Second Sea Day – Hong Kong to Nha Trang (Friday)

It had clearly rained hard overnight as everything on the pool deck was very wet and the Astroturf areas squelched as you walked across them.  It was cloudy and cool – well cooler – in the low 20s Celsius or low 70s Fahrenheit.  The pool was cooler than usual – probably all in the mind – but there was no escape from the thundering soundtrack of Total Recall which started at 10am on the big screen above the pools and ran till midday!  Graeme managed to slip on the very wet decks while about to recline on a sun lounger, stubbing his left foot against the foot of the sun bed next to his. No broken bones, we think, but very bruised/sprained, but not any real pain.

Good old tripod!

Before the end it was clearly time for one of their divine hot chocolate drinks in La Patisserie on Deck 5.  A quick look at today’s activities as listed in the Princess Patter reveals the usual list of events, many of which we won’t want to attend.  Is it that the list is not very inspiring or are we getting too picky these days as we continue on what is cruise number 14?  Down on Deck 5 we are not far above the water line and we can see that there is a fair swell out there and ye the ship is just ploughing through it with only a little movement.

We’ve had our disembarkation information overnight.  As they are moving into dry dock and don’t have any new passengers to get ready for, will they let us stay on longer on Tuesday?  Well, slightly.  We can opt to leave at 9.30am so we plump for that.  That means we don’t have to get up at the crack of dawn and we can get a taxi over to our hotel and hope that they will either take pity on us and let us check in early or at least let us leave our luggage with them while we go walkabout.

We’ve listened to the port lecturer lady on the cabin tv as she talks about Nha Trang.  It has one of the finest beaches in the world and there will be a shuttle bus from the shore to the town area.  It’s a tender port so we’ll have to get a number ticket and then wait to be called to a tender.  Let’s hope it works better than on MSC!  They are also telling us that the ride in the tender is about a mile.  Sounds like the water is shallow round here.   It also seems as if we might get plagued as we walk about to part with our dollars by any number of representatives of good causes, from the monks at the local temple to postcards we don’t want which might cost up to £5 each!  When you think about the country’s history, it’s odd to hear that the best currency to have on you is the US dollar!

Some people just can't leave their mobiles alone during dinner!

Our cabin attendant has told us gleefully that we are the only cabin inmates who re-use our towels.  He didn’t say whether or not we were the only cabin to have flooded out the bathroom by having the shower curtain the wrong side of the divide when using the shower, though.

A poorly toe - but now much better!

We joined in the trivia quiz – this time with the two Aussie ladies plus the couple from Sheffield.  We did well, but still came at least 3^rd.  We didn’t know the collective name for a group of tigers, the noise a deer makes or the highest possible score in tenpin bowling as well as all the five taste senses on our tongues!  The day had a bit of an Australian theme.  As well as the port lecturer, Narelle, they have a guy who gives more academic talks and he delivered a long presentation on Australia which they put out on one of the tv channels. If we think we have a problem with immigration, then they really do.  They have a population of around 21 million and there are currently 5 million people housed in different places trying to get in to Australia legally.

This was our second formal evening and we went in our complimenting jade green outfits.