There was another fabulous sunrise this morning around 5:37am indicating we would have another fine day at sea. Who's up that early? Certainly, not me. I am more than happy to see the photos.
The temperature was already 84 degrees with 75% humidity at 10am. The winds were 12.6 mph and it appeared they were not following winds from the way the waves crested. The ship's speed was 13 knots.
We completed some computer work, made an attempt at gathering future port info in an attempt to catch up. It worked.
We mentioned that the shore excursion channel was showing the system had gone awry. In other words, it was broken. Reporting it to Margaret, our rep, she promised to check it out. She did find that not only was the TV channel not working, but also the Navigator app was awry. She followed through with this and by golly, the channel was working this morning. How about that? It pays to speak up.
Taking our morning stroll on the promenade deck, we saw that the ship's wake was way off. Only the starboard side seemed to be operating full power, the portside propeller, not so much. The max speed so far on this cruise has not exceeded 18 knots, so whatever problem there was previously, is not fixed yet. We would have the opportunity to find out more info later this evening.
At his noon update, Captain Thomas said we were 1570 nautical miles from Kona and have another 563 nautical miles left to reach Rangiroa at a speed of 15 knots. We had a 7-foot swell which is considered smooth in this part of the world. At the time of his talk, we were passing some of Kiribati's remotest islands a couple of hundred miles away. These islands have chosen to be on the other side of the dateline, so they are the first to start the new day.
All of the Polynesian activities were in full swing such as bracelet-making, water coloring, ukulele playing, Polynesian music and dancing, and a Tahiti port talk.
We had a special invitation to a President's Club Dinner and cocktails starting at 5:15pm in the Mix bar. We lucked out and were seated near the chief engineer who was very informative regarding the situation with the ship's propulsion. As we suspected, the portside engine is not working. It has been dis-assembled to be fixed on the ship. It should be back together and operational by the time we reach San Diego on November 19th. To complicate the matter, all of the work had to be done on the ship. The work on the outside like painting etc. cannot be accomplished while in certain port areas of this sailing. That includes Alaska and the South Pacific. In addition, the speed of the ship can be assisted with the currents and following winds. That was the case while in Alaska, but not the case now. The best the Zaandam can do is 13 knots.
Dinner followed in the King's Room at 6pm. Everyone looked nice in their smart casual clothing and happy it was not a dressy night. It has been on the warm side ever since crossing the Equator. We asked Captain Thomas if the dark blue hull had an effect on the temperature of the ship's interior. He said yes it did. And there is a study being done to see if changing the color to a dove grey might solve that problem. Most everyone likes the classy look of the dark hull, but if changing the paint helps, we say yes to the change.
Another question came to light, and that was aimed at the color of the carpeting on all of the stairwells. The dark blue strip of carpet at the last step is off-putting to one of us. Perhaps it is your individual depth perception, but it throws many folks off. The Captain said we were not far off asking that question, and there was a study being done to make changes there. Anything that can be done to prevent falls is a step in the right direction. .
Seated at assigned places in the King's Room, we were given a printed menu with tonight's choices. The first course was a choice of tartare of beef tenderloin or baby beet salad. The second course was a clear (tasteless) broth with chives and one ricotta parmesan dumpling. A palate cleanser was grapefruit lychee sorbet, followed by a choice of halibut or ribeye. We both ordered the ribeye, expecting something different. One of us got a cut that was tender, while the other got an end cut that was tough. Sadly, it was barely warm. In hindsight, we should have had the halibut. The vegetarian entree was a ravioli. The last course was the best - an apple terrine Brule with pecan ice cream and creme Chantilly. Wine flowed for those who drank it as well as sweet canopies and coffee. From beginning to end, it was almost 4 hours. A bit too long for those of us that have back problems. It was a one-time occasion, and we all enjoyed the company of the Captain, chief engineer, staff captain, our good friend Rakesh, environmental officer, and Leonie, our hotel manager. Thanks went to the chefs, our waiters, and Dwi, the dining room Matre'd. Jacques the Cellar Master kept everyone well-hydrated.
One thing was missing, and that was having a group photo taken by the ship's photographer. Any other time, they are in both the dining room and Pinnacle Grill snapping shots. Tonight, those with cellphones had the waiters taking personal pictures of the group. We have always had a picture taken while everyone is seated from each end of the long table. Tonight there were no photographers at all. An oversight, or saving money? Who knows.....
There was a show tonight featuring Anita Newby with songs from Detroit. The better show was the "dummies" that were placed in the stairwells for Halloween we assume. Ghosts and goblins were more like it. Tomorrow, Halloween, should be interesting......
Bill & Mary Ann
