Just like the first day of school.... between Sydney and Brisbane

We are heading for home after our last port..

Do you remember the first day at a new school, when you looked around and didn't know anyone .... welcome to our world today ....  overnight we seem to have been transported to a very strange place – when we finally left THE PALACE and ventured to the Dining Room for breakfast …… everything had changed ……  all the familiar faces have vanished to be replaced by a new set of confused lost passengers, staring into space in front of the lifts ... did we ever look like that?

  Arnold got into the lift and pushed the button to close the door … one elderly lady asked him ‘and what floor does the lift stop at when you press that button, it doesn’t have any numbers?' …we suppressed a giggle … all our world cruise companions knew how to close the lift door … and patiently explained about closing the lift door using the button …as soon as the door opened again, we  both fell out and rolled around laughing!!

I went along to the first cruise critic meet and greet – There was a sign at the door to Jammers 'G'day mates private function' ... with about 66 cruise critic members who are called 'g'day mates' …… and attended by all the ship’s hierarchy … a great welcome for the new passengers …. Princess had really stepped up  ......the bar was opened, waiters served drinks and bar snacks were available on all the tables!!!  Dave embraced his new position as Cruise Director and did a great job … although he was obviously taking his promotion seriously … trying to be more serious than I remember him from the Wake show …. he and Becs stayed around until the end chatting to all the passengers and answering their questions. 

After the introduction of the crew, the microphone was passed around and each member introduced themselves and gave a little of their background. When the mic reached me, I officially handed over the Dawn Princess to her new inhabitants, welcomed the visitors to Australia and wished them well.

Armadeo - doesn't he look like every cartoon chef you have ever seen ... a lovely man ... and responsible for many expanded waistlines on the ship!!!

Each member had brought along a gift from their hometown (to a specified value) and participated in a gift exchange – a nice ice-breaker. Like most people we have had the pleasure of meeting through cruise critic, they seem like a great bunch of people, so I am sure that ‘our Princess” is in good hands.

We headed up to the Horizon Court for lunch – you know how it is when you keep an eye open for familiar faces and there aren’t any … a couple of times we thought we saw Joanne … then Trevor … then Paula… out the corner of the eye …. but it can’t be … just the mind playing tricks. 

As we were leaving the Horizon Court, a lady stopped us and asked for directions to the theatre  for the afternoon movie ….. we told her it was on deck 7 but she said that she thought it was on deck 12 or 14 … we corrected her telling her it was on deck 7 and sending her on her way in the lift … after the doors closed and she had left, we looked at each other … both hit by the same thought … Oh no .... I bet she was looking for the MUTS screen … for the afternoon black and white movies which have been resurrected, and we’ve sent her to the Princess theatre … Oh oh!

The great chefs... aka Arnold and Garry with our head waiter .. Maurizio ...he has looked after us so well!!

Dinner was a great treat and surprise … we had been allocated to a table for two in the centre of the Florentine Dining Room for our two night adventure to Brisbane. Last night, our new waiter, Arfan, was wonderful, but we had the feeling tonight that our service was very slow and he was distracted …. not to worry we were happy to linger and savour the last of our  onboard dinners. … and share a lovely bottle of red … the last one before the diet starts …. suddenly we looked up to see the head waiter Maurizio, and our special table waiters, Watchara and Neil, coming up to our table … they had been reassigned to the upstairs dining room but they had asked Rui and gained permission to come down and say another farewell to us after their table guests had their coffee … what a wonderful surprise … another round of hugs and tears  … they stayed and chatted for a few minutes … told us how much they had enjoyed sharing our cruise with our table … how much fun they had …. and that the new people at their table weren’t speaking to each other just sitting and eating … no laughs and fun … some had already asked to be moved .... they had asked Arfan to go slow when he served us so that we would still be there when they were able to come down ….. we really took them into our hearts, and they definitely helped to make our dinners very enjoyable  ….. Maurizio heads back to Italy for a few weeks break tomorrow, leaving in Brisbane …. he is so excited to see his son and sister again.

Watchara and Neil have joined in the craziness at our table .. and had fun with us along the way ... thanks guys .. you are the best!!

A couple of changes we have already noticed already … the Horizon Court closes at midnight every night and reopens at 5.00am. …. no more 24 hour meals, although room service is still available. The next change will tickle the interest of all the world cruisers after the back flip we experienced ……the alcohol policy on the front of the patter states that ‘absolutely NO alcohol can be carried onto the ship at any port’!!! 

We have just placed the pink tags onto our luggage and placed them (only 5 in total) outside our door and we are sitting here facing a good dose of reality ... it really is almost all over .... tomorrow we disembark in Brisbane after 106 days .... pinch me ... I have just been around the WORLD ... and what a journey it has been!!!!

I think it is time for one last bubble bath ... I'm dreaming of my first big bear hug from Rob ... it really has been a long time and my arms are aching for a cuddle from him.
Cheers