March 18, 2020 - Wednesday

Azamara Quest Cape Town to Athens 

EPILOGUE

We have been home for 4 days now. The laundry is done, even the clothes that we never touched. The mail is sorted, opened and handled. I made a quick trip to the grocery store for fruits and veggies. I was surprised at how well-stocked it was in the middle of the afternoon yesterday. They had plenty of everything I needed. I did not need bread, milk or toilet paper. I was also surprised at how few people were there. I did not come in to close proximity with anyone. Using Apple Pay meant I did not have to touch the credit card reader.

We have talked to Sean. He and Shelly are well. He has called every day. We are all concerned about Coronavirus. We really appreciate him checking up on us. The child has become the parent, and we love it.

Alice and I have reviewed this cruise at some length. We agree that while missing the ports and having to come home early was disappointing, we do rate the experience very high. The captain and his staff were outstanding. The crew was the friendliest we have sailed with. The atmosphere was one of if the passenger is happy I am a success. Azamara has been very generous in compensating us for the cancelations and did an excellent job of getting us home with only one glitch at the airport in Muscat.  Our week in Cape Town met and exceeded our expectations.

We loved it. We plan to cruise with Azamara again. We hope to find itineraries on Quest. The crew seems to stay put from contract to contract. We believe we would feel right at home.

Now the hurdle is to survive Coronavirus. We feel up to it. We were advised at O'Hare to log our temperatures on the morning and evening for 2 weeks on a form they gave to us. 100.4 is the danger threshold. We have ranged from 98.4 to 98.9. No worries. We are also doing the voluntary quarantine they suggest.

Thanks for riding along. Sorry, we did not experience more to share with you.

So long till next cruise.

Pat and Alice

March 14, 2020 - Saturday

Azamara Quest Cape Town to Athens 

THE END DAY 24 -HOME

We arrived in Amsterdam an hour late due to not being permitted to enter air space over Iraq. We still had a 5-hour wait in the first-class lounge. We avoided food because we had a nice breakfast before arrival, and we knew KLM would feed us well on our flight to Chicago. We were not wrong.

In Amsterdam 

Oh To Be Young Again

Our Ride Home

Our plane arrived late and we would be slowed further by strong headwinds as we crossed the Atlantic. The flight was smooth for the most part. Turbulence was limited to whenever food was served. I told Alice there must be a light on top telling the air that food was being served so crank up the bumps. We did not let that stop our consumption. it did not seem to phase the excellent flight attendants.

We also managed to watch some movies, follow our progress on our monitors and get some needed sleep. We arrived at O’Hare less than an hour late at 4:00 PM. We were anxious to get home. 

When we entered the terminal we proceeded down many ramps followed by escalators down to the arrival hall. What a shock waited for us. We had barely gotten off of the escalator when we joined a long line of passengers. We were not sure where the line was going and no one was there to tell us. We were in line butt to belly and shoulder to shoulder. We were not touching, but we were close.

On our way, the group of passengers around us noticed that many others had health forms in their hands. We did not. Repeated attempts to ask personnel monitoring our line for them yielded nothing. Finally, one compassionate employee went to find forms for us. We filled them out in line. 

An hour and a half later we stood before a customs and border patrol agent. This agent did not want the forms. They were for health screening at the end of the process. He reviewed our customs declaration, asked us some questions as he returned our passports, and directed unto another line.

Again, we had no idea what the purpose of this line was. We followed the leader through a maze of aisles like those at Disneyworld. We wondered what ride would be at the end of this. It took us 2 hours to find out. It was another customs and border patrol officer. He swiped our passports and asked several questions. The routine seemed familiar. Then he asked for our address. A first. 

We chatted with him as he worked. We learned that they were all working 16-hour shifts. The mass of humanity assembled here was consistent throughout the day as Americans returned from abroad. He also admitted to poor training and planning to accomplish this with such short notice of the travel ban from Europe.

Now he directed us to another line. At last, this was for the actual health screening. Half an hour later we had our temperature checked. We both read 97.1. We passed. Then we were given charts to use for recording our temperatures in the morning and evening for 14 days. He strongly suggested self quarantining. He did not say because of the mess we had just gone through, but we certainly felt that was reason enough. 

The Nonsense at O'Hare

We proceeded to the luggage area. We had arrived so long ago that our bags had been removed from the conveyor. No Surprise. The bags were segregated by flight. In 5 minutes we had ours. The last customs agent took our declarations and welcomed us home. Now we were out of there.

Once outside the hall, we found a place to park our luggage cart, and I called for a taxi. Usually, we have to wait 20 minutes or more. Not tonight. The app said 8 minutes. Our cab arrived in 7 minutes. We walked in our door at 9:00 PM. Just 44 hours since we got up on Friday. 

Soon we were in bed.

March 13, 2020 - Friday

Azamara Quest Cape Town to Athens 

Cruise Day 23 -Muscat, Oman

Last Day Onboard

We docked in Muscat in the dark just before 8:00 last night, and we did only a cursory review of the area from deck 10. This morning we went out after breakfast for a better look. The harbor is situated at the base of a ring of mountains. It is stark but appealing. We noticed a Celebrity ship stopped well outside the harbor. After a while, it started moving, did a circle and sailed away. We do not know why they did not enter. We can only guess.

At breakfast, Neyon told us that about 200 passengers leave today and 400 leave tomorrow. On Sunday the crew will move the ship to Abu Dhabi for a scheduled refueling. He has not been told yet where they will go from there.  They will have 12 days to get to Athens if that cruise is not canceled. 

Muscat Sunrise

Muscat Terminal and Control Tower

Don't Know What This Is

Livestock Vessel

Learned Tonight that the City Is Beyond the Mountains

We used up our last 5 hours of internet time in the cabin. And I finished the book I had taken out of the library. 

We ate dinner in the Living Room because the restaurants were not scheduled to open until 6:00 and 6:30. Our transfer to the airport was scheduled for 7:00. Dinner consisted of just a few appetizers and a farewell cocktail. 

We were called promptly at 7:00 and left the ship with our carry-ons. Saying goodbye to the officers and crew on the gangway was sad.

We collected our luggage in the terminal. It had been arranged by departure time, so it was easy to find ours. A porter took it and loaded it onto the coach for us. We took our seats. When the last person boarded we left for the half-hour drive to the airport.

The harbor is situated at the foot of some mountains with only a few buildings along a highway that followed the coast. Before long we crossed through the mountains and found a modern city. Lights were bright and signs were in Arabic and English. Traffic flowed smoothly. We arrived at the airport shortly after 8:00. We had to wait for the counter to open for our KLM flight to Amsterdam. It was scheduled for 11:45 and the counter opens 3 hours before that.

Finally, we got to the counter. I gave the agent our confirmation number then he swiped our passports and found the file. He asked for our tickets. All Azamara had given to us was the confirmation number. He informed us that they had made a reservation, but had not ticketed it. He could not issue boarding passes without a ticket number. He had us step aside to call our travel agent.

Bonnie was dismayed when I explained our plight. She had never experienced a failure like this before. I stayed on the line while she called Azamara. Almost an hour later she had me ask the agent to confirm that we now had tickets. He did have them. I bid Bonnie goodbye. Thank God this occurred while she was in the office. It was midnight here and mid-afternoon in Schaumburg.

We now had a two-hour wait. We enjoyed excellent food in the available business class lounge. It made up for the light dinner in the Living Room.

Boarding went smoothly. We settled into our business class seats and enjoyed champaign before take off. After a light meal, we tried to get some sleep.

March 12, 2020 - Thursday

Azamara Quest Cape Town to Athens 

Cruise Day 22 -Sea Day

Pictures to follow with better internet

Progress with obtaining visas improved considerably today. By dinner time all passengers were in possession of a visa. Now the nest turned to flights. Nobody knows what to expect. Rumors are spreading that some of the new flights were now being canceled due to the air travel ban. We remain confident that we will get home. There is nothing we can do to impact the outcome now. We are at the mercy of the airlines. We feel good that our flights are Delta flights operated by KLM. They have provided reliable and excellent service in getting us to Cape Town. We believe they will take care of our needs to gets home.

There were craft classes today. Later in the afternoon, Alice redeemed her points earned by attending activities. She had accumulated 56 points. That netted her 3 T-shirts, luggage tags and some magnetic document clips. The latter are very strong and excellent for holding schedules and maps on the cabin walls. They are all nicely clad metal panels.

I spent the day reading Space Between the Stars, a book I picked at random in the library. Much to my surprise, it is the story of the survivors of a mutant virus that kills almost everyone on earth and surrounding planets. I am working to finish it before debarkation tomorrow,

The final show included all of the cast and the cruise director and assistant cruise director. They presented songs throughout the decades. It was most enjoyable.

Also impressive was the performance of the passenger chorus. They have been working with the lead singer on sea days. They did an excellent job.

Our luggage has to be out by 11:00 tonight. We were all packed except or carryons by mid-afternoon. Our luggage tags are green 7. This means we will leave for the airport at 7:00 tomorrow night. We got to the cabin at 10:20 Everything was in the hall by 10:30. It is we who were out by 11:00.

March 11, 2020 - Wednesday

Azamara Quest Cape Town to Athens 

Cruise Day 21 -Sea Day

Pictures to follow with better internet

Today a sense of panic is setting in for many, but not for us.

I will start with air transportation. Since the cruise now ends in Muscat instead of Dubai, everyone needs new flights. The time on the phone is averaging 45 minutes per call. The airlines here are not forgiving for change fees. There is a lot of disappointment at the added cost and inconvenience.

We are pleased that our new itinerary is Muscat on Friday at 11:45 PM to Amsterdam on Saturday morning at 6:30. We will have a 6-hour layover there before our 12:45 flight to Chicago. We will arrive at O Hare at 3:25 Saturday afternoon. We are very grateful for this schedule and that we will still be in business class at this short notice.

Now for the major source of discontent. Oman has decided that they will not permit a blanket visa covering all passengers. We must each go online to get a personal e-visa.

The ship has set up 15 laptops with IT staff to assist the passengers. Cabins are being called in order, starting on deck 9. It is painfully slow because our wifi is being overburdened as is the Oman website. In the afternoon I decided to buy a full day of internet and apply on my laptop. It took me an hour and a half to complete the process.

And then we heard the president impose a ban on all flights from Europe. Most of us Americans have flights changing in Europe. What will happen to us? The exemption plan was not made clear. We are forging ahead under the assumption that he cannot possibly intend to strand thousands of Americans in Europe. Hopefully, we will have adequate time in our connections to meet whatever health tests he imposes.

Around the ship we had lectures, crafts and other activities as usual. The crew is admirably cheerful, helpful and supportive. They have their own burdens wondering what will happen with their contracts.

A celebratory Pirate Themed dinner was scheduled on the deck around the pool. Grilled lobster was the featured entré. Sadly the temperature dropped as the wind picked up. A few hearty souls attended. We joined friends in the dining room.

As we retired, people were still lining up to use computers. They would be available all night. Fewer than half of the passengers have gotten the visa. We felt relaxed and relieved that our documents were in order.

March 10, 2020 - Tuesday

Azamara Quest Cape Town to Athens 

Cruise Day 20 -Sea Day

Pictures to follow with better internet

We woke to another beautiful day. My 4-mile walk was eased by a nice breeze as the sun was rising and directly opposite it the moon was setting. I had started 20 minutes later than usual at 5:50. Bad move. By 6:30 the track was crowded. The extra half hour sleep we got may have made the difference. In any event, it was a great walk.

Alice had more craft classes today. We would meet in the Living Room at noon. I went to the Drawing Room and actually found a book to read. I was surprised to see IT setting up 10 laptops on a long table. It looks like a special class this afternoon.

I took my book to the Living Room and settled in. At noon I headed over to the corner where the crafters were working to see what Alice was working on. I was halfway there when Captain Magnus came on for his noon report.

That is when the bomb dropped. He said he was dispensing with the navigational info because he had important information for us. He reminded us that yesterday he had told us that contingency plans were being established in case we needed further changes to our itinerary. 

Wow! The United Arab Emirates has closed all of its ports to cruise ships. Oman is still open and we will dock there on Friday the 13th when this cruise will end. That was just the beginning. The next cruise, our second, has been canceled, and our fare will be refunded.  They do not know yet if our 3rd cruise is canceled, but it looks like it will be. They will refund the cost of the 3rd cruise even if it is not canceled. We do not want to hang around on land for 2 weeks. We will return home from Muscat, Oman. 

Besides refunding the cruise price Azamara is giving us very reasonable credits to apply to a future cruise. We have an idea how that might be put to good use.

Fortunately, our air was booked through Azamara’s Choice Air. Thank you, Bonnie, at Cruises International. Azamara will take care of rebooking us and let us know what our new travel plan is. Passengers with independent air bookings will have to make the changes themselves. Computers are provided in the Drawing Room for that purpose. They were not being set up for a class. 

The ship has not opened the internet free to everyone because that would overwhelm the network. Clearly, I will not be able to post pictures until we get home. 

Our much anticipated 54-day cruise to a part of the world we have never visited before has been cut short at just 22 days and only 4 new ports. On the bright side, we are well. The ship is virus free. and we will be leaving from a region that is taking Coronavirus very seriously. We hope our transit will be problem-free and that we will still be healthy when we arrive home.

Guest Relations has been busy all day helping passengers with independently booked flights change them. We have not been able to learn what flights the Choice Air program has for us, but have been assured the Azamara home office in Miami is working on it. The 9 hour time difference means the workday in Miami is starting as we sit down to dinner. Perhaps we will have news in the morning.

The atmosphere remains happy and cordial. The crew is very sympathetic. We are in good spirits.

March 9, 2020 - Monday

Azamara Quest Cape Town to Athens 

Cruise Day 19 -Sea Day

Pictures to follow with better internet

Before I launch into today’s activities I would like to report on the closing of yesterday. It was 6:00 when we finally left Colombo. We had been ready to sail for hours, but local authorities were still delaying the disembarkation of 2 passengers. They were from Italy. That was the concern since the whole world is concerned about the status of the virus there. Since these passengers had not been in Italy for several weeks, they were finally deemed safe and allowed off the ship. They appeared relieved and waved gratefully as they walked to their transport with the authorities. It took almost an hour for the line handlers to arrive and cast us off. 

The White Night party was to start at 6:30. Alice and I donned what white we had and secured a table near the stage. We were joined by a couple in their middle 80’s from Vienna. They were celebrating their 60th anniversary. The cruise was a gift from their kids. A little later we were joined by Rick and Sandy whom we had met on the food tour we took in Cape Town. 

The buffet was great. 2 Weber kettles were cranking out sausages and beef skewers. Roast beef, roast lamb, several seafood dishes, and enough vegetables to satisfy a vegan rounded out the selections. Of course there were desserts as well. Wines, beers, and cocktails were available also. 

This was a great meal followed by a parade of crew and staff. Then the band and singers and dancers opened the dancing. Participation was enthusiastic. We even danced a few before we left at 10:00. This was a delightful evening that took our minds off of the changes to our itinerary. 

Now for today. 

The destination lecture was on the Persian Gulf. I managed to stay awake, but fro 10:10 to the end it was a struggle. The presenter is anticipating another lecture opportunity because of the additional sea days, so he limited this talk to early history of the area. An upcoming lecture will consider current affairs. 

Alice had several craft events between noon and 3:00. So we met in the Living Room where we had some of the small sandwiches they serve. That was quite adequate. 

After that light lunch Alice went to class and I went to the Drawing Room. That is where the bulk of the library collection is housed. It is quiet with very comfortable seating. It is far quieter than the Living Room. That is much larger at the front of the ship. The views there are super and it has a bar. There are usually 30 to 50 people there at this time of day compared to only 3 of us in the Drawing Room. 

While I was reading, Captain Magnus gave his navigation report. The sea has been calm and is expected to remain so. He apologized for the rolling the ship experienced during breakfast. He explained that while navigating through a large number of fishing boats in our path, he had retracted our stabilizers. This was necessary to avoid snagging any of the poorly marked nets that the fishing boats were trailing. 

He went on to say that shore excursions were being developed for our new ports. In a casual way he said that alternative route were being considered in case they became necessary. Hmm, we will ponder that. 

At 2:00 I attended another astronomy lecture. Greg spoke about NASA and various space and astronomy projects in progress or planned around the world. There is a lot in the works, but almost all of these are government projects subject to budgetary constraints. 

At 3:00 I joined Alice in our room. She continued working on her scrapbook now that she has caught up on her journal. I watched the TV trying to figure out if we might have to end our cruise prematurely. Not sure what might do us in, Coronavirus or the stock market. 

On board, concern is growing that we may not be allowed to dock anywhere. Rumors run rampant. We have heard that Dubai is closed and that Israel is imposing a 14 day quarantine on anyone from anywhere. None of this is official. As of now we are resigned to going with the flow. We are taking things day by day, confident that Azamara has our wellbeing at heart. 

Dinner was great with excellent company from 2 Australian ladies at the table next to us. I have not commented much about this, but with only one exception we have had enjoyable dinner companions. 

The show tonight was Gemma. She is the pianist vocalist who performs in The Den. This was her first main stage performance. She is very talented with a cute personality. At one point she expressed surprise that she even got a spotlight. She was fun and her show was very good. 

We set our clocks back 30 minutes and wen to sleep. 

March 8, 2020 - Sunday Part 2

Azamara Quest Cape Town to Athens 

Cruise Day 18 - Colombo, Sri Lanka

Pictures to follow with better internet

So here I am again. It is 3:00 and the shoe has dropped. We just heard from Captain Magnus that India has closed all ports to cruise ships. We are to pass Cochin and Mumbai, and spend 4 days at sea on our way to the new ports of Muscat, Oman and Anu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Then we will arrive at Dubai, UAE 12 hours earlier than scheduled. This gives us a full extra day there. We will receive a 25% discount on shore excursions in those ports. We will also receive 50% of the fare for this cruise as a credit towards a future cruise. Azamara is certainly trying to ease the pain of missing so many ports. 

A further complication that does not affect us is that several passengers and performers were to leave the ship in India. The captain is working with Sri Lanka officials to allow them to disembark here in Colombo. He is meeting with significant resistance. If he succeeds with the officials he still has to deal with getting them transportation home. 

We remain calm as we prepare for the White Night party tonight. It is an Azamara standard. There is a great barbecue and seafood buffet on the pool deck followed by a parade of crew and passengers. Everyone dresses in white as much as they can. Dancing and partying continues on deck after the parade. 

My next post will let you know what kind of party animals we are. One thing is certain, we won't even try to keep up with the Aussies.

Captain Magnus just announced that local authorities have agreed to disembark the passengers and performers. We will be leaving the pier in 1 hour at 4:30, heading into great weather. We anticipate a wild party now.

March 8, 2020 - Sunday

Azamara Quest Cape Town to Athens 

Cruise Day 18 - Colombo, Sri Lanka

Pictures to follow with better internet

Shortly after I started my walk at 5:30 this morning we started passing ships at anchor waiting to enter the port. We proceeded past them at a very slow speed in the dark. The pilot would join us soon. 

As I finished my second mile the sun started to come up and the pilot boat approached us. In the dim light I could see that we were headed toward the container port quite a distance from the passenger port. Since we cannot get off the ship anyhow this will not be a hardship. 

After breakfast with the sun shining and the temperature building, we could see the landmarks near the pier we docked at the  previous times we visited Colombo. They were very far away. 

Another stellar lecture by our astronomer (sorry about that) was followed with a question and answer session with the officer and senior women aboard. This was to honor Women’s Day. It was a very interesting session. My big take away was how satisfied they were with the equality onboard. Compensation is determined by formula and is equal for men and women at any given level. They have advancement paths and know that if they do the job, they will earn the same as their male counterparts.

The featured lunch at the Patio on the Deck was German cuisine. There were 4 kinds of sausage, smoked pork ribs, smoked short ribs red cabbage, sour kraut, several German beers and, of course, pretzels. All of this and am Oompah band. It was a great time. 

It is 2:00 now and everyone is apprehensive. Captain Magnus has not delivered his noon navigation report. The rumor blazing it's way through the ship is that India has closed all ports to cruise ships. That would be an enormous disappointment as we have 4 days scheduled in India. Of course that also raises the question of where else will ports be closed. Will we become the ghost ship circling at sea?

Time will tell. We are making the most of it in the meantime. This is all out of our control. Maybe I should have another beer. 

I am pleasantly surprised at how I have been able to update this blog by holding back on pictures. I hope to be able to add them soon, but that will take a good shore side connection. If we can’t dock I may not be able to add them until we get home. 

I will keep you updated. At least we are healthy and enjoying life. We still feel blessed despite the disappointments. 

March 7, 2020 - Saturday

Azamara Quest Cape Town to Athens 

Cruise Day 17 - Sea Day

Pictures to follow with better internet

My 4 mile walk this morning was fantastic. The sea was like glass. The breeze was very gentle. 

After breakfast Alice worked on her scrapbooking. I went to the Destination Enrichment lecture on Kochi. That is another spelling for Cochin. The lecture was a bust. 

At 11:15 I attended a question and answer session with cruise director Stephen. The first question was about Stephen’s background. He explained his education and his work prior to joining ships. He described his career with Azamara to bring us up to date. 

Next several passengers complained about the poor quality of the Destination Enrichment lecturer. Stephen indicated that passenger feedback is welcomed and forwarded to the home office. It does have an impact on future booking decisions.

I asked what he most liked and most disliked about his job. His response was much as I suspected for the most liked. He relishes the passenger interaction. He least likes the many hours of computer and paperwork he has to perform each day. 

An example is that because we cannot disembark anyone when we stop for provisions and fuel in Colombo, the singer who performs tonight will have to stay on to Cochin. Because this is in India, Stephen had to procure an India visa for her on short notice. He also had to arrange the change in transportation for her as well as for the new acts coming onboard there. As for the visas, I got ours in ordinary time. It was quite an effort and took almost half a day to complete. Stick that into an otherwise busy sea day schedule, and you can understand some of the time demands of the job.

Another challenge for him is that some of the lecturers scheduled for future cruises, like our next two, either are not being allowed to fly to join the ship or have opted to stay home. Stephen is working to secure alternate speakers or to get some of the lecturers to  videotape their presentations.  Coronavirus impacts us even without infecting us.

I just came in from our veranda because the sun is coming around and it is getting hot outside. The sea is like a mirror. The breeze is gone. The only air movement is from our 12 knot speed. I have seen flying fish moving away from our waves just below. It is amazing to see how far some of these propel themselves above the ripple. While I was looking for some of these, they do not appear constantly, I spied a sea turtle swimming about 15 feet away from the ship just below me. My phone was inside, so no picture. Just a memory.

Big Red performed her second show for us tonight. She featured songs from the jazz and blues read. This show was good, but we preferred her first show. This one tended to be a bit raucous. We must be showing our age because it seemed that most of the crowd was very satisfied. 

Big Red will leave us in Cochin. 

March 6, 2020 - Friday

Azamara Quest Cape Town to Athens 

Cruise Day 16 - Sea Day

Pictures to follow with better internet

A 4 mile walk with a moderate breeze was an excellent start to the day. The sea was gentle with just a 5 foot swelling, so there was no rolling of the ship to contend with as I walked. A decrease in humidity is the only thing that could have made it better. That is not a complaint. Temperatures in the low 80’s with a 7 knot breeze is far better than anything we could imagine back home.

This morning I attended the lecture on the life of the stars. It is amazing how much one can learn from a 45 minute lecture. We learned about how stars are born, how they live consuming their own energy and how they die. When they die they might explode distributing matter that contains al of the elements of the periodic table. This can lead to the formation of a planet or planets. It is believed that this is how the earth was formed. All of the elements we find here, such as gold and copper did not come after earth’s formation. They were a part of it as these elements combined after the death of a star.

We saw a remarkable animation of the birth of a black hole. Some stars collapse under the effects of gravity until they disappear into the void that is the black hole. I suspect  that my explanation could be better or more accurate. I plan to research this when we get home. Perhaps I am too easily fascinated, but this intrigues me.

Alice worked on her journal while I attended the star lecture. She joined me for the 11:00 question and answer session with the cast. This consists of 4 dancers, 2 guys and 2 girls, and 2 vocalists, 1 guy 1 girl. All have university training in musical performance and some have trained in dance since preschool. the exception is the dance captain, who discovered dance in college. They were all very frank in answering questions about their backgrounds and how they got to this contract. Working ships is helping them pay off college debt, and helps build their resumés. Ship pay is better than staying on land when you consider not having to move around auditioning for jobs, paying for rent and food, and seeing the world. They all seem very  happy with what they are doing.

In the afternoon we worked on blogs and journals. I spent some time on the balcony watching for the flying fish that rushed to escape our bow wave. I also spent all of my free hour of internet time uploading the pictures and text for my post for Port Elizabeth. This is the worst internet performance of any cruise we have had. I have decided that if we cannot get decent free internet in Cochin, I will upload only the text and add the pictures as an edit when circumstances are right. I certainly hope that will be before we get home.

We are following the news about coronavirus. The captain is also keeping us updated. As of now there are no changes to our future itineraries. With the cutbacks in airline fights our only concern is getting home from Athens on April 14th. We are hoping that in 39 days things will be under better control.

At 5:00 we crossed the equator. There was an induction ceremony for some crew who were crossing fo the first time. This included the obligatory kissing of the dead fish as well as some “cutting up” by the butcher and a “shave and a haircut” by the barber who used multicolored “shaving cream.” Then it was time to walk the plank. Some jumped and some dove into the pool. It was a good time.

The Fancy Triplets performed for the evening’s entertainment. They did a fine job and earned some respect from passengers who have not seen them perform in the Living Room.

We set our clocks ahead 30 minutes for the next time zone, and went to bed.

March 5, 2020 - Thursday

Azamara Quest Cape Town to Athens 

Cruise Day 15 - Sea Day

Pictures to follow with better internet

I skipped my morning walk today. My body was crying out for a day of rest. I was happy to accommodate.

The morning Destination Enrichment lecture was on Kerala, the region of India where the port of Cochin is located. This was helpful in providing the history and background we need to appreciate what we will experience there. We are looking forward to this visit.

The lecture was followed by a Future Cruise presentation. This dealt with the 2021 and 2022 itineraries in the North Atlantic, the British Isles and Europe. We wanted to attend because Captain was to be a presenter for part of the program. His part covered the British Isles because he is Scottish and lives in Edinburgh when not at sea. His insights and observations were enjoyable as he ad libbed for 30 minutes.

Not Your Granddaddy’s Moon was presented at 2:00 by Greg Redfern. He discussed the creation of the moon and some of its more notable features. He also talked about the manned lunar landing planned for 2024. He included videos of the progress being made on the launch vehicle as well as the lander. This brings back the excitement of the 1960’s lunar project. Something to look forward to in a positive way.

Assistant cruise director Geoffrey Jones performed a one man show this evening. He has a wonderful voice. His verbal introductions to the songs and his excellent execution made for a lovely evening.

March 4, 2020 - Wednesday

Azamara Quest Cape Town to Athens 

Cruise Day 14 - Sea Day

Pictures to follow with better internet

My day started at 5:30. I did an hour walking the track on deck 10. It was very pleasant with a gentle breeze. Again, the high humidity beat me up. Nonetheless I did manage to walk 4 miles. I returned to the cabin at 7:00, and quietly took my shower. Then I woke Alice at 7:20. At 8:00 we were on our way to Windows for breakfast. 

The buffet line has returned to self service because the gastro outbreak is apparently over. There have been no new cases in 72 hours. Sanitation of the common areas will continue.

From 9:30 to11:00 The Quest Expo to place in the Cabaret Lounge. This was a first experience of any cruise for us. Each department of the ship had set up a booth to explain what they do and answer our questions. This proved to be a big attraction with many passengers attending. 

We first visited the booth where we learned about the ships lines, spilling, knots and rat guards. The large diameter mooring lines are replaced every 5 years unless wear or damage dictates an earlier replacement. The bosun displayed the large fids used to splice the loops into the line ends. He had partially separated the strands used to form this line so that we could see how they get woven back in using the fid.

We viewed a piston, a connecting rod and a cylinder liner from one of the large diesel engines that power the ship. These were very impressive parts. Even more impressive is that the mechanics onboard can repair or replace these at sea. They can take any of the 4 engines out of service and completely overhaul it.

Then we took the backstage tour directed by some of the dancers. As expected the dressing room was very small. We learned how they share the space, and how the costumes are cared for. After each performance the costumes used are sprayed with a solution of vodka and water. This kills the bacteria from the perspiration that is inevitable in a high energy performance. The next day the costumes go to the laundry where they get fit into the normal laundry production schedule. That means they go in between sheet, towels, napkins, tablecloths and passenger laundry.

Alice again attended the jewelry making and origami classes. She is really enjoying these. The presenters are dancers form the show cast, Kala and Zoe. Alice says they are enthusiastic, personable and clever. Her fellow crafters are interesting, and she has made new friends.

Alice spent the open time working on her journal. In that process she has been a help to me in keeping our activities on the proper day. I spent the time catching up on the text for this blog. I have also prepped pictures to make the upload, when we get a decent internet connection, as efficient as possible.

After dinner we attended the show, Come Sail Away, by the ship’s singers and dancers. It was an excellent showcase for their talents. Their energetic 45 minute performance wore us out. Zoe and Kala are certainly multi-faceted. The rest of the cast gels very nicely. The dancing and singing transitions are seamless. It was an enjoyable evening.