At Sea

April Fools Day

Our younger son has played April Fools jokes on his gullible mother for many years, but it looks like I will get through today without being tricked by him. Another reason to go on a world cruise.

However, some poor souls were involved in a cruel April Fools joke on board. They read an official looking note stating that as the Chart Room was being moved (according to the official plans just released it is being moved rather than removed), Cunard was giving away the items in the Chart Room, and that they could select what they wanted. Now I would have been taken in by that, and would have been over the moon, running down there to grab anything that was left. I love all of the items in the room. It would be so hard to choose. Maybe I would have opted for the model of the Cunard Countess. This was the first Cunard ship Brian and I sailed on together. It was in 1985 and Ian McNaught was a junior officer on board. Alas for those who took it seriously, nothing was being given away. A cruel April Fools joke indeed. Could this have been the work of a certain well-known New Zealand blogger on board?

After all the excitement of yesterday, and potential for bottles of Contessa, today has been very quiet, focusing on getting the laundry done (together with 1800 like minded folks) and craft projects finished. Both were achieved. Of note is that they no longer have the washing powder in little disposable packages in the launderette. Now you scoop the loose powder into the machine. There is a little note warning you of this change, but somehow I disregarded it, and as usual plunged my hand into the container to get the package. I was startled by the fact that my hand was suddenly deep in washing powder.

The only excitement of the day was the taking of the official QV 2017 World Cruise photo. They decided to take it in the middle of a gale on the back of the Lido deck. If I had bothered to do my hair I would have been most put out. Luckily we had a problem with Brian’s watch keeping time, so we had to dash to the back of the ship and there was no time for primping. Despite my fears that we were all going to be blown overboard, no one was lost at sea, and the photo of a bedraggled bunch of world cruisers was obtained by the photographer standing on a step ladder at the aft of deck 10.

Tonight was the final formal night of this segment – the Victoriana Ball. At dinner there was the usual parade of the chefs with much napkin waving and clapping. I am still amazed how they can provide so many delicious meals a day. Tonight I had snails, beef Wellington, and crème brulee. They were all cooked to perfection. No one had won a bottle of Contessa, so Rod, Deborah, and Martin bought a bottle of champagne for the table to share, so it was indeed an excellent meal.

Midge Ure of Skinny Lizzy and Ultravox fame has been one of the speakers on board, and tonight he sang to a packed house. It was hard to fins a seat because so many people who had been to the early show, chose to come back for the late one.

After the show we went to listen to Carlo, and stayed around talking with an interesting group of people we met at the bar, including a radio DJ from Melbourne who is quite a character. All of a sudden it was way after 1:00. I felt bad as the bar staff had to continue to work, and when we left, we weren’t the last to leave. It is such a very long day for them. They will be back again tomorrow bright and early.