We have begun our 6-day stretch towards French Polynesia, and it is already heating up. The temperature was 81 degrees with 85% humidity and that was at 9am. The wind was 12.2 mph and the ship's speed was 14 knots. We had clouds most of the day and some rain showers, typical in this part of the Pacific Ocean. And we are heading due south, dropping like a rock, so to speak.
This morning was a good time to catch up on reports. It feels like we will never be caught up. Captain Thomas came on with his daily update, half of what we missed because we did not have the TV on the bow channel soon enough. The Zaandam was over 200 nautical miles from Kona, with a lot more to go to reach our next port in Rangiroa. The Captain gave a description of the atolls we will encounter as we sail over the ancient underwater landscape.
We took a walk on the promenade deck checking out the condition of the ship's wake. We saw little difference with the wake with the exception that there seemed to be more action on one side compared to the other. We still have no idea if the problem the ship was having with the speed has been fixed.
Going to the Seaview Pool for a while, we noticed there were many professional sunburnt passengers there laying in the hot sun. There seems to be something about going home with a deep tan to say you have been on a hot weather cruise. More so if you live in a cooler climate. There was a small bird swooping overhead, making circles around the back of the ship. Probably jumped ship in Kona yesterday. We have our doubts that it will last 6 days at sea without fresh water and food. It is strictly forbidden for anyone, including crew members, to feed or give water to these stray birds. Sad, but true.
Back to our room, we ordered a room service lunch of one salad and a club sandwich. We shared both. We have to say that the entree salads from room service are the nicest onboard. Some boobies appeared out of the blue, and we were able to use some different camera settings to obtain very crisp and clear pictures. It is most difficult to photograph fast-flying birds while the ship is moving.
Sunset at 5:50pm was rather a nice one at 5:50pm. Most people are in the dining room at this time and miss the show. Dinner was dressy this evening, at least for most of the guests. Starters for us were one French onion soup and a shrimp cocktail. The urns for the soup have got to go, in my humble opinion. They are getting beat up and sad looking. Now they remind us of the large flower urns you might see in an English garden setting. And one of us requested a Caesar salad without the dressing but added on the side. Best idea yet, because the lettuce was crisp and cold....not limpy. Our mains were rack of lamb, and a savory tenderloin steak. Dessert was one scoop of chocolate/ chocolate chip ice cream and a slice of a decadent brownie cake.
Tonight's entertainment was a Masquerade (not a ball) held in the World Stage at a one-time only 8:30pm. The suggestion was to don a mask and dress to impress for a night of mystery and excitement. A few guests wore masks they had made during the day, and they looked silly. Hey, whatever works for them is just fine with us.
So much for day one at sea. Five more to go......
Bill & Mary Ann
