New zealand again.

[happy daze john in oz]

Early rays of the morning sun access the horizon turning the sea toone of gold.
A gentle breeze blows across the starboard bow.
Above small white clouds scud the heavens like sheep on a field of blue.
Early morning walkers on the promenade deck taking their morning constitutional are greeted
in broken English by a deck hand washing the scuppers.
The sound of the bow waves echos clearly in the cool morning air.
At the stern, bubbling and frothing like the contents of a witches cauldron, stretching far beyond the sight of eye the wake like some storming river on a sea of blue.
There is peace in the air, a solitude that calms the mind, if only the world could be as this, not like the maelstrom it currently is.






I was as is often the case able to speak with some crew members about current agreements, the following is what they told me and quite willingly.


International Maratine law now dictates that all seamen must have a minimum of ten hours rest per day. In general no crew member on any Princess Cruise ship is allowed to work more than twelves hours per day unless embarkation day is compromised in any way.


Before January one this year the wage varied depending on length and ports of call. Now there will be a standard wage at all times. The crew tell me they are very happy about this new arrangement.




The majority of Princess Cruise ships have an Italian Captain, there are a few from USA but not many.
On this cruise we had an English captain by the name of Christopher Lye with some 46years service behind him.
At noon when 8 bells are rung he would come on the public address system to give the ships position and weather conditions. A common daily address on all ships.
But this captain was different, not just the position and weather report but he would then explain in great detail a nautical term.
Suchas the origin of the knot, or how the term bridge became about along with many other such facts.
Also offering information about the region we were in or how a country became named and who may have conquered it.
Very different to so many and I was lucky to spend some time talking with him.
At breakfast he would collect his own from the buffet, long gone the Tiger of old, and then ask passengers if he could sit to eat with them.
How times have changed.

[j.sabourn]

Did he not put the bite on You for a sub John ? Welcome back after your voyage into yesteryears And not the modern world of today. Happy new year to you and yours belatedly . Cheers JS

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Same here John, Happy New Year to you and yours.
So glad you came back from the Land of the Long White Cloud in one piece, did you cruise pass White Island?
Cheers Des

[happy daze john in oz]

WE actually had good weather all the way until the last day at sea in the Tassie seas.
Even Dunedin was good this time for a change.
But in Milford Sound the ship was invaded by swarms of very small black flies that bite. the female needs blood to lay her eggs.
Normally they attack Penguins but with none around chose all on board.

Last day at sea and the skipper came over the PA. A small boat has been spotted just off the Port bow some 4 nautical miles away and looks as if no sign of life on board. The ship had received news that a search was going on for this boat.
The ship does a 180 turn around and goes back to look.

At about 1 nautical mile off word comes through that the boat is one of the Sydney to Hobart yacht racers that set out on Boxing day.
It had to be abandoned and all the crew were safe.
Worth in the region of about $11 million there was the need to find it if possible to salvage it.
From the position given out by the ship there was every possibility it will now be found.

The more news, the Norwegian Orion has been barred from entering 4 ports in oz due to marine growth on the hull.
Eventually it came into Melbourne not long after we docked, a lot of unhappy people on board as their New Year celebrations had to be cancelled.
Finally got to Sydney today.