It was hot again today. And humid. So hot and humid. When I checked Accuweather around 11am, the temperature was 92F and the Real Feel was 107F, but (as if this makes it all better) the Real Feel in the shade was only 102F. It didn’t help that the Majestic Princess was berthed at the freight dock in Lautoka, with not a speck of the aforementioned shade, and nothing but a sea of concrete. It was hot, the interior of the ship was hot, and there was no having breakfast on the Open Deck Behind the World Fresh Marketplace. Waaaayyyy too hot for that.
Last night I noticed that I was getting a bit rashy, despite my many efforts to protect myself from the sun, and my joints were feeling achy too. That was a certain sign that the last place I needed to be today was outside. A shaded beach was a possibility, but the closest nice one was at least a 30 minute drive from the port. It was an easy decision to make it another quasi-sea day.
Of course, we still had to find some place on this ship that felt cool, and we settled in the Hollywood Conservatory area with frequent dips in the hot tubs (G) and pool (me). It was a peaceful area in which to spend the day, though still well populated. It seemed a lot of people did exactly as we did today.
We weren’t especially hungry for lunch, but it was served again in the Concerto Dining Room.
Day 11 lunch menu, page 1
Day 11 lunch menu, page 2
Sail away was at 4pm today, and we were dressed for dinner and watched it from the Hollywood Conservatory because it was still too hot to be on an outside deck. That turned out to be fortuitous; we were still in the Lautoka Harbor when the skies opened and it poured for several minutes. Then the sun returned and the humidity shot up even higher. Fiji, I’ve decided, when not on a beach is one hot place.
We stopped by the Elite Lounge in the Vista-less Lounge for a pre-dinner snack and then went to dinner in the Concerto Dining Room. Headwaiter Francesco has started personally preparing something for me at every dinner. Spoiled! Tonight it was shrimp sautéed in olive oil and lemon, and it tasted so fresh and delicious.
Day 11 dinner menu, page 1
Day 11 dinner menu, page 2
Day 11 dessert menu
During dinner, Indonesian Waiter Faustinus serenaded us while playing his guitar. The talent of these people! What a nice surprise that was.
Faustinus keeping us entertained at dinner
We were excited tonight to see a performer in the Princess Theater who was totally new to us, virtuoso guitarist Bruce Mathiske. We have never seen anything like him before. One of the musicians from the Majestic Princess orchestra that we talked with said he had never seen anything like him before. Bruce played the guitar in ways I’ve never seen it played, and then he played it while he also played a didgeridoo. We loved his performance.
We are beginning three days at sea back to Sydney. and the forecast for tomorrow already looks cooler. That makes sense; after all, we are heading south. ;-)
Bruce Mathiske simultaneously playing the didgeridoo and the guitar
And, finally, when I had MedallionNet internet on the Ruby Princess, I was publishing the Princess Port Guides for each port. However, there was no Port Guide for Lautoka, and I was hoping to remedy that while in the Majestic Princess. Alas, there is no Port Guide for Lautoka in the Majestic Princess either. I guess it just doesn’t exist.
Day 11 Princess Patter, page 1
Day 11 Princess Patter, page 2
Day 11 Princess Patter, page 3
Day 11 Princess Patter, page 4