Today or tonight will be the day we cross the International Dateline. Therefore, our clocks have to be set ahead 23 hours, and we will lose a day….February 26th. There will be no Wednesday. If we have simple watches and clocks, the difference on those will be one hour back. As we continue to sail west, we will get those 23 hours back one at a time.
It was also Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras, an excuse to eat, party, and celebrate the merriment of the day before Ash Wednesday. Now that will be strange, because as we mentioned, we are skipping Wednesday and going straight to Thursday. Bet they change Ash Wednesday to Ash Thursday. So confusing.
For us, it was another beautiful day to enjoy at the back pool. Since it was so unforgivingly hot yesterday, many folks did not peek their heads outside today. Yes, it was still warm and humid, but much better than yesterday. There was a nice breeze blowing across the decks, and we also had a few passing showers. It sure moved the six people that were outside like us. For the better part of the day, we had the deck entirely to ourselves.
The Maori Ambassadors made poi this morning, then showed the folks how to use poi in the afternoon. A guest presenter, Gerald McCormack, spoke about the geological history of the Polynesian Islands and the plants and animals as well. A lecture all about Nuku'alofa, Tonga was delivered in the Mainstage. We know this place inside and out. Hopefully we will be able to do our long walk there without melting, and seeing some of the island's sites along the way. Last November, the weather was pleasant…..warm but not too hot.
After listening to the Ocean Quartet, and visiting with passing folks, we ducked into the show lounge to watch the juggler , Steven Ragartz, a former Cirque du Soleil performer. We did not last long, because we would have been late for dinner. And the performance was slow to take off.
So at dinner tonight, we found the waiters were dressed with gold, purple, and green sparkling vests and ties. The chair covers matched the strings of beads and masks on the table for each guest. It's our "mini-Carnival" celebration, which continued in the Crow's Nest at 9 and 10pm. Dinner choices reflected the Fat Tuesday theme with Cajun-type food. To be on the safer side, one of us had minestrone soup and a taco salad with grilled chicken. The other less spicy entrée was Kentucky fried chicken with corn on the cob and mashed potatoes. Both filling, although we saved a little room for desserts of flourless chocolate cake and one slice of tasty King cake, a yellow, purple, and green layer cake – the colors of Mardi Gras.
And as we mentioned earlier, the clocks went back one hour tonight. And one more activity was added at 10pm. It was possible stargazing with the navigation officer Eric. That is if the weather permitted.
Bill & Mary Ann
Wednesday, February 26, 2020
Report #111 Day at Sea February 25, 2020 Tuesday Partly sunny, light showers & 75 degrees
