Rhapsody of AussieLad: Live(ish) from North Queensland and the South Pacific

[TeamH]

Really enjoying this review and looking forward to some more about the islands.

[JBSmomof2]

Moving this up! Just wanted to let you know how much. I'm enjoying reading your review! Can't wait for the rest.

[Sparky74]

Moving this up! Just wanted to let you know how much. I'm enjoying reading your review! Can't wait for the rest.

 

You got me all excited for a second, there. I though AussieLad had posted an update.

[TeamH]

You got me all excited for a second, there. I though AussieLad had posted an update.

 

haha same!

[drarill]

Excellent review and amazing pictures!! love the towel animals!! Thanks for sharing your cruise with us!:):)

[The_Big_M]

Just back from this cruise myself.

 

Enjoyed reading your perspective. I thought the "tenders" at Airlie Beach were the best of all - air conditioned! - larger! - comfy seats! - as they were commercial operators rather than regular tenders, but agree with most of your other points, especially that first entertainer. Movie selection was a bit older, and got repetitive fast. Cruise director and activities manager were great, as was the captain.

 

It was a fun cruise. :-)

[Jason12]

Great review, look forward to cruising with you in April..

[Essexlass2]

So did Aussielad jump ship in the islands? :eek:

[AussieLad]

AussieLad lacked reliable internet in the islands. Fighting to use RCI's connection wasn't worth it. Remainder of updates will be up tonight.

[Esilef]

AussieLad lacked reliable internet in the islands. Fighting to use RCI's connection wasn't worth it. Remainder of updates will be up tonight.

 

And I thought you had met some really hot chick and forgotten all about us!

[The_Big_M]

AussieLad lacked reliable internet in the islands.

 

Heh - was going to suggest that. After having got the girl, and higher priorities arose.

[AussieLad]

Day Nine

At Sea

 

Three guesses what I did this morning. No, you're quite wrong, I skipped the destination lecture for breakfast in the Windjammer, collected my Bloody Mary from the Schooner Bar, and headed to the Shall We Dance Lounge for Day 3 of Progressive Trivia.

 

Our team is in the lead with two games down, and heading into the third, we put in a respectable performance. Unfortunately, the last game isn't until Day 15, so we'll have some time before we find out whose trivia answers reign supreme.

 

Then back up to the Solarium for a relaxing afternoon. Unfortunately, this means I forget about the Genius Test and Music & Movies Trivia sessions, causing some consternation among my bar trivia buddies when I show up again later in the afternoon. There's also a quick dash to the casino - I think they're getting used to me showing up and demanding one dollar bills for tips, they seem to be reaching for them before I even make it to the counter. So they should, if they're going to limit me to ten one-dollar bills each trip, they need to be prepared for my daily visits.

 

It's earlier than what I'd usually go for, but I decide to rejoin the MDR gang for dinner again this evening. It sure beats my luck at MTD otherwise so far.

 

This evening's entertainment "Australia's Dynamic Instrumentalist" Jon Darsk. As far I can tell, this mean that he can play both the piano and the violin, although not at the same time. He puts on one of the better shows I've seen so far.

 

Afterwards, it's back to the Shall We Dance Lounge. Wait, no. The other thing. Schooner Bar. You don't think I'd change watering holes mid-cruise would you?

 

Not for long, though. Tonight is the Dancin' Under The Stars party on the pool deck (even though, ironically, the lights on the ship make it impossible to actually see the stars). Seems like most of the ship has turned out, and there's a camera guy weaving through the crowd, displaying people up on the big screen like it's a sports game.

 

 

 

It's hard to explain, to those that haven't experienced it before, how fun a party on the top deck of a ship at sea at night can be.

 

 

There's even snacks out on deck for those that are interested.

 

 

 

After some hearty partying, snooze calls. We're in Vila tomorrow.

 

So it turns out that AussieLad may not be as against loud music and physical gyrations as much as claimed. Will this trend continue, or will he show his true colours before the end? Will he even remember? Tune in next time.

[AussieLad]

Day Ten

Vila, Vanuatu

 

I hate days when we're at a port (or tender location). I always have to get up early. It'd really be better if they could pull in sometime in the afternoon. Or maybe the day after. Yeah, that would be better.

 

We're off fairly early for my tour, billed as a "Round Island Safari". We're herded into minivans and our driver for today is Jacques (at least, I think that's his name, it sounded like "Jack" with a French accent, but with my record of names so far it could well have been Houdini). Jacques is a big, boisterous Melanesian man who drives his van precisely according to Vanuatu's road rules. Exactly. I'm also joined by (amongst others) the two British tourists that I did Airlie Beach with, but do you think I remember their names? (I think his name is Richard).

 

 

Per the usual routine, we are herded from place to place. Our first stop is to a "traditional" Melanesian village, where we are treated to some brief talks on the traditional way of life, while behind our speaker, another man is peeling a coconut with his teeth. With. His. Teeth.

 

The speaker notes that strong teeth are important.

 

We're also told about the importance of family, and how bananas can be preserved for up to five years and 25kg of preserved bananas will feed a family of four for a year when a cyclone hits and food becomes scarce. It might not be pleasant, but "it's not about the taste, it's about survival". Obviously this is now a recurring joke for the rest of the day.

 

We're also treated to some traditional dancing (including one which "they only do for the chiefs") and firewalking.

 

 

 

 

 

Our speaker closes the morning with some comments on how tourism is helping to preserve the old ways.

 

The trip all feels a little bit depressing to me, to be honest. It's interesting learning about the old ways, but to me it feels like they've reduced (by choice or otherwise) their traditional ways to a tourist gimmick. It's not about culture anymore, it's about dollars. It's sad.

[AussieLad]

Day Ten

Vila, Vanuatu

(continued)

 

We are off now to a nice little park where the main feature is a beautiful river which you can (and some do) swim in. Not much else I can say that the photo's won't tell you better.

 

 

 

 

[AussieLad]

Day Ten

Vila, Vanuatu

(continued)

 

Now for lunch at a nice little beach area.

 

 

 

If I haven't mentioned it before, something to note is that on this tour (and all the other tours where food was offered) no one at any point has ever asked about dietary requirements. This was a problem on this tour as we were eating tuna breadrolls, which at least one person was unable to eat (I think they were vegan). Keep this in mind if you are ever on a tour where it says lunch will be provided and you have special dietary requirements.

 

Some people try to have a quick dip, but are quickly pulled out, as the next stop is the swimming stop.

 

 

Not many people like this stop. With the boats around, it has the distinct smell of a marina, and the ground is not the soft sand of the previous stop. However, I think the snorkeling is better here, and people that do go out report that there is some very pretty sea life out there.

 

We have a final stop in town to pick up some duty free, but unfortunately, despite people raving about the duty free in Vila, I don't find it any better than what's on board. Yes, they have a better range, but it's all rubbish I wouldn't want to buy anyway, and the drink that they do have in common with the ship isn't any cheaper than on board. Still, I take the opportunity to snap a photo of our Rhapsody on the other side of the harbour.

 

 

Eventually, we reunite, and we get back on the ship.

[AussieLad]

Day Ten

Vila, Vanuatu

(continued)

 

I'm not off to the main dining room tonight, as I have Chops booked for 8.30pm. The show this evening is a country show by the Royal Caribbean Singers & Dancers, but country isn't my thing, so I sit at the Schooner Bar for a while and try my hand at music trivia (we do badly).

 

I hadn't been looking forward to Chops, being on my own, but I discover at the Schooner Bar that housekeeping had found bed bugs in Steve and Sarah's room and so they'd been transferred to a new room and, as Royal Caribbean didn't want them in the main dining room that night, had set them up for an 8.30pm Chops meal as well. Score.

 

I also share in their discovery of drink combinations. It turns out that they had spent some part of the afternoon at the Schooner Bar trying all the flavours of Absolut with various mixers and found that Absolut Vanilla with Coke tastes nearly identical to Vanilla Coke with no taste of vodka at all. At Sarah's prodding, I order an Absolut Vanilla with Coke and enjoy it. And another. And Sarah enjoys another. And Steve enjoys another. And we all enjoy another. And we enjoy another again. And the evening progresses in this way until it's time to go to Chops, but there is a genuine question of whether we'll actually make it, despite it only being a few feet away.

 

After a bit of reshuffling to make an area that can seat the three of us, we sit down for an evening of steakhouse dining. Our waiter this evening is Constantine, who we are familiar with (at least by sight) already (Chops is next to the Schooner Bar, and the Chops waiters will go to the Schooner Bar to collect the cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks that Chops patrons order).

 

To start, I have the Chops Signature Salad. From memory, so does Sarah, and Steve has the Cheese n' Onion Soup. The salad is average at best, which is sad, it's the first salad on board that I've really been disappointed with.

 

For our main, Sarah and I order the Filet Mignon, and I forget whether Steve had the T-Bone or the New York Strip Steak. Either way, all are magnificent. There's nothing like a high quality piece of meat cooked well. I throw caution to the wind and order the prawns as well to share (remember this in Chops: if you want an additional main it'll cost you extra as only one main per person will be included in the cover charge). These are also nice. We also order a number of sides, all of which are great.

 

The highlight of the evening, however, is the desserts, which deserved their own photos. Of course, there are four desserts on the menu and only three of us, but after we can't decide Constantine gives in and brings all four (note that this didn't cost extra).

 

Creme Brulee:

 

 

Chocolate Mud Pie:

 

 

Red Velvet Cake:

 

 

Strawberry Parfait (or something like that):

 

 

We squabble over which is the better dessert, but Steve and I and our Chocolate Mud Pie eventually overrule Sarah's Red Velvet Cake.

Dinner goes on for some time, and we miss the Liar's Club Game Show as the Shall We Dance Lounge is already packed by the time we arrive. One of the annoying things about this ship is how venues get so busy so quickly. It's like none of the venues are quite big enough to fit all the people that want to be there.

 

Instead, it's the usual routine: Schooner Bar, Viking Crown, and bed.

 

AussieLad thought he was going to Mystery Island. But, after looking at the itinerary for the ship, is actually headed for Lifou, making the real mystery how did he confuse the two in the first place given he'd barely scratched the surface on the drink package at that point. What will this "unexpected" port bring? Tune in next time.

[Familygoboston]

Even though I'm 1- female 2- usually well accompanied on my cruises and 3- old; I'm enjoying your review! One little thing you will notice as you age...it truly is a state of mind- some people are "old" at 30 and others are quite "young" at 70. I'm somewhere in the middle and never feel as old as the mirror shows;)

 

Vanuatu looks beautiful! I loved Sydney and French Polynesia but still have a lot of ground to cover between. On my bucket list!

 

Looking forward to the rest and you still have a few days to meet some ladies...but I'm hoping you don't kiss and tell;)

[AussieLad]

Day Eleven

Lifou, Loyalty Island, New Caledonia

 

There are no tours in Lifou, so I am allowed to recover from the night before in peace with a nice sleep in and lazy breakfast at the Windjammer before I head to collect my tender ticket to the island. Unlike Airlie Beach, for Lifou the ship is using its own boats as tenders, and the process is a hell of a lot smoother and quicker.

 

Lifou is a very nice island. While I'm not a big swimmer (a terrible thing to say as an Australian), I have the feeling there will be swimming today.

 

 

As you walk on the road left of the tender dock, there's a fork in the road. To the left will lead you up a long walk up a hill to a small church. The church itself is nothing fancy, no more than a one-room building, but the view on the way and up the top is worthwhile.

 

 

 

 

Taking the fork on the right will lead you to a nice lagoon in which you can snorkel called the Aquarium of Jinek (photo taken from the hill).

 

 

I don't have snorkel gear, but a nice gentleman called Bernard (I think) lends me some goggles and flippers, so in I go. I'm not fussed on coral like some people are, but there are most definitely some very nice fish around the place. The water is pleasantly cool, and it is with some regret that I get out before I overpush Bernard's generosity and my endurance.

 

The only annoying thing is that you're meant to pay $15 (AUD) to swim there, which seems ridiculous for swimming in the ocean. I find out later that it has something to do with the new platform for getting in/out that has been built. Still, after I've had my fill of swimming, a poor family of eight (two parents - six kids) show up and a few people try to undo the sticky wristbands we've all been given to give to them to try and re-use rather than have to pay $120 just for swimming.

 

I have a wander through the stalls, which are frankly disappointing. by this time the amount of energy I had spent on swimming was getting to me, and I needed foods. I'd have been interested if I could have purchased some traditional Melanesian / New Caledonian fare, but aside from the drinking coconuts, all I see is (*) with rice, hot dog n' chips, and the like. So I head back to the ship.

 

The tender back to the ship is the longest ever - not because of the amount of time it took, but because of my IMMENSE HUNGER. I don't know if I'm going to make it all the way to Windjammer on Deck 9 or whether I'm going to collapse on Deck 7 and be the first person in human history to starve to death on a cruise ship.

 

Somehow - barely - I make it. Foregoing the healthier (ish) options I would usually consider, I cut straight for the rubbish food. Inspired by the women in the stalls, I pile my plate high with hot dog and chips. Only hot dog and chips can sate my IMMENSE HUNGER.

 

The next few minutes is not pretty, but eventually my IMMENSE HUNGER is sated. Purely to make sure, I grab some desserts as well, bump into Steve and Sarah and catch up with them, and then settle in at Schooner for an afternoon of trivia and drinking. Before long it's dinner with Gary, Sally, Dave, Helen, Fiona and Tara (I'm getting better with this name thing).

 

This evening's headliner is Ben Price, an impersonator (apparently). He's reasonable, but not great, falling into the trap that many people do when it comes to impersonations: you're not a good impersonator just because you quote a whole bunch of lines from the movie / song / (*).

 

Tonight is meant to be the Battle of the Sexes Game Show, but the same problem as before arises: the Shall We Dance Lounge is packed. It's also country night, but as before, country's just not my thing, so I stick to my usual pattern and eventually head off.

 

Tomorrow is Noumea. Will the famously anti-French AussieLad survive on the famously French-colonised island? Will he swim with the fishes (in a non-Luca Brasi way)? And with only a handful of days to go, has the quest for female companionship reached its end? Tune in next time.

[Coralc]

Day Ten

Vila, Vanuatu

(continued)

 

 

I hadn't been looking forward to Chops, being on my own, but I discover at the Schooner Bar that housekeeping had found bed bugs in Steve and Sarah's room and so they'd been transferred to a new room and, as Royal Caribbean didn't want them in the main dining room that night, had set them up for an 8.30pm Chops meal as well. Score.

 

I.[/i][/color]

 

Bedbugs! Oh yuck! Poor Steve & Sarah. :eek:

[AussieLad]

Day Twelve

Noumea, New Caledonia

 

It's another early morning today in order to be the first people to jump off the ship. My tour today will be taking me to Amadee lighthouse, an island off Noumea, for a full day of rest and relaxation.

 

Our dock in Noumea is a container port, and today's a work day, so we get off the ship and straight off the bus for a short trip around the corner to the actual marina, to get on another boat for the 40-minute trip to the island. Very quickly I bump into Simon (remember Simon? From breakfast in the Windjammer? Way back at the beginning?) around the same time.

 

Turns out there's two tour groups on the island today, us and a French language group. Different activities are running at different times for each group (so that we get the right language).

 

 

There are ample beach chairs around for the taking, so I quickly settle myself in. I just miss the coral reef ferry tour (unfortunately, the only one of the day), so I take the time to do a bit of wandering around the island.

 

 

It takes 267 steps or thereabouts to get to the top of the lighthouse, but you're rewarded with some wonderful views.

 

 

 

[AussieLad]

Day Twelve

Noumea, New Caledonia

(continued)

 

After that hike I'm getting a little peckish, so it's lucky that lunch will be coming up shortly. Lunch today is a barbeque buffet with roast beef, prawns, tuna, sausages and other treats, with various salads, desserts and fruits to follow. There is also quite a lot of wine being passed around, as well as (alcoholic) punch. Not the fanciest of fare, but a change from the ship, and I happily join Simon and his friends to enjoy. It's also time for a display of traditional music and dancing.

 

After the leisurely lunch, I relax for a time more before getting on one of the glass bottomed boat tours which are running for the island's guests. After the relatively formal atmosphere onboard Rhapsody, the safety briefing for the glass bottomed boat is refreshing: "Your lifejackets are in the net above. If the ship sinks, grab a lifejacket and swim for the island."

 

We are quickly introduced to the pilot fish, who literally stick themselves to the bottom of the boat as it goes along.

 

 

There's a wide variety of fish to be seen.

 

 

 

We also manage to hunt down a turtle.

 

 

There are tubes from the top of the boat down which we can use to feed the fish below. It quickly becomes a frenzy. These big fish come out of nowhere.

 

 

When I get back, Simon has lent me his goggles, and I spend a happy time hunting fish off the beach. The biggest thing separating Amadee from Lifou is that in Amadee, huge schools of fish appear around me out of nowhere, and disappear just as quickly even when I'm following them. It's fun.

 

Unfortunately, it is eventually time to be herded back onto the ferry, to get onto a bus, to go around the corner and back onto Rhapsody. We arrive about ten minutes late of our scheduled boarding time, just in time to hear Captain Rob give his casting off announcement. This is why I like booking tours through the ship: it may be pricier, but the ship stays for us. A shower and change and it's time for dinner again.

 

The entertainment this evening is not a show in the theatre, but an aerial show in the Centrum which is frankly a letdown. I didn't find the show particularly impressive (cynical, I know), but the biggest issue was that the Centrum really doesn't have enough space for the number of people that want to see it. I'm told of a story afterwards that a group of people in seats was blocking some of the people I met, and commented that they'd been waiting since 7.15pm - despite this being the 9pm show and that if they'd been sitting since 7.15pm they'd have seen the 7.45pm show and were now just being greedy seeing it twice instead of making room for the people who didn't see the earlier show. Bah. End rant. Centrum too small, faith in humanity misplaced. The end.

 

After spending twenty minutes of my life I won't get back failing to watch the aerial show, it's the usual routine and bed. Tonight is the white party (everyone's dressed in white), but the comfort of my bar stool proves to be too much and I don't make it to the top deck.

 

This fellow was waiting for me at the end of the day.

 

 

Bed proves more dangerous than previously (and I don't mean dangerous as in waking up next to someone you did not expect to wake up next to). Clearly, my exuberant swimming over the past two days had pushed certain muscles over the edge and, rolling over, I feel a knot develop in my right calf. This has happened before, so I know what's coming, but that's no comfort. Keeping my voice down, I manage to grind my teeth through the initial pain, but more concerning is that I won't be able to put substantial weight on my leg until it clears up. And I'm meant to be in the Isle of Pines tomorrow. Why today? Oh, why today...

 

AussieLad's mind is willing, but the flesh is rebelling. Perhaps ten days of feasting and drinking followed by two days of swimming was a bridge too far? Tune in tomorrow.

Edited January 14, 2014 by AussieLad
completeness

[AussieLad]

Day Thirteen

Isle of Pines, New Caledonia

 

It looks like the thirteenth may be the unlucky day after all. A few hours and I'm able to put enough weight on the ball of my foot to be able to hobble around, but not enough to comfortably walk as usual. Isle of Pines being a tender stop, this could prove tricky.

 

I'd had a tour booked for the Isle of Pines, but it had been cancelled a few days ago (I hear from others who also had that tour cancelled that the tour operator couldn't find a driver). After hearing how easy it was to visit the Isle of Pines on your own I'd frankly been relieved that the tour had been cancelled, and it appears that may be the case in more ways than one.

 

I manage to hobble my way up to the deck and decide a ship day sounds like the way to go. The weather is overcast and windy, the water is choppy, and after spending the day on a beautiful island relaxing and swimming yesterday, the pushing need to, well, spend the day on a not-quite-as-beautiful island relaxing and swimming, isn't as pressing. If I ever cruise the South Pacific again (and I no doubt will), the Isle of Pines is a frequent stop, so no doubt I'll have the opportunity to visit when I'm not a cripple.

 

Taking things philosophically, I grab my morning Bloody Mary (Jose is now so used to my drinking timetable that he'll have it half-poured before I even get from the doorway to the bar) and settle down for a lazy morning.

 

The lazy morning develops into a lazy day. Keeping off my leg, I alternate between drinking and lazing until it's time for dinner. I even forego the show (Ballroom Fever by the Royal Caribbean Singers & Dancers this evening). Sorry, people, if you were looking for another riveting and photo-filled experience, today was not that day.

 

However, even my leg, and the whitewash that my team took in the Madonna trivia that evening, was not enough to keep me from the evening activity. The activity of activities. The activity of legend.

 

QUEST.

 

I know I could have taken photos. But that would be breaking the first rule of Quest. What happens at Quest stays at Quest.

 

Quest was its usual entertaining self. The sock joke, the skipping, the men-women's fashion parade. There was a slight hiccup when Ken called for "a pair of twins" and one of the teams presented him with actual twins, but my team (team 5) proved victorious and all was well.

 

If you have to ask what I got up to after Quest, you clearly haven't been following this thread.

 

It's the final countdown: only two more sea days to go, and then it's back in Sydney and reality. Will AussieLad cut loose in the short amount of time he has left? Or will he rock it out at the Rock Britannia party tomorrow night? Tune in next time.

[AussieLad]

Day Fourteen

At Sea

 

Happily, my leg has mostly cleared up, and today I am able to wander about the ship in my normal morning routine with only a slight twitch from my leg. Windjammer, Bloody Mary, and morning trivia.

 

Morning trivia brings something both unexpected and terrible.

 

That awkward moment when your two trivia teams are in the same bar at the same time when trivia is about to start.

 

Fortunately, not all of the bar trivia team shows up, so I join the Dean-Sharon-Nikita-Paul (I have now learned that Nikita is the daughter) team. Sarah, being the only one at the bar interested in trivia this morning, joins us, which causes her all kinds of grief later in the evening when the rest of the bar trivia team "disclaim" the "traitor" captain who defected to another team. But that's her story, not mine.

 

This morning's trivia is tough. Really, really tough. Insanely tough. Impossibly tough. And, somehow, by complete fluke, we win, triumphantly taking each that princely prize, a Royal Caribbean highlighter. Victory was never sweeter. All credit to Paul, the question he knew the answer to was, I think, the only question that no other team got right, and hence the question which pushed us over the line.

 

Incidentally, the question was "What did Harry Williams invent?". I'll tell you the answer at the end of the day.

 

Jimmy, one of the bar crew, is celebrating his 51st birthday today, so the bar crew are all descending on the Main Dining Room for lunch to celebrate. It's funny at this point in the cruise to note all the things that the ship is running out of - lettuce proving to be one of them. It's hard to see why they even put on the salad bar for lunch when there's no lettuce to be had. Tomato, apparently, is also something that is running in short supply.

 

With one day to go, Sarah, Steve and I would quite like to fit in another specialty restaurant, so I dash to Giovanni's after lunch and manage a booking for lunchtime tomorrow. Nothing like cutting it fine.

 

A quiet afternoon leads to a relaxed AussieLad for dinner and the last formal evening of the cruise. Over the past few days, our waiters Julius and Stephen have loosened up. Stephen has shared stories of when he was a pro boxer in the early nineties with photos and scorecards and discussed how his daughter is now interested and training in boxing as well, while Julius jokes around and may or may not have dirty danced the support column next to our table a few days ago.

 

This evening's headline performer is La Forza, billed as "Australia's answer to Il Divo". Given I don't know what Il Divo is, I can't comment on how much they actually answered. Apparently it's pop opera, but there was nothing operatic that they performed. Still, they were very good singers.

 

After the performance it's time to get ready for Rock Britannia.

 

 

I don't stay long. As I've said before, Centrum is cramped, and Ken's got nothing on Joff when it comes to ridiculous partying. So it's back to the normal routine.

 

I should probably make a note of the piano player at the Schooner Bar. On this itinerary, we have Ed Manego. He's not as bawdy as the Schooner piano player when I was on Independence (I can't remember who that was), and by this point in the cruise some of the songs are getting a bit repetitive, but he's enjoyable background noise to the bar.

 

And Harry Williams invented the pinball machine.

 

One day to go... tune in tomorrow.

[AussieLad]

Day Fifteen

At Sea

 

The last morning of the cruise also brings the fourth and last day of progressive trivia. Dean, Sharon, Nikita, Paul and I are currently on top of the ladder with 222 points, the team behind us ("Four People One Stateroom") is on 193. A healthy margin of error, but when the first question is worth one point, the second question two points, the third question three points, and so on, a right or wrong answer late in the game could see even our 29-point lead demolished.

 

This is the hardest day of progressive trivia (although not trivia overall - that was yesterday) that we have encountered, and we're not the only ones struggling. Many a question is mulled across the room, and many a good answer is lost. But we emerge triumphant, our lead diminished but still standing, as Henley may say, bloody, but unbowed. And as Jamie delivered unto us a poorly wrapped bundle of various Royal Caribbean branded products, we embraced and wept and experienced the joy of the just.

 

We then had to work out how to divide our winnings. Of course, there was not enough of anything to divide everything evenly. I ended up walking away with a passport holder, small umbrella, magnetic photo frame, and travel coffee mug. We agreed to meet that afternoon at the Schooner Bar to share the bottle of champagne included to toast our victory. A fitting end to the trivia successes of the cruise.

 

Time for a break, during which the acrobats put on a final (and, as far as I'm aware, only) performance in the Centrum during the day.

 

 

Also the obligatory dash to the store to pick up my duty free - a bottle of Macallan 1824 Whisky Makers Edition and a bottle of Grey Goose. Nothing too flash.

 

It was soon time to meet Sarah and Steve at Giovanni's for lunch. To understand Giovanni's is easy: (1) everything is faux-Italian, (2) there is a LOT of food, and (3) the food is GOOD. We ordered antipasti, breads, salads, risotto, pasta, steak, chicken, and various other dishes, and aside from the lasagne, it was all wonderful. We were glad that we did not eat breakfast, and I was seriously considering whether I shouldn't have eaten dinner last night as well.

 

There was so much food that, despite having started at 12.30pm, we were semi-seriously wondering whether I'd make my champagne appointment at 3pm, but we managed to leave with time to spare (fortunately Giovanni's, like Chops, is next to the Schooner Bar, so it would have been a short walk anwyay). I spent an enjoyable last few hours with my trivia family over our champagne (which one of the waiters kindly swapped for an identical bottle from the fridge).

 

It was then time for an enjoyable last supper (see what I did there?) with my MDR family. As expected, phone numbers, email addresses and Facebook accounts were all exchanged.

 

Even the wait staff got involved, doing a little song and dance downstairs.

 

 

 

This evening we saw Joel Ozborn, "Dynamic Entertainer". I suppose he was closest to a comedian. He wasn't the best performer I've ever seen, but I never felt like looking at my watch, which is more than I can say for a lot of performers. There were also various bits and pieces by Ken, the Royal Caribbean Singers & Dancers, and Orchestra, for a good final night.

 

Now for the saddest moment of all: saying goodbye to the Schooner Bar.

 

I think it's appropriate now that I pay tribute to my favourite people on the ship. Say hello to Jose and Mo, the Schooner Bar bar staff.

 

 

A last dash to the Viking Crown for the toga party (which, sadly, didn't really take off - they really should have done the toga party earlier in the cruise. Or a pyjama party. I took my TARDIS dressing gown for nothing...), a final walk around the top deck of the ship (the light of other cruise ships in the distance - the first ships we've seen at sea since we left Sydney), and to bed for one last time.

 

Will AussieLad make it off the ship? Or will he cling desperately to the hull and have to be dragged off kicking and screaming? Tune in tomorrow.

[AussieLad]

Day Sixteen

Sydney, Australia

 

All good things must come to an end, and sadly, this Rhapsody of the Seas, North Queensland and South Pacific, trip (and this report) are the same.

 

Everything had been packed yesterday, so today the only things to do are to get into the clothes which I had left out, and wait for my time to disembark. With plans to meet friends in Sydney for breakfast, I'm going with self-disembarkation.

 

Soon enough, 7.15am rolls around, and I head for deck one with a heavy heart (and suitcase). Swiping my SeaPass card for the last time, I go through quite possibly the laziest customs desk in history (one woman collecting returning citizen cards and one desk with "BIOSECURITY" stuck to it that everyone walks past) and I find myself back on the streets of Sydney.

 

It's uncomfortable to reach the end of a long trip, particularly when you've become so familiar with the surroundings and the people. Research has proven that it takes as little as two weeks for the place where you live to become "home", and after fifteen nights on board, Rhapsody defintitely became "home" to over two thousand people. Still, there's flights home, work to be done, and hungry friends to meet, so I grab my suitcase and start heading for Hyde Park.

 

 

Goodbye Rhapsody.

 

Stay tuned for the Cruise Summary and Q&A.

 

Coming soon: AussieLad is venturing further from home, into the strange land of the east. What will a different ship, different languages, and different women bring? Voyage® of AussieLad: Singapore to Tokyo, coming April 2014.

Edited January 14, 2014 by AussieLad
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