Anzac Cove

Friday 26th
A very special day, as we woke to find the ship stopped off Anzac Cove (which I have to admit is not where I thought it was, being on the western side of the peninsula, not Gallipoli to the east).  Lesson 1.  Anyway, land was on the starboard side, so after waiting half an hour for our tea, we went upstairs to get a view of land.  They were setting up for the service, and as number of veterans were having a pre service tot. Found Christine & Mark, so we ventured into the trough (Horizon Court) for a quick buffet breakfast.  By the time we'd finished the crowd was assembling and we were fortunate to get a spot on deck 15, with a perfect view of the proceedings.

Captain Kent conducted an excellent and moving service, with the Sea Princess Choir (incl. Mark 1) in full voice.  They/we concluded the service with the Australian and New Zealand National Anthems including the 1st verse in Maori, which was no mean feat. We could see the landing beaches, memorials etc. from a distance and it was a pity that they did not provide a map, so that we could all correctly identify the area.  However we were extremely fortunate to get into to area, which is off limits to other cruise ships, but as we were sailing from Sydney, the Turkish government gives us special permission.

We stayed off the shore until 11.00 and then we did a full 360 degree turn, so that everyone could get a good view before we headed off for our next port of call, Santorini tomorrow.  As Vivian has bridge, it was down to MDR for lunch (making up for breakfast) and as we are just finishing the waiter opens the curtain and there is a submarine beside us!  This area is a major shipping lane into Istanbul and through into the Black Sea, so it could have been anyone's.  Later I looked at it through the binoculars and it was flying the Turkish flag, but that doesn't mean anything as it was simply in Turkish waters. We were flying the same flag yesterday☺

As I write, we are being buzzed by some unknown jet fighters, unseen from the port side however.  Must have been friendly as we are still here.  Vivian has finished bridge & our green tea and cookies on deck 5, and is enjoying a nap before show? & dinner & 2nd show??  I don't think so, as she is fighting off the bot, which is rife, with too many people out and about when they should stay in their cabins.  Touch wood, I am fine and have just finished my NZ supplied antibiotics.

Tomorrow is Santorini and we have nothing planned other than taking the cable car up to the town of Fira for shopping and coffee.  As this is our last Greek port of call, I trust that our Euros are still OK.  Sad how they don't seem to be able to get a deal in place. Hey looks as though I may have mastered the photos at last.  If so, I'll post some earlier ones.

Towards the Black Sea

Tuesday 23rd
Still making good time and looking good coming through the Greek Islands.  We eventually got tied up at Piraeus, the port for Athens, just after 11.00.  Although our scheduled meeting place for our excursion to Athens was not until midday,  we went down early and were the first there for our overall group.  Funny, we were Green18 again.  A bit of a shambles, as our group was called and we disembarked and then had to board a port shuttle to the terminal.  As this was a shared shuttle, not all our group got on the first, or the second, so the terminal was soon filled with various groups trying to gather together.

Eventually we boarded our bus and headed out of the port. As we were doing Athens (on our own), our guide was not allowed to give " touristy" information, but we were lucky that the traffic was so bad that we took the scenic route along the waterfront, which gave us some great sights.  We also got to go past Parliament at 1.00 in time for the mini changing of the guard. 

Once again we were dropped off on the outskirts of the Plaka (shopping) and we headed off.  Remarkably we found ourselves in the same shop as last time and purchased the table clothes we wanted.  We also did a little other shopping, but being happy with our purchases we headed back towards the cooler cafe area.

We sat at this cafe/restaurant/taverna, which occupied a whole side street.  Had a "sandwich" which turned out to be a dinner plate sized meal on bread and a drink.  It was relaxing and certainly no one was in a hurry - including us!  Vivian was delighted to be serenaded by the in-house guitar player.  We had a Korean couple beside us, who it turned out were on their honeymoon.  Little English, but recognised Samsung!!! There were an American family in front of us, with 3 older (20s) children.  After their meal they children stood up and proceeded too smash their plates on the ground. The staff were unconcerned and later, after they'd gone, swept up the remains.  I can only assume that there is an option somewhere on the menu.

It is some what amusing to see the TV reports on the protests against the Government's proposed tax changes etc. with Greece's indebtedness crisis coming to a head.  We saw absolutely nothing of this and the people appeared very happy in going about their day. Never believe all that you see. 

It was a pretty quick visit, but everyone we have spoken to seems happy.  The weather was perfect in the high 20s which is much better than last time.  Once back on the ship we had a little rest and away we sailed. Some lovely views on our way out to Kusadasi.  As we arrive early tomorrow we decided to have an early night - what's new?

Wednesday 24th
Beat the 6.00 alarm by about 10 minutes and was rewarded with a beautiful sunrise over Kusadasi as we came in.  We were first into port and sailed straight into our berth.  We were joined by 2 other ships later in the morning (they had to reverse in). At least people on our ship going to Ephesus, would have had a less crowded time, as they were well ahead. 

We just walked straight into town, at the end of the pier.  We walked along the waterfront to the old fort, but it was closed, so retraced our steps and started the markets.  There are a number of markets and they were all very good and clean.  We were impressed and even the shopkeepers were polite and generally cheerful.

By 10.00 it was time for a coffee, so we opted for an iced coffee from a place in the middle of one of the squares.  It was genuine coffee, as there were bits of coffee throughout. €9 and I gave the change to the owners son, who was doing the waiter thing & cleaning the tables.  He was only about 8 or 9 and was so cute.  Off to another market and the thing is that while you can get lost by going off to side alleys, the town is such that you always can find the port!  While leather seems to be the preferred commodity, we bought a cotton shirt & a blouse.  The quality is excellent but there was little room for bargaining and I think that that is true when buying branded goods, rather than the run of the mill stuff.

Once again,a short visit and we were back on board about 11.30 and we were on our way to Istanbul before 1.00. Fortunately we don't arrive until 10.00, so gives a chance for a leisurely rising & breakfast.  It is interesting that we had sort of got used to all those sea days and now we are entering a period which is pretty port intensive we need to change all our little patterns.  However Vivian still managed bridge this afternoon!!! Skipped the show again.

Thursday 25th
A mid morning arrival in Istanbul and yet another calm and cooler morning.  A bit of haze (smog) hung over the city, but was pleasant for our planned activity for the day, cruising the Bosphorus to the Black Sea.  It turned out to be easier said than done, particularly when one does not speak Turkish. We were pointed in the right direction at the port gate and that was the easy part.  It was only some 5 minutes walk past the university to the ferry ports, but we couldn't find one for Bosphorus.  Asked one gentleman, who did not speak English and he directed us back the way we came.  Didn't feel happy about that, so tried another young person, when a perfectly spoken man arrived and said "it is complicated" but gave us perfect directions just a bit down the road.

We bought our tickets - 20 Turkish Lira (approx $12) for the 11.15 sailing, which is the only one, so well timed. A French couple (who it turned out were not a couple), he is a Professor, were trying to make sense of the options, so we talked them into the full return trip! Having done that, an Australian couple from the ship also arrived and we too talked them into our trip.  Looking for a commission here!  It was a great trip up the Bosphorus and the sights were magnificent.  So many huge palaces etc., many of which are now restaurants. We were also surprised that all the eating places seemed really busy (for a Thursday lunchtime).  All in all mainly expensive housing along the water, all with private jetties, boats & swimming pool steps to bath directly in the water.

There are 2 very large suspension bridges, one of which is the largest in ?? - can't remember 😂.  As we approached the Black Sea, they are building a third one, right at the end of the Bosphorus.  Forgot to mention that he trip up was on the left hand (Europe side), and when we reached the end we went across to the other (Asia) side, where we stopped for lunch at a place called Anadolu Kavagi. This is a cute village, far removed from the touristy towns, apart from the number of waterside restaurants, as this is a ferry & river boat destination.  There were only about 60 on our boat, but there was also s bigger one in too, which provably had a couple of hundred.  Apart from that, it was just the locals.

Had a delicious lunch with Paddy & his wife from Townsville - retired Australian Army.  After lunch we went through "town" while Paddy had a haircut!!  The roads are all being rebuilt and they were laying paving by hand.  The stones felt like granite and there were thousands of them!  We saw numerous police and military personnel and its wasn't until later that we realised that a lot of the end of this side of the Bosphorus is a military zone, particularly a Naval base.  Anyway, as we were sitting along the waterfront waiting for our return boat at 3.30, this young girl/woman, who we had seen on our boat comes up and asks if she can take our photo, as we looked so good 😇  It turns out that she is from Kazakhstan.  A delightful girl and explained her exotic/Asiatic looks.  We agreed and she took the photo and has subsequently emailed it to us.

Certainly the eastern side on the return journey appeared to have more Mosques and was not quite as grand, until we got closer to Istanbul. I would recommend this trip to anyone returning to Istanbul and particularly to those not interested in Mosques or markets!!  We got back to our ship just after 5.00 and waited for dinner until our usual time, but were pleased to hit the sack even earlier than normal.  Tomorrow is another "up early" morning as we are visiting Anzac Cove, with a memorial service at 8.30.

Suez Canal by night!

Sunday 21st
Thank goodness for a balcony!  We have pretty well spent the whole day sitting here at anchor!!!  To recap, we were due to start our transit about 1.30 am, however when we woke up just before 6.00, we are still at anchor in the holding pen off Port Suez.  We hear that there are considerable delays and the southbound convoy only started to arrive after 9.00. 

As I write this (1.30pm) the cargo & container ships have passed by heading south and we now have gas/oil tankers to come.  They have a much bigger separation of over a mile to avoid ay chance of an explosive chain.  Our departure time has been put back progressively over the morning and the latest news gives us a departure from our anchorage at just after 4.00.  We'll see.

There are well over 50 ships assembled for our convoy and the Captain believes that we will be #5, behind the 4 US warships.  An Egyptian helicopter has already buzzed us to let us know that they are looking after us.  Although too early to say, as we will be running at least 18 hours late, our arrival/visit to Athens could be in doubt, or at least probably shortened. 

OK, the good news is that it is a beautiful day with temperatures in the mid/high 20s, which is quite refreshing.  Other good news is that the antibiotics are kicking in and I feel a lot better, but still need to be careful with the change of temperature.  And Vivian is having as haircut - not sure if that is good news, will wait for the bill!

We had Heather & Mark in for a drink (& to see the Canal) but we were still pretty well at anchor when they arrived.  We eventually got under way at 6.30ish and were #6 in the convoy.  So we at least saw the sights of Suez before dinner and darkness. A real shame for many of the passengers who were looking forward to the experience. We particularly wanted to see northern part, a we'd been asleep last time.  Not to be, but we had a relaxing day and enjoyed all the comings & goings. Once again we skipped the entertainment and opted for a good nights sleep.

Monday 22nd
Got out of bed before 6.00 to confirm that we were out of the Canal and sailing the Mediterranean. Went back to bed/sleep.  Just to be annoying, the ship has decided to have our emergency procedures practice again - it is now a requirement to have it every 30 days!  It was a little chaotic, with most of us at our muster stations well before the crew.  Anyway, the whole event took just under an hour and then Vivian had bridge at 11.00.  1.00 finish of bridge and we dashed off for the UK Pub Lunch in the MDR.  Was much better than the previous one.  Felt it was time for a decent coffee as we'd missed our normal routine.  So a quiet afternoon for a change to update the blog.

The Mediterranean is lovely and we are happy that the temperature has dropped to the low 20s and little humidity. As expected, the Captain had announced that thanks to the Canal Authority & the US Navy, we are 11 hours behind schedule.  He has cranked the old girl up to 20.3kts and we are thundering along (albeit into a strong sea current).

The net result is that we'll be 6 hours late into Athens, but leaving 2 hours later than scheduled.  This still does not give much time to do much and we are thankful that we've been there before.  We were looking forward to the Changing of the Guards, but that's at 11.00!!  so shopping at the Plaka seems in order.  Once again, feel very sorry for those on a trip of a lifetime, but unfortunately one has to accept that hiccups occur.

Yet another Formal night tonight, as we enter into the port intensive part of our cruise.  As I am feeling better, we'll probably do both shows (6.30 & 9.45), particularly as we don't have to be up early tomorrow.  Must say that the solo acts have been great all the way but a little reservation about the singers & dancers.  The latter are now apparently contractors to Princess, rather than staff and their shows are limited with recorded music, rather than the band and none of the backdrops we've seen on other ships.  Just saying.

So, here our Mediterranean adventures start.

Aqaba and Petra at last

Friday 19th
Can't believe that we are 4 weeks into the cruise, but on the other hand this shipboard life just seems soooo normal!  Big day today as we arrived in Aqaba for our trip to the lost city of Petra.  We were up before the 6.00 am alarm and it was as magnificent sight, with the water dead calm and quiet.  Had room service breakfast as we were on a pretty tight schedule. The only thing wrong was that the coffee was cold, so I phoned up for tea, which was much better. Down to the Vista Lounge to assemble pre trip.  It seems that well over half the ship went.  We were Green 18 (which actually has no significance).

It is roughly 2 hours drive out of Aqaba, mainly along the Desert Highway and then on to Kings Highway which is steeped in (biblical) history.  We had 1 stop on the way for rest room, photos & guess what? - souvenirs!  So we got to Petra village before 11.00. It was hot, but there was as bit of cooling breeze. 

There was a 1km walk down to the Sig, which is the narrow passage between the 2 hills, leading to ancient Petra. The Sig itself is just over 1 km long and is in most places about 5 - 6 metres wide, which is fine for walking, but not when a horse and carriage comes trotting (galloping) through!! The further good news is that we are walking downhill at this stage.
Along the way there are numerous cavings and caverns built into the rock and at the end of course is the most famous Treasury, which is at the opening of the old city itself. 

We ventured a little further to Theatre, which is somewhat similar to the Roman open air theatres.  The main difference is that Petra was constructed over 2200 years ago by the Nabataean people as a gigantic burial ground.  To say that it was impressive would be an understatement.  We were in awe and had a great guide. However physical needs (that is heat and the fact that the journey back was uphill) saw us journey no further into the ruins.  It seems that most were like us and only the brave and strong climbed further on.

We persevered and got back well before our appointed lunch time of 2.00.  Of course we were trekking at the hotest time of the day and the only good part was that the Sig was generally half shaded from the hills towering 80 odd metres straight up. There were some alternative means of transport, horses (only to the Sig), carts through the Sig, Camels apparently to the Theatre and donkeys for climbing further on. 

There were also the usual hawkers along the way and Vivian was particularly taken with the children selling postcards.  They were about 6 to 10 years old and they spoke perfect English, even if it was a hawkers sales pitch.  Must admit that they were cute.  One young boy wanted Vivian's umbrella and when that was not on offer asked for water, which Vivian poured into his mouth. Lunch was provided at one of the local hotels and unfortunately we had quite a wait until we departed for our 2 hour trip back to the ship. Certainly a trip well worth doing.

A number of general observations:  It was Friday - Muslim prayer day, plus it was day 2 of Ramadan, so outside of Petra very little was open, although they said it would be party time after sunset!  Despite this it was surprising that although we travelled through quite a number of towns & villages, there was no sign of any people including children!  Can only assume that the whole family simply stayed in bed all day (....no, that's not allowed either!). We did see a number of Bedouin tending their goats & sheep. It was explained that they live in their tents etc during the summer and return to "proper" housing over winter.

As with our last visit to Aqaba, many houses and other buildings have been demolished and reconstruction is yet to take place. Outside of Aqaba, there are many new structures in the course of completion.  All buildings seem to provide for additional levels or something as the reinforcing rods are left exposed, or half the blocks have been laid and nothing further. 

Jordan gets on well with all it's neighbours but this has resulted in almost 2 million refugees, mainly from Syria & Iraq. It was noticeable that the Israeli town of Eilat which shares the Gulf of Aqaba has greatly expanded since our last visit.  From what I understand the border between the two is now open and even some passengers visited Israel ( at least they didn't have Ramadan).

Two tired kiwis made it back to the ship just after 6.00 and after a rest and shower, got to dinner at our usual time. It was open sitting as we weren't sailing until 10.00, and surprisingly Heather & Mark were at our table, along with a couple from Queensland who dine at the table on the first sitting.  No show for us - off to bed after watching sail away just after 9.00.  Captain wanted to go earlier, but couldn't get a pilot until after official sunset. 

Saturday 20th
Sadly, I am no better and had a disturbed night with coughing and my left eye has got all bunged up.  So I have resorted to the antibiotics I bought with me.  I have been holding out in the hope that it may simply go away, but clearly this is no longer an option. I also didn't want to start before the big trip yesterday.  Funny thing is that I was perfect in the hot dry climate, but started about halfway home yesterday.  Vivian has come out in as heat rash on her legs, so we don't plan anything wild today.  These things are more annoying than anything else, so doesn't interfere with the enjoyment.

We turned into the Gulf of Suez mid morning and are slowly steaming towards Suez and the start of the Canal. This is really interesting as we make our way through the oil rigs all around us.  Last time we came through at night so didn't see anything.  There are also an increasing number of ships both coming and going, although the ones that passed us are just wasting fuel as we have to anchor of Port Suez before establishing our respective positions in the convoy.  Captain said last night that he is unsure of our start time and that they are no longer doing north/south transits at the same time, as there are engineering works going on - so we'll all be going north together without a wait over in the Bitter Lakes.  Really hope we don't go too fast or too early as I am looking forward to seeing the northern part, which we're missed last time as it was very predawn.

Next update will be from the Mediterranean, where we head to Athens on Tuesday.  Let's hope the country is still there and that the receivers haven't taken it away ☺☺☺

Through the Red Sea

Sunday 14th
The clocks went back another hour overnight, so we found ourselves awake before 5.00.  Unfortunately, despite the Captain's promise last night, it is overcast and a reasonable swell running.  We are still on the fringe of what was the cyclone.  Those who embarked at Dubai think that it is rough but us old hands are unperturbed.

Formal night tonight - yet another opportunity for the photo gallery to make more money!  Basically a quiet day and Anniversary Dinner - it's Princess' 25th anniversary, so the usual set meal had been renamed.  After dinner we went to the Vista for the show.  Thankfully, we had jackets on, as it is still cold in there.  It was a magician tonight - James Long from UK.  I have a feeling that we may have seen him on another ship, and I'll be able to confirm after his 2nd show!  He was really funny and clever.

Monday 15th
Woke up early and felt yuck, so went back to sleep until 8.30. Sadly I am developing a cold (of sorts) which is not surprising, given the huge variation of temperature.  We were last into the MDR for breakfast, which turns out to be a benefit as the service was very prompt & the food fresh and hot.  Not that there have been any issues in the past, but was particularly pleasant. 

Yes, the sea is still rough.  The good news is that we will soon enter the Gulf of Aden and the eventually the Red Sea, where we will be more sheltered.  The bad news is that we have Yemen to our right & Somalia on our left. Our security bods are very evident but I think this rough weather is an excellent deterrent.

Tuesday 16th
Yes, it is still rough and we are all getting a little tired of it. Woke early (just before 5.00) to the sound of vacuum cleaners and blow drying machines.  We had experienced this on the Dawn last November, so had a pretty good idea that there was a water problem nearby.  It turned out that overnight a toilet overflowed in a cabin about 4 or 5 down from us.  All in all there were about 8 cabins flooded to various degrees, up to and including your neighbours. We were extremely lucky to miss out this time!

I am still not feeling the best, particularly at night.  Funnily I had only said to Vivian last night that it was a waste to bring my blazer - well now I wear it each night to overcome the temperature extremes, particularly in the theatres.  We walked our mile in the afternoon and the good news is that a) we saw land b) the seas have reduced c) the sun is now out. We entered the Red Sea late afternoon.  Skipped the late show to try and knock this cold thing.

Wednesday 17th
Great news is that the temperature and humidity have dropped and it has been an excellent sailing day. I am still not firing on all cylinders but still did our mile.  Unfortunately both Mark & Ash have decided on a marathon and are each doing between 10-12 times around the deck, which is 3 to 4 miles.  We are saving ourselves!

The ship is speeding along at just over 20kts and we are very much on schedule according to the Captain.  It is quite nice to see some other ships from time to time. We went to the lecture on archeology, which was most interesting. On the way back from that we stopped in at the informal meeting of Kiwis and were surprised that there were so many we haven't come across.  The upshot of this chance meeting is that we established that we should have got special backpacks commemorating 2015 World Cruise.  Everyone got these EXCEPT the Kiwi's 😤  So off we went and they very happily gave us the backpacks (& I got our internet hours increased in line with the published allocation). It seems that you have to have your wits about you all the way.  So, an early show, dinner and early night again.

Thursday 18th
Another glorious day.  Went to "An Audience with Captain William Kent", our Captain gave a great talk on his career, the ship, his life and other interesting snippets.  Had lunch with Christine. & Mark 2 - he is not at all well and is on antibiotics, steroids etc. Have to say that the " bot" is rife and it's pretty hard to avoid it.  Thankfully this is the end of our long period of sea days and being ashore may help clear the passages. 

Yes, at last we will be in Aqaba tomorrow morning and off to Petra (this time!!). Many readers will be aware that when we were here 2 years ago, we were all set to go to Petra when the Authorities closed it, due to a conflict between tour operators. We are told that the temperature at Petra will be mid 40s and a chance to try out the new Princess backpack☺

Sand & hills abound

Thursday 11th
A joy to wake up (early I must add) to smooth waters and the sun shining through the haze of humidity and sand dust. After a few hours the city of Dubai appeared and grew larger as we manoeuvred into the port and the impressive Cruise Ship Terminal.  Many officials in traditional dress were getting their photos taken with the ship as a backdrop. 

On the way into port the Captain informed us that we were going to be arriving even later than anticipated as they had had a problem with one of the engines overheating.  Some readers may be aware that the ship had major propulsion problems last year that resulted in cruises being shortened, altered and eventually cancelled.  Hopefully the current issue is unrelated.  The good news is that we are still cruising at just under 20 kts.

Eventually we were among the first to get off and we took a taxi to the Mall of the Emirates, which is about half an hour from the port. We had been to the Dubai Mall last time we were here and we wanted to see something different.  It is hard to compare, as Dubai Mall was large & opulent, with floors devoted to specific categories, whereas Emirates is a bit more of a Westfield - only much bigger and more variety.  The highlight was the indoor ski village, with chairlifts, ski slopes, Swiss village & even penguins!  Considering that it was mid 40s outside, the thermometer inside the ski enclosure was -2.  We had an iced coffee looking over the snow enclosure.  A very enjoyable visit. Note, no shopping apart from coffee & 1 muffin, which came to just under $US20.

Got a taxi from the mall straight away, which was surprising as last time we had to wait about 30 minutes. A very pleasant driver, but unfortunately he got lost within the port area, which was quite funny. I still gave him a tip as he was a trier.   It was as we were "exploring" the port that I worked out that we were at an entirely part of the terminal from when we visited in 2013.  The terminal area we are now in is huge and has free WiFi.  

Onboard we grabbed a sandwich and a cool drink and rested before heading out again for our Night Safari.  After a couple of false starts, due mainly to the Shore Excursions lack of communication, we boarded our 4WD.  Each vehicle carried 6 passengers - 1 in the front, 3 in the middle back seat and we 2 in the back back seats with our knees up to our necks.  Actually it wasn't that uncomfortable as we had a lot of side room. 

It was about an hour drive to the conservation area and on our way we saw a lot of the outskirts of Dubai, from apartments to large homes on gated & ungated communities to the new '"up and downs".  Our driver was from Pakistan and he was keen to get ahead of as many of the other drivers as possible (we started off at #21).  There were some 35 vehicles from the ship and we subsequently found out that about the same number of vehicles not with other tourists. It is as 3 lane highway all the way and I estimate that we were doing well over 100 kph when this noise flew past in the slow lane at about twice our speed!  It looked like a Lamborghini, but I'm not sure.  Hey, even the police we saw were in a Mercedes (where are the Commodores). 

One thing that took our fancy quite a long way out was the Camel Racing.  This is huge business and the stables, tracks etc went on and on for miles. Apparently the camels are not ridden by jockeys, but by robots!  As we entered the reserve,  stopped to allow all the tyres to be partially deflated for the sand dunes. The drivers certainly enjoy the thrills and so did we.  Efficient as ever, we stopped at an appropriate spot to catch the sunset.  As one can imagine, a bit of a logistical nightmare with some 60+ pretty much identical Toyotas and, um, identical drivers?!  Once again, amazingly it was the drivers who recognised their passengers.

More dune riding (actually that is not quite correct,  as we kept to a defined track) and we arrived at the the Centre, where there were stalls and refreshments before the main dinner.  There were free Camel rides, but we'd done that, so went and found a table.  In typical style, tables were 2 feet off the carpet and we sat on cushions, which was fine until you tried to stand up😁.  So yes, they had huge red carpets spread out on the sand for both the seating area and the entertainment.  A 3 course meal was served and this was really delicious ( no sheep's eyes etc.) To finish up there was a most proficient Belly Dancer.

The sky was clear and a gentle breeze kept the temperature down to 33.  We had been told by our Port Lecturer that we should take a jacket as it would be cold.  Ha ha.   By now it was about 9.30 and all the drivers were ken to get going as we have to go back to get there tyres reinflated and there are only a dozen or so units.  About half way back to the ship we came across the tail of the usual traffic jam - we are talking 10.15pm. It seems that everyone comes out at night!  By the time we reboarded it was almost 11.00 and we were pretty tired, but got a cup of green tea and were out like a light.

Friday 12th
Despite the big day yesterday, we still woke early.  Forgot to mention that yesterday we achieved Elite status with Princess, so fluffy towels, upgraded bathroom supplies and a whole free mini bar, which we converted to 2 coffee cards - much better value.  Anyway we had decided to have a quiet day as many stores and stalls are closed in the morning for Friday prayers & we sail just after noon. So we went down to the terminal for free WiFi. And so did 3 or 4 hundred other people.  It may be free but the demand overwhelmed the system so my plan to upload photos  was thwarted. 

Vivian had bridge again and we have invited Christine & Mark2 to view our view before dinner.  At dinner Margie gave us all a copy of her book "Sketchbook Arabia", which is beautifully illustrated.  An amazingly talented woman indeed.  I think I previously mentioned that she and Ash lived in Dubai for 20 years before returning to NZ. Ash said that he hardly recognised the place now.

Happily we went to the show, which featured an English  comedian, Ivor Richards who was excellent. We have a new Cruise Director on board, Peter Tredgett, a cockney. Dan, the former CD has stepped into the Deputy role as Victoria has gone home to Canada after 7 months onboard.  Dan is becoming CD on our favourite ship, the Ocean when we get to Southampton.  However much to do and see before then.  Had no trouble sleeping ,(never do) as we sailed back on smooth seas towards Oman.

Saturday 13th
Lovely sight coming into port.  This part of Oman is very rocky and dramatic hills surrounding the port. The old forts are clearly visible and looked magnificent with the morning sun.  Docked around 8.00 and we were fortunate to catch an early shuttle to " town".  This is yet another working port where you are not allowed to walk on the wharf.  We got on the shuttle, drove 200 metres to the terminal building, got out, went into building, scanned, went out and got back on the shuttle!!  Anyway town is only a 5 minute drive away and when we arrived we were surrounded by numerous taxi drivers and eventually got one to take us to the Grand Mosque. 

It certainly is grand, and set in huge gardens on a 10ha site.  We felt that it was more visibly attractive than the Blue Mosque in Istanbul.  Our visit concluded with a visit to the Women's Islamic Information Centre, where we were served cold water, coffee & dates.  All very civilised and pleasant & informative on the Sultan's view on women and education - he is strongly in favour.   Unfortunately we (sort of) fell for the taxi scam.  He told us that the Fort was just 10 minutes away over the hill, but after half an hour, well past the airport and probably half way to either Yemen or UAE, he said that it was another 20 minutes away.  At this stage we said that we wanted to go back to the ship.  This was fine, but he had great difficulty in getting off and then into the motorway to return.

Having said that, it was extremely interesting, seeing all the development going on.  The roads are excellent and well maintained. What surprised us was the greenery, particularly all the way out to the airport. After that, it was pretty scrubby as I suspect that not too many Westerners get out there.  We got back to the Souk (markets) before 12.  Had a mango smoothie, which was delicious.  This was the same place we had iced coffee last time we were here, & the same man!  The iced coffee had consisted of Turkish/Omani coffee black, hot and strong, with a bowl of ice!  No such problems this time though.

The Souk was very hot and busy and we thought was not as appealing as last time.  Many many of the stalls had identical stock, which was not evident as couple of years ago.  So we were once again lucky that the shuttle turned up almost as soon as we got to the road and we were whisked back to the ship.  We thought that we'd go up to Horizon as nothing else was open on a port day. Walking down the passage we met a woman carrying some food who told us that it was bedlam up there as most of the tours had returned and there were well over 1000 looking for lunch!  We said our thanks, retreated to cabin, phoned room service and had a delicious salad & sandwich looking out over the port. 

Oman is a clean and pleasant country, we particularly liked that the buildings are generally no more than 5 or 6 stories high as theryv appreciate the natural beauty of the surrounding hills.  Of interest to some, I've just had an email from Alastair (our son) and he is about 300 km inland from the port - he reckons it is about 50 degrees there.  I think that our early 40s are just fine, with a nice cooling sea breeze picking up.  We have now just set sail and have 5 days at sea before we reach Aqaba in Jordan and our planned visit to Petra.  Fingers firmly crossed for this ☺.

High seas to Dubai

Monday 8th
Quite blustry and a bit of a swell as we approach the cyclone.  We are supposed to be running away from it, but is still enough movement on the ship to put us off walking the deck.  Vivian had early bridge as they have a wine tasting in the room they normally use.  I had another session with Margie & Ash on how to use their smartphones. 

The morning just flew and we had a Cruise Critic luncheon, which was pleasant.  For some reason we were both tired (or lazy), so slept pretty well all afternoon.  Luckily there was an early show at 6.30, so was good to do that, although it was the singers & dancers which is a little repetitive.  One has to admire their ability to dance away with the ship moving quite suddenly.  After dinner we did the second show, which was the ventriloquist in the Vista - he/they did a great show.  The sea is building.

Tuesday 9th
On yeah, we have a cyclone somewhere not too far away, it seems that you can run but not hide!  Once again skipped the walk as not only was the ship pitching and rolling but the rain & spray were soaking the deck. Every now and again we'd hit a big wave and the ship bangs & rolls at quite an angle.

Vivian skipped bridge as it was the choir's performance of "Sound of Music" featuring Mark from our table and a number of others we knew as part of a 96 odd choir.  Most professional and enjoyable.  A 6.30 show again. This was Peter Howarth, who is a current member of the Hollies.  He also does Roy Orbison shows worldwide.  Another good show.

The wind today has reached 40-50kts and the sea is rough.  The captain came on the intercom during dinner to announce that our plan to outrun the cyclone was not successful and accordingly we were now going to change course drastically and head towards and south of it.  We did this and had a pretty exciting evening/night with the sound of falling items from the cabin next door (I'd checked our bathroom to make sure everything was secure). Apparently there was some broken glasses down in the bar area and some water also found it's way inside.  Nothing serious.

Although probably obvious to most, as we are in the northern hemisphere the weather systems move from east to west.  This system formed off Pakistan and headed across the Arabian Sea towards Oman.

Wednesday 10th
Apparently we are back on track towards Dubai, but will be a few hours late in our arrival tomorrow.  As we are disembarking/embarking some 300+ passengers at the end of this segment, I feel a little sorry for those who have onwards/return flights.  OK, perhaps I am not overly sympathetic with those getting off, as the majority were last minute bookings, where this segment was discounted by over 70%. Without saying anything else, it has been obvious and we look forward to our new passengers embarking. 

Pleased to say that the weather is a little more settled as we approach the upper Arabian Sea - we are currently pretty well due east of Muscat in Oman (which we visit on Saturday).  The weather in Dubai & Oman is predicted to be in the mid 40s, so hopefully this weather pattern will disappear and we can look forward to clear, smooth seas for the remainder of the voyage.  As I now post this at 6.15pm I confirm that sea is smooth, a little sun is out and it is very pleasant on our balcony pre dinner.

Colombo

Friday 5th
Last day of our long sea journey and we woke to a beautiful morning with almost dead flat seas, however by mid morning we met up with a front and the seas became quite rough and the rain arrived. A pity as they have just cancelled the Crossing Equator ceremony. We actually crossed just after 5.00 pm last night and I don't know why we didn't do it then, instead of the Captain's Circle & deck parties. We went to the latter and it was a great evening, with balmy weather, lots of music and dancing. Vivian showed off her line dancing moves! Shock horror for us as we got to bed at midnight. As a bonus we got an extra half an hour on our clocks overnight.

The highlight of the day (so far) was our Pirate drill practice this morning. The Promenade Deck has been fitted out with all the fire hoses attached to the rails and two sonic boom units also installed - not too sure what they may have done upstairs. Anyway we are all prepared. I envisage that extra security staff will be taken onboard at Colombo, all the way to the Med. To allay any fears there hasn't been a high jacking of a cruise ship in the area before and little or no activity over the last 3 years.  Oh, and they can't catch us if we are going at more than 18 knots - we can do over 20 knots if need be!

Saturday 6th
Actually woke at 6.45.  The sun was just rising and we were making our way into the port with clear skies and no wind.  We left all that behind overnight.  We were actually being accompanied by a couple of Navy patrol boats ( fully armed and manned for action.  We subsequently found out that this was part of a regular security exercise and that special arrangements had to be made to ensure that we could enter and berth as scheduled.

After our usual breakfast we headed out to explore Colombo.  There were only a few of us not doing a tour, so off we walked.  And walked. And walked.  It is actually about 5km from the ship to the dock gates!!!  This is the only port that we have ever been to where there is no restriction on access. However there was no footpath in a lot of places and we shared the area with straddle carriers, trucks, buses and everything in between.  And of course it was hot.  Not only was it hot, but also muggy, as they had had rain the previous afternoon.  We soldiered on.

Eventually reaching the dock gates we were accosted by tuktuk drivers and after negotiations, accepted a ride at $2 (rather than the starting point of $10).  We didn't want the whole one hour tour, which would have included his "uncles" gem factory/craft store etc.  So after 10 minutes along the promenade & lake etc. we got him to drop us off at the museum.  This was under renovation, but was enjoyable. It was filled with passengers on various Princess tours, do we could have got away without paying (,but of course we did).

As we had no desire to go to the markets, we thought that we'd head back to the ship.  We were hot and frankly quite tired.  Problem - to get back to the ship (as opposed to the dock gate) we needed a taxi, not a tuktuk, as they are banned from the port.  We soldiered on.  And on.  Not being too sure exactly where we were, we approached 2 policemen.  Was a bit of a joke, as they didn't know either and the younger one suggested the other one turn the map around!!   Eventually, finger pointed and we were happy that we were in the right direction.

Next a well dressed stranger appeared beside us telling us he was manager of some sort in the Cinnamon Gardens.  After trying to persuade us to go to the gem exhibition he offered to take us back towards the waterfront in a tuktuk and he'd pay. Silly as it may seem but we accepted this and we squeezed into the tuktuk and off we went, with him still trying to get us to the gem exhibition.  No, he did not manage to pick my pocket, nor plant his expensive ring which he was showing off and soon we were dropped off to continue our epic journey.  We were at least in the right part of town as we walked past the Mayor's residence (huge) and around the corner to the Prime Minister's complex with police & armed army in attendance.  We were not invited in.

On we went.  We could see the sea, so apart from confirming our general location, the sea breeze was a God send.  Oh no, here is another tout, smartly dressed and same sort of conversation.  But yes, he had a taxi no problem.  The price of 1,000 Bt was agreed however once we were in the taxi I thought it prudent to confirm.  "Oh no, I want 3,000 Bt.  Will not go for any less".  After some time, he agreed to let us out along the promenade.  We gained about 3km at no cost yet again.

We sat under a tree and consumed the rest of our water.  The temperature by the way was in the high 30s.  After about 15 minutes regaining our composure, we were approached by another tuktuk driver and I must add that they have all been extremely polite and friendly.  We decided that we'd at least get to the port gates and hope for a taxi for the last leg.  Well, when we got to the gates, port security looked at our passes and much discussion and handwaving was taking place.  Yet another very respectable gentleman approached and said, hop in my car and I'll take you to your ship.  He was the Princess agent for Sri Lanka and clearly had a luncheon date with the Captain etc.  so we had a chauffeur driven car right up to the gangway.  Talk about lucky!  He was delightful and chatted away pointing out aspects of the port etc. as we went.

OK we were exhausted and rested for much of the afternoon and straight to bed after dinner.  We certainly had one of the most entertaining experiences to share with anyone who dared to ask how our day went. 

The other thing that kept us entertained, was watching the car carrier ship on an adjacent wharf.  When we got back to the ship, it was unloading trucks & busses, which were parked on the wharf. A pickup truck later arrived with people hanging out the back and they drove them away over time.  In the meantime the ship sailed and yet another car carrier arrived.  It took just under 1/2 hour to tie up and lower the car ramp and almost immediately a whole load of small cars were driven out.  The wharf was almost filled with cars by the time we went for dinner.  As we sailed about the same time, I could well imagine that the car carrier was probably not far behind us. Very efficient operation and dare I say it that unlike NZ, the workers both on and off the ship were actually running.

Sunday 7th
The weather has turned again and the odd shower passing by.  We by passed our morning mile as we reckon we built up a pretty good credit yesterday.  The Captain took the Sunday Service and then time for coffee, where we met up with Christine & Mark2, went to a presentation by Cruise Director, then lunch.  Apart from updating this blog, a pretty quiet afternoon while Vivian bridged.  The Captain has just come on the PA and told us that we are adopting a southerly track to try and avoid the cyclone (first of the season) which is otherwise in our path.  Must say that despite the weather, it is still very pleasant sitting on our balcony, watching the sea and the odd ship go by.

The Indian Ocean is huge

Saturday 30th
We have certainly had a change of temperature, with a high recorded at 28 degrees.  The sea is calm and deep blue in colour.  Still surprises us that birds are still circling around the wavelets - so far from land.

Did our walk after breakfast and coffee on Promenade Deck, where we met up with Ray & Paula from Auckland.  We coffeed with them last year at Kings Garden Centre on the North Shore.  They are seasoned cruisers and to a certain extent it was Ray's blog that inspired me. 

The ship stopped about 4.00 over the spot where the HMAS Sydney was sunk in WW2.  A memorial service was held and we started up and as you know, next stop Colombo on Saturday.  Went to the show after dinner, Bayne Bacon, he is a comedian, guitarist and an extremely proficient piano player.  We have seen him before on the Ocean Princess and he was just as good this time.  With such a long time at sea they have to take on a number of different acts to keep us on our toes.  A Kiwi singer tomorrow I see.

Sunday 31st
Another glorious morning with not a cloud in the sky. We are sitting on the deck and have just seen a school (?) of flying fish dart by.  There are once again little wavelets of a foot or so and the sun is striking them at an angle to give off little rainbows.  It is quite good to be on the shady side in the morning as I believe that many are finding their balconies too hot by 9.00 on the starboard side.  Looking forward to a glorious sunset tonight.

We woke up and were surprised to see that it was 6.40, so ordered our tea and got down to breakfast just after 7.30.  Went to the interdenominational service at 8.30, walked the deck till 9.15 and then to coffee.  At last we have the coffee to our liking!  Vivian's bridge buddy had told us about this magnificent lecturer, so off the the Princess Theatre at 10.00.  Well, he may be a Commodore (retd) but his skills as a lecturer were not to our liking.  It seems that he is doing a daily stint for 10 days on the sinking of the Sydney.  Sorry, but we walked out after 30 minutes - too much repetition for us.

Anyway we had to get back to the cabin to surrender our passports.  We were told that we won't get them back until we disembark.  I do recall something similar last time, but I would have expected a receipt for then.  So if you don't hear any more from me, you'll know that we've been detained as boat people!!

Good entertainment tonight and we've put our clocks back yet another hour, so a little more sleep in.

Monday 1 June
Sure enough, woke a little earlier, but otherwise much of the same.  Smoother seas, but cloudy as we head northwest.  A little disturbed to hear BBC news talking about the arrival of the monsoon in the next few days!!  Actually the day has improved and it is quite warm and a bit muggy. 

We found a nice little deck at the back of deck 11 - just hope that not too many people find it too!  Meeting of our Cruise Critic group at 11.00 and there was a great turn out.  The Captain, a number of senior officers and cruise director were in attendance, which was great.  Then it was down to lunch with our friends Christine & Mark from Canberra.  Over the course of lunch we found out that they also have an apartment in Richmond, Melbourne a couple of streets away from where my brother lives.  A very small world indeed.

Tuesday 2nd
Repeat.  Temperature around 30 degrees, muggy and a shower of rain mid morning.  Saw a ship in the distance, the first sign of life since we left Fremantle.  I would expect to see more once we enter the main shipping lanes later on the week.

Wednesday 3rd
And again - except our clocks went back another hour, so we are now 6 hours behind NZ.  Currently sitting on our balcony with clear sky, smooth sea, flying fish (still) and 30 plus.  Sorry to rub it in for those of you back home!  Another formal night tonight and then another couple of days till Colombo.  We don't have any trips planned,  as we visited a couple of years ago, but (relatively) close to local attractions.  We are expecting muggy weather in the mid 30s.