Come sail with me on a virtual cruise on Majestic Princess to Fiji!

[ellie1145]

30 minutes ago, RLK33853 said:

Sorry for the delay - you had asked for photos of the Jenolan Caves in the Blue Mountains.  Here are a few out of one cave complex.

 

Thank you so much for posting those amazing photos.👍

 

Wow, that is certainly spectacular! Well worth putting on the bucket list.

 

[ellie1145]

1 hour ago, ellie1145 said:

 

Then it’s time for my daily swim up in the Hollywood Pool. This has become a daily occurrence, and at 6.00 pm I generally have this amazing pool to myself (courtesy of the Captain, of course...).

 

The water is so warm that I can get straight in - none of that dipping my toe in and inching my way into the water malarkey. I call it the ‘Toe Dipping Dance’ and I usually do a very good impersonation of Michael Flatley, before I finally submerge. Today I exceed my target 20 lengths, and manage 24. It leaves me feeling my batteries have been recharged.

 

There’s a little wave for you, just to prove I actually DO go swimming every night. 🤣

 

 

 

Then it’s back down to the cabin for a shower and hair wash and we get ready for dinner, which is not until 7.30 pm, an ideal time for us. We generally watch a movie during this time, and Princess really excel at this with a huge range of great movies to choose from, all free, and as it’s on demand, you can stop and pick it up in the same place later, something we really miss on Royal Caribbean, where movies are not free.

 

I usually pop in and out on the balcony to capture a few last minute sunset photos if it’s not too late, but tonight it is too dull and cloudy and there is no beautiful sunset.

 

 

[ellie1145]

What’s On?

 

 

During the day there hasn’t been much to do for those who were unable to visit Dravuni.

 

Movies Under the Stars has had ‘Cirque du Soleil: Alegria’ at 12.15, with the evening movie being ‘The Upside.’

 

‘The Sun is Also a Star’ is playing in the Vista Gaming Lounge at 7.15 pm and is in Princess Live at 11.45 am and 2.15 pm.

 

Trivia is at 10.15 am, 3.00 pm, 4.30 pm, with a music quiz at 8.15 pm (50’s and 60’s Rock n’Roll) and at 9.15 it’s Movie Poster Challenge in Princess Live.

 

Tonight the headliner show is Andy Joy, a multi-instrumental Showtime. This is also shown live as a Simulcast in Princess Live, which is something we’ve not encountered before.

 

As always there is lots of live music, such as Michelle Joly in the Crown Grill and Bar, Classical and Contemporary Melodies with Music Wave String Duo in the Piazza, Piano and Cocktails with Vadym Tutov, Late Night Sounds with the Zinger Quartet, and our favourite Rudi Douglas in Crooners.

 

I am utterly mortified to have missed the Age Spot Clinic, Colour Me Beautiful, Restore your Skin, How to Increase Your Metabolism, Eliminate Fluid Retention and Puffy Ankles, as well as Acupuncture for Stress Relief. I’m afraid that I am still fat, haggard, full of age spots and bloated, all of which is making me very stressed. I just hope DH doesn’t notice......

 

[ellie1145]

Dinner

 

There is only one thing which will take my mind off missing all those seminars - dinner! I may need the whole bread basket to myself.... bring me some more butter please!

 

DH orders a starter for a change, the Watermelon and Iced Citrus Mascapone, which comes in a pretty glass. I order a fruit plate followed by soup. I don’t know why I chose that one, as I prefer the split pea. Must have been too stressed out by my seminar failure to read the menu properly. I really do need to get some acupuncture....

Pass me another roll, please...

 

 

 

We both order the Steamed White Fish, and I have a baked potato and steamed vegetables with mine. 

 

 

To finish there is no contest. Of course it has to be one of Princess’s deliciously mouthwatering soufflés. Orange Grand Marnier is one of my favourites, and by the end I am feeling much more relaxed.

 

Who needs a seminar anyway?

 

 

 

 

[JF - retired RRT]

#4 is Woody Woodpecker.

[ellie1145]

41 minutes ago, JF - retired RRT said:

#4 is Woody Woodpecker.

 

 

Correct! Well done!👍

[cnd crsr]

What a delightful time we had on Dravuni... I hated getting out of the water to return to the ship. Floating around in the warm ocean was so relaxing. As a result I am stress free! Dinner and sitting on the balcony listening to the ocean is a perfect way for me to end the evening.

 

Between the school visit  and time swimming here, this definitely is a spot  I will add to my bucket list.

 

Now for trivia -------

 

1.I am pretty sure the Americans were the first country to blow their noses with tissues,

2. Is the most eaten fish  tuna?

3. Canada was the host country that did not win a gold medal.

#4 I didn't know, I see JF-retired RRT  has the answer

 

Hoping all goes well for your husband tomorrow. Plus happy anniversary to both of you🙂

 

Gail

[JF - retired RRT]

Just now, cnd crsr said:

What a delightful time we had on Dravuni... I hated getting out of the water to return to the ship. Floating around in the warm ocean was so relaxing. As a result I am stress free! Dinner and sitting on the balcony listening to the ocean is a perfect way for me to end the evening.

 

Between the school visit  and time swimming here, this definitely is a spot  I will add to my bucket list.

 

Now for trivia -------

 

1.I am pretty sure the Americans were the first country to blow their noses with tissues,

2. Is the most eaten fish  tuna?

3. Canada was the host country that did not win a gold medal.

#4 I didn't know, I see JF-retired RRT  has the answer

 

Hoping all goes well for your husband tomorrow. Plus happy anniversary to both of you🙂

 

Gail

I should have guessed tuna!! DUH

[ellie1145]

3 hours ago, RLK33853 said:

On Dravuni we did walk to the top of the hill.  The reason was twofold.  The first is we had an amazing view of the island and of the reefs.  The second is that we wanted to scout out the reefs for the best snorkling.

 

Climbing wasn't that bad other than it was extremely hot and humid.  When  we were done we went down to the beach on the far side of the island.  Unfortunately as Azbirdmom said, if you take the  path directly from the tender area beach across the island, you end up on a lava field.  But if you go up to the hill and then across the island you end up on a fabulous beach.

 

In the first photo the ship and tenders would be on the left if they were in the photo.  Photo 2 shows the coral and photo 3 is the beach itself.  Since it is a trek, we only saw maybe 6 other people on the beach that day.  We snorkled for about 3 hours in the best coral we have ever experienced.  Giant clams, fan coral that was 15 feet high and 10 feet across, you name it.  Completely unspoiled by humans.  Even better than the Great Barrier Reef.  Not many fish, but the coral colors were spectacular.

 

We would go back to Dravuni in a heartbeat.  Great people, nice beaches, fabulous coral.

 

Ray and Ann

 

Fabulous photos, Ray and Ann. Thank you so much for posting them. They are incredible. I love the photo taken from the top of the hill. I'm afraid we didn't make it as it was so very hot and humid, despite the overcast sky. But it looks like it is well worth the trek for the wonderful views. It also shows how tiny the island is. I wonder what will happen is the sea level rises. 

 

So pleased to have seen the other side of the island. It looks beautiful. The coral sounds amazing, what an experience for you. It certainly is a little bit of paradise. 

[ellie1145]

16 minutes ago, cnd crsr said:

What a delightful time we had on Dravuni... I hated getting out of the water to return to the ship. Floating around in the warm ocean was so relaxing. As a result I am stress free! Dinner and sitting on the balcony listening to the ocean is a perfect way for me to end the evening.

 

Between the school visit  and time swimming here, this definitely is a spot  I will add to my bucket list.

 

Now for trivia -------

 

1.I am pretty sure the Americans were the first country to blow their noses with tissues,

2. Is the most eaten fish  tuna?

3. Canada was the host country that did not win a gold medal.

#4 I didn't know, I see JF-retired RRT  has the answer

 

Hoping all goes well for your husband tomorrow. Plus happy anniversary to both of you🙂

 

Gail

 

Thank you for your good wishes, Gail. 

 

Glad you enjoyed that little bit of paradise. What a way to end the day, sitting on your balcony, nothing quite like it is there?

 

Well, Kimberley Clark certainly produced Kleenex tissues in 1924, but I'm afraid the US was not the first country to blow their noses on tissue paper. It was a long time before that date...

 

We also thought tuna, which is the most consumed fish in the USA, but it's not the most widely eaten fish in the world....

 

Canada was, indeed, the only host country to not win a gold medal in the  Olympics. Well done! 

 

2 down, 2 to go! 😉

Edited July 28, 2020 by ellie1145

[ellie1145]

14 minutes ago, JF - retired RRT said:

I should have guessed tuna!! DUH

 

Good job you didn't as it isn't tuna! 🤣

[azbirdmom]

10 hours ago, ellie1145 said:

 

Thank you, Azbirdmom, for your kind wishes. Here, they are very strict about anyone accompanying a patient into hospital, or anywhere medical. Even partners are not allowed to accompany pregnant women to their appointments, though I understand they can have one person at the birth.

 

There is absolutely no way they will allow anyone else in to the hospital, and I do understand and accept the reasons for that. It is for the good of all, and in the long run makes sense. I have booked a hotel opposite the hospital and my son will join me there during the day, as he has been self isolating, too, so at least I feel I will be close to DH. Bit scary to be in London but needs must. 

 

Think you made a wise decision not to climb the hill in those circumstances. The last thing you want to do is slip and fall - who would feed your birds if you had an accident? 

 

The weather was certainly very changeable, as we will see for our next port, Fiji. I hope you will share what you did there with us, as our tour was cancelled. Thank goodness the weather did not spoil our trip in any way. Even a rainy day is good on a cruise. Love the photo of the glass, brilliant! What an amazing view you had from your balcony. I have often wondered if you feel any vibration in these aft facing balconies? I love watching the wake of the ship. Must be glorious to wake up and walk outside and see it. 

 

Yes, I saw what you described in the water and took photos of it. I believe it is the reef, with the surf breaking on it, and it shows what a difficult passage the ship would have had both to, and from, the island. Great skill must be needed to ensure these giant behemoths of the sea can sail safely. I will post photos of what we saw later, as they are on my Sony camera, not my ipad. 

 

 

 

Well I certainly hope that all goes well.  Please let us know!  You've done such a great job of lifting our spirits.

 

The pictures of the blue spot were taken from the port side of our wraparound balcony and they look different than what you posted.  It was only in a single spot so it could have been algae.  Were you on the starboard side?  Pretty sure I saw some of the breakers in that direction.

 

Will share later what we did in Suva although I wish we would have stayed on the ship....

 

And we had no vibration back there but we did get occasional soot which ended up being really bad towards the end of the cruise.  Our steward brought in the seat cushions every night to keep them from getting soiled.  Even with that the awesome view was worth the price of the upsell!

Edited July 28, 2020 by azbirdmom

[azbirdmom]

4 hours ago, RLK33853 said:

On Dravuni we did walk to the top of the hill.  The reason was twofold.  The first is we had an amazing view of the island and of the reefs.  The second is that we wanted to scout out the reefs for the best snorkling.

 

Climbing wasn't that bad other than it was extremely hot and humid.  When  we were done we went down to the beach on the far side of the island.  Unfortunately as Azbirdmom said, if you take the  path directly from the tender area beach across the island, you end up on a lava field.  But if you go up to the hill and then across the island you end up on a fabulous beach.

 

In the first photo the ship and tenders would be on the left if they were in the photo.  Photo 2 shows the coral and photo 3 is the beach itself.  Since it is a trek, we only saw maybe 6 other people on the beach that day.  We snorkled for about 3 hours in the best coral we have ever experienced.  Giant clams, fan coral that was 15 feet high and 10 feet across, you name it.  Completely unspoiled by humans.  Even better than the Great Barrier Reef.  Not many fish, but the coral colors were spectacular.

 

We would go back to Dravuni in a heartbeat.  Great people, nice beaches, fabulous coral.

 

Ray and Ann

 

Oh that is gorgeous.  Thanks for sharing!  If we ever go back, we will definitely wear more suitable footwear and climb the hill to spend time on the other side.  From where we were on the lava field, we could tell that the snorkeling would have been amazing.

[ellie1145]

1 hour ago, azbirdmom said:

 

Well I certainly hope that all goes well.  Please let us know!  You've done such a great job of lifting our spirits.

 

The pictures of the blue spot were taken from the port side of our wraparound balcony and they look different than what you posted.  It was only in a single spot so it could have been algae.  Were you on the starboard side?  Pretty sure I saw some of the breakers in that direction.

 

Will share later what we did in Suva although I wish we would have stayed on the ship....

 

And we had no vibration back there but we did get occasional soot which ended up being really bad towards the end of the cruise.  Our steward brought in the seat cushions every night to keep them from getting soiled.  Even with that the awesome view was worth the price of the upsell!

 

To be honest, Azbirdmom, it has lifted my spirits, too. I must admit that I went through  a very low period about a month ago, and writing this has given me a purpose, and something to take my mind off the horrendous daily news. I really miss cruising, it's like part of me is lost, but I hope that one day I will be sitting on my balcony, looking out over the sea. 

 

We were on the starboard side, so probably missed that odd colouration of the sea, and only saw the breakers on the reef. It certainly sounds as if it could have been algae or something similar. Fascinating, anyway. The mystery deepens......

 

I'm sure the view was enough to make anything worth while. 😉

Edited July 28, 2020 by ellie1145

[ellie1145]

5 hours ago, ellie1145 said:

1.  Who were the first people to blow their noses into paper tissues?

2.  What is the most often eaten fish?

 

Last two questions, do you give up?😉

[rmf11699]

1 minute ago, ellie1145 said:

 

Last two questions, do you give up?😉

I'll try the Egyptians and trout (just a guess as I did not google)

[katisdale]

Thank you Ellie 1145 for taking me along on your journey. The highlight of every afternoon is coming to read the next installment. I do hope you and your husband have an uneventful procedure.

[Loucat]

Ellie-Loved your " I am utterly mortified to have missed the Age Spot Clinic, Colour Me Beautiful, Restore your Skin, How to Increase Your Metabolism, Eliminate Fluid Retention and Puffy Ankles, as well as Acupuncture for Stress Relief. I’m afraid that I am still fat, haggard, full of age spots and bloated, all of which is making me very stressed. I just hope DH doesn’t notice......"

Too funny 😄

[TeaBag]

I say it is salmon, but hey, what do I know?  Yes, I knew the answer to the Olympics one was Canada (head bowed).  Were the Japanese the first ones to use tissues?

[ellie1145]

9 hours ago, rmf11699 said:

I'll try the Egyptians and trout (just a guess as I did not google)

 

Sadly, it’s not. Good try though. We thought it was probably the Chinese. They seem to have invented most things, including coronavirus! 🙀 But we were wrong, too. 

[ellie1145]

9 hours ago, katisdale said:

Thank you Ellie 1145 for taking me along on your journey. The highlight of every afternoon is coming to read the next installment. I do hope you and your husband have an uneventful procedure.

 

So glad to have you along with us, and to hear that you are enjoying the journey. Thank you for your kind wishes, too. 

[ellie1145]

6 hours ago, Loucat said:

Ellie-Loved your " I am utterly mortified to have missed the Age Spot Clinic, Colour Me Beautiful, Restore your Skin, How to Increase Your Metabolism, Eliminate Fluid Retention and Puffy Ankles, as well as Acupuncture for Stress Relief. I’m afraid that I am still fat, haggard, full of age spots and bloated, all of which is making me very stressed. I just hope DH doesn’t notice......"

Too funny 😄

 

Glad to have made you smile. There’s not a lot to smile about at the moment so pleased it amused you. 👍

[ellie1145]

6 hours ago, TeaBag said:

I say it is salmon, but hey, what do I know?  Yes, I knew the answer to the Olympics one was Canada (head bowed).  Were the Japanese the first ones to use tissues?

 

Yes, indeed it was the Japanese.

 

Apparently, as far back as the 17th century, it was observed, by Europeans, that the Japanese blew their noses in ‘soft silky papers,’ which they only used once. (I guess we Europeans were still wiping our noses on our sleeves.....yuk! 🙀) They have been doing this for centuries. They would drop the used tissues on the ground, so nothing’s changed there. 

 

But the answer to the fishy question is......drum roll .......HERRING.

[ellie1145]

15 hours ago, ellie1145 said:

 

1.  Who were the first people to blow their noses into paper tissues?

2.  What is the most often eaten fish?

3.  What was the only country to have hosted the Summer Olympics and not win a single gold medal?

4.  What did Walter Lanz create after a bird hammered non-stop on the roof of his honeymoon cabin?

 

WELL DONE EVERYONE! YOU DID BETTER THAN WE DID. 🤣

 

ANSWERS

1.  JAPANESE

2.  HERRING

3.  CANADA

4.  WOODY WOODPECKER

 

A full sized, collapsible, super powered, Vortex vacuum cleaner will be winging its way to all the winners, via Amazon (the River, of course!). 

 

Dude, looks like a lady.....🎶

[Roger88]

12 hours ago, ellie1145 said:

 

Fabulous photos, Ray and Ann. Thank you so much for posting them. They are incredible. I love the photo taken from the top of the hill. I'm afraid we didn't make it as it was so very hot and humid, despite the overcast sky. But it looks like it is well worth the trek for the wonderful views. It also shows how tiny the island is. I wonder what will happen is the sea level rises. 

 

So pleased to have seen the other side of the island. It looks beautiful. The coral sounds amazing, what an experience for you. It certainly is a little bit of paradise. 

These photos are so chill. How did you manage to get so up high? I dont see a hiking path or a road leading to it. Did you go through the woods? I mean in any case it would be a fantastic experience. Last time I had something similar is when I was visiting some Caribbean island the name of which I cannot remember. It was a like an hour stop just to take some photos, so I ran up to the nearest hill I spotted and took some nice photos from there