Our last day at sea - home tomorrow.  The crew show is tonight and that's always quite good.  The production show British Invasion was wonderful last night and afterwards there was a balloon drop and lots of fun in the Atrium.  Because I can't eat prawns and the lobster last night came with prawns, our wonderful waiter Boonrien organised for me to have two lobster tails instead.  Absolutely delicious.  Have never played bingo before but it's a jackpot of $3000 today so Louise, Carol and I are going partners in a large bingo ticket...what are our chances of actually getting into the room - probably less than actually winning.  Would love to be staying on the ship and sailing off somewhere else but...won't happen.  Will post some more photos when I get home because this internet connection is SLOW.

Carol prepares to bowl

At sea

Beautiful days at sea.  Just a light swell running and sunny. Yesterday we saw whales and an increasing number of flying fish. Louise and I even saw a shark.  Very sad that the cruise is nearly over but we still have lobster dinner to look forward to tonight.  Had our cocktail party with the captain last night - for the 9/10 of the passengers who have cruised with Princess before. Came in late in order to avoid the bun-fight for free cocktails.  I have cruised about 180/190 days (not sure).  The winners of the 'most cruised' had cruised 1800 days.  Didn't win the champagne!!!!  Carol tried her luck to win the bowls tournament again today.  Went out in the second round unfortunately.   Last time she got to the final.  None of us has won a lanyard yet (or a bottle opener) so will have to keep trying.  Louise and I did trivia this morning. We can have teams of six but we usually do it on our own.  A woman who was part of a team of seven asked could she join us. She said she'd noticed we were always on our own and from comments she made, we ascertained she thought we were a couple.  Louise isn't happy - there is a 'GLBT Get together' every day in the Rendezvous bar. We've just found out that it's gay lesbian bi and trans-sexual - we could have been going to that all along!!!!  I'm sure there would have been time in our tight schedules for another activity. 

Carol (centre) pretending to be a hobbit,

Part of Milford Sound

Dunedin and Fijordland

Yesterday we were in Port Chalmers which is the port for Dunedin. Had to bus into town.  I now confess to going on the ship's shuttle - the first time in living memory - because it left from the dock and only cost $1NZ more than walking into town and catching the local bus. Better still, it brought us back to the gangway after spending a whole day walking around Dunedin. Well, some of us walked around Dunedin.  Louise and I went to visit the Cathedral right in the middle of town and they had an organ recital for ship's passengers.  We stayed for that and it was very enjoyable.  John and Carol opted to go to, wait for it, the railway station. Beautiful historic building I know but only one came back from the railway station. John somehow got himself on a train trip up along the coast so that really was the last we saw of him for the day. Louise, Carol and I spent the day in Dunedin.

Now I do have a couple of 'quotes of the day'. 

• Our ship's newsletter is called the Princess Patter.  There was a Christmas Parade happening ashore and we heard someone complaining bitterly "why wasn't it listed in the pLatter". From then on we refer to it as The Platter.
• This morning at trivia (at which we did woefully) - at 10.30am - a lady at the table next to us ordered "A large peanut-colada".  It took a long time to arrive so we figured they may be out of peanuts. Those who ordered daquiris got theirs' quite quickly.
• in the Platter there was a special advertised, one day only for 'T-shits".

Last night, after our hectic day ashore, we three ladies ate in the Horizon Lounge - the bistro. Had a beautiful view of our sailaway and sailed past a colony of albatross nesting on a headland.  We then sat right at the very front of the bistro and stayed to watch sunset.  I might add that we dined with the captain (well,  he was only five tables or so away) - does that count?  John went to the restaurant and our fellow table people were late so the waiters were worried it would be just John.  That meant that they would have to go work in the Bistro then go back to the restaurant for clean up necessitating their working an extra hour or so. Fortunately the other four showed and everyone was happy.

 

Today we are in Fijordland.  I thought we would sail into Milford Sound and that would be it.  But, lucky us,  there are four - Dusky, Doubtful, Milford and (I think) Thompson.  We have PERFECT weather - beautifully sunny with just a slight breeze.  Quite OK to wear T-shirts (T-shits) thought there are many with beanies, gloves, scarves, parkas etc. 

 

ps - Can cross Milford Sound off our bucket list.  It's absolutely stunning.  Everyone should see it once.  The others were quite adequate as well.  Now it's all downhill so to speak, home.  Carol thought we had to go back the way we came - through Cook Strait, around Auckland and the Bay of Islands etc.  John had to show her a map - she's quite disappointed. Says her cruise will be cut short the way we are actually going.

•  another quote - from a lady wearing a beanie, parka, gloves etc.  "It's freezing, we must be very close to the Antarctic".

All Blacks - that's what it's all about!!!!!