Melsea's Adventures of South America & Pacific Adventures Part 20

[melsea]

Melsea's Adventures of South America & Pacific Adventures Part 20

Day 64. Wellington, New Zealand. 7am - 6pm
13th March Evening Casual.

Walked into town.
Went up Cable car as I did last time, price is the same.
Walked through the botanical gardens and ended up at the Rose garden only this time from the opposite side I arrived last time I visited.
Took cable car back down then walked along the waterfront towards the museum.
Took shuttle back to the ship.
On our departure the Captain said we will be heading through the Cook Channel because there is a Cyclone brewing in the NE so we are detouring NW. Cyclone Pam is about to make an appearance to world.

Day 65. At sea. Heading up the West coast of New Zealand to avoid Cyclone Pam.
Saturday 14th Smart, Jacket Required

Up late this morning due to the fact we didn't turn lights out until 01.30, we got up at 9.30ish. Small breakfast up in the buffet restaurant.
Went to a talk by Margaret Gilmore, journalist. Taking about the threat of terrorism. A very interesting talk.
Lunch at 1pm. There was a short queue for this as we all wanted a table for two, we were sat down very quickly. A lady, if that is what she was wanted a table for just 1 and they kept trying to take her to a table for sharing. She moved herself up the queue but they were having none of that. She was quite rude as well.

Day 66. At sea in the wake of Cyclone Pam.
Sunday 15 March Black Tie

We were not in the Cyclone but it was ahead of us by about 1000 miles? The Cyclone was said to be a once in a life time storm, it was to be that big it was an unusual weather phenomena.
Today we have seen waves that are just amazing and at times looks like a tsunami coming at you. There are waves after wave from all sides. Thanks to our Captain we did not go head on into the Cyclone but avoided it by going up the West Coast of New Zealand and not the East where we would have experienced worse conditions we have today. Bizarrely the ships movement is not as great as it would have been. In the big scheme of things it had been a gentle sail.
Saw the Beatles Experience who were very good.

Day 67. At sea. A bright sunny day, calmer seas.

16th March Smart, jacket required

Woke up later than usual. We went to the buffet for breakfast as the Glass House was not open for breakfast.
I went off to sit and read for some while. I sat upstairs intending to sun bathe but it started to rain and I only got 10 minutes before I was to head back to the cabin to meet Bill for lunch.
Lunch for us as per usual was in the Medina Restaurant. We got a window seat and unlike yesterday the view of the sea was a lot calmer and bluer with clear skies for much of the time. After lunch I went back outside, this time at the back of deck 11 just outside near our cabin.
In the evening at about 6.20 I went to have a shower when I found that we had no hot water. As it turns out a number of cabins also didn't have hot water. We finally got hot water at just after 8pm. We arrived at the restaurant at 8.50pm.

Day 68. At Sea. St.Patricks Day
17th March Evening Casual.

A very warm and humid day and that's without the sun being out. When the sun is out its very hot indeed.
We had breakfast up in the buffet restaurant. Afterwards I sat on deck 7 on the starboard side where there are tables. I took my paint book diary where I continued to paint the various small sketches of places we have visited. As I have only just started it I am only as far as the Glaciers in Chile.
We went to the restaurant for lunch. Bill was wearing the small green bow tie for paddy day and he had got a lot of comments on it.
After lunch I went outside to sunbathe for a while. Bill later came along to bring me two cups of water & a brief while later he came back looking like a waiter and brought me tea & cake with two finger sandwiches. One of the other ladies sunbathing who I have got know came over and asked if he is on loan.
This evening both Bill & I were dressed in something green. He had a bigger bow tie and I had my green & white dress plus my small hat I bought in New Zealand. We had a number of comments as not many people were dressed in St.Patricks Day clothing but those that were really went for it, we were tame by comparison.
The evening show I saw was the second performance by an act that call themselves The Beatles Experience, this one was the Band four later years and I thought they were better than the first show, although that one was still very good. The guy who plays Paul McCartney seems to be more like him than he is, I know that doesn't sound right but it just seems that way. Also the one playing Lennon is equally as good.

Day 69. At sea.
First of 2 days being the same 18th March Evening Casual.

We should have been at a port today, Apia. But since we had detoured from our itinerary due to Cyclone Pam we were unable to make it to Apia. So here we are at sea which incidentally will be our first outing of having 18th March. I will explain. We are heading towards the international date line that defines what day it is in time. At present we are ahead in time of GMT London. Tonight at 1 minute past midnight will put our clocks so to speak 24 hours behind and so we will then be behind GMT London and ground hog day begins and it's the 18th March. Hopefully my diary calendar will reset itself because at the moment there are entries that are on the wrong day even though I wrote them on the correct day. Something to do with crossing the international date line in February??
Got up late 10.30. Had a small bite to eat I had watermelon, orange juice and a tea.
At just after 11.30 I went towards the Riveria Pool where they were doing an ice carving demonstration. I passed through the Crystal pool area where the roof is still on making the whole area extremely hot, they say they cannot open it while at sea but I am sure they have done this when we have been at sea on previous world cruises pre 2012. Anyway I got to the Riveria Pool at 11.40 when the ice carving was over and people were taking photos of it!! That was a very quick piece of sculpturing!!

Tropical rain by the bucket loads, didn't do much sunbathing this afternoon.

Crew Entertainment show in aid of the Vanuatu Cyclone Relief Fund. I donated £10 and I got a copy of the route we took to avoid heading into the Cyclone ourselves.
I also went to see the Aurora Orchestra who were performing in the Curzon Theatre. They were playing themes from Film & Television. It was rather good. There were not many people in the theatre, think most were at the other end still in Carmens where the Crew Talent show was.

[emjay45]

I don't go to the theatre every night but I did go to see the Beatles Experience because it's my era. I thought they were really good.