Join us, Bill and Mary Ann, on our 128 day epic journey around the world in 2009

[candbgirl]

I am enjoying your posts very much. I just wanted to thank you again for sharing your travels with all of us.

[DeepWaterMariner]

Mary Ann and Bill, thank you for your description of your long walking tour of Sydney. My feet hurt just reading about all that walking. I'm enjoying your trip almost as much as a real cruise of my own.

[alsas]

Wonderful time reading about your voyage. Between Jeffs pictures and your descriptions its wonderful. We think of you at nights in the Crows Nest,with Ness and the boys. We miss you all,and all being well will see you all in 2010. A few months ago saw the couple in Denver who taught the bridge classes and sat with you guys doing the CORK,they were taking a break this year on the world,but hope to be back next year. Stay well and travel safe. Allan and Sandra

[WCB]

Report # 41 February 12, 2009 Thursday Day at Sea

 

The seas continued to be rough all throughout the night, as we sailed from Sydney into the Tasman Sea on our way towards Melbourne. The weather was cool and rainy for most of the morning. We hoped to see some sun by the afternoon.

 

It was a good morning for our second Cruise Critic meeting in the Crow's Nest at 10 am. The whole group attended, including another couple who just found out about us. Bruce, the cruise director, and Steve, his assistant, payed us a visit once again. The first subject was a sore one.......yes, the Sydney Zoo dinner. He had already gotten an earful, and encouraged us to "vent" if it made us feel better. After two minutes of that, he abruptly changed the subject and asked if we all enjoyed Sydney despite the dinner. Of course, he got an astounding "yes"!! He brightened our day by telling us that the ever-so-popular Black Tie, a group from Australia, will be coming onboard in Hong Kong with two shows for us. We somehow missed their shows in the past, so we look forward to seeing it this time.

 

Shortly after Bruce said his goodby, Henk, the hotel manager, stepped in our meeting. He said he had been forewarned by Bruce that he would get some feedback on the notorious dinner from some of us. Yep, he was right. He assured us that this information had been sent to the head office in Seattle, and it would be dealt with.

 

The subject of the ship's special event also came into the conversation. Originally, it had been planned for Mumbai, but cancelled after the terrorist's attacks in the city last year. Henk said that there would be no place that we would visit that could handle a group of our size, so Stein Kruse has planned a visit to the Rotterdam from Hong Kong to Shanghai. Whatever events that will occur, will happen on the ship itself. We know that can't compare to the event in Istanbul last year, which was over-the-top!

 

Another problem was brought to Henk's attention.......the delayed laundry service. Our laundry slips say next day delivery if given to our room stewards before 9 am in the morning. However, we all agreed that it has been taking up to 5 days to get it back. He admitted to a shortage of workers in the laundry department, and promised that we would be getting extra helpers once we reach Indonesia.

 

We better have some positive things to tell Henk and Bruce at our next meeting, or else they won't want to visit us anymore!!

 

A nice surprise was delivered to our room this afternoon.................a box of Sees Candy sent from our travel agent, Debra. Many thanks!!

 

We spent the rest of the day catching up on reports, while others went to the Adelaide port talk, or to Michael Baume's final lecture on Australia's world status in culture and sports. Many newbies took advantage of the casino, stores, and bingo today. We enjoyed a few movies while working in our room too.

 

We're happy to report that the dessert items are still being displayed outside each dining room before dinner, much to the guest's delight, we noticed!

 

Tomorrow..................Melbourne!

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 42 February 13, 2009 Friday Melbourne, Australia

 

The first thing we noticed this morning when we opened our balcony door, was the smell of smoke and the haze all over the city of Melbourne. The devastating bushfires are still burning not far from here. At least, the heatwave is over. It's impossible to imagine that a week ago, this area was experiencing 125 degree temperatures, or higher. Having drought conditions for several years did not help either. We can identify with both the fires and the drought, since California has been plagued with the same problems this past year. The term "brushfires" has been used so often in our news, that we interchanged it with the term " bushfires " in Victoria. The ending results are tragically the same. Hopefully, these fires will be contained soon.

 

We have visited Melbourne twice since 2000, both times touring the countryside. Since our tour was cancelled, we decided to explore the city by bus, tram, and hopefully, by foot. There was so much to see, but so little time, that we knew we could only have time to walk or drive by the famous landmarks.

 

To begin with, Melbourne is the second largest city in Australia, with 3.5 million people. It's a city full of 19th century architecture all the way to modern highrise buildings. The scenic Yarra River , a nature preserve, runs from the city center to the beautiful Royal Botanical Gardens. In fact, Melbourne has more parks planted with English elms, sycamores, shade palms, and red river gum trees than any city we have seen. Museums, cathedrals, art centers, stadiums, and shopping malls fill the city's center, making it easy to find something to do for weeks and weeks!

 

Our day started with an exit through the well-guarded terminal building. Once we entered the main building, there was a tourist information stand available for us to get maps and directions. With the help of a nice guide, we were supplied with a suggested walking and bus or tram adventure. A complimentary shuttle was taking people to the end of the terminal,and another bus was going to the Arts Centre, closer to the city center. Before leaving the terminal, we bought very inexpensive tram tickets, which would give us the opportunity to ride the tram system all day, if we had the time. The tickets were a "must" in order to get back to the ship on time.

 

When we got off of the Arts Centre bus, we were approached by "greeters", locals dressed in red shirts or jackets, who also had more maps and directions. They pointed in the direction of the bridge that crossed the wide Yarra River. It was a short distance from there that we found the City Circle Tram. These trams, built in 1936, travel in a large rectanglar pattern, with a narration identifying city landmarks and major attractions. You can navigate the city center all day for free. Of course "free" also means "full"!! We rode the crowded tram for a quarter of the way. We figured that we needed the exercise, so we jumped off by the Parliment House. The policemen and some firefighters were holding a drive to raise funds for the victims of the bushfires. A group of young boys, dressed like boy scouts, joined in the rally. We could hear them cheering for the cause many blocks away.

 

We strolled through Carlton Gardens, which houses the Royal Exhibition Center with a beautiful fountain in the foreground. Many unusual birds were taking advantage of the overflow from the fountain.

 

Continuing on, we located the Queen Victoria Market. At the upper end of the market were fish, meat, poultry, and deli stands. Many locals were buying french bread sandwiches, and eating them outside on benches. They sure looked good. Further into the building, were aisles of souvenier stalls. You could find clothing, leather hats and jackets, designer handbags, and shoes, especially Ugg slippers. Baby clothes, toys, and electronics filled other aisles.

 

Near the fresh fruit and veggie stands, were caged chickens for sale, all ready to lay eggs. Music was being played by local musicians, as well as some fellows from South America, who played Andean melodies (their CD's for sale, of course).

 

It was time for a rest and perhaps some lunch, so we looked for a pizza place. We must have looked lost, because a very nice lady asked if we needed directions. Guess that the camera was a big giveaway that we were tourists, duh!! She pointed out a hotel not far from where we stood. She said the Metropolitan Hotel Cafe would have the best wood-fired pizza. We thanked her and headed that way. This has got to be the friendliest city yet!

 

And she was right......the margharita pizza with sliced tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella cheese was excellent. So were the ice cold Carlson beers! The place was full of customers, lingering over a late Friday lunch, we suspected. A large crowd is always a good indication of the food served there.

 

Time was running out too fast, so we followed the map which led us to tram # 109 on Collins Street. We just had to make sure we boarded the one heading for Port Melbourne,or else we would be lost in the suburbs! We found it interesting how the prepaid tram tickets worked. We popped the ticket into the small machine on the tram itself. It recorded the time and date we entered the car, giving us two more hours in which to use it again. If we had more time, we could have used it all day, as long as we boarded every two hours or less. Each time you use it, it extends two more hours, until the day ends. We should mention that Melbourne has one of the biggest tram networks in the world, with 249 kilometers of track. There are almost 500 trams with 27 routes in the city and suburbs. Yes, our little tickets could have taken us a long way!!

 

The Rotterdam left the dock at 6 pm, while a small number of passengers enjoyed the sailaway party on the aft deck. The waiters served panko chicken tenders and breaded poppers ( green chilies with melted cheddar cheese inside). We had scenic cruising of the many capes and bays all the way through dinnertime. Once we left the last protected bay, the ship began to shudder and list side to side in the turbulent waters. It continued for the rest of the night, rocking us to sleep.

 

So ended another nice day in Aussie country!

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[wynkys]

Bill & Mary Ann,

 

I was happy to read that you both had such an enjoyable day in our wonderful (though currently very sad) city and I wanted to thank you again for your continuing reports of your travels.

Continued safe travels,

Wayne

[bcnvcanada]

First, we must send a shout out to all ourl Aussie friends. Please know that you and your dear country are in our thoughts and prayer during this time.

To Mary Ann and Bill , we are enjoying your journey. Thanks so much for taking us along. It has become a almost daily ritual for us to check on your journey. Again, thanks for you time and efforts. It is most appreciated.

[boards]

We are following your cruise with great interest especially the part just completely to Australia. We will be there next March 2010 on a 34 day cruise on the Volendam. You have given us some new thoughts on what to do in both Sydney and Melbourne, since we have been there once before. Thank you for the great insights into World travel.

[wander]

While I was not on the WC last year so was not at the 'OVER THE TOP' event you refer to, I do remember the event in Dubrovnik for the WC 2007. That was not exactly shabby and was on the ship. So, while it may not compare to last year, a fantastic event can take place on the ship. For a shipboard event it was also "over the top" even in the minds of many of the long term World Cruisers. (For me, the three roving acts Lido Poolside (covered area) were as clever as any fun acts I have ever seen.) Hope the 2009 ship event is at least as good.

 

For me, "Black Tie" would rank in the top 5% of showroom entertainers I have heard on cruise ships.

[Aussie Gal]

Mary-Ann and Bill,

 

So glad that you had a great day in our lovely city. We are a friendly bunch of people and we enjoy helping any visitors that seem a little lost when in the City centre.

 

I hope your time in Adelaide today will be just as enjoyable. It is a delightful city and a lovely size for getting around.

 

Jennie

[2bout2c]

Black Tie is my favorite act on board ships. A must see. If you're lucky you'll get an afternoon show also.

[Johnny B]

We loved Black Tie last year, and enjoyed them offstage, as well. One of the couples joined us for dinner, and the husband joined our trivia team the next day. We may not have won the contest, but I can guarantee that we had the most fun!

[DFD1]

While I've only been to Sydney, after reading this, I feel that I've been to Melbourne as well!

 

Thank you for such an interesting post about Melbourne.

 

I hope you both know how much we all are enjoying reading this wonderful thread.

[WCB]

Report # 43 February 14, 2009 Saturday Day at Sea Valentine's Day

 

Happy Valentine's Day to all!!

 

What a nice day to wake up and see blue skies and sun! Last night we turned the clocks back a half hour, which was strange, but it does happen in some parts of the world. None of us care, since gaining more sleep time is working just fine.

 

We spent a lazy day, mostly watching for dolphins and whales. We are sailing in the Indian Ocean now, and it seems to be full of sealife. Captain Olav mentioned during his 1 pm talk that he had to have special training to sail these oceans. He is not allowed to use sonar, because of the whales in this area. We guess that it might affect their own natural radar. We never did see any whales breaching the surface, just their plumes of spray in the distance. We were glad they were so far away, because those spouts can be powerfully smelly! We found that out while on a whale-watching boat in Sitka, Alaska. The dolphin sightings were numerous all afternoon. So much so, that we spent hours watching for them from our verandah.

 

The waltz was being taught in dance class, just in time for the Valentine's Day Ball tonight at 10 pm. Other happenings were a Perth talk by Barbara, the port lecturer, and new explorations speakers Niall Doran (natural wonders down under), and Dr. Gaynor Macdonald (aboriginal "dreaming" life).

 

We found out that the bingo cards are three for $10. Our friends Glenda and Ron have reported winning at least five times! How lucky!

 

Dinner was formal, of course, since it was Valentine's Day. The dining room was decked out with red, white, and pink streamers with hundreds of red-heart balloons floating everywhere. We had double company tonight. Last night, Martha and Nancy joined us for two days, while their tablemates took the 3 day overland trip to Perth. Then we had the doctor onboard and her husband, who turned out to be a lot of fun. And the wine was kindly received, thank you. Dinner choices included caviar, escargots, lobster, and filet mignon. The best entree was the home-baked lasagne, which we split. Plates of special chocolates and cookies were served while we ate sugar-free apple strudel. Hey, that works for us.

 

By the time we finally finished, we were among the last diners to leave the room! Many waiters brought us handfuls of the heart-shaped balloons to take with us. Now we realize that we did them a favor, because they had to pop them during clean-up time!!

 

We have an all day tour in Adelaide tomorrow.

 

Until then,

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[Aussie Gal]

Mary-Ann and Bill,

 

I love reading your reports and look forward to them each day.

 

I do have to correct you though as you have not been in the Indian Ocean. You have been sailing through Bass Strait and into the Southern Ocean. The Indian Ocean is to the West of Australia and that is where Perth is situated.

 

Once you leave Adelaide you will be sailing across the Great Australian Bight.

 

I hope this helps a little with your geography.

 

Jennie

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Once you leave Adelaide you will be sailing across the Great Australian Bight.

 

Good luck with crossing the Bight.

We have done it twice and its been really smooth,but it can be quite a ride sometimes.

 

while their tablemates took the 3 day overland trip to Perth.

 

Is the overland trip, the one on the Indian Pacific train ,or do they fly to the interior?

[cands]

Conditions in the Great Australian Bight don't look too bad at the moment!

 

[WCB]

Report # 44 February 15, 2009 Sunday Adelaide, Australia

 

The Rotterdam sailed into Port Adelaide, the gateway harbor for Adelaide early this morning. It looks like it is going to be a partly cloudy day, with temperatures in the 70's.

 

Adelaide is the capital of the state of South Australia, and with all of the reading material that was given to us, there is no mention of the size of the population. From what we gauged, this city was smaller than both Sydney and Melbourne, and much different in character.

 

If memory serves us right, we had visited Adelaide while on the 2005 world cruise, and it happened to fall on a Sunday, like today. The tour we chose today was the same one we did four years ago....a trip to the Barossa Valley for wine tasting. Our driver and guide, who were both very knowledgeable, took us on a drive-by tour of the city center first. Driving through Port Adelaide, we noticed the buildings were very rustic, either boarded up, or undergoing refurbishing. Then we headed into Adelaide. Adelaide's famous attractions were the Adelaide Casino, the Old Parliament House, Government House, Migration Museum, Art Gallery, and South Australian Museum. Many churches and cathedrals were built in this pretty city. The Torrens River runs through North Adelaide and is surrounded by several parks. Because it was Sunday, nothing was opened, and there were few people out and about. We understand that the stores did open for business by 11 am.

 

As we left the city center, we began the drive towards the Barossa Valley, riding through the scenic Adelaide Hills. It was quite noticable that this area has been enduring a drought for several years. Except for the established trees, the ground was dry. The green meadows we saw in 2005 were now brown. It sure reminded us of California, with the exception of no oak trees, just eucalyptus. The reservoirs were very low, and ponds were dried up. It seems so strange knowing that northeastern Australian just had severe flooding and nonstop rains, while it remains dry here.

 

It took a total of two hours from Port Adelaide to reach the first winery. Our first stop was at the Richmond Grove Winery, which was one of the most picturesque. It was built in the style of a medieval Flemish Chateau. We were given a tour of the winery, where we saw the process of grape fermenting, the huge stainless steel vats, and the barrels that are used for aging. Some of these oak barrels hold 500 gallons of wine.

 

Finally, we were led into the tasting room, where we each had five different wines to sample. Luckily, they supplied thin bread sticks, which helped keep us sober! A word to the wise....it is not a good idea to leave the ship without breakfast, like we did. The wine tends to go straight to the knees on empty stomachs! In our humble opinion, the first wine we tasted here today was the best. The group then had the opportunity to buy what they wished. And they did! Big time!

 

We should mention here that we are not dedicated wine drinkers. Although, at home, we do grow some wine grapes, and have the equipment to make the wine. We found that it's a lot of work, so we appreciate what we are seeing on the tour today.

 

The next stop was nearby at the Chateau Tanunda Estate, where we hurriedly lined up to the horsehoe-style tasting bar. An order form was placed under each glass, so we had a chance to jot down what we liked. For some unknown reason, we must have been running late, or the winery had another group arriving soon. This had to be the fastest wine tasting in history! The server poured at least ten different varieties of white to red wines. We barely had time to swoosh and savor, before the next one was poured. Suddenly, I wished the floor would stop moving under my feet! Hmmm, it must be "sea legs", or maybe it was the wine???

 

By the time we got back on the bus, the group had gotten really noisy. They were happy because they bought many bottles of vino here. The prices ranged from $15 to $300. One fellow admitted paying 100 Euro for a limited released wine. Wow! We still had two more tasting to go.

 

Our third stop was at Jacob's Creek Visitor Center, where we went directly to the tasting bar. This place was a modernistic glass building, which included a restaurant with the view of the vineyards below. By now, we knew the drill. Taste and buy. There were many more people at this facility, so the wine sampling bar moved us through quickly. We wandered through the vineyard, where the grapes were just recently harvested.

 

Finally, it was lunchtime, so our destination was at the Yalderra Estate. We remembered it well from our 2007 visit. The only difference was that instead of eating in the screened-in cafe, we were served in a building that was formerly a store. Large round tables were set for our group of 27. We started with gazpacho, a cold Spanish tomato soup, fresh rolls with butter, and white wine. We had the choice of pasta, chicken, or steak filet. We chose the chicken breast, which was wrapped with bacon, and filled with an olive tapenade. It was served with roasted potatoes and green beans. Bowls of mixed salad and steamed vegetables were served for us to share. Of course, red wine accompanied the meal. We barely had enough room for the delicious chocolate brownie cake for dessert. A very nice meal, indeed!

 

The last tasting was here in the nearby cellar. By now, we were "wined-out", so we just watched as the rest of the gang enjoyed the wines.

 

The ride back to the pier was relatively quiet, since most people fell asleep. It was pretty warm in the bus. We don't think they had air-conditioning, or they chose not to use it to get us back sooner. That was fine with us.

 

Dinner was served quickly tonight because we had two missing. Also, the ship had a BBQ on the Lido deck, so many people obviously went to that. They missed the best chicken picatta with linguini! Oh well, it's hard to do it all!

 

We forgot to mention that we got gifts last night for Valentine's Day. We received two Royal Goedewaggen "Amata" bud vases. They match the plates we got on the 2008 world cruise. And we got more candy....two large bars of Bloomsberry and Co. "Dark Secrets" chocolate!

 

The movie, Australia, with Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman was being shown in the Queen's Lounge at 10:15 pm, but we just couldn't stay awake. Maybe it will be on TV tomorrow.

 

The ship left around 11pm.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[DFD1]

Great report, Thanks. Don't miss "Australia" if you have another chance to see it. What a wonderful, big, exciting movie!

[jig]

Adelaide issmaller then the other two cities. We went there by train last year. If you ever go back you should go out to Hansdorf. A german village in the Adelaide Hillswith some pretty good german food. However a place few tourists ever go to is North Adelaide., with its large collection of only there stone houses. Such an elegant neighborhood. I guess you are on your way to Perth. If you have time walk around Freemantle. It is quite nice.

 

Jeffrey

[DFD1]

Perth is one of those faraway places I've always wanted to visit. I'm looking forward to your notes about your visit there. Thanks so much.

[WCB]

Report # 45 February 16, 2009 Monday Day at Sea

 

The Rotterdam began the crossing of the Great Australian Bight, as we head west towards Perth. We're 200 miles off of the southern coast, where we will sail in the West Wind Drift, or the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. For the scientific minds out there, the importance of this current is that it flows around Antarctica, connecting the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic oceans, thus keeping the warm water away from the immense ice sheet of Antarctica. At one point, the flow is 9.5 billion cubic feet per second. That is impressive!

 

It's going to be a busy three days at sea, because of the many activities planned by the staff. For those that compete for the dam dollars, an Aussie Triathalon will start on the sports deck this morning. We have not attended any of these events yet, but we are sure that they are fun. Perhaps the handful of kids that joined us in Sydney would like the games. We have seen a few of them, books in hand, probably doing homework, since they are missing school time.

 

The Princeton Custom Tailors have also been onboard since Sydney. They offer men's and women's outfits, custom made, for a handsome price, we are sure. By placing orders now, the items will be ready for pickup by the time we reach Hong Kong. Many seasoned passengers go to their favorite tailors while we are in the port of Hong Kong for two days. We have heard that the prices are much better, but you must be available for several fittings, limiting your touring time there. We have done that before, with the items arriving minutes before we sailed.

 

The Greenhouse Spa and Salon continue to advertise specials. They have gotten creative in pushing the massages and facials, like the great white shark ritual, two hours for $95. That is a hands and feet manicure. Or the Tasmanian Devil treatment , which offers acupuncture to balance your energy. That goes for $115. Wonder how many takers they book?

 

The sun came out strongly in the afternoon, so we spent some time lounging by the back pool. There were no whale sightings, but a few dolphins played in the ship's wake. We must be too far from shore to see much more.

 

Dinner was interesting tonight. We had guests, thanks to Barbie, who made friends with two gentlemen exploration speakers. Dr. Alastair Richardson and Dr. Niall Doran have joined the ship to give lectures on Australian zoology, in particular, threatened species. Had we known this information prior to dinner, we could have had a very informative conversation, since we are pretty well-versed in animal propagation and caretaking. They will speak tomorrow on sea and shore birds, and cave life; dark, quiet, and kinky. We will definitely catch their talks on TV, with the hope of having them again for dinner companions.

 

The clocks went back that extra half hour this evening. We are appreciating the extra sleep!

 

Two more days at sea, then Fremantle and Perth.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

PS HAL offered a five day overland on the Indian Pacific Train from Adelaide to Perth. Another five day tour left for Ayers Rock and the Outback. Our travel agency's tour had a three day motorcoach ride from Melbourne to Adelaide traveling the Great Ocean Road. We heard from friends that it was very pleasant.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

One of the worlds greatest journeys

[WCB]

Report # 46 February 17, 2009 Tuesday Day at Sea

 

The day started cloudy and cool as we continued to sail westerly. During the day, we should pass Research Archipelago, where in 1624, the only recorded Aussie pirate, Black Jack Anderson, hid out. And as recently as 1991, a bulk carrier by the name of Sanko Harvest sank here. It has become the second largest wreck in the world for divers.

 

The clocks went back another half hour last night, giving that extra sleep time. For some unknown reason, we have been sleeping in much later than usual. Maybe it is the sea air and the constant rolling of the ship that rocks us to sleep. It sure isn't from over-working!!

 

We decided to take the kitchen tour this morning at 10:30. We were surprised to find the line had formed from the Pinnacle Grill entrance to the front lobby. They have this worked out well. Instead of filing everyone through at once, they took short groups of 12 at a time. We had another reason for going on the tour.....we needed to see Presti, one of our head waiters, to make sure there would be a cake for George's birthday tonight. He assured us it was in the making as we spoke.

 

The kitchen tour took us through the bakery, the dishwashing area, the hot and cold galley, and the dessert area. At each station, one of the staff was either creating dough animals, making marzipan decorations, carving vegetables for flower arrangements, carving huge chunks of ice into fabulous sculptures, and teatime canape making. Tom, the dining room manager, and Bernie, the executive chef stood proudly at the end of the tour. The kitchen staff of 102 persons deserve a big applause for producing over 6000 meals a day!!

 

Some astounding facts for one week's consumption are......meat and meat products - 8500 pounds, fish and seafood - 4500 pounds, fresh vegetables - 12000 pounds, sugar -700 pounds, rice for crew - 2100 pounds, and ice cream - 200 gallons. Caviar consumption is 20 pounds, 18 of which are eaten by our tablemate Barbie!! She loves it so much, it becomes her entree!

 

We spent about an hour at the back pool, before the weather changed to cloudy, cool, and sprinkling. That gave us a chance to finally attend a lecture by Niall Doran, our acquaintance from yesterday. His talk was about the strange lives of cave dwellers, such as the small insects, plant life, bats, and spiders. His slides were excellent, especially the ones that showed the tight, deep caves he explored. We came away with a better understanding of the kinky cave spider too. Maybe "TMI", as in too much information!

 

Since we have been absent from the Crow's Nest for several days, we decided to go early. New passengers seemed to have moved into our seats, heaven forbid. We joined Sandy and Frank, and shortly, the two professors Alastair and Niall, completed the bar seating. This was great, because now we were able to talk "birds" with the fellows.

 

The dance floor was also full this evening. It appears that the dance instructors have brought their students to this floor for practice. The music is so much better here than in the Ocean Bar, we think. The Peacefulls played the music for all of the dances that have been taught so far. Currently, they are working on the cha-cha.

 

George's birthday went very well. We surprised him with cards, and he treated us with his welcome onboard campagne. He was happy as a clam when his cake arrived and the waiters gathered to sing happy birthday. He says his age is 2 x 39, which equals Jack Benny's age (forever 39!!) only doubled. So for that reason, Rizel, lit his candles twice!!

 

Tonight was formal, which meant we would get presents. They were a mystery for a few minutes........two foldable leather trays, about 6 inches square. It took us a while to figure out that the outer edges folded up to create a tray for jewelry or coins. Very clever.

 

We set the clocks back one more hour tonight. Oh good, extra sleep!!

 

One more sea day, then Fremantle/Perth!

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[DFD1]

Mary Ann & Bill. Thanks for your post today. Can't wait to hear about Perth.

 

I'd be curious to know how the ages of passengers on this World Cruise compare with those on your previous World Cruise(s).