Little Lolly's Small Adventures: South Pacific

Crew at work

Yesterday was a quiet day at sea and life went on as normal.

Last night Paul organised a games night of 'Werewolf'. We had a nice turnout of staff in our cabin. A few who played the first game were on duty and had to get back to work at around 8pm but others who arrived late were able to join in for the second round, mainly about 16 people to 18 people at one point. It was a nice mix of staff and it made for a nice evening of 'whodunnit', deception and defending.

Putting new poles around electrical wiring for the ship's outside lights

Avatiu is a tender port but the swell was bad. The ship's movement was more of a corkscrew motion rather than gently rocking. Bringing tenders alongside the tender platform of the ship was too difficult - the swell raised the tender too high above the tender platform, or the tender was too low when the swell dipped. It was not a good situation.

The ship was re-positioned to see if it would make any difference but it didn't. The currents had no consistent pattern and in the end the tenders were hoisted up, staff and guests were informed of the situation and any tours were cancelled. Safety for guests and crew is crucial when tendering and cancelling a port is never taken lightly.

Rarotonga, Cook Islands, to Pape'ete, Tahiti

Our next stop is Pape'ete, Tahiti. The Maasdam can't sail fast enough to arrive there by tomorrow because of the long distance still to cover so we are arriving in Pape'ete as scheduled, on the 5th December. In the end, before leaving Rarotonga, the Captain had the ship sail around the island for a bit of scenic cruising before heading to our next destination.

Double rainbow

We are now into our 5th day at sea and so far the air has been warm and humid outside, even when overcast and raining. The one day there was almost a complete rainbow to the port side of the ship with a faint outer double rainbow. It looked beautiful mixed in with the dark clouds on the horizon.

Life on board has been going smoothly. Motion of the ocean makes me quite tired so I tend to sleep a lot. In between I have been attending a few on-board lectures by guest speakers. Some of the lectures are interesting - such as how colonialism influenced Fiji during and after independence; or on hurricanes or other topics of interest.

Me hiding behind a spare propellar
in the bosun's store

I was locked out of facebook for 2 days for breaking their rules about nudity with photographs that I had put on my page from the Amsterdam and Berlin Body Painting Days. I was not terribly impressed. The artwork covered people's bits and I had endeavoured to cover any other bits that may have not been painted. And why had facebook only just picked up my photographs now even though
they had been on since July/August - I'm not sure.

Whenever Paul has done his rounds on the ship I have endeavoured to go with him as and when it is
possible. I find learning more about the insides and workings of the ship very interesting.

One evening the bosun and his staff invited the officers for an Indonesian meal in the bosun's store. They had put up large white sheets, as a makeshift wall; creating a room within a room so that you couldn't see all the machinery and tools. The meal was prepared by the kitchen and brought down to the bosun's store. The food was delicious. We stayed a while and then left around about the time that the crew started to play music and sing, not wishing to get to bed too late.

On Saturday the well known 'King Neptune Ceremony' was held to initiate crew (called 'pollywogs') who had not sailed across the equator before - into 'shellbacks'. It also provides great entertainment for guests. A beautiful moonfish (or also known Opah fish) (dead & frozen) was brought out on a container of ice and placed on a table. Tables were set up for the jury (senior officers & Captain), more tables were set up for the 'nurses' who metered out initial punishment, a net 'jail' was set up in a corner of the deck; and musicians set up their gear. The ceremony took place around the aft lido and guests were able to stand or sit and watch.

I volunteered to help and was assigned to be a 'nurse' along with Liz and Amy from the Shore

The guest in her mermaid's outfit

Excursions department, and one of the singers from the cast. Some crew dressed up as pirates and looked pretty good as did King Neptune, his queen (a 'mermaid') and the judge. Crew who had not crossed the equator got smudged with 'dirty' makeup and were given a rope to hold onto as if they were all tied together. A guest came upstairs dressed as mermaid and she and her husband asked if she could join in the ceremony. Apparently she had seen the King Neptune ceremony before and had bought an outfit specially to take part. Due to legal reasons she wasn't allowed to officially take part but was allowed to sit on the lido ledge (looking pretty) next to the judge. She was asked to wait near the lido with the other guests and a crew member would bring her inside the cordoned off area when the ceremony started.

The judge and nurses started off from the Club Hal and made our way downstairs, through the crowds of guests, to the lido and got into position. A crew member brought the guest, dressed as a mermaid, through the cordon and got her sat next to the judge. King Neptune and his queen were next after which the jury came and took their places. The pirates were called to come out and bring their 'prisoners' or 'pollywogs'. Once the pollywogs were in jail the ceremony could begin, first with opening comments by the judge, King Neptune and his queen. Group by group the pirates brought the pollywogs out of jail before King Neptune and his queen, the judge read out a list of their 'sins' and then before judgement was passed, the pollywogs had to kiss the moonfish and go to the nurses. We had been provided with containers of stiff egg-white or meringue mixture with added colourant and a container of cooked spaghetti which we mixed and slathered all over the pollywogs before they went before the jury. The jury decided on their crimes as to whether they should 'live' or 'die'. Those that 'lived' sat on the ledge and baked in the sun

Cold water being sloshed at the pollywogs as they kneel before King Neptune

whereas those who 'died' went into the swimming pool to 'drown'. I think baking in the sun was more of a torment than going into the swimming pool where it was cooler. The egg-white dried and set nicely.... Every now and then the pirates' would throw buckets of ice and ice cold water over the 'prisoners' and those baking in the sun to help keep them cool during the ceremony. There were some crew who couldn't swim so the jury were warned before before the ceremony as to who they were and during the ceremony were 'judged' to 'live' .

End of the ceremony and costumed crew jump in
the cool pool water

After the ceremony ended most crew sitting on the ledge went into the pool to cool off. Needless to day, so did did the majority of costumed crew who took part. I would have loved to have thrown the officers into the pool (including Paul! 😂 ) but it may not have gone down well with the captain so they were left alone. It was lovely to cool off.

Once the crew had finished swimming, Paul had the bosun and his team empty and clean the pool and its surrounds. What a mess. With things in motion, Paul went back to his office and I accompanied him, dripping down the passage, and went back to the cabin to wash and dry off. The borrowed scrubs were rinsed out and put in the crew laundry for a good proper wash.

It was an enjoyable day.

Oh - the Captain was asked by a guest to talk 'American English'!!??? He is Dutch and speaks English with a Dutch accent. Ditto foreigners who speak English with their own type of accent which makes for a nice mix of different accents amongst the nationalities we live and associate with. I think the Captain was a bit taken aback. Needless to say he said that because he is living in Australia - he is working on his 'Australian English'!! Sadly one crew member who has a lovely South African accent puts on a rather 'phoney' American accent when with guests or using the PA system. I want to tell him to be himself, don't change because he feels pressured to do so.

Life goes on. Tomorrow we arrive at Pago Pago.