(Now updated! Ed)

Monday, 19th January, a sea day early morning temperature 26 degrees

The day didn’t get off to a good start. We had been told that there would be no water overnight (Essential maintenance of the water supply system. Ed) but that it would come back on at 6.00. We had a message from the Captain at about 7.00 to apologise and to say that he was assured the water would be back on at 8,00, he came back on at 08:00 to say they were working on it being back on at 10::00 … we were getting worried … What if they couldn’t get it back on?

Luckily we are used to getting washed with wet wipes!!

Seriously it was a problem. 1800 passenger, 750 crew and the additional entertainers etc. on board and no water was a big issue… We had breakfast but there was no water in the water fountains and no water for tea and coffee and no water for washing up. This meant that early on cereal dishes were in short supply (I had to have my muesli on a plate! Ed) and soon after that water glasses ran out. As there was no tea or coffee, they had put on additional tomato and other juices.

At the Captain’s first announcement there was an element of humour, at the second one had the sense that the lips were smiling but the teeth weren’t, by the third the gloves were off …

We shall see what happens next.

The ukulele session was not listed for today, so we had something of a gentle run in to activities with bridge the first thing on the agenda. The introduction of conventions caused us all sorts of mayhem, we found ourselves totally confused with the introduction of ‘boards’ and discovered that we haven’t even been laying the cards down on the table correctly! There was much laughter at our own incompetence What chance progress? We learnt a lot – mainly about how not to do it!

and then the announcement we’d been waiting for… The water came back on at 10.15. Phew!

The temperature is now 27 degrees.

I will take a moment here to tell you of another thing that happened yesterday, that I had forgotten to mention – and I do like you to be fully aware of the goings on. I bought a pair of ‘Havaianas’ i.e. a pair of flip flops. First I do not how to pronounce the word so from now on they will be referred to as ‘Huskvanas” – near enough. The thing is that I have not worn flip flops since I was in my early 20’s and unlike riding a bike, walking in them does not come back easily. Therefore, I am in practice mode. Every spare second I can be found walking up and down in the cabin trying to rediscover the art. To date little progress. I will keep you posted!

Back to today. It was a bit of a quiet day really. Keith wanted to spend time on his writing so I adjourned to read my book for a bit before we went and signed up for the Trek the Deck charity fundraising event for the Teenage Cancer Trust later in the month. For a £10 charge each we got a t-shirt and were signed up for the walk on the 26th of January. We do so much of it anyway it seemed only fair to do it for a good cause.

Lunch was back to normal in terms oof crockery and utensils so someone had done some fancy footwork to get all that washing up done post the water being turned back on. Well done to all those involved.

I spent the early afternoon on the top deck melting (almost literally) into the background of sun worshipers in my new swimsuit. The temperature rose to 28 degrees, so when it started to damp with rain it was a real pleasure …

I returned to the cabin early, having had sufficient sun and eventually prepared for dinner. It’s hard work, this cruising business.

Penny was poorly – she has a chest infection – so there were only 5 of us.

Champagne was served as an apology for the water problems . Which was nice.

After supper we decided against the entertainment, but went and saw the photographs of our backstage tour of the Bridge. I think we can live without them. Another sea day tomorrow, (Yay! Ed) but it is a dressing up night tomorrow evening,

What shall we wear? Decisions, decisions