We are appreciating these days at sea more and more, especially after a 2 day stay in a big city like Sydney. It allowed us the time to complete the activities and photos of our second day we spent there. One thing that was missing were the ubiquitous brochures we used to pick up at the info centers all around town. They were jammed with all the maps and details we would need to know about every district and site in town. Perhaps they are not being printed anymore, which is sad. Not all of us travelers use a cell phone on these cruises, and have always relied on local brochures and booklets. In fact, the ship used to provide a map and suggested restaurants, major tourist sites, or shopping areas to see and visit. On this cruise, we have gotten maybe one or two flyers with local info. Guess those days are gone.
Since tomorrow's stop is in Port Arthur, we will have to listen to Ian's lecture on what to see and do. We have been to this port a few times on past cruises, but it has been many years ago. The first time here, we took a tour from Hobart, which is very close by. At that time, we toured the old prison grounds, but also saw other things on the way. We sure cannot recall anything in the way of cafes or restaurants, or even shops in Port Arthur.
During his noon address, Captain Friso brought up a problem with the water system on the ship early this morning. Something occurred that shut down the pumps for a short duration. There was no water. By the time Bill got up, he noticed the water from the faucet coming out rust color. That was not a good sign, although eventually it did clear up. He also mentioned that today's nice weather may not hold up during our stop tomorrow. He is expecting high winds, cloudy, partly sunny, and some rain. Well, that covers everything, but snow. We might have some scenic cruising on the way there, but it will be early in the morning. On the way out after 4pm, we will be cruising Cape Raoul with sandstone rocks and wind cut cliffs. This will be a tender port, and if the winds pick up, it may be dicey. Captain Friso's new slogan is: prepare for the worst and hope for the best. We second that. His final bit of news had to do with a cyclone currently heading up through the Tasman Sea. Boy did we dodge that bullet or what?
The biggest event today was the delivery of 32 Coke Zeros for our every other week President's Club amenity. We have a nice stash now since it has not been that hot outside. We do enjoy sipping the sodas with our room service lunch, which was excellent today. A cobb salad, one club sandwich with extra potato chips, a bowl of Grandma's chicken noodle soup, and some apples and cookies were shared. Certainly tides us over to dinner at 7:30pm.
During our dinner time, we have enjoyed the input about everything Australian from both Heo and Greg. They have been a big help filling in the gaps with missing information. We have learned more about the culture, cuisine, history from them than any speaker onboard. Tonight's menu was created by the culinary council with specialized appetizers and entrees. Most everyone ordered the crab cakes, salads with shrimp, or the soup. Mains were barramundi, prime rib, chicken something, and top ramen with tempura vegetables. However, the veggies were sauteed, not tempura, but tasted good anyway. An added chicken breast rounded out the meal. Our waiter is quite helpful in putting together possibilities beyond what is printed on the menu. And our plates are arriving hot every night without asking. Desserts were a tart and a fruit plate, a refreshing way to end a meal.
Once again we watched as the sun went down, presenting a pretty neat sky – similar to this morning's sunrise.
Bill & Mary Ann
