Looking out our window this morning, it sure looked sunny and warm today. But then, sunny turned cloudy, windy, and rainy by the time we went to breakfast. We are now traveling down the east coast from the North Island to the South Island. The patch in between these two islands is undoubtedly rough with extremely strong currents. As a result, we began rocking and rolling with the deeper swells. The capital of New Zealand is Wellington, located on the bottom of the North Island. Due to its location, it has been named the windiest capital in the world.
At noontime, the NFL Super Bowl LII was televised on ESPN, shown in the Queen’s Lounge as well as on our stateroom TVs. Both east coast teams, the Eagles were taking on the Patriots. This is the first world cruise that we have not received any flyers advertising special seating and drink specials for the occasion. Asking our tablemates last night, we learned that the promotions were advertised in the bars only. We do have three close friends that did get the special section seats with butler service and great beverages. One of those was Barb, who was celebrating her birthday today. We all teased her that she had an early birthday dinner last night, a cake for tonight, and her REAL birthday at home tomorrow. Boy is she milking it, or what? Her answer to that question was…..you bet.
Since spaghetti was an entrée at the dining room lunch, we had to go at 12:30pm. Another good choice was the Philadelphia steak sandwich, ½ size. Appropriate for today.
We caught the last quarter of the game, although the last 10 minutes are usually the best. Can imagine how many folks will be having naps after the extravaganza in the Queen’s Lounge. A buffet was set up with delicious snacks suitable for a football game. People like that for a change.
Going for an afternoon walk was challenging. The high winds were blowing a gale, picking up the sea spray, and making the deck quite wet on one side. And because the doors to the lower promenade were hard to open, the crew taped all of them off, and posted warning signs. Using either the front or aft doors in the center, we always find a way out. Despite the wind, it really was not all that chilly. However, the further south we go, we expect it to get much colder.
The best part of the walk was seeing a couple of wandering albatross gliding around the ship. These magnificent birds have a wing span up to 11 feet. They are capable of covering up to 300 miles in a single day. Feeding on squid, fish, and food refuse from ships, they can live as long as 30 years. We’re not sure if ships jettison ground up waste food anymore, or do they incinerate it? We are sure that Captain Jonathon was happy to see these birds, as they are considered good luck to sailors. Hope to see more as we head towards the fjords in the upcoming days.
To celebrate Barb’s birthday, Susie and Woody joined our table for the dessert portion. Barb had pre-ordered a pineapple upside down cake, and of course, it arrived with a dozen waiters singing the birthday song. Always a fun time for all. Well, maybe not for those surrounding us. By 10pm, all had left the room except 5 of us……Susie , Woody, Barb, and us. We stayed talking until the lights went up full bore, and the waiters began working to clean up all around us. In the old days, it was not unusual for us to talk until 10:30pm or later. Now that people can eat anytime, the room is empty by 9:30ish most nights.
Tomorrow’s port will be Port Chalmers for Dunedin. It’s been a long time since we were here and on tours each time. Hopefully we can explore the city at our own pace this time.
Bill & Mary Ann
