Mon. Nov. 2 and Tues. Nov.3

Two sea days in a row makes one want to contemplate the meaning of life.....ahem...no, I haven't been drinking. I just have been having deep thoughts about this cruise and I feel like sharing:)

Once again we have been blessed with good seas and sunshine. The weather is getting warmer the farther north we travel. I am ready to pack our jeans and long sleeves into the suitcase and shove them under the bed.
We can only say that the first part of our journey was amazing. The people we met in Sydney and New Zealand were friendly and helpful. The majestic landscape of New Zealand was impressive and the memories of our visit will last for years to come.

We have spent a lot of time assessing the cruisers on board and are finding that we probably have the least number of cruises on the ship. We have spoken with people who leave one cruise and get right on another. It is nothing for them to be away from home for 60-90 days at a time. Some spend 6 months a year cruising. A lot of the cruisers walk around the ship with the days schedule of activities in hand as well as with a book or a deck of cards. I can't even keep my eyes open for 5 minutes reading on the ship. The gentle motion puts me right to sleep. We don't feel we fit the mold of the typical cruiser that we have met on board.
Our motivation for cruising is to explore the world. Yes, we enjoy the relaxation the sea days afford, but we look forward with anticipation, the ports we will visit. We have spoken to people who don't do anything in the ports. We can't relate to them.

We went to another lecture of John Maxtone-Graham's today. He is a cruise ship historian who has taken us on a trip through the history of the Ocean Liners. His lectures are so informative as well as entertaining and he fills the theater every time. He finished his stories to 1980 and his next series of lectures will be on the cruising industry from 1980 to the present. This is when the purpose of the ship changed from transportation to and from Europe to entertainment that returned you to your point of origin.

Tonight is formal night and we will attend the festivities. This is the second of 4. We only plan to attend 2.

Back from our evening....we saw two good shows . One was by the Princess performers and themed on rock and roll. The other was a guitarist from Australia that performed folk songs and John Denver songs. He was very enjoyable.
We had lobster thermidor and halibut for dinner. The food has been quite good, with only a couple of disappointments. Here are some pics of our day.