Severe Weather Alert.....

Have we got everything?

When we turned on the TV on our departure day, these were the words that greeted us across the bottom of the screen!! Gale force winds lash the NSW coast!! Not to be deterred, we completed the final packing - and the last trip to the shops - as you have to!

Can you see AJ planking on the roof?

Bless the neighbours!! Joanne and Garry have a neighbour who just happens to own a LIMO company and so she drove us to the cruise terminal  - the ultimate start to our trip - sipping champagne in the back of the limo!

Fighting against the wind!

The checkin process was very fast and efficient and we were soon on the ship and into our cabin - our home for the next few months. We are lucky to have a balcony - and I am sure we will make good use of it along the way - but when I opened the door, the wind was so strong that I thought I would be sucked over the edge!

Feeling safer?

We walked around the ship to refamiliarise ourselves with the layout and then took part in the regulatory life drill process - something we hope we will never need - the whole process is a finely tuned drill for the ship’s crew and they certainly inspire confidence.

The sailaway party was scheduled for the pool deck - but mother nature had other plans - it was very windy, freezing cold and wet - the girls from Danebrook Girls Anglican school band set up around the pool and played for the passengers - they are to be congratulated for doing  a fabulous job in very difficult cold wet conditions.

Danebrook Band

We met up with a group of friends and retired to the Wheelhouse bar for our own sailaway party which involved the invention of a new sport - PLONKING!!  

Essential plonking equipment

Our motto - “Plonking - planking for seniors!!” ........It involves having your photo taken with as many different bottles of wine as possible in as many countries as possible - quite a challenge!

During pre dinner drinks, El Capitain, Todd Mc Bain from Canada, announced that we were expecting 7 metre waves as we pass through Sydney Heads - some concerned sighs   were heard as he advised that anyone who wanted to should take their seasick tablets. He also advised that luggage would be a bit delayed in getting delivered to cabins. 

True to his word, the weather did become very choppy as we passed through the Heads, but the really heavy rolling only seemed to last for about an hour till we changed direction  and the wind was behind us. 

Dinner was open seating - where you can sit with anyone - rather than the usual dinner table groups. We met up with a few people we knew to have great dinner - I wasn’t really hungry, but enjoyed the Seafood terrine - so light and tasty.  

There is an old joke usually told by the cruise director where he says that ‘you have come on as passengers but you may leave as cargo.’ There is so much fabulous food available 24 hours a day, with specialty restaurants etc - that it would be very easy to become cargo!

Farewell Sydney!

After dinner, we decided to have an early night - our bags had been delivered to our room so we unpacked, sorted out the cabin and slept very well gently rocked by the movement of the ocean - the seas  so far haven't been as rough as I had expected from this morning's weather forecast - let's hope it stay that way.