A day at sea

From Janis:  I began writing this post the day before yesterday, which was our third consecutive day at sea.  I was interrupted and am finishing it now the day after we visited Melbourne, Australia today.  David will write a post about our visit to Melbourne.

Given the length of our trip and the distance between ports, it is inevitable that we will have days at sea.  Prior to leaving on this cruise, several people asked us if we thought we'd be bored on sea days.  I hadn't thought about it before being asked the first time, but once I did I said I didn't think so.  And that has been the case.

As I mentinoned above, I began this post on the third consecutive day at sea as we traveled from New Zealand to Australia over the Tasman Sea.  It was also the first of the three days that were truly manageable in terms of the motion of the ship.  As David wrote in previous blogs, it was wild on board during the first two days crossing the Tasman.  The area is known for the "Roaring 40s," referring to strong westerly winds in the Southern Hemisphere between the latitudes of 40 and 50 degrees.  We both took motion sickness pills on the first of the three days, and they worked.  This was the first time we have gotten sea sick on any cruise.  We were not alone.

To give you a flavor of a day on board while at sea, I'll tell you about my day yesterday.  It began with an 8 a.m. Pilates class on the pool deck taught by a woman from Melbourne who is a physical therapist.  As an aside, she encouraged us to have coffee while in Melbourne, saying it's known as some of the best in the world.  (We did have coffee in Melbourne and it was very good.)

After Pilates, I met David for breakfast in the Cafe, the casual restaurant, where we sat at a table beside a wall of windows overlooking the ocean.  The views were spectacular of the deep marine blue water and cerulean sky.  We both had our iPads with us, as usual, and checked mail while we ate.  (A bad habit.)

From breakfast we went to a guest emergency drill, which must be done every so many miles on an ocean cruise.  This was the second drill since leaving LA.  It was handled efficiently and we were soon on our way to our next event.

For me it was a cooking demonstration with the Executive Chef who came on board in Dunedin, NZ when the prevous EC left.  He made something he calls Very Green Risotto Carnaroli St. Jacques and Pecorino.  He chatted the whole time in his very French and charming accent.  He advised that we buy only Italian or French olive oil after reading the label carefully, cook with fresh herbs and very little, if any, salt, and enjoy a glass of wine while we patiently wait for whatever we are cooking to finish.

After the cooking demonstration, I walked several laps outside on the deck before going to the gym for more cardio and a weight workout.   After that it was time for lunch, following which I attended a roundtable discussion with Dr. Charles Doherty, the resident art historian, on the topic "Colonial Photography of Indigenous People."  He and the group discussed the role of photography in the mid-19th Century in Polynesia, how to read or interpret the images, and whether they are anthropological documents or art (they are both).

After that, I began writing this post and did that until it was time to shower and dress before attending a lecture by British Rear Admiral John Lipplett titled, "The Search for Australia, Terra Australis Incognita."  The focus was on the centuries-long efforts of explorers to confirm the existence of the southern continent.

When the lecture was over, it was time for cocktails with friends and then dinner.  After dinner we enjoyed hearing Chelsea Gibb sing.  She is well-known and highly regarded in Australia, and for good reason.  She was excellent.

In between all of these activities, I read when I had some time and read before bed.  I'm close to the end of Dark Money, by Jane Mayer, an excellent and disturbing book.  When I finish it I'll be ready to read something light.

What I've described is pretty typical for a day at sea.  However, the cooking demonstration is offered only every few weeks and, instead, there is usually a lecture during that time slot.  It's not unusual to have three lectures a day while we are at sea, in addition to or including a port talk to prepare us for the next stop.  There are other activities that I haven't mentioned because we haven't taken part in them, such as bridge lessons and games and Mahjong lessons and games.  A group of women meet regularly to work on knitting and quilts made from materials purchased in each port.  There is a choir that practices and holds periodic recitals, and tai chi is taught.  David has met with fellow photographers to work on techniques.  And I have done some drawing and painting.   There is something for just about everyone.  We are not bored!