Week 1 (March 2 - March 10)

The billowing profile of the Opera House greets Crystal Symphony on her return to Sydney’s glorious, world-class harbor. Ahead lies the arch of the Harbour Bridge. These twin symbols, more than any other, identify one of the Southern Hemisphere’s premier cities.

Sydney is an energetic and exciting metropolis whose nightlife, shopping and fine restaurants compare favorably with the finest the world has to offer. Despite its modern advances, Sydney has lovingly cherished its heritage, for this was the birthplace of the Australian nation.

Combine Sydney’s boundless attractions with its superb harbor side location, and you have that certain magic few other cities can rival.

Today is the day for our Bridge Climb! We had an early breakfast in the Lido and then set off on the shuttle to The Rocks area to make the short walk to the office for Bridge Climb.

We were more efficient than we anticipated and arrived over an hour before our scheduled climb appointment of 11:25pm. Check-in was efficient and very friendly. In fact, everyone throughout the entire experience was beyond friendly, enthusiastic and attentive. They could not possibly be any better.

This is a very efficiently run operation! We were told to wait until five minutes before our climb and then take a seat in a small waiting area where a video of what to expect plays continuously. At exactly the appointed time, a perky leader came out and took us into a room that resembled a Quonset hut, but with a space age style.

Here, we sat on long benches and filled out release of liability forms. We also had to fill in our name on a computer-readable form, which we later decided was used to print a certificate each participant receives after the climb. Dave had only his distance glasses on and had problems filling out the form, but the rest of the procedure took so long it didn’t disrupt anything. We were given a mandatory Breathalyzer test. Anyone who does not pass this test is not allowed to climb. Everyone in our group of twelve passed. We heard that “Dr. John” a guest on the World Cruise who is never seen without a drink, didn’t pass yesterday and was rejected. He was waiting for a later climb today and apparently passed because we saw him on the bridge.

From the briefing room we moved to another area where the leader checked to be sure everyone was wearing proper shoes. One woman wasn’t, so she was taken aside to be fitted with climbing shoes. We each had to step forward, say our name and where we are from. Everyone was from Australia except two men from Texas who are, we found out later, here for Mardi Gras.

Next we moved to a room where we changed into Star Trek style nylon jumpsuits to completely cover our clothing. We were advised to remove as much of our regular clothing as we are comfortable with because it is rather warm on the bridge. We had to remove everything from our pockets, no earrings, watches, or anything else that might fall onto the roadway. Only glasses may be worn, but they must be tethered to a ring in the back of the suit.

After dressing, we stowed everything in a locker and the key went around our neck and under the suit so it wouldn’t fly up and hit us in the face.

The next step is to meet our climb leader, a young, bald-headed Australian named Michael. He is quite a character and great fun. He took the group to another area where we all donned our safety belts and learned how to use the rolling attachment along the walkways. The rollers cannot be removed from the cable except at the beginning and end of the climb. It rolls over the brackets by tilting it at a certain angle. Michael had everyone introduce himself again so he would know us. Amazingly, that is all it took for him to call everyone by name throughout the entire climb.

Once everyone figured out how to adjust the belts, we moved to another area where we received a handkerchief attached to an elastic band that goes around our wrist. This is used to wipe sweat and keep the snot from blowing around the side of our face, according to Michael. It is tucked into our sleeve, “like your mother taught you.” We also got a hat that tethers to the back of the suit, as well. You might have guessed by now that everything attaches to the ring on the back of the suit.

Next is a simulated section of the bridge with a ladder, catwalk and another ladder down the other side. Dave was the Guinea pig for the group by climbing up first. The ladders are sort of like old ship’s ladders and are fairly easy to negotiate. The tether attached to our belt slides along a cable along the entire route. We received safety instructions about not starting to climb until the ladder is completely clear. Otherwise, someone can fall and you might, “shove your head up someone’s back side.”

From here, we moved to a hallway where we were outfitted with radios and an earphone so we can hear Michael’s commentary while we are on the bridge. It isn’t particularly noisy, but we have to travel in a single file line and this will save him from shouting.

According to Michael, the next activity is the most difficult, that of walking down the street dressed in these outfits! The walk was only about a block, where we entered the side of the bridge at the ground level. Inside are normal stairs to a cut through the concrete foundation made just for the purpose of the bridge climbers. It was supposed to only take three days to complete, but it ended up taking three months and costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. They discovered a forgotten drainage channel for the roadway above that gushed water for days and produced old newspapers and other artifacts.

Here, we attached our tethers and started out across the underside of the bridge along wooden catwalks that are used for maintenance purposes. Michael first asked anyone who is a bit nervous to be first in line next to him so he could talk to them, if necessary. Nobody moved. He rephrased it, but again nobody moved. Finally, he just asked who was willing to go first. We didn’t understand what he was asking or we would have gone first. We didn’t realize what he meant until he finally just dragged up the two women whose birthday is today and made them go first. By the way, we had to sing “Happy Birthday” to them in the preparation area and again at the top of the bridge.

The next step is to climb some metal stairs that are inside the stone pylons. The pylons are purely decorative and were installed only to give the appearance that the bridge is strong. When it was built in the 1930’s people wouldn’t have believed that a metal bridge was safe. The outside of the pylons is covered in granite, but they are actually just reinforced concrete and are hollow on the inside, which is where we found the stairs to the top.

Once above the roadway, we walked along narrow metal catwalks for stunning views of the city and the water far below. Throughout the climb, Michael provided amusing commentary complete with sound effects. We only understood about one-third of what he said due to the walkie-talkie sound and his accent, but we got enough out of it anyway.

After transiting the underside of the bridge, we climb a series of ladders to the top of the arch and started our trek along the top edge of the bridge. This part was the most strenuous, but it was still far from difficult. The temperature on the bridge itself was perfect. The wind was blowing just enough to keep us cool. The only time we became hot and sweaty was inside the preparation building.

We stopped several times to take in the views, catch our breath and get more history from Michael. There were also several photo ops where Michael took digital pictures of the group and individuals. Only the group photo is included in the package. The others may be purchased at the end.

At the summit of the arch, we paused for photos and then crossed to the opposite side, stopping at the flashing beacon in the center of the bridge for more pictures. After crossing above the traffic and the trains far below, we began the descent on the opposite arch. Another photo was taken with the city in the background. We asked Michael to take the photo from a slightly different angle so the ship would show, which he did gladly. He seemed to find us particularly amusing for some reason and found every opportunity to make fun of us. We must have been good sports or something.

The two guys from Texas said the Mardi Gras was populated by a crowd that was “too rough” for them. They said everyone was tattooed and pierced, so they were pleasantly surprised when they got out of that particular section of the city and found the general population more attractive and sophisticated.

Our trek down was about the same as going up except the ladders went down on the outside of the bridge and between the train tracks. Michael said to do the "queen wave" and not to stick out our hand to wave if a train went by.

Once again, we had to squeeze under some huge I-beams and through some narrow sections, but it was all easy to do and well marked. Lower edges were padded with bright yellow foam. Another photo was taken under the bridge with the water far below. However, it doesn’t look as far away in the photo as it actually is. Strangely enough, it isn’t the slightest bit scary.

The remains of the original fort built on the site are directly underneath the flat portion of the bridge, so we had a straight-down view of it. From this point, it was all just a reverse of how we started. Walk down the street, back into the office, remove the radio from the person ahead of you, and bit by bit, return to how you were upon arrival. They even provide a circular fountain sort of thing so everyone can wash off the dirt and grease accumulated along the way. Besides being a safety item, the jumpsuits are designed to keep the grease and rust off of the guests’ clothing.

Bill cut his finger somehow. He guesses it was either on the zipper or maybe on the cable. It isn’t serious, but made a bloody mess of his hand while he was changing. One of the employees got him a Band-Aid and sent us on our way to meet Michael and collect our Certificate and group photo. We purchased a montage of four of our individual photos and had them put on disks so we could share them with all of our fans!

From start to finish, the entire experience, including buying the photos, took 3-1/2 hours. So, it is now 3:00pm and we must be back on board by 4:30pm. All we have left to do is to stroll around The Rocks and see if there is anything we can’t live without. There is a craft market going on, so we walked the length of it looking for local art to purchase. No luck except for a couple of cute handmade koala and kangaroo ornaments. It was fun enjoying the festive atmosphere though.

Appetizers
Asparagus Wrapped in Thinly Sliced Roast Beef with Sauce Rémoulade
Stuffed Eggs with Seafood Salad and Caviar
Potato Cheese Cake with Marinated Summer Greens
Fresh Fruit Chunks with Cottage Cheese

From the Soup Kettle
Chili-Cheese Chowder
Beef Consommé with Bread-Bacon Dumpling
Chilled Cream of Berries

Pasta Special
Spinach Gnocchi with Fresh Tomatoes, White Beans, Vegetable Sauce and Cheese

Salad Entrees
Greek Farmer’s Salad with Lemon Marinated Chicken Breast
Goat Cheese Salad

Main Fares
Sandwich of the Day – Freshly Grilled Chicken Breast
Marinated, Local Fresh Fish Fillet
Yobbie Leek Pizza
Pan Fried Pork Scaloppini in a Walnut Crust

Desserts
Macadamia Nut Pie à la Mode
Vanilla Crème Brulee
Frozen Cappuccino Soufflé
Sugar-Free Ice Coupe with Fresh Fruits

We walked back to the shuttle stop to wait for the bus, which arrived shortly. The second stop on the shuttle is in front of the The Strand shopping arcade downtown, but we are through for the day and stayed on board for the short trip to the ship.

Embarkation has begun for new arrivals, but there are separate entries for intransit and new arrivals, so it didn’t make any difference to us. The new arrivals are even older than the current bunch, if that’s possible.

Remy attacked us inside the ship and demanded to see our Bridge Climb photos. He insisted that they just pasted our face onto someone else’s body and that we never really did it. Ger came running over to look at the photos, too. He said he didn’t find the Mardi Gras people any more rough than anywhere else. He just looked at things because the lines at the bars were so long. However, he did say he had too much to drink and didn’t make it back until 4:30am. He insisted he behaved himself, which we believe is true.

There is a Bon Voyage party on Lido Deck for the sail away and 6:00pm tonight. We went up a little early and found Mel and Barbara waiting for the free champagne. We didn’t want alcohol, so we ordered virgin strawberry Daiquiris from Susanne. The Daiquiris tasted like plastic from the new unbreakable glasses, which was disgusting.

At 6:00pm, we went up to the Sun Deck to watch the sailing. There are two fire hoses attached to the bow of the ship, which is also full of crewmembers oblivious to the fact that they obviously plan to turn them on at some point. We assume that everyone on the Sun Deck will get wet, too.

The sail away was as beautiful as the arrival. Sailing past the skyline of the city behind the port, under the Harbour Bridge with the Opera House in the distance and out into the harbor itself and past the stunning cityscape. The Captain warned everyone outside to be aware that he is going to blow the whistle several times while we are sailing out and that it is very loud. No kidding! Are our ears bleeding yet? He did the three-blast salute under the bridge, in front of the Opera House and another time farther out.

It was hilarious when they turned on the fire hoses and sent the fully uniformed crewmembers scurrying and screaming off of the bow! The officers on the bridge must have gotten a good laugh. The spray didn’t come up to our level until the ship changed course and the wind blew it over the guests outside. It was a cute idea, but why no one realized it would soak everyone out on deck is beyond us. Quickly thereafter, the hoses were removed, even before we reached the mouth of the harbor. It was a beautiful view with the skyline of the city silhouetted in the distance.

This being Embarkation Day, we start over with a new supply of wine, champagne and tiny bottles of liquor for the mini bar. Ural just brings our whole supply now, which we dispense to the crew or pack up to bring home. We also received the following gifts:

· A notice of a gift bottle of wine to be delivered to our table in the Dining Room tonight.

The flowers we received are a more reasonable size for the room, but are very strange. They must be flowers grown locally, although we do recognize some of them as Protea. Most of the bouquet is a variety of green foliage. In addition to the above, we still have a Shipboard Spending Credit remaining on our account of $6001.20!

Tonight’s dress code is Casual. We went down to wait for dinnertime in the lobby. Embarkation Day is usually a mad rush to claim a table and we don’t want to lose our table tonight. Although the ship isn’t anywhere near full, there are more new arrivals for this segment than the last two. We estimate the count of guests is up to about 600 total now, and over 300 of those are new.

There were more people waiting for the Dining Room to open than usual, but it wasn’t bad. People were still leaving the Dining Room until five minutes before it had to be ready to open for the late seating. Needless to say, the people from the Computer University were the last to leave. This group, being semi-staff members, should know better.

Augusto came out while the doors were still shut to look at our Bridge Climb photos. He said he could never do that because he is afraid of heights. Our opinion is that it isn’t scary even under those circumstances. It just doesn’t occur to you to be afraid because of the way it is organized.

Jerry and Ger were happy to see us, as usual. Ger is punchy from a lack of sleep, but it otherwise unscathed. We gave each of them two of our little bottles of liquor under the table. Jerry found our sneakiness amusing.

Appetizers
Sautéed Jumbo Prawns with Slow Roasted Vegetable Salad
Burgundy Ham with Arugala and Toasted Baguette with Dijon Mustard Rémoulade
Forest Mushroom Terrine with Tomato Coulis
Tropical Fruit Cocktail with Grand Marnier

From the Soup Kettle
Cream of Red Bell Pepper with Scallops
Beef Consommé with Truffle Célestine
Chilled Lingonberry Soup with Sour Cream

Salads
Traditional Caesar Salad with Parmesan Shavings and Homemade Garlic Croutons
Sliced Tomatoes and Mozzarella Cheese with Basil and Balsamic Vinaigrette

Main Fares
Roasted Rack of Wisconsin Veal
Broiled Fillet of Fresh Barramundi
Lemon Herb Marinated Game Hen
Grilled Black Angus Filet Steak

Dessert
Chocolate Hazelnut Pudding Soufflé with Fudge Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream
French Style Lemon Cheese Cake
Exotic Fruit Ratatouille with Banana Semifreddo
Sugar-Free Mocha Cream Puff
Sugar-Free Blueberry Turnover with Diet Ice Cream
Assortment of Fruit in Season
Homemade Cookies

Food review: The Burgundy Ham selection was one of our “sacrifices” to provide you with a new experience. Amazingly, it was outstanding. The ham was good and was accompanied by tiny sliced, toasted baguettes topped with a tasty dressing. Put together it was great. The soup was very good. The pasta dish was gummy and had a metallic taste, which is apparently how it is meant to be because it was just as gross last time around. The salads were terrible and tasted like nothing. The cheese, usually soft, was hard as a rock. So much so that Augusto came over and poked at it with a fork to see for himself. The dressing, which has always been outstanding, also tasted like nothing. The steak was very good and in a huge portion almost two inches thick. Dessert was outstanding.

Some World Cruise guests have switched tables for this segment. Three of them are across from us at a table for eight. Three of the guests there are new and two were missing. They were quiet for this meal, so we hope it won’t be a problem. Usually, when tables get up to that size it causes a decline in service for the tables for two that are somewhat left out of the loop. This group doesn’t seem prone to special orders and such, so let’s hope it stays that way and we can live in harmony!

Augusto talked and talked after dinner. We aren’t whining about this, it isn’t intrusive at all. Jerry was also a bit talkative tonight. Ger was just slap happy from lack of sleep.

Tonight’s entertainment is basically a throw away because no one will be there due to the jet lag. It’s a Variety Showtime featuring the Dance Champions, Curtis and Natalie and Multi-Instrumentalist Gerald Kenny. We are too tired to go anyway, so we fit right in with the mood tonight.

It’s Lifeboat Drill day again. And, yes, they do expect everyone to show up, even if it is for the third time. We are awake anyway and the weather is beautiful, so we don’t mind. We went out into the hallway about ten minutes early and found Mr. & Mrs. Black, who are always on the World Cruise, poking at one another in their lifejackets outside of their room. They were having fun and included us and the stewardesses in it. We all decided that Lifejacket Bumping should be one of the activities.

They went one way and we went another, as directed by the signs in the hallway. We beat them to the lifeboat station and they speculated that we had just climbed down directly from our verandah. Most people showed up for the drill, although there are more missing this time than last. Mrs. Black put her hand on her husband’s shoulder, which was directly in front of us. Have a ROCK, or should we say ROCKS on that wedding ring! They are very nice people and seem like they would be a lot of fun. That doesn’t mean we are planning to be friends or anything. Don’t grab your heart.

After the usual procedures, we went back in to ditch the life jackets and go down to the Bistro for a snack before the throngs of new arrivals figure out where it is. That strategy worked. Just outside the Bistro, we ran into Philip, one of the original dancers who has been telling us he is retired for the last 20 cruises. This time, he says he is just here to set up the new show and absolutely will not fill in under any circumstances.

By the time we finished our donuts and such, the Bistro was overflowing. Guests were walking away because there were no tables available. In this situation, we really feel it is inappropriate for staff members of any rank to be occupying tables in a public area. This concept appears to be lost on them considering that five of the tables were full of entertainment staff and lecturers. There are only about twenty tables in the room to begin with, so that’s quite a percentage occupied by staff at a time when everyone knows there will be a huge rush.

We just killed time until lunchtime when we went up to the Lido rather than braving the Dining Room on the first day of a new segment. The food in the Lido was actually very good for a change, but that’s mostly because we chose wisely. There was a nice dish of grilled polish sausages and an outstanding roasted chicken breast that was freshly carved. Otherwise, it was the same hodgepodge of poorly preserved fancy fare. We had the first instance of being asked if we are brothers by a new arrival.

One of the Filipinos we have known for years came back from vacation today. Allan was beside himself to see us again. Are we popular or what? At the stroke of 1:30pm, they began packing up the umbrellas in canvas covers and removing the cushions from the wooden tables on the aft deck outside the Lido. They don’t usually do this so early in the day, so this would indicate to us that there is a storm brewing. We saw the forecast on CNN today and the entire upper 2/3 of Australia is covered in torrential rain. We’d better enjoy this great weather while we have it, huh?

Appetizers
Steamed Black Mussels in a Light White Wine Sauce, Served with Garlic Bread
Assorted Seafood Garnished with an Avocado Fan, Served with Cajun Aioli
Freshly Roasted Chicken Breast with Grapefruit Segments and Watercress
Chilled Supreme of Tropical Fruit with Tequila

From the Soup Kettle
Navy Bean Soup with Garlic Croutons and Crisp Bacon
Chicken Broth with Vegetable Pearls
Chilled Yogurt and Mango Soup

Salad Entrees
Chicken Caesar Salad
Chopped Spring Vegetable and Bulgar Wheat Salad

Main Fares
Sandwich of the Day – The French Dip
Fritto Misto – Golden Fried Jumbo Shrimp, Calamari and Scallops
Roasted Herb Crusted Turkey Breast
Pumpkin Lasagna

Desserts
Apple Empanadas with Vanilla Sauce
Chocolate Fudge Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream
Strawberry Cream Roulade
Sugar-Free Ice Cream Cake

Tonight’s dress code is Formal for the Captain’s Welcome Reception. Expect menus to start repeating verbatim from today forward. We took the Express Lane into the Starlite Club again. Kellie and Josef were manning it again. Obviously, we aren’t the only ones who do this because there is also a table full of champagne and such just like the one at the receiving line entrance.

Artie joined us for about two seconds before someone came over and distracted him. That prompted him to excuse himself and continue on his way. He was shocked that we did all that we did in Sydney. We never said we don’t do anything anywhere, we just don’t participate in the dippy ship’s activities.

Appetizers
Iced Malossol Caviar with Sour Cream, Chopped Eggs, and Onions
Truffled Chicken Liver Parfait with Warm Brioche
Fresh Oysters Served on Ice with Red Wine Shallot Vinegar or Horseradish Sauce
Exotic Fruit in a Pineapple Boat with Orange Curacao

From the Soup Kettle
Wild Forest Mushroom Soup “Cappuccino Style”
Clear Oxtail Soup with Wild Rice and Chester Sesame Sticks

Main Fares
Broiled Fresh Australian Lobster Tail
Grilled Fresh John Dory Fillet
Chateaubriand
Grilled Farmland Chicken Breast with Cheese Crust

Dessert
Caramelized Apple Tart with Vanilla Ice Cream
White Chocolate Truffle Cake with Strawberry Sauce
Passion Fruit Mille Feuille with Chocolate Rum Sauce
Sugar-Free Tiramisu
Sugar-Free Coconut Snowball
Assortment of Fruits in Season
Truffles and Petit Fours

Food review: Everything was satisfactory. The entrees were outstanding. The lobster was huge. The Truffle Cake looked like a Ding-Dong dressed up with a splash of white frosting. We decided to try some of the sugar-free desserts for you. When we told Jerry to bring us both of the sugar-free selections he was appalled and shouted, “NO…you don’t want those, no sugar!” Just bring it, OK? He brought each of us the Tiramisu and no Snowballs. Oh well. The Tiramisu tasted just like it had been made without the addition of sugar. It is apparent they just leave the sugar out of the recipe. They don’t replace it with a substitute. It tasted alright, but not great.

During dinner, Josef dragged the Executive Chef over to meet us. He assumed it was our first cruise, but we quickly corrected him. He claims he has never seen us, but we have met him at least twice. We wouldn’t expect him to know who we are, but he should at least know that we have been around. Besides, we were both wearing the double-diamond Crystal Society pin. We know the crewmembers are required to know what the different levels look like.

Bill sent a bottle of favorite liquor to Antonio, Jerry and Ger. They were all thrilled. That’s a whopping $100 spent out of our $6000+ remaining credit. We also got a letter from Crew Accounting to authorize them to charge Jerry's trip to Beijing to our account. That was another big $200. Jerry thanked us profusely again during dinner for doing that.

We received a bottle of wine at the table from Adair. Antonio said they don't have the kind she ordered anymore because something was wrong with it. So, we just exchanged the order for some Eiswein we would have ordered anyway. No problem!

Dinner was a bit disjointed because of the big table of eight next to us. They didn’t do anything wrong, it just takes longer to serve such a big table. We noticed tonight that all of the tables for two around the inside divider are empty. The new arrivals must have asked to be seated at larger tables. There are at least six empty tables for two within viewing distance of us.

Tonight’s entertainment is the ancient production show “Cole.” The entire cast, including the lead singers, has changed, so we’re hoping for a better performance. We would expect this cast to be better because they will be debuting the brand new production later in the cruise.

What a difference a new cast makes! For the first time in years, this show has some energy. There was even some positive reaction from the audience. The female lead is one of the originals, so we expected her to be an improvement and that she is. The male lead is new, but did an admirable job. Most of the dancers are more precise than the previous bunch, too. Of course, the enthusiasm may wear off as time goes on, but it might last long enough to get us through until the end of the World Cruise.

During and after dinner, the weather started to act up. At this point, midnight, it is about as rough as it has been so far. Not bad, but not smooth either. It sounds like it is very windy outside, but we haven’t checked on it and don’t plan to until tomorrow.

There was torrential rain all night. We weren’t aware of it until the Captain’s announcement this morning though. It was also fairly rough during the night. By the way, don’t get excited by the title of today’s entry. We might be sailing around the Great Barrier Reef, but it looks just like it always does outside on a sea day. There is nothing in sight, as usual.

It is still partly cloudy this morning, but it didn’t rain at all during the day. Temperatures are climbing again. It is 80 even with the clouds. It is also very windy, although it is blowing in the same direction as the ship, so it isn’t bad on deck. There is a strong current going against the ship, but it isn’t particularly rough and the pools are full.

We didn’t bother to go to breakfast, although we could have made it on time. Instead, we snacked in the Bistro and then went up on deck to read the Shore Excursion book for this segment to be sure we don’t miss anything important.

On the way to the Dining Room for lunch, we stopped by Shore Excursions to ask about options for Singapore and Vietnam, “keeping in mind we don’t like tour groups.” Roxanne said she would send us some suggestions and let us choose. A private car with a guide for four hours in Vietnam is $400.00. She thought that was a little high, but since all of this is basically free to us because of the huge credit on our account, who cares? We’re not convinced we care enough about anything in Vietnam to get a guide, but we’ll see what she comes up with.

There is an Asia Café buffet lunch on deck today, but it is too hot for us up there. So, we went to the Dining Room with just a few other people. We find it hard to believe everyone went outside today. Later, Augusto told us that the buffet was very slow also. Where did everyone go?

Appetizers
Tempura-Fried Vegetables with Daikon Dipping Sauce
Oriental Style Duck Salad in an Iceberg Lettuce Cup
Tomato Boat Filled with Creamy Tuna-Celery Salad
Chilled Tropical Fruit Cup with Orange Curacao

From the Soup Kettle
Thai Shrimp Soup with Galangal
Cream of Leek with Red Skin Potatoes
Cold Cream of Lychee Nuts

Pasta Special
Mezze Rigate with Scallions, Celery, Parsley, Olive Oil, and Cherry Tomatoes

Salad Entrees
Californian Cobb Salad
Warm Mushroom Salad with Sweet Potato and Ham

Main Fares
Spicy Orange Chicken
Sandwich of the Day – Marinated Pulled Pork
Broiled Herb-Marinated Fresh Trevally Fillet
Nasi Goreng

Desserts
Cream Cheese Pie Topped with Fresh Fruits
Chocolate Pecan Nut Tartlet with Vanilla Ice Cream
Apple and Apricot Crumble with Sauce Anglaise
Sugar-Free Napoleon with Fruit Slice

Food review: The Cream of Lychee soup was very good. We have seen a big improvement in the fruit since Sydney. There is a wider variety of exotic fruit and the ordinary ones actually have some flavor. The Spicy Orange Chicken, which is usually outstanding, was so salty it was almost inedible. Ger said it’s because they send the Filipino chef who makes the Asian items up to the Asia Café buffet because he looks Asian. The Pulled Pork Sandwich was very good.

Both of us are very tired today, so we just went back to the cabin after lunch. We intended to nap for an hour, but slept until after 5:00pm. So, the next step is to get ready for dinner and get going again.

Tonight’s dress code is Informal. We went to Palm Court before dinner as we usually do when we have time to spare. The service was very poor, which is quite unusual. There is a new cocktail waiter and, although he is pleasant, he doesn’t seem to have been trained properly. Yesterday, he brought a Perrier without any ice or anything else. Today, he put a lemon in it rather than a lime. That’s not a big deal, but it means we have to specifically tell him how to make it. Everyone else brings it with a glass of ice with a lime in it, without being told. He also didn’t bring the bowls of nuts. A cocktail waitress eventually noticed that no one on our side of the room had any of the snacks and quickly brought them to everyone.

JP chatted with us for quite a while. He is leaving in Hong Kong and he’s counting the days. He looks like he could be a model for a resort in the Philippines. He’s definitely a cut above the other Filipinos on board. He speaks perfect English, almost without an accent.

One of the Ambassador Hosts came over and asked if we had just come on board. Duh, we only come to Palm Court every night! We don’t care that he doesn’t notice us, since he’s certainly not going to dance with us. But, it’s odd he hasn’t seen us around before this.

Appetizers
Snow Crab Tower with Salmon and Malossol Caviar
Combination of Potstickers and Dim Sum with Soy Dipping Sauce
Fresh Green Asparagus with Tomato-Herb Vinaigrette
Assorted Supreme of Fruits with Maraschino

From the Soup Kettle
Roman Soup with Pasta and Vegetables
Beef Consommé with Butter Quenelles
Chilled Beet Root Soup with Sour Cream

Salads
Fresh Spinach Salad with Boiled Eggs, Sliced Mushrooms, and Crisp Bacon Bits
Heart of Iceberg Lettuce with Tomatoes and Potato Slices

Main Fares
Grilled Fresh Swordfish Steak
Pink Roasted Duck Breast
Sautéed Sea Scallops and Shrimp
Grilled Black Angus Filet Steak

Dessert
Caramel Hazelnut Chocolate Tart à la Mode
Lilikoi Cheesecake
”Bombe au Praline” Frozen Praline Cream Cake
Sugar-Free Vanilla Custard
Sugar-Free Lemon Strawberry Cake
Homemade Cookies
Assortment of Fruit in Season
Banana Yogurt

Food review: The appetizer was satisfactory, as was the soup and spinach salad. The swordfish was outstanding. It was accompanied by a light vinaigrette sauce with sautéed pine nuts and shallots that complemented the fish very well. The cheesecake was very good. The sugar-free cake was also very good for what it is.

Augusto agrees with us that the sugar-free items have too much fruit in them to be truly sugar free. His mother is diabetic, so he knows that it is too much. They will have, for example, a perfectly acceptable sugar-free vanilla custard and then smother it in chopped fruit. But he did say that the French Onion Soup on the vegetarian menu is made with vegetable broth. He crossed his heart and swore on it.

Ger had dressing splashed up the front of his coat by Jerry before we arrived. There was much giggling and poking about how it got there, but you had to witness it in person to think it was amusing.

Augusto insists on making Fettuccine Alfredo for us again tomorrow. It was great last time, so that’s fine with us assuming there is nothing fabulous on the regular menu. He tried to suggest some other special things we could order, but they didn’t suit our taste particularly. As though we need something even more fancy than usual?

With the big table at Jerry’s station, we aren’t usually the last out of the Dining Room this segment. Augusto still spends time talking to us, but Jerry and Ger are usually busy. So far, the service isn’t any worse for wear, which is good.

Tonight’s entertainment is a cabaret act that is the hottest thing in Australia, or so we are told. They are called “Three Got Rhythm.” Two men and a women. They were outstanding, very amusing and original. For once, no one sang “Music of the Night!”

Hardy Reef is considered one of the premier sites for visitors of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Anchorage here affords tantalizing glimpses of a compelling underwater realm. For those guests who wish to spend the morning exploring the world’s largest living structure, or visiting one of its most spectacular beaches, Crystal Symphony will anchor briefly to dispatch excursions before continuing on to Hayman Island.

An idyllic oasis, Hayman is the most northerly of the 74 islands of the Whitsunday Passage. The classic architectural style of its resort has been closely integrated with the superb natural beauty of the surroundings. Majestic palms, lush tropical plants and exotic blooms fill the gardens and line the walkways. These paths meander through the rugged landscape and offer a look at vibrant birds and indigenous wildlife.

In order to accommodate guests who wish to indulge in Hayman’s many luxuries as well as explore two of Australia’s most enticing natural wonders, a range of programs will be offered on the island both in the morning and afternoon. These activities will range from browsing through the arcade of boutiques and joining classes on wine appreciation to swimming in the resort’s famous pool and testing your skills in golf putting and driving. Guests are also invited to a special presentation, highlighting authentic Aboriginal dances, as well as a fashion show, featuring uniquely Australian apparel.

The description of today’s “port” is a bit misleading. The Hardy Reef stop is only for dispatching excursions to a pontoon among the reefs for snorkeling. Unfortunately, it was extremely rough this morning and all excursions were cancelled. It made no difference to us because we hadn’t booked anything. But, Ural said the Starlite Club was full of people waiting to leave at the time it was announced that everything was cancelled for the day.

Next stop, actually the only stop, today is off Hayman Island. This is one of many private islands that accommodate a single resort. This particular one is affiliated with The Leading Hotels of the World, which has a marketing partnership with Crystal. Hence, the reason for this port. There is nothing else on the island beside the resort itself. Otherwise, the tiny island is fairly nondescript, except for what looks like a fairly recent grounded boat on the reef.

No matter, it is raining anyway. Almost as soon as the anchor was dropped at 9:30am, announcements were made that a new activities program is being printed and will be delivered as soon as possible. Basically, what was originally planned as a port day now has to quickly be reorganized as a sea day with many more activities available.

We went down to the Bistro for a breakfast snack. It was packed and no tables were free when we arrived. Lara and Atle got up and moved, which is the appropriate thing to do when there is no where for guests to sit. Too bad the other five tables occupied by staff didn’t do the same. This is the second time this week we have witnessed this type of inappropriate behavior.

It took us a while to decide not to bother going ashore. We did want to at least look at the resort, but the rain only stops for a few minutes and it starts up again worse than the last time. So, this will be treated as a sea day by us. JP told us later that guests who went ashore said there was nothing to do there anyway.

Lunch in the Dining Room didn’t appeal to us, so we went to the Lido and loaded up on the Sweet and Sour Chicken, which was outstanding. The rest of the Lido selection was the same as the offering in the Dining Room. You haven’t lived until you have seen tuna melts fading on a buffet line. During lunch, Rosario, the new Lido Maitre ‘d, stopped to talk, and talk, and talk. We must be the crew confessional or something.

Appetizers
Matjes Terrine with Beet Roots and Apple Sauce
Spicy Chicken Wings with Celery Sticks and Blue Cheese
Aubergine and Sprout Noodle Salad with Peanut Dressing
Iced Supreme of Tropical Fruit

From the Soup Kettle
Three-Pepper Pot with Whole Wheat Croutons
Beef Broth with Vegetable Strudel
Cold Cream of Bananas with Dark Rum

Salad
Chopped Green and Red Leaf Lettuce with Mushroom, Kernel Corn, and Gazpacho Dressing

Main Fares
Broiled Fillet of Fresh Grouper
Sandwich of the Day – The Pacific Tuna Melt
Sautéed Turkey Paillard
Mixed Grill
Grilled Filet Mignon

Desserts
Churros – Cinnamon Fritters on Rhubarb Compote
Banana Chocolate Cream Cake
Ice Bomb Nelusco with Sauce Cardinale
Sugar-Free Mango Tartlet

It’s another afternoon for doing nothing and watching videos brought from home. At least we’re catching up on TV shows taped months ago.

Tonight’s dress code is Casual, or is it Informal? It depends upon which page of the program you look. We chose Casual. We picked up some of our photos from the Photo Shop and just sat in the lobby to wait the twenty minutes for dinnertime. Oliver came over and served drinks on the non-bar side. We really think that should be a regular routine, but he is the only waiter who does it.

It occurred to us while looking through the photos that an entire roll was missing. We did find it later after searching through the backpack. That was a close one.

Appetizers
Spinach and Dungeness Crab Tart with Tomatoes, Basil and Balsamic
Avocado Terrine with Tomato Confit and Prawn Salad
Minced Chicken Salad with Water Chestnuts, Snow Peas, Carrots, Shitake Mushrooms, and Sprouts
Hawaiian Pineapple and Papaya Cup with Armagnac

From the Soup Kettle
Cream of Zucchini Soup with Whole Wheat Croutons
Chicken Broth with Vegetable Balls and Truffles
Chilled Tomato Soup with Herb Sour Cream

Salads
Panache of Garden Greens with Fried Onion Rings and Spring Vegetable Julienne
Las Vegas-Style Red and Green Caesar Salad

Main Fares
Broiled New Zealand Salmon Fillet
Sautéed Veal Medallions
Honey and Dark Beer Glazed Chicken Breast
Grilled New York Cut Sirloin Steak

Dessert
White Chocolate Chip Brioche Pudding with Coffee Caramel Sauce and Rocky Road Ice Cream
”La Tart Bourdalone” – Pear Almond Tart with Poire Williams Cream
Passion Fruit Cassis Ice Parfait with Soft Raspberry Jell-O
Sugar-Free Vanilla Cinnamon Pudding
Sugar-Free Sour Orange Timbale
Tropical Fruit in Season
Homemade Cookies

Food review: In case you are wondering, Las Vegas Style means that the croutons are cut in small rounds that look like poker chips. At least that’s the best explanation we can come up with together with input from Jerry. Both salads were satisfactory. Augusto made huge quantities of Fettuccini Alfredo, which we had as our main course. It was enough for four people, but it was very good. He was annoyed because Ger put Parmesan cheese on it, but that was actually an improvement. The dessert was excellent with vanilla ice cream substituted for Rocky Road.

Augusto talked about lending someone money on board who has a gambling problem. Then, he decided that maybe he has been bothering us by talking so much. We assured him that it does not bother us in the slightest. He said he really enjoys talking to us because we are so honest with him.

Ger has decided we are friends now. He is always waiting at the front of the line at the doorway for us. Tonight he kept looking out and making faces at us because we were just sitting there after the Dining Room opened. We told him to just snap his fingers at us next time.

Two of the people at the big table next to us are disembarking tomorrow in Cairns. At first we thought we heard them say that they are flying directly back to Los Angeles from there. Later it was clarified that they are flying from Cairns, back to Sydney, and then to Los Angeles. Why not save the bother and just disembark in Sydney two days earlier? They must have paid a premium to leave at a port that isn’t a regular embarkation point, but all they got for it was two sea days and a rained out port today.

Tonight’s entertainment is a Concert Night featuring “The Bravura String Quartet” direct from Sydney, performing Dvorak’s famous “The American.” There will also be a performance of Dixieland music in the Crystal Cove from 9:30pm – 10:30pm. We didn’t attend either of them.

An announcement was made that the Captain has arranged a stop at Port Douglas, Australia, to make up for the missed reef trips today. The same excursions, plus a few additional ones, have been added as well. Shore Excursions was scrambling all day to make new arrangements. The Captain said we are stopping there because he found out that Silversea has gone there and “since they are our arch competitor, we can go there, too!” It appears from the literature sent to our room that it is a tropical resort town and seems like it might be a pleasant stop. We will be sailing from Cairns a few hours early and arriving in Port Douglas the same morning.

Welcome to Cairns, where the weather and hospitality are warm. Tropical Cairns is Queenland’s most northerly city, and is framed by two features of such pristine beauty and incomparable value that they have been listed by the “World Heritage Society.”

Located at eh point where the Great Dividing Range and Great Barrier Reef curve gently to the shoreline, Cairns is graced with inspiring natural attractions in all directions. Beyond the coast are mountains, rainforests, eucalyptus, waterfalls, lakes, rugged ravines and grazing farmlands fed by freshwater streams. Above all, two of the most wonderful asserts are the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics Rainforests.

Cairns, the colorful, sophisticated capital of the tropical north, is alive with life and charm. At hand and beckoning for your discovery are elegant boutiques, markets, art galleries and museums.

Although we weren’t aware of it, there was some difficulty turning the ship to tie up at the dock. It is still pouring rain and very windy. It’s also very hot, at least 85, if not higher.

We went up for breakfast in the Lido with nothing particular on our agenda. We have been here before and did all of the tours then. It looks exactly the same as it did six years ago, including the wet weather. Water poured down the windows during breakfast, so we’re really happy that we aren’t compelled to do anything unless we really want to later on.

The rain let up around 11:00am, so we decided to stroll down the Esplanade and look for a grocery store that was pointed out to us by the Tourist Bureau on board this morning. The soap that is supplied on board is some sort of fancy skin care thing that just doesn’t cut it for showering, so we want to buy something more normal.

There are several upscale resort hotels directly across the street from the dock. The main street of town also begins here, so everything is within easy walking distance. At the marina, there is a multistory shopping mall topped by a Radisson Hotel. In the same area are a fancy Hilton and a huge, very modern casino. Many other resort hotels are within view, as well.

As are most Australian cities, this one is clean, well-organized and safe. There is no traffic whatsoever even though this is a resort area. Unlike Sydney where the surrounding land is flat for as far as the eye can see, Cairns is surrounded by lush hills covered in rainforest. It feels more like Hawaii than anything else we can think of.

We strolled through the shopping center and browsed a store with locally made art objects. We’ll come back here after we finish the rest of our walk.

The waterfront area is just beginning a redevelopment that will include dredging the mudflats to create a beach and swimming lagoon. As it is now, the water is strictly off limits because of the deadly Box Jellyfish that inhabit the shallows. Swimming is only allowed at beaches that have nets across the entrance to the cove to keep these creatures at bay. We’re not sure we would be desperate enough in any case to swim where nets are necessary.

After making a phone call home, we continued walking about two blocks to the main street downtown. Here we found the Woolworth’s store we were told had everything we would want. This isn’t the same Woolworth’s we have in the U.S., it is a huge grocery store here.

The prices are incredibly cheap. A four-pack of Palmolive Deodorant Soap is only $1.98 Australian, that’s about $1.00 US. We bought a twelve-pack of egg-sized Cadbury Easter eggs to give out to the staff. The package of twelve was $6.98 Australian. Such a deal. Too bad we can’t stock up on groceries instead of souvenirs and art.

That chore done, we walked back to the shopping mall and purchased a ceramic smiling fish and another item from the gallery shop. We also picked up a few small souvenirs at another shop, then walked back to the port. The rain really didn’t hamper us as it only sprinkled a bit off and on.

When we returned to the port, the crew Olympics had begun. There will be a competition for guests, too, but right now it is just for the crew. They are doing shot put on the lawn at the port and some others were participating in a 4km run. That’s not something we would volunteer for in this heat and humidity! We also watched a basketball shooting competition. It is fairly evident that basketball is not very popular in Europe. The Filipinos have it sewn up.

The city does a nice job of welcoming cruise ships. There is live music at the gangway and a welcome sign made specifically for our visit. The music lasted until around 7:00pm and it was nice to sit out on the verandah and get a free concert.

We went up to Sun Deck for the usual port pictures and found the upper decks infested with giant moths in various stages of dying. Birds were everywhere, apparently picking and choosing which moth to eat with no trouble at all. Most of the moths were just sitting around on walls, furniture, etc. Others had been torn up by the birds. They were also hanging around the edges of the pool. Their body is about 3” long to give you an idea of the size when looking at the photo.

We had some lunch from the Trident Grill followed by ice cream. Then it was time to retire to the room to cool off and rest before dinnertime. Since we didn’t get back to the ship until after 3:00pm, we don’t have as long to wait as usual.

Appetizers
Assorted Smoked Fish with Lingonberry Horseradish and Whole Wheat Toast
Roasted Turkey Breast with Apple-Celery Salad
Seafood Dill Ragout in a Braised Cucumber Basket
Chilled Watermelon and Orange Cup with Plums

From the Soup Kettle
Carrot Ginger Cream Soup with Cabbage
Chicken Broth with Won Ton and Scallions
Chilled Cream of Raspberries

Main Fares
Chili Rubbed Flank Steak
Baked Local Fish Fillet
Sandwich of the Day – Hot Pastrami
Grilled Paillard of Veal

Desserts
Coconut Meringue Pie à la Mode
Marble Raspberry-Vanilla Cake
Chocolate Pecan Roulade with Fudge Sauce
Sugar-Free Jell-O with Fruit

Tonight’s dress code is Casual. There is an “alternative” casual dinner at the Trident Grill tonight, but it is way too hot for us to go up there. We did walk by to see if anyone was there. We counted four tables occupied and a bunch of staff members going through the salad buffet (which is very limited). After watching a lovely sunset from our verandah, we went up to Palm Court to wait for dinnertime. Eloise came over to see if we liked the Bridge Climb. We got the idea to go when she and Dick talked about doing it, so she was interested to know how we enjoyed it.

Appetizers
Marinated Sautéed Shrimp with Mashed and Crisp Potatoes, Leek Julienne, and Basil Oil
Salad of Smoked Duck with Artichokes and Green Beans
Grilled Portabella Mushroom, Marinated in Olive-Herb Vinaigrette wit Arugala
Fresh Tropical Fruit with Kiwi Wedges and Aged Sherry

From the Soup Kettle
Butternut Squash Soup with Pumpkin Seed Oil
Beef Broth with Vermicelli Pasta
Chilled Green Pea Soup with Mint

Salads
Australian Grown Mixed Greens with Crisp Eggplant Chips
Pear, Endive, and Blue Cheese Salad with Pear Dressing

Main Fares
Herb Marinated Grilled Lamb Chops
Broiled Fresh Orange Roughy
Fricassee di Pollo alla Cacciatore
Maple Glazed, Slow-Roasted Rack of Pork

Dessert
Apple Cinnamon Tart with Cinnamon Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream
Milk Chocolate Cheesecake with Chocolate Glaze
Strawberry Mousse with Marinated Strawberries
Sugar-Free Orange Yogurt Cream with Fresh Fruits
Sugar-Free Banana Cream Pie
Homemade Cookies
Assortment of Fruit in Season

Food review: The soup was boring, but edible. Both entrees were also just satisfactory. Jerry was concerned because we didn’t eat the disgusting-looking lentil stuff that was served with the pork, but we didn’t expect to like it when we saw it mentioned on the menu.

We told Augusto that we had scouted out a fun place for him to go tonight called “The Playpen.” He didn’t think that was a very good idea and swore he hasn’t been to a strip club since he got married. We find that hard to believe, but OK. Ger was happy because Augusto has let him switch with someone else tonight for In Port Manning (1/3 of the crew has to stay on board every day for security reasons). Jerry told us about the new soup lesbian in the back who hates dealing with men. Apparently, she’s like the soup Nazi from Seinfeld. He didn’t say she was a lesbian until we asked him. Then he said, “Oh YEAH.”

We were finished eating by 9:30pm tonight because everyone was distracted and we were able to eat without being interrupted twenty times. Of course, just as we thought we were going to get out 45 minutes before the show, Augusto came over and started talking again. We still made it out in time to catch the show, unfortunately.

Tonight’s entertainment is the “visual comedy” of Yacov Noy. We ran into Philip by the entrance to the Galaxy Lounge. He said he heard that the show was pretty good, but couldn’t guarantee anything. No kidding. This guy isn’t the worst act we have ever seen, but he’s definitely in the top five. They left the house lights on for the first fifteen minutes. We decided it was to embarrass people into staying. The second they turned the lights down, at least 30 people jumped up and ran. The most amusing aspect of the show was watching people fall asleep in the front row and snore. No only was the material trite, but it wasn’t the slightest bit funny and some of it was bordering on racist.

On the way up in the elevator, we chatted with Mr. & Mrs. Black. She asked what we thought and agreed it was the strangest thing she had ever witnessed. Mr. Black thought it was interesting, but she hated it. She said, “I can’t even begin to think how you would rate something like that.” Easy, color in the little circle under POOR.

Sailing from Cairns to Port Douglas was so smooth we thought maybe we hadn’t moved during the night. But, lo and behold, here we are off the coast of Port Douglas. From the ship the view is nothing more than low hills covered with tropical foliage. There are a few large houses visible near the entrance to the harbor, which is quite a distance across the water.

We snacked in the Bistro, then headed down to the tender landing for the ride to shore. It is extremely hot today, at least 90. The humidity isn’t quite as oppressive as it has been and the wind is blowing, so it’s tolerable. Although it isn’t terribly rough for a big ship like this, we certainly wouldn’t want to go anywhere on a small boat as it is very choppy.

Paco was in the hallway when we arrived at the tender landing. He said it takes about ten minutes to get to shore, but we know he made that up just for something to say. We could tell by the look on his face that he wasn’t serious. In reality, it took fifteen minutes and was a bit rough.

Port Douglas consists of an attractive marina complete with an upscale shopping mall filled with galleries, clothing shops, and cafes. There are some large resort hotels nearby, but they aren’t visible from the marina. The area looks like Hawaii in the off season. It is quite upscale and in keeping with the well-kept and clean atmosphere of the other Australian ports we have visited.

There are warnings everywhere about staying away from the water because of the deadly Box Jellyfish and Salt Water Crocodiles. We didn’t see any evidence of them, but just across from the marina is utter wilderness covered in mangroves where they most likely hide.

We strolled through the mall and out onto the street to see if there is anything we can’t live without. There is nothing outside of the mall except a small beachfront park. There, we encountered a stern warning sign regarding swimming here. The small cove looked inviting, but the warning was convincing. We heard from the crew that their TV channel has a warning that admonishes them not to go into the water under any circumstances.

Back at the mall, we purchased some glass objects made by a local artist who emigrated from Waterford. The saleswoman told us that many of the Waterford artists move to Australia because it is so dreary there. We agree!

Our shopping completed, we started back through the marina. We ran into Jan looking tired and hot. He said his back is getting bad again and he is worried that he might have to leave if it doesn’t improve.

We strolled out onto the pier to reach the tender landing at the end. As usual, there is a Deck Steward serving cold water and orange juice in case we are so parched from our ten minute walk that we can’t wait any longer. The ride back to the ship was rougher than previously. They pulled down the cover over the entrance, which made it too hot and instantly full of diesel fumes. They only did this because one woman was sitting where the spray hit her. There were only six people on the boat, but God forbid she should just move two feet. No, the rest of us have to endure stifling heat and fumes to spare her the trouble.

It was too late for lunch in the Dining Room when we returned, but here is the menu anyway:

Appetizers
Smoked Prawn Quesadillas with Guacamole
Marinated Octopus and Roasted Bell Pepper Salad with Olives
Palm Hearts, Tomato, and Endive Cocktail with Yogurt-Lime Dressing
Chilled Tropical Fruit Cup with Grenadine

From the Soup Kettle
Chicken Consommé Dubarry
Light Cream of Spinach with Herb Croutons
Chilled Apple Soup with Calvados

Main Fares
Grilled Beef Tenderloin Brochette
Broiled Fresh Flat Head Fillet
Sandwich of the Day – Grilled Chicken Breast
Veal Zürichoise

Desserts
Chocolate Marsala Cake with Sabayon
Lemon Roulade with Fudge Sauce
Ice Coupe Peach Melba
Sugar-Free Raspberry Cream Tartlet

Our lunch was cheese pizza and shakes from the Trident Grill. It is practically unbearable to sit outside, but at least the air was moving most of the time. How people can lay in the sun in weather like this is beyond us, but some of them do.

The reef excursion boat returned to the ship just as we finished eating at 3:30pm. There must have been over 100 people on the catamaran. They seemed to be happy with the whole thing, so it must not have been too rough.

Tonight’s dress code is Casual/50’s. A few more guests than usual (meaning six) participated in the 50’s costumes tonight. We went up to Palm Court to wait for dinnertime. It’s pitch black outside, but we could see the coastline and lights from a few small towns along the way.

Susanna told us she almost lost her lunch coming back on the tender. Her boat had the cover closed, also. We watched the last couple of tenders return and it looked as though one of them was about to overturn. Supposedly, that's impossible, but you never know for sure.

Appetizers
Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail with Creole Rémoulade Sauce
Polenta con Funghi – Sautéed Forest Mushrooms with Creamy Polenta
Barbecued Quail on Kernel Corn Tomato Salad
Iced Apple, Grape, and Pear Cup with Yogurt Calvados Topping

From the Soup Kettle
Midwest Baby Corn Bisque with Bell Pepper Confit and Crisp Leek
Chicken Broth with Matzo Balls
Chilled Banana Coconut Soup

Salads
Medley of Selected Crunchy Field Greens with Celery Chips and Shredded Carrots
Tossed Iceberg Lettuce with Lorenzo Dressing on a Bed of Tomatoes and Zucchini

Pasta Special
Angel Hair Pasta alla Emiliana – Tomato Sauce, Bacon, Onions, Olives and Herbs

Main Fares
Roasted Prime Rib of Black Angus Beef
Broiled Fresh Blue Nose Fillet
Chilean King Crab Cake

Dessert
Creole Sour Cream Cheese Cake with Homemade Caramel Sauce
Devil’s Food Cake with Chocolate Sauce
Chocolate Fudge Brownie Sundae
Sugar-Free Strawberry Rhubarb Compote with Diet Ice Cream
Sugar-Free Lemon Yogurt Timbale
Homemade Cookies
Assortment of Fruit in Season
Non-fat Peach Yogurt

Food review: The soup, which is usually outstanding, wasn’t up to par this time. The “crisp” leeks were more like wet blades of grass and they were inedible. We were tempted to fish them out with a fork. The salads were satisfactory. The prime rib was below average, but edible. The “Traditional” American Meatloaf was outstanding, but it is far from traditional. Does anyone’s mother make onion gravy and then prop up the slice of meatloaf on sautéed baby vegetables? They used to serve it with peas and carrots, but someone must have decided that isn’t fancy enough. Still, it was extremely tasty, just not American and certainly not traditional. The Devil's Food Cake wasn't at all what you might expect. It was solid fudge in the center with just a thin layer of cake on the bottom. It was good, but extremely sweet. The brownie sundae was good, but the brownie had sugar crystals in it due to insufficient mixing.

Ger told us he had the best time ever out on the town with the soup lesbian in Cairns. He got free drinks all night just because he smiled at the bartender. He said that he’s sure the guy expected something more, but he left before he could collect on it.

Tonight’s production show is “Rock Around the Clock.” This is a really old show and we have seen it way too many times. There is also a midnight buffet featuring popcorn, hot dogs, hamburgers, shakes and such, plus the usual fancy things that nobody touches. Jerry and Ger both tried to convince us to attend the buffet. It is tempting only because it is the only time we can get popcorn. Since we can get shakes at the ice cream bar now, that isn’t the draw it once was.

The Captain was right for once, it is raining today with no end in sight. No matter, it is still 85 and there is nothing to do outside anyway. The water is completely smooth and an odd shade of light turquoise. It must be fairly shallow to be this color. There’s lots of cargo traffic going by and the land is close enough to see buildings clearly.

We snacked in the Bistro and then went down to tell Kellie to charge our shipboard account for the Crystal Serenity Inaugural. The 2002 World Cruise Olympic Games are taking sign-ups today. There is quite a crowd of guests getting their free t-shirts and choosing their events.

Philip was waiting to see if he could sign up for something easy like Cribbage. He’s sore from training the new dancers, so he is hanging onto the stairway railing. David went by and asked if we are going to participate. We all know the answer to that, don’t we? He said he would invent an event for us, then said something we realized later was somewhat smutty. Philip was shocked that he was so friendly to us. We all agree that he’s been rather touchy-feely lately. It gives Philip the creeps.

Appetizers
Papaya Boat with Baby Shrimp and Lemon Herb Sauce
Comets of Cajun Ham Stuffed with Vegetable Salad
Paprika, Eggplant, and Mozzarella Brioche with Spring Greens
Fresh Fruit Cup with Pineapple and Campari

From the Soup Kettle
Chicken Coconut Soup
Beef Consommé with Rice, Okra, and Tomato Concassé
Chilled Cream of Strawberries

Pasta Special
Elbow Macaroni with Ham, Leeks, Mushrooms, and Creamy White Wine Sauce

Main Fares
Sandwich of the Day – Open Face Turkey Breast
Quiche Lorraine
Australian Fish Platter
Beef Stroganoff

Desserts
White Chocolate Yogurt Cake
Almond Slice with Vanilla Ice Cream
Black Walnut Ice Parfait with Fudge Sauce
Sugar-Free Pear Strudel

All of the lunch selections were satisfactory. The waiters all look exhausted, but there wasn’t a particular reason for it according to Augusto. Ger is annoyed because they are extending his contract for 20 days without his consent. He said he intends to resign his contract rather than stay the extra time. When he told them that the woman who hired him specifically said he only had to work for five months, they said she didn’t have the authority to say that. We assume this is the agency that hires the waiters, not Crystal directly.

There’s nothing to do today except wait for our haircut appointments at 4:00pm. Once again, they took all of twenty minutes and we were ready for ice cream. It’s still raining off and on, so we sat under the overhang by the pool. It’s fairly pleasant temperature wise, but it is very humid.

Tonight’s dress code is Informal. As usual, we went up to Palm Court before dinner. There were more Ambassador Hosts there than women to dance with. For a minute we really thought they were about to dance with one another, but they ended up taking turns dancing with the two single women in attendance.

Special Guest Chef Menu
Featuring the Cuisine of
PETER KURUVITA
Executive Chef, Hayman Island Resort

Appetizer
Roasted Western Australian Scampi, Seasoned with Tea and Scampi Oil on Salad Niçoise

In addition to Guest Chef Peter Kuruvita’s special menu items,
we offer these choices from the main galley:

Appetizers
Sautéed Scallops in Herb and Olive Oil on Vegetable Stew and Saffron Sauce
Beef Carpaccio alla Harry’s Bar
Iced Fruit Cup with Peaches, Figs, and Grand Marnier

From the Soup Kettle
Consommé Double with Bretonne
Chilled Cream of Apricot with Low-Fat Yogurt

Salad
Heart of Boston Lettuce with Marinated Palm Hearts and Red Endive
Mixed Garden Leaves, Tossed in Italian Dressing, Topped with Herb Crostinis

Dessert
Chocolate Paradise Cake with Coffee Ice Cream
Pistachio Profiteroles with Chocolate Ice Cream
Sugar-Free Lemon Wheel
Sugar-Free Pineapple Pudding
Sweet Endings
Assortment of Fruit in Season

Food review: The Guest Chef Scampi was an artistic arrangement of large prawns cut in half lengthwise (including heads and legs) and laid in a pile among some greens, a hard boiled quail egg, and one cherry tomato cut in half. We’re guessing this probably costs $25 or more at the Hayman Island Hotel. We wouldn’t order it again even if it was free. The Guest Chef Soup was outstanding, although the shrimp chunks in it added nothing and could have been left out. The Barramundi was outstanding. Jerry warned us not to order the Kangaroo. He said half the people didn’t eat more than one bite of it. The items from the regular menu were satisfactory. The Guest Chef Dessert got split reviews from us. Bill liked it and thought it was very good, while Dave thought the sauce tasted like thin cherry cough syrup.

Ger seems to have recovered his composure from the announcement that he has to stay 20 days beyond the end of his contract. Amazing what getting enough sleep will do for one’s attitude. Still, he’s not happy about it, which is to be expected. Stay tuned on this one. He also confirmed that Jerry doesn’t like it when Ger talks to us. It seems that there is a sort of hierarchy and the waiters consider themselves the only ones worthy of chatting with their guests. It doesn’t deter Ger in the least, in fact, he finds it amusing.

Tonight’s entertainment is award winning singer/songwriter, Gerard Kenny, direct from his appearance at the London Palladium. Later, there is a session of Crystal Karaoke in the Avenue Saloon with Lara and Artie.

Well, the singer wasn’t unbearable, but that’s about all we can say as a compliment. Everyone didn’t walk out, although there was a bit of an exodus about halfway through. He didn’t say anything offensive either.

After the show, as we were standing by the railing over the Crystal Plaza listening to the strings, David came by to thank us again for the Judy Garland tape. He said he really thought Lorna should have sent the tape ahead or at the least brought it with her. Where have we heard that thought before? He was annoyed because the office only sent her out for four days, which isn’t long enough for her to interact with the guests. He also didn’t think her choice of songs was the best, but we thought it was fine.

The sea is still calm at bedtime. We're going as fast as the ship can travel to make up for the time lost adding the extra stop yesterday. That means there is a fair amount of vibration again.

Looking through the window, it is a beautiful day. The sea is so smooth it looks like a stage set. No more rain today, just a few puffy clouds in the sky. Outside though, it is extremely humid and hot, about 85. Some strange brown goo floats by now and then, along with thousands of small jellyfish.

An invitation for the World Cruise luncheon in Singapore arrived this morning. It will be at the famous Raffles Hotel, which should be interesting. We’re in Singapore for two whole days, so it won’t interfere with anything else.

We are up early enough to need a snack before lunch, but the Bistro is full. It almost goes without saying that five of those tables are occupied by staff. We didn’t even try to get in, we just picked up some pictures and found a seat in the Crystal Cove to people watch. The sign-ups for the Olympics continue in front of the fountain, which is dry for maintenance today. They are actually cleaning the clear plastic strips one by one. We’ve never seen them do that before. Maybe the time the whole thing turned green was enough to keep them on their toes from then on. It must be a nightmare to clean the hundreds of strands by hand from top to bottom.

Philip sat with us for a while. He found out in an email that his apartment flooded when the sewer clogged. Now he’s worried about what was ruined. This is the second time it has happened, but it’s an old building in the hills and is so charming he overlooks it to an extent. It’s just a drag to be away and not know exactly how bad it is. He speculated that if David sends us a special list of “events”, it’s bound to be pretty scary.

There is a Cuisine of the Sun buffet around the Neptune Pool today, but it’s too hot outside. Besides, this is one of the buffets that features odd creations never before seen by man. We’re opting for the Dining Room today.

Appetizers
Golden Fried Calamari with Sauce Tartar
Italian Antipasto – Prosciutto, Melon, Olives, Tomato, Buffalo Mozzarella, Sardines, and Grissini Sticks
Marinated Shrimp Salad with Exotic Fruit
Iced Melon Chunks with Strawberry and Banana

From the Soup Kettle
Pasta e Fagioli – Italian Bean Soup
Italian Minestrone
Gazpacho Andalouse

Main Fares
Grilled Monkfish Medallions
Sandwich of the Day – Monte Cristo
Chicken Parmigiana
Assorted Grilled Sausages with Sauerkraut

Desserts
Chocolate Chiffon Pie
Cherry Cream Puff on Fruit Mirror
Philadelphia Fruit Cake
Sugar-Free Strawberry Mascapone Cake

Food review: The soup was good, but rather boring. It probably would have been better if it had simmered longer. The sandwich was satisfactory. The Chiffon Pie was ghastly.

Apparently, everyone had the same idea we did and showed up in the Dining Room. Augusto, who was working the buffet, showed up in the Dining Room because he had nothing to do upstairs. He told us not to bother trying to go outside because it is ridiculously humid. During lunch, an airplane buzzed the ship literally feet from the side of the ship. It sort of looked like a Coast Guard plane, but whatever it was, it certainly caused a stir.

Ger said that Jerry told him he talks to the guests too much, again. He doesn’t care. He told the office that he will resign his contract if they make him stay beyond the agreed term and they said, “We’ll see if we can work something out.” Gee, what a surprise.

We didn’t do anything for the rest of the afternoon except the usual of watching our backlog of videos and doing computer stuff.

Tonight’s dress code is Informal. It’s another Captain’s Quarters cocktail party for us tonight at 7:45pm. We know we get two invitations during the World Cruise, but we didn’t expect another so soon. Maybe this one is a bonus or something. There were about twenty guests there, plus the usual contingent of officers and three of the entertainers. One of the men, Christian, came over and introduced himself because he has seen us around and wanted to meet us. That was the extent of the conversation we had with him. Kellie tried to convince us we would love the Chinois menu at Jade Garden. That’s not likely given the choices. Josef Matt, the Hotel Director, spent most the of time talking to us about Australia and what a good deal it would be to move there. Keiko also came over and we ended up talking to her for so long that we were the only ones left besides the Captain.

Appetizers
Lemon-Herb Smoked Salmon with Baked Potato Stuffed with Chive Cream and Caviar
Crabmeat Enchiladas with Corn and Tomato Salsa
Ricotta-Pear Carpaccio with Pecan and Chervil Vinaigrette
Iced Fruit Cup with Hazelnut Liqueur

From the Soup Kettle
Duck Consommé Flavored with Star Anis and Romaine Chiffonade
Wild Mushroom and Barley Soup
Watermelon Gazpacho with Tropical Fruit Salsa

Salads
Panache of Lettuce with Marinated Zucchini and Daikon Root
Tossed Romaine Lettuce in Blue Cheese Dressing Topped with Fried Oysters

Main Fares
Macadamia Nut-Wasabi Crusted Pink Roasted Lamb Loin
Grilled Fresh Sea Bream Fillet
Crisp Lemon-Herb Marinated Rotisserie Chicken
Grilled Black Angus Sirloin Steak

Dessert
Hawaiian Chocolate Macadamia Nut Tart with Espresso Ice Cream
Bianco Mangier with Orange Verbena Sauce
Pistachio Ice Cream on Meringue with Fudge Sauce
Sugar-Free Blueberry Pie
Sugar-Free Rhubarb Yogurt Cream
Homemade Cookies
Assortment of Fruit in Season
Non-Fat Strawberry Yogurt

Food review: The gazpacho was better this time because they went a bit lighter on the cilantro and it didn’t overpower the watermelon flavor. This dish would be much better without any cilantro, however. We had the salad without the fried oysters. It was boring beyond compare and we didn’t bother finishing it. The lamb was absolutely wonderful. They have done a great job lightening up the sauces while enhancing the flavors. The steak was also outstanding. The Macadamia Nut Tart was good, but they should chop the nuts rather than embedding the whole nut in the caramel. You really need a knife to cut through it. The Bianco Mangier was ghastly and wasn’t finished.

Josef walked by and freaked out because there wasn’t any food in front of us. We had been waiting for maybe five minutes at the most. We assured him we hadn’t been waiting very long and even if we had, we don’t care. Where are we going to go? He said people complain all the time because they think the service is too slow, so he’s paranoid about it. We told him that if we didn’t talk to Augusto we’d be out of the Dining Room by 9:30pm every night. It occurred to us later that he might have taken that as a complaint about Augusto, but it certainly wasn’t intended to be. Augusto gave us the special chopsticks they are using for the Chinois dinners.

Tonight’s entertainment is a Crystal Special featuring “Three Got Rhythm” and the dance team of Curtis and Natalie. There was also a Classical Concert by The Bravura Quartet in the Starlite Club at 8:00pm. Curtis and Natalie are very good, but we’re tired of seeing them all the time. There are only so many ways to do a show of ballroom dancing. Besides, they give us the creeps. It’s not something we can explain, but there’s something about them that seems a bit sleazy for some reason. “Three Got Rhythm” is incredibly entertaining. We would pay good money to see them, in fact. There is such a difference when people with actual talent get on the stage. They literally own it. These three have real talent.

Tomorrow revolves around the Opening Ceremony of the Crystal Olympics. Everything is rearranged to accommodate it. Late seating dinner is a half hour earlier in the hopes that we will be finished by 9:30pm. Over 300 people signed up to participate, which is about half of the total guests. It should be interesting with half of the guests in the ceremony and the other half watching. There is quite a bit of clamoring and stomping on our ceiling this evening. We assume they are rehearsing for the ceremony that will be held at the Seahorse Pool.

Darwin, Australia’s northernmost city, lies between the sun-bleached outback and the Arafura Sea on Australia’s “Top End,” as tropical northern Australia is familiarly called. Cosmopolitan, yet casual, the capital of the Northern Territory has grown from its roguish beginnings into a modern, mellow, mini-metropolis.

Establishing and maintaining a European frontier outpost on Australia’s remote northern shores has never been easy. The early colonists’ aim in settling this far-flung area was to pre-empt foreign occupation and create a trading post for the British Empire. However, aside from a short-lived gold rush during the latter half of the 19^th Century, Darwin seems to have had a long string of bad luck. Since its early days, the city has weathered three destructive cyclones, the worst being Cyclone Tracy in 1974, as well as Japanese air raids during World War II.

Despite its struggles, Darwin boasts a comfortable tropical climate and some of Australia’s most intact cultural and national highlights. Nearby Litchfield National Park provides an abundance of wildlife, numerous waterfalls and a remarkable backdrop for your afternoon explorations of The Territory. For those seeking the source of the Aussie lifestyle made famous by “Crocodile Dundee,” the beauty of the Adelaide River and its famed jumping crocodiles will be of particular appeal.

Darwin is a fascinating blend of culture, history and nature that beckons for your exploration.

It just doesn’t get much hotter than it is here today. Not a cloud in the sky and the humidity is probably around 95%. Going ashore anyone? Not likely. We’ve been here before and already know there is nothing exciting in town. Unless on tour to the “jumping crocodiles” there is no reason to get off in this port. It does, however, look neat and tidy, even for a backwater place like this.

Before we totally decided not to go ashore, we went to the Bistro for our morning snack. The gangway is located in the Bistro today, so we could hear everyone returning from shore. All of them said they got off the shuttle and right back on again. No one spent more than 30 minutes off the ship. It’s not that the town is disgusting or anything, just that it isn’t worth dealing with the heat to do some shopping or whatever. The city does a nice job of setting up the gangway and pier area though.

Singer John Davidson arrived today and was seated one table away from us. From the back, he looks like you would expect, big hair and all, dyed brown. From the front, uh, well, let’s just say he’s definitely does not match the hairdo anymore. Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt for today and say he’s jet lagged, OK?

We went out on deck for the usual port photos and watched some of the crew Olympics going on out on the pier. As mentioned, it is at least 100 degrees and there they are doing running competitions and basketball. There is even a group of Filipino stewardesses, in uniform no less, doing the running. They certainly have more energy than we can muster at this point. The competition continued with swimming contests a bit later.

They are diligently preparing for tonight Opening Ceremony for the guest Olympics out by the Seahorse Pool. It looks like it will be fairly elaborate. They have installed speakers around the perimeter and wiring is in place for video coverage. A table is set up on the stage and the stairways are being draped in gold fabric. There is also a lot of banging and scraping on our ceiling this afternoon, so something is continuing up there even hours later.

We’re still full from breakfast, so we’re skipping lunch today. But, we wouldn’t want you to miss out!

Appetizers
Grilled Mediterranean Vegetables, Topped with Calamari-Jumbo Shrimp Salad
Ginger Chicken Cakes with Coriander Lime Mayonnaise
Non-Fat Cottage Cheese with Orange Segments and Blue Grapes
Exotic Fruit Cup with Kiwi and Blue Grapes

From the Soup Kettle
Cream of Celery with Whole Wheat Croutons
Beef Consommé with Herb Célestine
Chilled Cream of Passion Fruit

Main Fares
Australian Style Emu Curry
Grilled Swordfish Sticks
Beef Tacos
Sandwich of the Day – The B.L.T.

Vegetarian Selection
Polenta Tart with Gorgonzola, Leaf Spinach and Rosemary Tomato Sauce

Desserts
Banana Fritters with Vanilla-Honey Sauce
Yogurt Apricot Cake
Pistachio Truffle Tart with Chocolate Ice Cream
Sugar-Free Almond Ice Dumpling

The sail away is at 7:00pm tonight. There is live music on the pier provided by one man with a keyboard who sounds like an entire band. The adjacent pier is full of locals out to dinner and to see the ship sail. Promptly at 7:00pm, the ropes were dropped and off we went. There is a beautiful sunset in spite of the clutter of the pier area.

As we sailed out of the port, we were provided with quite a show courtesy of Mother Nature. In addition to the most beautiful sunset we have witnessed so far, there are huge thunder clouds and torrential rain in the distance. Gigantic bolts of lightening crisscross the clouds and occasionally bolt down to the earth. Luckily, it’s on the near horizon, so far that we can’t hear any thunder. It was still quite a show after the sun set.

Tonight’s dress code is Casual. We are encouraged to “dress down” because everyone is supposed to come to the Opening Ceremony tonight after dinner by the Seahorse Pool and it is still very hot. Late seating dinner starts at 8:00pm, half an hour earlier than usual.

Appetizers
Gravlax
Prawn Cannelloni, Gratinated with Mozzarella Cheese, Served on Light Lemon Sauce
Vegetable Terrine with Crisp Greens and Tarragon Vinaigrette
Chilled Fruit Cup with Tia Maria

From the Soup Kettle
Traditional Tomato Soup with Italian Bread
Chicken Broth with Chive Quenelles
Chilled Cream of Mandarins

Salads
Heart of Boston Lettuce with Marinated Green Beans and Red Onion Rings
Commander’s Salad

Main Fares
Broiled Fresh John Dory
Traditional Roast Beef
Pan Fried Pork Medallions
Grilled Veal T-Bone

Dessert
”Délice au Café” – White Chocolate Coffee Cake with Espresso Sauce
Chocolate Brownie Ice Parfait with Brandy Cherries
Rum Scented Almond Tart with Rum Raisin Ice Cream
Sugar-Free Apricot Jalousie
Sugar-Free Coconut Custard
Tropical Fruit in Season
Homemade Cookies

Food review: Everyone is in a rush tonight due to the ceremony tonight. The chilled soup was very good. Salad was inferior to the previous incarnations, but it was satisfactory. The beef was very good, but the portion was quite small. We had passion fruit sherbet for dessert, which was very refreshing.

Augusto interrupted Jerry as he was talking to us after he brought our entrée. Then Augusto kept talking. Finally he realized we still had food in front of us and offered to feed it to Bill, which he proceeded to do.

Tonight’s entertainment is the Opening Ceremony of the Crystal Olympics at the “Seahorse Olympic Stadium” at 9:30pm (or whenever most guests finished dinner.) We arrived about ten minutes after it was supposed to begin and the music was blaring. The upper deck overlooking the Seahorse Pool was filled with crew, all of which had been given permission to appear in public for this event. Jeff came over and asked, “Are there more than 75 guests here?” Probably not even that. Most of them are likely in the parade of athletes and the rest of the spectators are crew. We found Jan and Rudolf and the rest of the shop staff.

As the introductory music played, and played, and played, it started to rain. They had spent a lot of time setting up a reasonable facsimile of an Olympic Opening Ceremony, complete with giant screens onto which was projected the entire proceeding. Unfortunately, these screens consisted of sheets held up by flimsy frames and they are completely exposed to the elements. You can guess what happened with the ship sailing at 20 knots and a storm brewing.

As soon as they announced that the ceremony would begin in five minutes, the skies opened up and the rain began to fall in buckets. The performers stood by as though nothing was happening out of the ordinary and eventually the festivities began. The narration was complete with French and English translations. The music was from the Sydney Olympics and the ceremony followed the same format down to the last detail. The Captain posed as the President of the Olympic Committee.

By the time the torch lighting came around, it was really pouring. Bill went and got umbrellas, which endeared him to the shop people. They had five people come out with candles and walk toward the cauldron set up on top of the Jacuzzi. One of them was rained out, but it still worked. They put the candles in a circle at the base of the cauldron, which then rose up to “light” it. The fire itself was a fan blowing fabric and it would have worked had it not been weighted down by the torrents of rain.

At this point, the lightning storm caught up with us and a waterlogged David de Havilland made his way to the stage, tore off his soaked uniform and announced that they had to cancel the rest of the show for our safety. Apparently, there is a whole dance routine complete with elaborate costumes made by the Filipinos that we didn’t get to see. He swore that they will present it later because everyone worked so hard on it.

In case anyone has forgotten, you may view the webcam that shows the view from the bridge of Crystal Symphony at www.kroooz-cams.com/crystalindex.html. This is the same picture we have on our cabin TV when we're too lazy to open the drapes. Remember when you are viewing the pictures that the ship's date is one day ahead of the U.S., so keep that in mind if you want to match the view with the diary date.

Grand Pacific III -- March 2 - March 10

Saturday, March 2 – Sydney, Australia – Depart 6 PM

Sunday, March 3 – Cruising the Tasman Sea

Monday, March 4 – Cruising the Great Barrier Reef

Tuesday, March 5 – Hardy Reef, Hayman Island, Australia – 6 AM-4:30 PM

Wednesday, March 6 – Cairns, Australia – Arrive 9:30 AM

Thursday, March 7 – Cairns, Australia – Depart 4:00 AM -- Port Douglas, Australia - 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Friday, March 8 – Cruising the Coral Sea

Saturday, March 9 – Cruising the Arafura Sea

Sunday, March 10 – Darwin, Australia – 8:00 AM-7:00 PM