Our weather continues to be spectacular, sunny and 82F with 18mph trade winds from the northwest (so, from behind the ship). The ocean swell continued to diminish until this afternoon when we started to experience small waves and more choppiness, and the weather forecast for tomorrow is unchanged. We have been really fortunate weather-wise except for Hilo (where it almost always rains) and our Kauai port miss (but I feel that the daytime cruise of the southwestern Oahu coast and the extra night in Honolulu more than made up for that).
Today's Princess Patter included the following navigation notes:
During the morning we will continue following southerly courses towards Raiatea, through the Pacific Ocean. This afternoon Pacific Princess will cross the equator. Certain navies, such as the Royal Navy and the U.S. Navy, have a tradition of holding ceremonies on board ship to mark sailors' first crossing of the equator. Crossing ceremonies, typically featuring King Neptune, will also be held this afternoon on board Pacific Princess. The equator is an imaginary line that lies at zero degrees latitude, is 24901.55 miles long and divides the Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
I managed to wake up before 6am today, which was good, but allowed myself the luxury of reading in bed until G started to stir. We went to Sabatinis for breakfast shortly after 7:30am and ate very lightly, because of our plans for lunch. At 9am, I was in the Cabaret Lounge for Douglas Pearson's presentation on Moorea, and looking at his photos of that gorgeous lagoon and beautiful mountains, I felt certain once again that Moorea is the most beautiful island we visit...until I get to Bora Bora, when I'll change my mind. Honestly, I can't choose.
Today at noon in Sabatinis was this cruise's MTP luncheon. Once again, a bit of a clean up (elegantly casual attire was specified) and best behavior was called for. We peppered Captain D for information about exactly what time we'd be crossing the equator (7:15pm-ish), which pass we'd be entering the Raiatea lagoon through (Teavapiti Pass) and which of Moorea's bays we'd be anchored in (Cooks). Captain D had made his daily noon announcement a few minutes early to allow him to get to the luncheon by noon, and during it he said that today we were going to experience something truly unique, even among seasoned sailors. Crossing the equator so closely to the autumnal equinox (about 27 hours apart) meant that the sun couldn't be anymore directly overhead than it is, and we would cast absolutely no shadow at midday. This only occurs when crossing the equator at the vernal and autumnal equinox. How cool is that? (And how geeky are G and I that we had already checked on how the closely timing of the two events would occur several weeks ago when we were still home. We love this sort of thing!).
Our luncheon menu today was different that last cruise, but every bit as delicious. Since I have no hope of uploading any photos of the menu, I'll just again type it below:
Fusion of Parma ham and king crab salad
OR
Pumpkin and Stilton cheese risotto
Hawaiian jumbo shrimp in garlic sauce
OR
Beef steak tagliata style
Chocolate hazelnut bar with citrus cream
Where there was a choice, I chose the first option. It was all spectacular. But, oh, it's difficult to feel any kind of motivation after that kind and quantity of food at midday. Luckily, the first part of the afternoon was taken up with the ship's Crossing the Equator ceremony. The sun was so hot (and so overhead that there was absolutely no shade on the pool deck), that I was happy the entire event lasted only about 30 minutes. Most notable was that Hotel General Manager Ivano Calandri made an excellent King Neptune and Deputy Cruise Director Jason an hilarious Queen Titicaca. The mock trial of pollywogs (those participating passengers who had never before crossed the equator) devolved into a huge slimey food mess, as it always does, and preparation and clean up probably takes at least twenty times as long as the event itself.
I returned to the cabin to change out of my dressier clothes and back into my usual shorts and T-shirt and adjourned to the quiet, shady side of the Promenade Deck. The dolphin sightings that had me so excited yesterday had been just as common (with perhaps larger pods) until late this afternoon when the waves picked up, and I could have spent all day out there watching for them. We also saw; for the first time today; several frigate birds. Here, in the middle of total nothingness. Where did they come from?
Without much appetite, we skipped the Elite Lounge and went directly to dinner in the Club Restaurant at 5:30pm. We ate lightly (salad and seafood skewer for me) and G kept going to the Passenger Services Desk TV monitors to check on the ship's location. Finally, about 7:19pm, we felt the bump in the water (haha) that indicated we had crossed the equator and passed from summer to winter (and tomorrow to spring). Holy transitions, Batman!
We were excited tonight to see a new (at least we don't recall previously seeing it) production show called Shake, Rattle and Roll. Great songs, accompanied by the Pacific Princess Show Band, and wonderful costumes. I am doing some serious fan girling of male vocalist Shai Yammanne...a sensational vocal range and cute to boot. How old am I? ;-)
And that was it for our day. I'm not sure why (champagne mimosas for breakfast and wine for lunch and dinner, perhaps?) but we were feeling very relaxed today. Or maybe it's just because we have nothing to do and all day to do it. Is there a sweeter sentence in the English language?