June 23rd
The noise from the air con outlet was still intermittent through the night, but we managed OK.
The weather has already got warmer, so people are starting to change into shorts and also eat outside. Whilst breakfasting, we watched the deck attendants getting their instruction on the ‘crane chair’. After a fair coffee from the Horizon coffee bar (not the concentrate!), time for our morning trivia team’s first attempt at winning a sheep station, or was it a lanyard? This is our 2015 morning team of Larraine & Bert, Dave and Sandie reunited. Trivia was run by Junior Cruise Assistant Bethany from the UK. Good quiz and as an ex-Disney character (Disneyland Paris), her quizzes may well have one Disney question. Thank goodness she wasn’t previously a vet, or a nuclear physicist. Did we win? Of course not, but already, there is a team of smart Alecs who are going to have a case full of lanyards by the time they leave.
We toddled off to the advanced ukulele class, just in case there was an instrument spare. (We’d signed for the beginner’s class.) There was – one! As predicted, yesterday, there were two or three who found it totally beyond them, so when they left after a few minutes, I grabbed a returned instrument so Paula was also able to have a go at “He’s Got The Whole World in His Hands” (Once issued by the Nottingham Forest football team – son Stewart will be impressed!) Just two chords – C and G7.
A late lunch of fried chicken and vegetables then back to the cabin to work on the blog before trivia – where we won’t divulge either the score or where we came. An early shower and a change into formal gear for the first dress up night of the cruise. Again, a question often asked is how many formal nights? It does vary but on this leg, Sydney to Yokohama Jul 21st, the answer is 4. The pre-dinner show was a cruise favourite, one line specialist comedian, Ivor Richards. For some reason, this wasn’t as side splitting as some of his past shows, so whether that was him or the crowd or some stuff we’d heard before, I am not sure. He could certainly have done without the somewhat hackneyed “Like my new shoes?” gag. “I got them from outside a Sydney mosque.”
The Captain’s welcome in the atrium preceded dinner and he seems very relaxed speaking to the passengers. As usual, he gave out the breakdown by passports and that was something like 1500 Australians, 250 Kiwis, 32 on UK passports etc. The photograph shows two of the entertainment staff – Bethany (the smaller one, from Manchester) and Renee, originally from Te Anau. Nice to chat to both of them.
Dinner was small steak medallions so Paula had 1 and I had 3… Unusually for me, I had a dessert, which was a Norman Love chocolate creation (see pic). As rich and tasty as it looks. (Eat your heart out Marilyn). The table was one of those entertaining ones where Garry and his video camera starred. Waiter Ricky took over filming and almost fell off the step backwards, to cries of “Hope my video camera is alright?” from Garry.
After Ricky finished filming Sandie’s group on the next table, Garry played it back and projected it onto the silver ceiling, which didn’t work too well, so I used a serviette or the tablecloth as a screen , which worked much better.
On then to the production show “Sweet Soul Music”. We’d seen it before but as seems to be the case, the number of singers and dancers seems to vary. This time, just one male and one female vocalist, so it is difficult to compare them with last year’s 2 +2, with their brilliant harmonies. On the way through the atrium, we managed a quick cha-cha to Darren Bethell’s piano playing. Thankfully, Darren is one who welcomes dancing whilst he is playing, in total contrast to one previous occupier of that piano stool .
A crucial day for the Brits as they went to vote on whether or not they’d stay in the EU and the general feeling was that it could go either way. Being so close, there are divided opinions for staying or leaving but the truth is, that if GB votes to leave, no-one seems able to predict what the knock on effects will be. The television tomorrow on BBC News should be worth watching.
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