Day 72 22nd March 2011

It is a cold and overcast day with the temperature around 14c but feeling very cold due to the strong wind which is blowing from the north. The ship is about 900 miles west of Los Angeles and it feels as if it should be a lot warmer than it is. It is so windy I did not get my daily walk around the deck. One lap convinced me that it was impossible to battle the strong wind and the moving deck. I had to retreat inside and do more ordinary tasks such as the washing and checking the bill. At the end of each leg of the voyage (this leg finishes in San Francisco) we get an invoice for our expenditure over the leg which if you don’t stop them is claimed from your credit card or what other means of payment you have set up. We got our initial account this morning. It is rather like demands for back taxes they are always on time. You do need to check them to ensure no mistakes have been made. Unfortunately it seems quite accurate.

Chris has gone to see Mama Mia for the (I have lost count) time in the cinema and I am writing the blog. I also intend to work on my OU course on Creative Writing which I have been plugging away at since we left. I have an assignment due on 14^th April, the day we arrive back in Southampton so need to get it completed in the next three weeks.

As always when it is cold or rough no one is outside so the ship feels very crowded. All the main rooms are full of people reading, sewing or just nattering to each other. The conversation varies but main themes are previous cruises, how hard the waiters and stewards work and complaints about small matters. We changed Captain’s in Auckland and people have noticed that she is less visible than the previous one. He would often make short announcements about the weather or some small change but the new Captain speaks less. She is also seen less around the ship. Personally I use to see the old Captain everyday simply walking through the ship saying, “Good Morning” to everyone he encountered. This is a very minor matter but is important to many passengers who I am sure want to identify with the person in charge.

We have one more day at sea before we reach California.  I hope the weather improves.