoever in a short walking distance. We found a seat in the sun and waited there until it was time to go to meet our trip.

We loaded onto 2 opensided buses for the short drive down town to the Hilton Resort on Waikiki Beach. My first glimpse of Waikiki Beach and it was fabulous. Acres of golden sand and turquoise blue sea, just as I had imagined it.

From there we were given our submarine boarding tickets and got on the boat for the 6 minute sail to meet the sub. The boat was comfortable with clean facilities and an open area upstairs, which after a brief safety drill we were allowed to use and we were on our way. The views of the volcanos and crater from the top deck were fantastic. The first time we had visited Hawaii and I just loved it. The other islands are supposed to be even more beautiful.

The submarine was waiting for us and once the passengers that had just had their trip were on the boat we could get off and descend the vertical ladder into the body of the sub. We each had a shared porthole with one other person which was plenty large enough and gave a great view of the underwater life on the reef. I was lucky as no one was sat next to me so I had a porthole to myself. As we dived to 107 feet we saw so many different highly coloured fish including a reef shark and a couple of turtles. The Atlantis company had sunk various boats and planes to attract the marine life. There was so much to see.

All too soon it was time to surface and back on the boat for the sail to Waikiki Beach.

I had been told that there was nothing to see underwater at Waikiki and I very nearly didn't take my mask and snorkel. I was so glad I had. We had a couple of hours on the beach and I donned my mask and snorkel and swam out about 100 metres to the reef. I wished I had taken my fins as well as the swim out was against the current. Lots more brightly coloured fish to see but the coral appeared to be dead. There was loads to see both big fish and smaller ones, and I spent a long time out there leaving Garry on the beach looking after the bags etc.

Once I had dried off in the sun we headed for an outside beach bar to sample the local brew, then it was time to reboard the bus to go back to the ship. There was a stop on the way which I decided to take advantage of to see the shopping centre and pick up some Wi Fi. Garry went back to the ship and I had 90 minutes wandering around before getting a taxi back to the ship.

The show in the theatre was a local group of Hawaiian singers and Hula dancers. I was really looking forward to it but was disappointed. All of the songs sounded the same and the dances very similar as well. I found myself nodding off and only waking up to the applause.

Tropical party on deck and although breezy it was warm. We returned to the cabin to listen to the music from the balcony. The sun and the swim had really got to me and we had an early night.

I thoroughly enjoyed our day in Honolulu and would love to revisit the Hawaiian islands in the future.

We now have 5 sea days to Bora Bora in the South Pacific which is another favourite of mine.

[OCEANIAFAN]

Thanks Sue brought back some memories when we visited Hawaii.

We stayed on Waikiki beach and boarded our ship from Hawaii, great memories.

[GillD46]

Sounds magical - although there is no way I could get onto/into a submarine, being horribly claustrophobic. Enjoy your sea days now.

[wolfie]

I sent OH on the submarine, Gill, whist I did a relaxing tour of some magnificent beaches followed by some retail therapy at the Alo Moana shopping centre.

[qbman1]

We did a "submarine" trip on Grand Cayman. It's really not as claustrophobic as you might think - really just like being downstairs on any boat trip (except the views are far better !)

[Dennis The Menace]

Wednesday 1 February 2017 1 st sea Day to Bora Bora

Another early morning start but harder to get out of bed today after the exertions of yesterday in Hawaii. Lots of other pax must have had the same thoughts as the exercise class was only at about 75% today. I was glad I had made the effort as it was a good class.

Usual morning sea Day routine of breakfast then the beginners Spanish Class before a couple of hours relaxing on the balcony before room service lunch, followed by more reading and time in the sun before the Improvers Spanish Class which was as usual very well attended.

2 nd formal night of the cruise and an early evening dance date which is really for 2 nd seating dining but as we were out of dinner by 7:30 pm we got an hours dancing in whilst the floor was relatively empty.

We didn't go to the show which was Donny Ray Evans a tribute to Nat King Cole and instead headed for East bar for a quiet drink before the Ball started at 9:30 p.m.

A bit of a Hu Ha at the Ball. Geoffrey the dance instructor and host plays music for everyone and mixes it up. Ballroom, Latin, sequence and Party dances. One couple decided that even though they didn't know any sequence they would get up and do their own thing. This nearly caused a riot on the floor as sequence dancers all do the same moves at the same time and this couple just didn't care who they banged into or got in the way of. Geoffrey stepped in for the next sequence dance and asked them to leave the floor to the sequence dancers. Well they really didn't like it and the body language was dreadful. Poor Geoffrey got it in the neck. We left soon after this so no idea how it ended.

Tomorrow we have the World lunch to look forward to.

Thurs 2 Feb 2017 - 2 nd sea Day to Bora Bora

I went to the early morning stretch and Abs class, then breakfast where I met a a lady called Margaret who is an avid reader of my blog, she asked me to mention her sister Mary who is also following this cruise.

The sea is now calm and the temperature hot and humid as we near the equator. We are now at 8 degrees latitude and as soon as I walked outside I felt like I needed another shower.

The captain opened the Round the World luncheon with the sobering reminder that it was exactly a month since we departed from Southampton on this epic voyage. Time has flown by and I want it to slow down a bit now. We enjoyed the World Cruise luncheon hosted by the Food and Beverage service manager. It was a happy table and the conversation flowed well about the ports we have seen and others that we have to look forward to. The food was excellent and I drank far too much wine mainly due to the conversation flowing so well that I didn't notice how attentive our wine waitress was being, but as our host is her boss of course she is going to look after his table solicitously.

When we returned to the cabin another luncheon invite was waiting for us for Sindhu on the 4th February.

It was in doubt but I did manage to get to the 3 p.m Spanish class. For whatever reason Common Sense has prevailed and although Iris our fabulous Spanish tutor will still disembark in Tahiti for shore leave she will re board Arcadia 4 days later in Auckland and stay on board until Sri Lanka. Victory to the passengers and brownie points to P & O for actually listening and being proactive.

The show was Hillary O'Neil the comedienne. We had seen her in our earlier days of cruising and probably about 10 years ago and remembered that she was very funny. I would say that 75% of her show was exactly the same but I still found her hilarious.

It should have been the 60 s & 70s party on deck but the Tropical rain put paid to that and it was moved into the Globe, which then relegated the ballroom and Latin dancing to the retreat.

No more time changes now until after we leave Tahiti and our third sea Day tomorrow.



Fri 3 Feb 2017 - 3 sea day to Bora Bora

I really need to find out how to block numbers on my phone. I keep getting calls from a particular number which although I don't answer they keep waking us up in the middle of the night. It is always the early hours which is of course working hours in the UK. Annoyingly they are Preston numbers as well and I suspect a call centre.

I went to the early morning exercise classes and when I returned Garry had managed to bag a washing machine and by the time I got back from breakfast where yet again I met Margaret and her husband, the balcony looked like Window Twankeys.

Our first alcohol free day this week since Sunday and I can tell that after the excesses yesterday I am ready for it. Water only all day and as it was a hot sunny humid day it was easy to stick to.

I swerved the 10 am Spanish class and for the first time this cruise went up on deck by the aft pool and had a couple of hours in the sun reading. There always seems plenty of sun beds on Arcadia.

There was a deck BBQ for lunch but I returned to my balcony to enjoy room service poached salmon and salad. The sun was on the balcony and the laundry was drying well and I stayed there until it was time for the afternoon Spanish Class. By this time I was looking a little lobsterish (if that's a word).

We sailed by Christmas Island at 2 p.m. And a pod of Dolphins welcomed us by displaying their prowess in the water. Christmas Island is the first place in the World to celebrate the New Year as it is located on the International Dateline. Ships time is still -10 GMT as the Date line does not go in a straight line and Bora Bora and Tahiti are in the same time zone as Hawaii. The Island looked deserted but it is inhabited and stuck in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. This is where Britain first tested the Hydrogen Bomb in the late 1950s. It certainly wouldn't feature anywhere on my bucket list.

The Guest Speaker was Stuart St Paul talking about disasters and trials which we will try to catch up on later on.

The Arcadia Orchestra performed Dixieland in the Globe followed by an early evening dance date there before Phil Melbourne a singer and comedian who was in the Palladium. Another busy night on board Arcadia.

We returned to the cabin early just as the TVs Information channel was showing 00 latitude which meant that we were just crossing the equator at at 9:40 pm.

We sat on the balcony watching the stars of the Southern Hemisphere.
tomorrow will be the official ceremony when we belatedly ask King Neptunes permission to cross over the line.



Saturday 4 February 4 th sea Day to Bora Bora

I watched the fabulous sun rise just before the start of the Early Morning Exercise Class which was once again very busy. I was hoping that Stefan our hunk of a gym instructor was going to be our King Neptune for the crossing of the line ceremony. Unfortunately he knew nothing about it and was more worried about what it would do to his hair!

After breakfast I went straight up to the aft deck to get a sunbed at the very back for the Ceremony. The breeze at the aft was a welcome relief to the intense heat of the tropics. Even though it was only just after 9 a.m it was very busy up there and unfortunately the deck hands had either forgotten about the ceremony or hadn't been informed and the entertainment staff had to start moving people and beds around to make room for the festivities which were due to start at 11 a.m.

Slightly later than advertised Scott introduced King Neptune and his wife Aphrodite along with King Neptunes Nyphettes and the crew that were first timers crossing the equator called Polywogs. Captain Luca could easily be recognised as King Neptune and the polywogs were were well and truly doused with cooked slimy spaghetti. I guess the pool will be out of action for most of the afternoon as the spaghetti is cleared from the filters.

It was a fun event and tainted only by a certain passenger who thinks she owns the ship and can do anything she wants even if it upsets many passengers. Last time I came across her it was on the dance floor during a sequence dance when she was asked politely to leave the floor but caused a hu ha about it. This time she just stood directly in front of a ladies sunbed, blocking not only her view but those behind her and those pax stood by the rail. Despite passengers asking her to move she completely ignored every ones request and stood there arms akimbo for the duration of the event. If they had had a bucket of iced water I know exactly where it would have ended up.

We dashed back to the cabin and showered and changed ready for the exclusive lunch in Sindhu to celebrate the Arcadia being allowed to cross the equator. The lunch was delicious with so much food to choose from. I had the lobster to start followed by King Prawns and Salad then what I thought was a boring but healthy fruit salad turned out to be anything but as it was swimming in champagne. A fabulous lunch.

I managed 90 minutes reading in the sun before the afternoon Spanish Class. There is no breeze on the balcony and the air conditioned cabin was a welcome relief.

We are really being spoiled this cruise with the entertainment both at night and during the day. Three different speakers today. Ted Bourn speaking about ancient and modern Polynesian navigators and their exceptional skills, Carol Klein's subject was about wild flowers, and Jean Heard discussing Queen Adelaide. The amount and variation of the different entertainment on board is exceptional. A lot clashes with other events but the speakers can be caught up on later on

After dinner we headed for the Palladium to ensure our seat for the Best Headliners show Killer Queen. The lighting effects were stunning and the cast performed their favourite show to a full house.

The Formal Ball was in the Globe but we only managed a couple of dances before we headed to the Atrium for the Champagne Waterfall.

It is many years since we have seen the spectacular Champagne Waterfall event on P & O. Another exclusive event for the World Cruise.

Rose the Head Wine Steward supervised the building of a 9 tier high structure of glasses. Nigel the Bar Manager together with Rose poured the first bottle of Lanson into the top glass and we watched as it cascaded down into the next 2 tiers. After that passengers watching were asked if they would like to empty a bottle into the Waterfall. I know if I had volunteered it would have been me that caused the structure to collapse so I declined the invite. I did panic a bit when a very large lady who used 2 walking sticks rushed up to take her turn. The temporary steps put there to enable access to the top glass wobbled and shook and Nigel rushed forward to hold them steady as everyone else held their breath. She did very well and was successful in adding the bottle to the waterfall. A great photo opportunity.

Tomorrow is our last sea day before we reach our next port of call the Beautiful Island of Bora Bora.

Sunday 5 February- Final Sea Day before Bora Bora

Another hot day but with quite a strong refreshing breeze. After the exercise classes and a breakfast of scrambled eggs and smoked salmon I found my spot on the aft of the Aft deck where the breeze can be felt.

I was only there for about an hour before Garry came up to let me know that the sun was on the balcony so I packed up and headed there for the rest of the day. We had room service lunch without wine as this is another designated alcohol free day.

At 3 p.m. It was my last Spanish Class for a week. A fun class and Iris has set us some homework to do in our spare time until she reboards the ship in Auckland. I think she was amazed how well this was received.

Whilst getting ready for dinner there was an announcement that as an American port had been our last port of call, the French Polynesian Authorities were insisting on the ship collecting all passports off the passengers in readiness for our call there tomorrow. I just hope disembarkation isn't held up because of them checking all passports.

The Evening show was called Sunday Night At The Palladium with two comedy acts, Hilary O 'Neil and Phil Melbourne.

We had a quiet night and retired to the balcony for coffee and more star gazing.

I am so looking forward to being in Bora Bora tomorrow and swimming with the sharks and rays.

[qbman1]

We are really being spoiled this cruise with the entertainment both at night and during the day. Three different speakers today. Ted Bourn speaking about ancient and modern Polynesian navigators and their exceptional skills, Carol Klein's subject was about wild flowers, and Jean Heard discussing Queen Adelaide. The amount and variation of the different entertainment on board is exceptional. A lot clashes with other events but the speakers can be caught up on later on

Loving all the reports Sue and Dennis but this was the best yet!

Good gig for Carol Klein! Last time I saw her was at Malvern in the Autumn - bet she didn't need the coat this time!!

IMG_5548.JPG

[GillD46]

You are making it all sound so very tempting. Roll on next year and QM2, although sadly that won't involve the Pacific.

[RieB68]

Loving your a blog Sue, sounds like you are having a great time...look after Arcadia for us for next year xxx

[Dennis The Menace]

Afternoon all. Latest update from Sue, enjoy :


Mon 6 Feb 2017- Bora Bora

A cloudy overcast very hot and humid Bora Bora welcomed us. The sun occasionally broke through the clouds but generally it was a rainy day.

I didn't go to the Early morning exercise class as it was Eggs Benedict for breakfast and I had to collect my tour ticket by 8:25 a.m.

This is a tender port and the Maasdem was already at anchor and a Clipper ship joined soon afterwards. A very busy day for the small island of Bora which is only 6 miles long and 2 miles wide.

The weather didn't spoil my experience of swimming with the sharks and Rays as I was wet any way. Our first stop was to swim with lots of yellow with black tipped finned sharks, translucent blue Pilot fish and huge Rays as well as many highly coloured reef fish. We had about 3/4 hour there and Ed our Ukele playing, singing, Local French Polynesian Captain fed the rays to encourage them. They didn't need much encouragement and soon there were so many of them wanting petting and feeding that it was hard to get away from them to see the sharks. The sharks were not as friendly as the Rays but were quite happy to swim around the boat and allow us close enough to get some photographs. Ed warned everyone not to chase them or touch them.
The pilot fish followed the sharks around as did the reef fish feeding off the scraps that the sharks left behind and 'photo bombing' most of my photos.

Our next stop was the Coral garden which was located further out towards the edge of the lagoon. The colours of the fish and coral were mesmerising and looked like someone had gone under water with a lilac paint can. Many turquoise and electric blue clams were clinging to the coral. Lots to see here but the coral in places was deteriorating due to the weather and tourism.

Ed took us past the Hilton hotel which is made up of wooden houses on wooden stilts in the sea. Very picturesque but as it was 'down season' it looked empty and neglected. At over $1,000 per night to stay here there were very few people around. Our next stop was Matira Beach for a swim and where I sampled the local brew. I felt sorry for the bar owners as due to the weather the beach was deserted compared to the last time we were here when they were doing a roaring trade.

All too soon it was time to head back to the port where Garry was waiting for me to return. It was still raining and we sheltered in the tourist office where I used the facilities to change out of my wet swim wear and into semi dry clothes. A taxi arrived and announced that he was going to Bloody Mary's and only charging the same price as Le truck , the beach shuttle was charging. Bloody Mary's was heaving but we found a corner of the bar to sample the local brew and a bonus was it had good free wifi.

When we returned to the port the queue for the tender snaked all around the undercover port area. We got on the 2nd one to arrive so only about a 30 minute wait in the end. The problem was the small port area and 3 different sets of tenders using it. The fact that Arcadia has over 100% extra passengers to the Maasdam and probably 4 or 5 times times more than the Clipper didn't give us any extra port space or time.

It was still raining when we got back on board but very pleasant sat on the balcony with the view of the skies clearing over Bora Bora.

I was shattered so we decided to have room service dinner on our balcony with a bottle of wine as we sailed away from beautiful Bora Bora . When we were way passed due time to sailaway the Captain announced that there was a delay due to a 'kink in the anchor. ' We were around 3/4 hour delayed before we finally got on our way. It is not far to Papeete so should not delay our arrival there.
We had fabulous views of the Island as we slowly made our way through the extremely narrow reef.

We sat out watching the few lights disappear enjoying a Drambuie with our coffee.

Tomorrow is Papeete the Capital of Tahiti.

[allatc]

You seem to be getting quite a lot of rain on this cruise ?

[Meg 50]

I didn't go to the Early morning exercise class as it was Eggs Benedict for breakfast and I had to collect my tour ticket by 8:25 a.m.

I didn't realise that the brekkie menu is posted. When does it go up?

We usually use the buffet for brekkie - but for eggs benedict...........

[Barb44]

Meg

I don't know whether the breakfast menu is posted but Eggs Benedict is always on Mondays in the main dining room. I think this is on every ship.

[Jonty S1]

Meg et al,

It took me a few cruises to notice that whatever breakfast special is on in the MDR can be selected from the buffet breakfast the following day. The kedgeree matures nicely.

[GillD46]

Why isn't it on the menu every day?

[Meg 50]

thank you all

(forgotten how to multi quote!)

[Dennis The Menace]

Tue 7 Feb 2017 - Papeete Tahiti.

A totally different day weather wise. Hot and humid with blue skies. Some clouds over the mountains but they didn't look threatening.

I went to the exercise class and watched our arrival into the port. If only all exercise venues had this view.

After breakfast we set off to explore Papeete. I was a bit worried as we hadn't booked a trip as we had been here before and did a full island tour. It is a beautiful island with huge waterfalls and colourful Botanical gardens. The beaches though are black volcanic sand, and the nearest white sand beach is on the island of Moorea which requires a ferry to cross to.

The port is in the centre of the city but is vibrant. Music and dance welcomed us ashore and everyone was given a flower by ladies dressed in the colourful traditional Tahitian dress.

Tahiti is the largest of the 118 islands of French Polynesia. It is a remote island in the Pacific, 4100 miles from Los Angeles and 3800 miles from Sydney. It is where the infamous mutiny on the Bounty took place as the sailors loved Tahiti so much that after 6 months of the good life there they did not want to leave.

Our first stop was the tourist office for a map. I had downloaded a walking tour of the city but as soon as we got off we realised that it was far too hot and humid to attempt walking far. From the map we found the local market. So colourful and so much to look at. I was tempted with one of the colourful sarongs or Pareos and I compared the differences in quality before deciding which type I wanted, which of course was the most expensive one, but as I explained to Garry it is pointless buying one that will shrink in the wash. Next I had to decide which colour and design. So much choice. The shop assistant was very patient and helpful. Her English was far better than my French.

We wandered around and purchased some bracelets for our Granddaughters and a hair ornament for me, then it was time for a local beer. We found a bar which sold internet time for 2 dollars for an hour and even though it was busy with cruise ship passengers the speed was better than the ships internet.

Refreshed we set off again exploring the city but soon found that because of the heat and humidity the airconditioned shops held more attraction than the parks and churches. We kept looking at the Tahitian Black pearls but were very wary of the quality so decided against making a purchase.

We returned to Arcadia for a late lunch on the balcony overlooking the busy harbour. We could hear the Tahitian music and it was a lovely afternoon.

There was a late afternoon show in the theatre by a local group of Tahitian musicians, and dancers called Tahiti Ora. It was probably the best show we have seen all cruise from guest performers. The girls shook their tush so fast that I was surprised that their sarongs worn as skirts did not fall off and the men opened and closed their knees from a crouched position at the same speed, and had strategically placed clothing which managed to stay in place to cover their manliness. It was just fabulous. There were so many changes of outfits all very colourful including the grass skirts and headdresses. We realised then that what we had seen for sale on the market and had presumed were the Tahitian equivalent of feather dusters were in fact part of the dance routine. Every dance was very different from slow romantic dances to the fierce noisy war dances. At the end they got a well deserved standing ovation.

We sailed away from beautiful Tahiti and passed the Regent ship and tucked in at the side of it the tiny Black Watch. The island of Moorea came into view unmissable with its tall volcanic peaks. The clouds over the island looked like it had either been drenched or was about to be drenched.

After dinner we went up to deck 11 for a drink in East bar and booked Sindhu for tomorrow night and also another date later in the month.

When we returned to our cabin there was an invite to a Round the World Cocktail Party for tomorrow evening. We will have to attend the early 6 p.m. one.

We now have four sea days before we reach Auckland and we also cross the International date line which means we miss a full day.

[GillD46]

Sounds idyllic. The SF - Sydney sector is our next choice.

[qbman1]

Meg

I don't know whether the breakfast menu is posted but Eggs Benedict is always on Mondays in the main dining room. I think this is on every ship.

Yes, the daily specials are the same throughout the fleet - same for all the breakfast menu. Probably a sign that I have been cruising with P&O too long but I could probably quote the entire menu !

[RieB68]

Loving your blog Sue, sounds like you are having a great time...look after Arcadia for us for next year xxx

[Dennis The Menace]

Wednesday 8 Feb 2017 - 1st sea Day to Auckland.

Another very hot and humid day not much breeze to give relief but some cloud cover.

The exercise class was not as busy as usual possibly due to the heat and it is a long time since we had an hour change.

During breakfast the Captain warned of a storm ahead but that he was certain that it wouldn't cause Arcadia any problems.

Garry went for a hair cut today and at £9 it was a bargain as they trimmed his eyebrows and beard as well for that.

I relaxed on the balcony in the sun and had a lazy day reading after two busy port days. We had lunch on the balcony which has become our usual routine as I won't use the buffet and the main dining room means I have to make an effort which on sunny sea days I don't want to.

I checked what was on instead of the Spanish lessons and nothing really appealed enough to encourage me to move out of the sun.

I noticed that we have a new batch of guest speakers.

Anita Mays whose talk title was 'Life is a gift but Thrust is a Must' the talk was about her passion for flying and her struggle as a woman to be recognised.

Mark Harvey - Making sense of the 21 st century discussing Brexit, Donald Trump and Marine Le Pen.

Peter Meihana - The creation of the Maori World.

Totally different subjects and enough variation for everyone. I do not often attend these lectures but do catch up with them on the TV if I get chance.

It was the World cruise cocktail party and as there are only 492 of us doing the full world and 2 cocktail parties it was easy to move around and chat with different officers and passengers. We were told that the Australian officials were not boarding in Auckland as is the norm but that we will do the Oz immigration in the terminal building. It will be much more efficient than the American immigration. There will be a changeover of over 1000 passengers.

We had booked for Sindhu and we were very happy with the new menus. We have always enjoyed Sindhu but the menu was very limited and hadn't been changed for a few years. Now there is so much choice.
A very enjoyable meal with a nice bottle of Rioja Crianza. It was quite busy but plenty of staff to ensure the service was seamless.

Tomorrow is another sea day and if the Captains forecast is correct we are in for a rough night as Arcadia sails into the storm.

Thurs 9 February 2017 - 2 nd sea Day to Auckland

The Captains dire warnings came true and we hit the storm during the night. Force 10 gale and enough rain to clean the balcony. The temperature was still mid 20's and by the time we woke up the sun was out burning off the cloud and everything was drying up nicely.

I didn't make the early morning exercise class after being woken up by the motion of the ocean during the rough night.

After breakfast the sun was high as was the temperature and not a cloud in sight. It may have been windy on deck but our balcony was sheltered from it. Eventually I decided it would be more pleasant on deck with the breeze. It had reached 30 degrees in the shade. The deck was busy but still lots of empty sun beds to choose from.

I returned to the cabin for lunch on the balcony, no wine as another designated alcohol free day. We may only be having two alcohol free days a week but they do seem to come round very quickly.

Another lazy day spent reading inbetween the sun and the shade.

The Headliners show was New York City Rhythms in the Palladium which is not our favourite show so instead we went to the Dance Date in the Globe.

After the dancing finished all of Arcadia musicians got together for an off the cuff unrehearsed jam session.

As we have crossed the International Date Line we miss Friday 10 th February completely and when we wake up tomorrow it will be Saturday 11 th February and instead of being 10 hours behind UK time we will be 14 hours in front.

Friday 10 February 2017 - The day that never was.

Having crossed the time line we completely lost Friday 10 February.

The Arcadia team did however produce an 'Horisn't to mark the day that never was.

Clothing for today is optional.

Lots not going on like Early Morning Contortionism followed by Flab Abs.

Terrifying tastes of Tyrranosaurus Rex in the Spinnaker bar.

Training in how to make the perfect gleaming bathroom as it is the cabin stewards day off.

Two Port talks, The Moon and Valentines Island.

Create crochet underwear in the craft class or roll around in paint at the art class.

Become an expert in walking the plank or Beginners Pole dancing class on the flag pole.

Naked mud wrestling

Gossips get together in the Launderette

The foodless buffet

Free champagne event and cocktail of the day is also free, as is everything in the shops.

Darts Match with an inflatable dart board.

Marilyn Monroe's Comeback Tour.

Lots more events not going on around the ship.

This is certainly an Horizon (Horisn't) to keep.

[wolfie]

We still have our 'Horizon' from the day that never was and I don't keep much of the usual daily stuff but that was a one off.

[gilly88]

love the day that never was. one to remember.

[barney]

Brilliant reporting Sue,
Please keep it going