Heading 270°

Woah there.  Any astute reader of this blog *may* have noticed I got out of synch with the days - there were 2 Day 5 in the second posting.  I have now edited the previous posts to get back on track.

Day 9 - still at sea
Pleasantly surprised to wake and find that it was only just after 6.00 (thanks to the time change).  So time  for our normal routine of a cuppa from room service before facing the day.  Funny thing is that I always order tea for 2 with mik (hardly worth it for what Vivian has) and on all our previous cruises this has come with teaspoons,  but for some reason this fairly important cutlery item has been missing, which makes it tricky to make the white tea.  It now seems that the teaspoons have to be ordered or ..... so I have now kept one in our drawer for future use.  It's just the little things that one notices.

Although we had a shower of rain during the morning, 24 degrees is definitely more tropical and by lunchtime the sun was out and we are now powering along at some 19kts just off Cairns at 2.00 pm.  Recapping from earlier in the day,  Vivian had 9.00 bridge and I planned to sit outside and update the blog.  Unfortunately the seats were soaking, so retreated inside (under the WIFI). It was good to see the Commodore walking around the passenger areas, something we have rarely seen on other Princess ships.  I also met up with a number of WC 2015 cruisers.  Before the cruise I was teĺling people that we probably knew over 100 passengers from previous cruises,  well I think I need to up that to 3-400! or more.

Room service for afternoon tea and I tried to get a bottle of Pinot Noir (as we have previously), but No - not on their menu, so I had to traipse down to the Wheelhouse Bar.  Ummm, Consumate Host? probably not. However it is nice to be able to sit on the balcony in the ever increasing twilight, glass in hand.

Day 10
Glorious sunny warm (30 degree) day - need I say more?  Caught up with Margit & Jim (tablemates from 2016) for breakfast, which was great as we got a small window table at the rear of the MDR.  Rounded top of Cape York about  3.00pm and said  goodbye to Australia as we head west towards Indonesian waters. Did our walk just before 5.00pm, when it started to cool. 

BIG problems have developed onboard regarding walking on the Promenade Deck.  Convention/ every other ship sees walkers go around anti-clockwise however on this ship there is a sign showing that 3 times around the deck = 1 mile, with an arrow pointing clockwise.  Yes the same sign was there 3 years ago and has been ignored by 90% of the passengers.  Unfortunately Corey our Cruise Director has made this anomaly known and basically agreed with the clockwisers. It just doesn't feel right, but we'll conform at least in the meantime.

A 6.00pm show tonight, featuring Ric Steele from Nashville.  We have of course seen him before, but he is a very good entertainer.  After the show we went back to the cabin for a quick drink before dinner.  It was a glorious evening, which I enhanced by turning off all the lights, sitting on our deck with just the white of the little wave tops and a multitude of stars for company.  Almost didn't want to go to dinner!

Day 11
Similar to yesterday although there is a little cloud and the temperature is 28 degrees as we pass across the Gulf of Carpenteria.  We had a pizza lunch with Gwenda & Graham as there was a pub lunch in the MDR.  It is not that we don't like pub lunch, we do, but it was looking very, very popular and that makes it difficult to eat and run (to bridge for Vivian).

We ended up at the after dinner show - Krystal Washington, who has featured in the previous production shows.  Vivian liked it, but I found it very "shouty", plus although it was all supposed to be about her experiences on Broadway,  the material was generally unknown.  However a good turnout.

Day 12
Yet another formal tonight.  Much as we are quite happy to dress up, it does seem a little too frequent (probably even more so than Cunard).  I don't know whether I am pleased or not, but with our walk this morning we had 100% compliance with the "clockwise rule".  Still relatively early and I am sure we are heading for a 30° day under cloudless skies at a modest 15kts.  Lunched today with Margaret & Roger (2016), which was a great way to catch up.

Surf & Turf for dinner was the only highlight of the formal night apart from the photographers.  I must say however that they are not as pushy as we have experienced previously.  After dinner we all went to the film in the Princess Theatre - American Made, based on the true account of the CIA inspired arms deal with the Central American rebels.  Quite a long film, which didn't finish until well after 11.00.  The alternative was the Country & Western evening - an unusual choice for passengers in formal attire.

Day 13
The good news after last night was that the clocks have gone back yet again, so we are now a full 4 hours behind NZ.  The bad news however is that with yet *another* wine tasting this afternoon, Vivian's bridge is at 9.00, so down to breakfast at opening time (7.30).  Yet more good news is that because it is relatively early Ì have been able to snag a deckchair on the shady side of Promenade Deck.

We are still sailing at 14kts as we pass Timor and through some of the Indonesian islands.  Even at 10.00am the temperature is over 30° and undoubtedly will get hotter (& more humid?)  later in the day.  I must say that it is quite nice to see land after so many sea days.  Getting ahead of myself, but tomorrow is Komodo Island and I had thought that we'd have the ship to ourselves (as we have been & seen and been pursued by Komodo Dragons prevously), but it seems that half the ship is either disinterested,  can't walk, or are scared following yet another of Hutch's port talks.