February 10th, 11th X'ing Equator
Saturday, 10th February was a lazy day at sea so I decided to pamper myself! I began with two hours in the Canyon Ranch Spa, starting off with a reflexology foot bath followed by a tropical shower before an aromatherapy sauna – (in here I met a very nice Chinese man who told me all about Hong Kong.) Then it was a graceful plunge into the massage pool where I lay on the bubble bars until I almost fell asleep and floated off. I thought I should move around a bit so I launched myself across to the pool centre where the Jacuzzi burst into action around me and I felt obligated to exercise my leg stretches! I spotted two very strong water jets and positioned myself beneath one in the hope that it would batter about two inches off my hips, but in reality it didn’t. The tropical storm waterfall was most invigorating so I stay beneath that enjoying the shoulder massage as I slowly rotated. I met Alan after his continuing maritime lectures had finished and he marked up our wall map so that we knew where we were.
After a short break following lunch I decided on an hour in the gym before returning to the spa. Another sauna and bubbling water experience followed before my 4.30pm appointment in the beauty parlour where I had booked a fifty minute body massage and moisturiser in preparation for the formal evening ahead. It was very relaxing, especially when I was cocooned in a plastic ‘body bag’ before being lowered into a bath of warm water where I floated weightlessly whilst my feet were gently massaged. Next was my hair appointment and I began to feel like the million dollars I had just spent! Alan was almost ready for the Captain’s Cocktail Party
when I returned to our suite, so I hurried along (for the first time this day) and we made our 7.30pm appointment – just! The beautician told me to drink plenty of water after my treatment, but unfortunately there was only champagne flowing in abundance so I had to make do with that! We dined later that evening and after our caviar appetiser we both sampled the Hawaiian Moonfish, which really was excellent. (It is similar to tuna or swordfish, but it tastes much sweeter.) We wished we hadn’t had the dessert but if we hadn’t we wouldn’t have known how sumptuous it was. We had been drinking Wolf Blass, Yellow Label, a South Australian Cabernet Sauvignon most of the time, and yesterday when our sommelier informed us that it was the last bottle, we were most disappointed. Then in the evening he informed us that he had found 20 vintage bottles of this in the Captain’s cellar and had placed them to one side reserved for us, (phew - what a relief!) Feeling lucky I played roulette for half an hour, doubling my money this time – much to Alan’s delight as he looked on, so I cashed in and we made a hasty retreat to bed. The temperature during the day was around 26 degrees and the sea was calm and a beautiful blue as we headed south towards the equator again.
Sunday, 11th February. We awoke to grey skies and 90 degrees air humidity with temperatures around 25 degrees. The sea temperature was said to be 24 degrees on our report from the Bridge. Alan attended his lectures again; he will be so knowledgeable when he gets home, although he does sleep through parts of them! I was on whale and dolphin watch on the balcony – but must have dozed off! At 12.15pm we attended the ‘crossing the line’ ceremony with King Neptune and his entourage (we didn’t actually cross the equator until later in the evening) but as we didn’t get a good view last time we made sure of a front seat and I took some video.
Twenty passengers volunteered to be ‘Pollywogs’ and get covered in food before kissing the fish and jumping into the pool. It was better organised this time and disabled passengers got to sit at the front instead of being trampled in the crush! 
Here is the beautiful Moonfish that each ‘Pollywog’ had to kiss before jumping in the pool; its skin and fins glistened rainbow like colours in the sun. Lunch was good again and this time we both had grouper; the selection of fish on board is wonderful. About this time we sailed west of Line Islands, one of which is Kiribati, better known as Christmas Island, where the A Bomb was tested in the 50’s. While Alan went to the art auction I busied myself sorting out in the suite before going to the gym to crunch those calories whilst watching ‘Phantom of the Opera’ (I bought a head set to listen as I worked out.) I caught the sun whilst at the ceremony and have a rather bright coloured chest so I couldn’t wear a low cut top this evening! We ate early so that Alan could get out on deck around 9.00pm to catch the actual crossing of the equator – he did and the time was exactly 9.22pm. Meanwhile I waited in the Veuve Clicquot Champagne Bar and treated myself to a glass of Rosé.
Then we went to the theatre to watch the Cunard Dancers followed by an amazing pair of gymnasts, ‘Duality’, performing in slow motion. The final act was a flautist, Gary Arbuthnot, and he was terrific! Here we are in the theatre early, and as you can see all seats have tables. The bench seat rows are alternate between the swivel chairs that we prefer to use.
So our voyage in the Southern Hemisphere begins again and tomorrow night I will be up on deck 12 with the astronomer, Chris Butler, who joined us in San Francisco, to learn about the stars beneath the world, that we can’t see from the Northern Hemisphere. We put our watches back an hour this evening so from February 12th we will be 11 hours behind the UK. We are now over half way through our holiday and we don't want it to end!
After a short break following lunch I decided on an hour in the gym before returning to the spa. Another sauna and bubbling water experience followed before my 4.30pm appointment in the beauty parlour where I had booked a fifty minute body massage and moisturiser in preparation for the formal evening ahead. It was very relaxing, especially when I was cocooned in a plastic ‘body bag’ before being lowered into a bath of warm water where I floated weightlessly whilst my feet were gently massaged. Next was my hair appointment and I began to feel like the million dollars I had just spent! Alan was almost ready for the Captain’s Cocktail Party
when I returned to our suite, so I hurried along (for the first time this day) and we made our 7.30pm appointment – just! The beautician told me to drink plenty of water after my treatment, but unfortunately there was only champagne flowing in abundance so I had to make do with that! We dined later that evening and after our caviar appetiser we both sampled the Hawaiian Moonfish, which really was excellent. (It is similar to tuna or swordfish, but it tastes much sweeter.) We wished we hadn’t had the dessert but if we hadn’t we wouldn’t have known how sumptuous it was. We had been drinking Wolf Blass, Yellow Label, a South Australian Cabernet Sauvignon most of the time, and yesterday when our sommelier informed us that it was the last bottle, we were most disappointed. Then in the evening he informed us that he had found 20 vintage bottles of this in the Captain’s cellar and had placed them to one side reserved for us, (phew - what a relief!) Feeling lucky I played roulette for half an hour, doubling my money this time – much to Alan’s delight as he looked on, so I cashed in and we made a hasty retreat to bed. The temperature during the day was around 26 degrees and the sea was calm and a beautiful blue as we headed south towards the equator again.Sunday, 11th February. We awoke to grey skies and 90 degrees air humidity with temperatures around 25 degrees. The sea temperature was said to be 24 degrees on our report from the Bridge. Alan attended his lectures again; he will be so knowledgeable when he gets home, although he does sleep through parts of them! I was on whale and dolphin watch on the balcony – but must have dozed off! At 12.15pm we attended the ‘crossing the line’ ceremony with King Neptune and his entourage (we didn’t actually cross the equator until later in the evening) but as we didn’t get a good view last time we made sure of a front seat and I took some video.
Twenty passengers volunteered to be ‘Pollywogs’ and get covered in food before kissing the fish and jumping into the pool. It was better organised this time and disabled passengers got to sit at the front instead of being trampled in the crush! 
Here is the beautiful Moonfish that each ‘Pollywog’ had to kiss before jumping in the pool; its skin and fins glistened rainbow like colours in the sun. Lunch was good again and this time we both had grouper; the selection of fish on board is wonderful. About this time we sailed west of Line Islands, one of which is Kiribati, better known as Christmas Island, where the A Bomb was tested in the 50’s. While Alan went to the art auction I busied myself sorting out in the suite before going to the gym to crunch those calories whilst watching ‘Phantom of the Opera’ (I bought a head set to listen as I worked out.) I caught the sun whilst at the ceremony and have a rather bright coloured chest so I couldn’t wear a low cut top this evening! We ate early so that Alan could get out on deck around 9.00pm to catch the actual crossing of the equator – he did and the time was exactly 9.22pm. Meanwhile I waited in the Veuve Clicquot Champagne Bar and treated myself to a glass of Rosé.
Then we went to the theatre to watch the Cunard Dancers followed by an amazing pair of gymnasts, ‘Duality’, performing in slow motion. The final act was a flautist, Gary Arbuthnot, and he was terrific! Here we are in the theatre early, and as you can see all seats have tables. The bench seat rows are alternate between the swivel chairs that we prefer to use.So our voyage in the Southern Hemisphere begins again and tomorrow night I will be up on deck 12 with the astronomer, Chris Butler, who joined us in San Francisco, to learn about the stars beneath the world, that we can’t see from the Northern Hemisphere. We put our watches back an hour this evening so from February 12th we will be 11 hours behind the UK. We are now over half way through our holiday and we don't want it to end!
posted by Alan & Marion @ 9:34 PM
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