Subject: Report # 49 Sailing Towards Darwin, Australia February 18, 2016 Thursday Partly cloudy & 91 degrees
Report # 49 Sailing Towards Darwin, Australia February 18, 2016 Thursday Partly cloudy & 91 degrees
Things have heated up as the Amsterdam headed in a westerly direction across the northern top of Australia. We checked the temperature at 8am this morning, and it was already 82 degrees outside. We have left the Coral Sea, entered the Arafura Sea, and spent the day sailing across the top of the Gulf of Carpenteria. On previous cruises, we have actually entered this gulf, and did some scenic cruising closer to shore. It was the first time we had ever seen sea snakes swimming in the waters. And it was also one of the hottest areas we have ever been in. Guess being so much closer to the Equator has something to do with the extreme temperatures.
By the way, the clocks went back last night, but only for ½ hour. This is one of the few places on earth that we do the ½ hour change. We have had a couple of these changes already, and will probably have a few more before we circle the earth. We still welcomed the extra time to catch up on sleep last night.
Life onboard has continued with lectures this morning. Barbara H, our port lecturer, and Nyron, the shore excursion manager gave information on the upcoming ports of call in Asia. Mel Foster followed them with a series about Australia's wild lands, creatures, beasts and beauty. Andrew Johnson spoke about the 1493 line that divides the world's new territories. Guess we'll have to go hear this to understand the meaning. We did not know it, but we would have a very interesting conversation with Mr. Andrew later in the day.
A big surprise to us was that our assistant room steward has left for the Koningsdam, and a new man appeared today to take his place. His name is Alim, and seems happy to be here. It just happens that a number of our top crew members have been selected to serve on the new ship, which will debut April 8th in the Mediterranean.
The big event of the day was lunch in the Lido Pool area. It was a stir fry, where you can create your own meal. Fresh vegetables, meats, and assorted seafood are cooked to perfection in woks. We could smell the aroma of garlic all the way to the aft pool from 11:30 to 2pm. Although it is not one of our favorite venues (too much oil is used), lots of folks seem to love it. It is something different for a change.
We have been enjoying the sandwich maker, who knows our preferences now. It's always the ciabatta rolls with either thinly sliced roast beef, turkey, ham, pastrami, or salami. There are three different types of sliced cheese, and a variety of fresh veggie toppings. If that is not enough, there is deviled egg salad, chicken salad, or tuna salad. You can have your sandwich cold or toasted. We sure hope the powers to be will consider keeping this service going on all voyages, as it had been taken away on the cruise we did in the fall of last year. Pre-made sandwiches were all that was available. These sandwiches are still available, but we do not see them moving very quickly. Hard to see what's inside of them when they are packaged.
A nice breeze popped up later in the afternoon, although it was still hot and humid outside. We spent a better part of the afternoon at the aft pool chatting with friends and reading. We have still managed to keep up with our two walks on the promenade deck a day, despite the heat.
We were invited to a cocktail party given by or travel agency. This time it was in the Explorers Lounge, and for us, it was at 7pm. The early diners met at 4:30pm for their hour of frivolity. Our group is much smaller, because the majority of the passengers have chosen to eat earlier. So we think Tom, Wendy and Steve invited some of the staff to join us. That's when we met the guest lecturer, Andrew Johnson. He joined our small group of friends, where we proceeded to discuss the fact that none of the lectures have been recorded to be shown later in the day. Mr. Johnson was not happy about this, since he would love to have his talks shown for everyone to hear. He fully understands that other activities can interfere with his schedule, so being on TV works for him. So we don't know why this policy has changed. And we are not sure this is happening fleet wide. Being long time cruisers, we are not liking all of these small changes.
Anyway, we did enjoy the cocktail party and the special hors d'oeuvres that were graciously served. Tom M usually makes a toast, but he was so caught up in conversation, he forgot. A sign that he too was having a good time.
Dinner was missing two folks….Bonnie and Paul, who were dining with their new found friends. But that gave the five of us a chance to visit and talk about stuff we all know. The food continues to be tasty and hot…..always a good thing.
Another day at sea tomorrow, and we will be in Darwin on Saturday. Sadly, it will be our final port in Australia.
Bill & Mary Ann
