Monday, 13 March 2017

March 13, 2017



    This is Sea Day #8 and the last full day of the 17 day Australia and New Zealand cruise.  Really, it is day 33 of our back to back cruising, over one month.   The ship is still crossing the Tasman Sea en route from Picton, New Zealand to Sydney, Australia.  This morning Radiance of the Seas had covered almost two thirds of the way to Sydney.
    We did not feel any rolling of the ship in our stateroom as the photos were slowly being posted to the blog. We decided to get an Internet package since we are not sure if we will get one at the hotel in Sydney.  It took 7 or 8 minutes per photo and there were 47!  This morning the clouds clung to the horizon blocking the sun rise for a while and then separating to reveal a partly cloudy sky and a temperature of about 18 C and a moderate wind of 20 km per hour.  The captain’s noon announcement advised that the high temperature today would be 22 C and tomorrow in Sydney it will be warmer and 85% chance of thunderstorms.
      We found Bob and Maureen reading on Deck 6 and gave them our Internet info so that they could catch up on their emails, before walking circuits on Deck 5.  We watched the slight swells of the Tasman Sea.  The closest land is over 300 kilometers away.  There were a lot more people around the outdoor pool today.
   We found a certificate on our bed with our names on it.  It certifies that we have circumnavigated Australia on the Radiance of the Seas.  We don’t remember getting a certificate when we circumnavigated Wales, Scotland England’s island in 2014.
    We ordered cappuccinos to take to read on the shady side of Deck 5 before attending Dr. Peter Dingle’s final talk, “Stress, Depression and Gratitude” before a later lunch.  We watched the Mambo lesson before returning to the stateroom to read. Before dinner, we climbed up to the Deck 6 Colony Club for hosted ballroom dancing to recorded ballroom dance music.  Joy and Emmanuel reviewed each of the five dances that they taught and then the seven or eight couples danced.  When they demonstrated the Mambo and then counted for the people to help them start their Mambo, Joy referred to us as Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers saying we would have to bear with the beginners for the count in.
     Dinner choices tonight were French Onion Soup, Scallops and Chorizo and Lentil & Rosemary Soup. Main course was Lamb Shank with mashed potatoes and vegetables or Roast Turkey with roasted potato, carrot and Brussels sprouts.  The dessert was Frozen Strawberry Soufflé and warm Apple Strudel.
    Entertainment this evening was Farewell Showtime with the Radiance of the Seas singers and dancers and comedian, Mike Bennett.  He gave a witty performance.
     We packed the luggage this evening in anticipation of disembarking the ship tomorrow.  Since we are not taking a Royal Caribbean transfer to the airport or an area hotel, we do not need to place our luggage with tags in the hall to be picked up and stored in a warehouse for us to collect in the morning after we leave the ship.  We along with Bob and Maureen will skip the warehouse and proceed to Australian Border Services before finding a taxi.


   Steps 16,572                    Flights of stairs  63

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