We had a nice day at sea despite the fact that the weather turned overcast and rainy. We have been lucky so far, but we are due for some inclement weather. Our big job of the day was picking up our passports. They sure have made it easy now that the tables are set up on every passenger deck. We also had to bring our passport receipts with us with them signed on the back. It took all of two minutes to accomplish since one of us went at the very end of the time slot.
After finishing up our internet work, we took a walk outside on deck three. It was so muggy we knew rain was on the way. We could see it on the horizon. We had just come back inside when the rain came down in buckets. And we learned the reason for this sudden downpour. According to the Captain, a cyclone was forming well ahead of us and we were hitting the fringes of it. He explained that he was in contact with weather experts that were able to chart out a course he could take that would be less of an impact on the ship. Now this may not be 100% accurate, but that's what we made of his explanation. By taking the ship northwest, he may be able to escape the worst of it. He still had 268 nautical miles to reach Tonga tomorrow, so we hope it works. The temperature was 81 degrees and the seas had a 4 foot swell. However, that could turn on a dime…..no one knows.
There was a special theme for tonight's formal evening. It was Great Gatsby Night with a formal-type menu in the dining room. All the guests were encouraged to wear their finest flapper outfits and dapper suits. We did see a few guests with their Panama hats and feathers in their hair. Dinner choices for us were the almost everyday shrimp cocktails and Caesar salads. One of us had the surf and turf (lobster and filet mignon) and the other a pasta with tomato sauce and roasted sliced chicken on the side. It was just enough. A lemon phyllo dough dessert was shared by both of us.
Between 8 and 10pm, there was a Gatsby-themed wing-ding party held in the Crow's Nest and the Retreat area on deck 11. With the rain showers, we do not know if the retreat area worked out too well. Today we had been given a different newspaper that would tie to the party tonight. It involved a $50,000 tanzanite necklace that was stolen (make-believe), and the suspects involved with the robbery. They were all young crew members of course. And the necklace was from Effy's naturally. Good advertising. Kimberly was dubbed "Sweet Patootie", Captain Friso was "Big Cheese", Henk was "Ace Mensink", and the Chief Security Officer was "Wire Split" Kennedy.
Highlights of the evening were a live jazz band, hors d'oevres , themed cocktails, clues to solve the mystery, a fortune teller in the speakeasy, and a dance contest as well as best-dressed. Since that was our dinnertime, we missed most of it. There was a movie shown in the World Stage, The Fall Guy.
In addition, the clocks were set back one hour and we were glad for that.
Hoping for good weather tomorrow in Nuku' alofa, Tonga.
Bill & Mary Ann
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