Fun at Sea

When we left Rarotonga, capital and biggest island of the Cook Islands,we were looking forward to four wonderful days at sea.  Days at sea may be the best parts of the trip, primarily because there is nothing you have  to do, see or anyplace you have to be. If you want you can do nothing at all and a lot of people take the opportunity to stay in the cabins, sit on their balconies and watch the sea roll by.  There is something very relaxing and at times erotic about rhythmic rocking motion of the ship an the sea.  There are some people who never leave the ship even at some of the fabulous ports of call that we are making.  And we can sort of understand why now.  They also offer lots of activities such as dance lessons, Spanish lessons, golf chipping and putting contest (lots of fun with the ship rolling and pitching), reading and meeting new people.  But the best part truly is just sitting around and relaxing with no place to be and nothing that has to be done. 

 

 We had a special day when we crossed the equator and a number of "volunteers" stood in for the rest of us for the initiation rites that transformed us from slimy Pollywogs (those who had never crossed the "line" before) into Trusty Shellbacks.  We had one lovely day at sea and went to bed wondering what they had planned for the next day, which was to be the day that never was because we were going to cross the international date line and lose it.  We never found out, for the next day we were awakened by very high seas (Arleen much earlier and more often than Duane) and the captain's announcement. Cyclone Gene(typhoon,or hurricane) was between us and New Zealand and that we had to change course from southwest to northwest to avoid it. But not to worry, it would not delay our arrival in Auckland.  And then the fun began.  The wind was so strong that we were not allowed out on open decks. (Though our small balconies were sheltered enough that Duane really enjoyed sitting out and watch the seas, really a marvelous sight.)  Arleen,meanwhile, was testing all the medicines and old wife's tales concerning motion sickness.  She can now advise you on the effective (but not necessarily correct) dosage of Bonine, as well as how much ginger and ginger tea to eat and drink, the effectiveness of staring at the horizon and how to avoid being in close spaces such as hall ways etc.  Light hurried meals were the order of the day and bed hugging the recommended position.  It would have also helped not to have a juvenile husband who thought the whole thing was a wonderful "E ticket" ride.  She just kept him around cause he was handing to fetch pills and tea and to answer the door when room serves, arrived and to pick up the broken dishes when the tray hit the floor later that evening. It took us two full days to get around the storm, The worst day being the same day that the tornados ravaged the central  states back home.  Made us a little more thankful we were here where the captain was able to avoid the worst of the storm.  We were able to stay at least 270 nautical miles from the storm.  Needless to say we never found out what they had planned for "crossing the date line" or even when we did.  Perhaps later when there is less excitement.  As it is we are going to be in Auckland about eight hours late.  The captain did have to slow things down a lot. (It was fun watching the TV channel that had the information about the ship's speed and heading on it.  Our course would vary from 247 degrees nw to 253 degrees every fifteen seconds and our speed (normally 17 to 20 knots) from 5.7 to 6.2 in a matter of seconds as we climbed up a wave and then slide down the other side.  Great Fun and that didn't even count the rolling from side to side.   

 

 

 

But all that is behind us now and we are going full steam ahead to New Zealand.  But today has been wonderful. Back to gently rolling seas (Arleen would disagree) and lots of war stories about things shifting in the night, TV's falling out of cabinets on to bed, but so far none of any serious injuries.  The crew did a marvelous job of caring for us and keep us safe.  Tomorrow should be another wonderful day at sea before we arrive in time to spend  maybe five hours (instead of the fifteen hours planned) in Auckland.  Fortunately we spent a week there just last May.