Tuesday, February 4^th, 2020

At Sea

We are getting ourselves on to Sri Lankan time, and were supposed to move our watches forward one half hour last night. I was able to get my mobile phone to change time, but my Fitbit failed to comply. I decided that being a half hour wrong would only confuse me, so I abandoned it, and got our my proper analog watch. Now it was very easy to change the time.

However, this did present a problem. My goal had been to walk a million steps in the 90 days I will be away. I am getting a little bit behind in my goal, and not being able to use the Fitbit again until we return to Dubai time is a problem. I could wear both my watch and my Fitbit, but how geeky is that? So, I decided to abandon the million-step goal, and place my Fitbit in the safe. The magnetic strap interferes with my key card anyway.

Ruth decided to venture into the launderette again today. She had had an adverse experience there on her first encounter. I had vaguely mentioned that visiting the launderette could be a challenge at times, and I minimized time spent there. However, it is a necessity if you don’t want to send your dirty clothes off to the ship’s laundry. Although it can be a good source of ship’s gossip, I have found over the years that this is often misinformation, although it is always entertaining.

Probably my best encounter in the launderette occurred several years ago. We had just crossed the equator and there had been much discussion about the Coreolus effect with water reversing its course as it goes down the sink. There was a lady in the launderette with us as we were watching our dirty clothes swish around in the washing machines. She very seriously asked if the laundry went in different directions in the northern and southern hemisphere. I thought she was joking, but no, she was very serious about this.

But back to Ruth’s first experience in the launderette. It was a classic encounter with tempers flaring, shouting, pushing and shoving. It was an eye opener for her. She’s a lawyer, and not unaccustomed to conflict, but this behavior was something new to her. However, out of necessity, she had to venture there again. This time things went well. You never can tell what will happen there.

Whilst she was waiting for the washing machine to complete its cycle she had gone back to our cabin. There waiting for us were letters and forms from the Sri Lankan health authority asking us to explain where we had been for the past 2 weeks, and if we had had any flu like symptoms. Ruth was concerned that we received the letters because she had visited the medical center. I reassured her that I was sure all of the passengers received the same latter. I was wrong – it was just us! Hopefully we will be allowed into Sri Lanka……..

After returning our forms to the medical center Ruth headed back to the launderette to put her clothes in the dryer. However, before her washing machine was finished a lady placed clothes in all 3 dryers. She seemed oblivious to the fact that there were 2 other people also waiting to use the dryers, and refused to share. I think it is interesting how people can appear to be polite and normal until they are faced with getting their clothes clean. Then they turn into selfish, inconsiderate machine hoggers. When their laundry is done, they revert to their pleasant selves again. Very strange.

I had assumed that we would only be singing 2 songs at our choir performance on Saturday, but Andrew introduced 2 more. One is Greensleeves, easy enough. The other is a Welsh song, Dafydd y Garreg Wen, or for the non-Welsh speakers among us, David of the White Rock. It actually has nothing to do with rocks, but is indeed one of the most depressing songs I have ever heard. It makes Danny Boy sound like a joyous carol. Still, the music is lovely, and he is hoping to be able to get our harpist to accompany us, which should sound brilliant.

There was a Cruise Critic meeting in the Commodore Club, and as usual it was great to put faces to those members whose posts I have enjoyed reading. In my experience, Cunard has never been that helpful to our group, but one enterprising member has arranged for us to have a message board so we can communicate with each other, and has said we can use one of the Connexions rooms for our meetings. I would personally prefer the Commodore Club, but there would be more space for us down in the bowels of the prow of the ship.

Finally I had time to relax and I went to join Ruth who was sunning herself on deck 7. Although it was quite windy, she had found a great sheltered spot. Yes, there is a lot to do on board, but there is also plenty of room for serious relaxation. Ruth has been reading a book about the terrorist incident on the Achille Lauro. Not what I would have chosen to read on a sea voyage. She had noticed that there are 3 gentlemen on board who wear suits and talk amongst themselves, looking like they are discussing business, potentially terrorist type business. She says they are totally different to any other passenger. I have not seen them, but will be on the look out for them.

Tonight is the World Club party. On embarkation I received a letter thanking me for being a World Club member, and very firmly pointing out that I would only get one invitation to a World Club party, and one invitation to a Senior Offices party despite being on the ship for several sectors. I am not happy about this – I love a party and feel very annoyed at being deprived. I will just have to make the most of this one.

It was a gala night – the Mariners Ball. Ruth and I had decided to go with the theme and bought ourselves very nautically appropriate blue dresses. We thought we looked smashing, and off we headed to the cocktail party.

Now with these parties you can queue on the port side of the entrance to the Queens Room if you want to shake hands and have your photo taken with the captain, or you can go through the starboard entrance and be greeted by some lesser mortal. We always chose the latter (maybe that’s why we never get invited to the captain’s table. This is the second gala night this trip, and neither has provided us with that much coveted invitation), as although the queue is just as long, it moves much faster, all you have to do is enter the room, give over your invitation, and grab a glass of bubbly.

We settled down with our glasses of bubbly and surveyed the scene. Everyone there was in their formal best, some looking lovely and nautical. Some dressed in a very bizarre manner, but still meeting the requirements of formal attire. One woman wore a voluminous blue chiffon garment that would have been quite acceptable at the ferengi Quark’s Bar, Grill, Gaming House and Holosuite Arcade on Startrek.

As per usual, Captain Hashmi gave a wonderful humorous speech. He is still teasing us that he knows the name of the new Cunard ship. Actually the big reveal of the name was meant to be on February 11^th, but it has been changed to a later date. The speculation on board is that the name will be revealed at the World Voyage Gala in Melbourne next month. Anyway the captain hinted that the name might not be a queen at all, but a countess. That had us all trying figuring that one out. Hmmmmmm.

A group of us decided to go to Bamboo, the specialty restaurant for dinner. The food was excellent as usual, and we had a good time. I asked our waiter to take a photo of us all. It’s at a strange angle, and is barely in focus, and although the color is much more vibrant and glow in the dark in real life, it gives you an idea of what my new and not improved hair looks like. That’s me with the glowing hair, sitting against the wall 3rd from the left.

The photos of the food are much clearer.

After dinner Glenys and I decided to join the festivities of the Mariners Ball in the Queens Room.

No sooner had we sat down than a gentleman host came over and asked me to dance. It was a slow waltz. I was excited. I can do this! Not so much. I was waltzing away when he asked me to stop trying to dance, and to just walk. That way we won’t be such a danger on the dance floor.

He returned me to my seat at the end of the waltz, and headed off in style with Glenys. I don’t think he had to ask her to just walk. They made an elegant couple.