Saturday 19 March

Awake and up at 0600, dressed for my now obligatory walk, out at 0610 and four turns around the deck. Still dark, but quite a few other vessels out at sea. Met up with the chap who had been a plumber and we chatted about what we did in Adelaide while we walked. Then back to the cabin, had a shower and dressed and up for breakfast. Fran arrived while I was talking to a chap from Sunshine. After, I went down to the Wheelhouse Lounge and waited with Pat until Fran turned up at 0820. Velma had already begun her work day. At 0825 she took us up to deck 12 and we made our way through to the bridge. Here the Third Officer and Navigation Officer walked and talked through the operation of the ship and the instruments. It was most interesting and while the ship had automatic and computer controls, all could be taken over manually if necessary. Then we went to the wing bridge and had a look along the side of the ship and under our feet through a glass deck. Velma left and then we took some photos and left. Fran booked a tour at Bali and the ones at Broome were all booked out. We met up with Fay who had her meeting with her granddaughter Taylor, 6’3”) go off well. Then I walked around Deck 12 and spoke with people from Sydney (near Bankstown) and a couple from the Yorke Peninsular. Went up to the Wheelhouse Lounge and started writing up my diary and then met a couple from Adelaide (Chas and Anna) who had daughters in the crowd who gathered to farewell us from Adelaide. Put the computer away and went up for lunch, which we had outside with a family from New Zealand. I went down into the lounge on the port side on Deck 7 to do the puzzles, and did some but ended up trying to help some women with a crossword solution. Finally down to the cabin about 1700 and changed for dinner. Entered the dining room (Venetian) at 1745and we were the first. Ended up with Chris and Keith, Mille and Chris, Maxxie and Manuel and Brian and Maxine (separated). Nice dinner, pleasant companionship, but I think I prefer Horizons because of a greater variety – also, more informal. After, we changed and walked four times around the deck (for me, 640 paces [1920 per mile, 1200 per kilometre] and for Fran 892 [2676 per mile, 1670 per kilometre]). Then Fran got ready for bed and to watch Mao’s Last Dancer – I got some cups of tea and had those with Teddy Bears in the cabin. Off to bed and watches back an hour.