Couldn’t sleep very well, so at 6.15am I decided to get up, go up on deck and watch the sunrise. I was looking forward to a bit of peace and tranquillity on the top deck, before the majority of other passengers woke up and made their presence felt.
However, peace and tranquillity was the last thing I got. As soon as I left our cabin and walked along the outer corridor to the inner corridor, my ears were assaulted with canned music being played around the ship! Did the music go on all night?
After wandering around for a bit, looking in vain for the lift, I spotted another passenger and asked him if he knew where the lifts were. He pointed me in the right direction, and I took the lift up to deck 15, where I hoped to be able to enjoy the sight and sounds of the Pacific Ocean, feel the breeze in my hair and enjoy the sunrise.
However, the Edge was all lit up like a Christmas tree. Neon lights of all colours shone, ubiquitous canned music played and there were several walkers and joggers out and about; maybe they’d had the same idea as I had!
The jogging/walking track, however, does not go around the outside edge of the ship but follows a route more towards the centre of the vessel; at one part it even goes indoors under a tunnel. So I couldn’t see or hear the sea. ☹
When I went towards the bow, where I could see that the sky was a little lighter, I could not get there because there is an area on the ship reserved only for those who are in the top grades of cabins, “The Retreat” Celebrity Cruises calls it. I suppose it’s the equivalent of Queen’s Grill on Cunard ships. It meant that those passengers in a mere ocean view, such as Trevor and I, were not allowed in certain parts of the ship, including the best views at the bow. ☹
In any case, a look at the sky showed a big black ponderous-looking cloud; I reckoned there would be rain later on today.
Making my way towards the Sunset Bar at the stern, I sat down in a large wicker chair facing the wake. Usually, watching and listening to the wake is relaxing and hypnotic, but there was bl**dy music playing again at the Sunset Bar and I couldn’t hear the gorgeous “sssshhhh, sssshhhh” sounds of the Pacific washing along the sides of the Edge.
Considering Pacific means “peaceful”, so far I was finding it to be anything but!
After spending a few minutes trying to get my mind in a serene state, I eventually gave up and decided to return to 3142. The sun might have come up by now, but it was difficult to tell because of the ominous black clouds.
Back in our cabin I waited for Trevor to get ready, and we decided to go to the Ocean View self-service for breakfast. We know from previous experience on Celebrity ships that they always have a superb choice of different dishes. When we got there, however, I found it all a bit overwhelming. People carrying loaded plates hurried to and fro, and in the middle of the buffet Queenie, our table waitress from the dining room, made a point of greeting absolutely everybody with a loud and cheery “Good morning, good morning, good moooooorNING!”
After wandering around aimlessly for a few minutes, trying to decide what to have, I just collected a plate of fresh melon and pineapple, and looked around in vain for some orange juice.
I could not see any juices anywhere (it transpired that they came out of a machine near the tea and coffee stations) so I just took my plate of fruit back to the cabin and had a glass of water. After looking at the daily programme and the dining options, we discovered there was a juice bar next to the spa on Deck 14, so we went up there and I had a large glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. There was an additional charge of $6.00 for this though.
Trevor and I then went down to the theatre, where an Australian naturalist was giving an illustrated presentation about the Great Barrier Reef. It was very interesting indeed, learning all about the different fish and corals, and the ecological threats to the most famous coral reef in the world.
Afterward we returned to 3142, where we relaxed for a while and I caught up with some of this blog. We then decided to give the Magic Carpet a try, and we took the lift up to Deck 15 where we were able to “board”.
It was a pretty unique experience. You were literally on the outside of the actual ship, suspended in a steel platform directly above the sea. Spotting a couple of comfortable-looking wicker chairs with plump cushions alongside a low table, we went to the bar and ordered a chilled glass of prosecco each.
It was great on the Magic Carpet. We sat looking out to sea; the Edge was steaming along (yes, we still say “steaming” when referring to ships) at a fair rates of knots; we had over 1,000 nautical miles to cover from leaving Sydney to arriving at our first port of call, Picton, New Zealand, on Saturday.
We enjoyed our cold prosecco so much we ordered another glass each. I had cheered up a bit by now, but as we sat there, the rain that had been threatening all morning started, odd cold flurries of gentle raindrops blowing into the open sides of the Magic Carpet.
We then decided to take our glasses and sit on a bar stool out of the way. As we sat there, we struck up conversation with an American couple, who introduced themselves as Kevin and Gerry from Salt Lake City, Utah. We had a most interesting conversation, Trevor and I talking about the appalling state of Britain today, and how the rest of the world must be laughing at us. However, Kevin and Gerry disagreed and said that everyone was laughing at the USA and the election race between Biden and Trump. We ordered a third drink each as we discussed politics, immigration, the war in Ukraine, the welfare systems of our respective countries and lots of other stuff. In one way, it cheered Trevor and me up as we realised our country was certainly not the only one with its problems. 😊
As we sat there, the heavens suddenly opened with a vengeance, the rain thundering down on the roof of the Magic Carpet pod and finding its way into any joints, cracks or holes. As several large drops plopped onto my head and my trousers, as well as those of Trevor, Kevin and Gerry, we decided we had better move. Kevin and Gerry took the chance to make a run for it through the deluge to go and have a late lunch, but by now the rain was splattering on the deck, the raindrops bouncing up as small puddles formed flowing lakes.
Trevor and I moved from our bar stools to stand underneath one of the large joists which only provided a minimal shelter. We could either stay here and get slightly wet, or make a run for it and get absolutely soaked. The bar was still open, so we decided to stay where we were and have another drink, whether we wanted to or not. 😊
Meanwhile, the little Indonesian barman made his way around the hastily-vacated tables, collecting empty glasses and removing the soaked tie-on cushions from the wicker chairs and sofas. He went behind the bar and reappeared draped in a large grey towel, with which he proceeded to dry his hair, face and arms somewhat.
Soon Trevor and I were the only passengers remaining on the Magic Carpet, as the rain continued to lash down outside (and inside!). We finished our drinks, contemplated making a run for it, but as it was quite a way to go and the water was running in torrents on the decking, we held up our glasses and signalled to the barman “same again, please!”.
He came over with the bottle of prosecco and topped up our glasses as we waited in vain for the rain to abate. We couldn’t stay here all afternoon, so after we’d finished our drinks we decided to go and have a late lunch (it was after 2.00pm now). As the barman took our glasses back to the bar area, he reappeared with a warm, dry towel each for Trevor and me – how kind. 😊
Draping our towels over our heads, we fled the Magic Carpet and sloshed our way over the sodden decks. The water came up and over the top of my flip-flops and we ran to the nearest staircase while trying not to slip. It was another challenge to go down the wet stairs and hold onto the railings which were also slippy; I was terrified of falling. Soon we arrived at the shelter of the indoor pool and spa, and we left our towels in the used towels bin and returned to our cabin. My flip-flops and trousers were wet through, as was the sleeves of my denim jacket. There was nothing for it but to get changed before going to lunch.
Lunch consisted of a bowl of tasty chilli con carne washed down with cold water and yet another glass of prosecco. Afterwards, I felt that an afternoon nap was in order (probably not entirely surprising!) so I crawled under the covers (the aircon in the cabin makes it feel quite cool) while Trevor perused the activities programme and decided to go and have a game of Baggo at three o’clock.
Trevor’s team won the Baggo, and afterwards he decided to join me in a nap, which actually turned from a nap into a deep, jet-lagged sleep. I hadn’t slept properly since we’d left home, and I certainly made up for it now as it was 5.40pm when I woke up – we’d missed our dinner sitting at half-five.
We got washed and changed in record time and went along to the Tuscan restaurant at 6.20pm to our allocated table. When we arrived, however, someone else was sitting at our table; apparently if you haven’t arrived at your reserved table within half an hour, they let someone else have it.
We were therefore shown to another table for two. For dinner, I enjoyed some salmon tartare to start, followed by a very tasty stuffed portobello mushroom with goat’s cheese fondant. I passed on the dessert and just had coffee instead.
By now, I had a pounding migraine that only a couple of tablets and a lie down in a darkened room would alleviate. I went back to the cabin, took the painkillers with a glass of water, and lay down on the bed while I waited for the pain to go. Trevor, in the meantime, went along to the theatre to watch tonight’s performance featuring the talented show company and aerialists; apparently I’d missed a very good show.
I was still really tired and didn’t feel like leaving our cabin for the rest of the evening, so Trevor went to the quiz and gameshow by himself, looking in on me between each one. Trevor eventually returned to our cabin around 11.00pm and we settled down to sleep. I hoped I would feel much better in the morning, after a good night’s sleep.