Day 14 – Sea Day: Halloween, a Visa Scare, and the First Signs of the Amazon 🎃🌴

🌅 Finally, a sunrise again!

I was up at 6:30 AM today. Unfortunately, the throat scratching is still there. 🙈 I really hope nothing serious develops from it.

Right at 7:00 AM, I was back for my early bird coffee. And this time, I was finally rewarded: a wonderful sunrise! There we go, it’s possible! ☀️

Surprisingly, the early bird coffee was quite empty this morning. Maybe the others are still sleeping or are also preparing for the day. The Halloween decorations on board are definitely picking up steam. Pumpkins and spooky figures are appearing everywhere.

At 8:00 AM we went for breakfast at the East Restaurant. However, I skipped my coffee there today. Instead, I had peppermint tea with honey. After all, everything must be done to ease the throat scratching.

It’s hard to miss that there’s something going around on board. It seems that some have forgotten the cough and sneeze etiquette that was practiced so often during the Corona times. Over breakfast, another guest told me that their neighboring cabin had to be cleaned by the cabin stewards in full-body protective suits. This suggests that there may still be various viruses and illnesses on board.

At 9:00 AM, I preferred to just watch the participants of the AIDA Walks. Exercising with a possible cold is definitely not a good combination. Today was about watching!

😱 The Great Visa Scare

At 9:30 AM, an unexpected stir followed: I had to go to the reception due to discrepancies with my visa for Australia! 😱 I was supposed to appear there at 10:00 AM.

Of course, several thoughts rush through your mind. After all, the visa is essential for the upcoming travel segments.

Fortunately, the resolution was entirely uneventful: I had entered the wrong number when transferring the visa number to the ship's manifest. The visa was rescanned and checked – everything is fine! Phew, a little weight was lifted off my heart.

🚢 Important Information from the Captain

The captain also had important information for the guests today: The water treatment on board does not function in the Amazon region. Therefore, he requested that we reduce water consumption during this segment of the trip. The available water supplies are sufficient for five days. This corresponds to the time we will be in the Amazon region.

It's an important piece of information that naturally affects everyone on board. On such a trip, you realize how taken for granted we normally use fresh water from the tap.

📸 Spooky Shooting with Unwanted Company

After the visa scare, we went for a photoshoot. Today's theme: “Spooky” – fitting for Halloween. 🎃

However, there was an encounter of a different kind. A completely unknown guest suddenly pulled out her own camera, positioned herself behind the photographer, and started photographing me while posing.

I made it clear to her that I did not want that. The photographer initially had no idea what I was getting at – understandably, as the situation didn’t matter for her actual job.

The guest later claimed to have deleted the photo. However, I can't really believe that. 😤

I find it quite strange what some people take liberties with. Just because someone participates in a photoshoot, it does not mean that other guests can take private photos uninvited. A little respect and consideration should generally be expected.

🌭 Halloween Pool Brunch and a Little Afternoon Nap

At 11:30 AM, the pool brunch themed “Halloween” was already waiting. Culinary delights included currywurst, cotton candy, chili con carne, pumpkin soup, and pumpkin pie.

The specific connection between Halloween and some of these dishes was not entirely clear to me, but it tasted good nevertheless. After currywurst and jelly, however, it was over. 😉

At 1:00 PM, I headed to my cabin for some eye care. This turned into an extended nap of two and a half hours.

Meanwhile, there was a little commotion on board: a ship-wide alarm was triggered due to an 'unclear situation.' Fortunately, it was quickly lifted.

In connection with this, a safety-related error was evidently found in the announcement system: Not all announcements were audible throughout the entire ship. After that, there were several “pings” and the words “Test, Test” resounded through the speakers.

Of course, such things are not ideal. It’s all the more reassuring when such safety-related problems are discovered and quickly resolved.

🍹 A Look at the First Signs of the Amazon

At 3:30 PM, I was fit enough after my extended nap for a non-alcoholic Aperol Spritz.

And there was also something interesting to observe outside: The sea showed a brownish-green discoloration. A clear sign that we are slowly approaching the Amazon and will soon reach its mouth.

After a little refreshment at the bar, I went to the Theatrium. There was a very special farewell on the agenda:

The farewell of the cutlery holder! 😂

For hygienic reasons, these cannot be on the tables during the next 14 days in Brazil. Instead, cutlery pouches will be used.

The whole thing was celebrated with a little interview with the cutlery holder and a lot of funny gossip. Who would have thought that a cutlery holder would get its grand farewell appearance? A little cruise humor is just necessary!

🎃 Halloween Onboard: Mystery, Dinner, and a Strong Show

After that, it was time to change and have dinner. After all, you should secure seats in the Theatrium on time, as a mystery dinner was on the agenda during prime time, followed by the big Halloween show.

The dinner was entirely themed around Halloween. The restaurant was impressively decorated: slightly dimmed, with pumpkins, skulls, and gloomy figures everywhere. The crew really went all out!

The following mystery dinner was rather mixed. The implementation seemed somewhat unconvincing at times, and the improvisation had room for improvement.

However, the following show by the AIDA stars compensated greatly. The artists delivered a really good performance and provided a successful conclusion to the stage program.

Even on the pool deck, the atmosphere was good afterwards, and there was a lot of celebration. I'm neither a particularly big Halloween fan on board nor at home. But you can still enjoy the atmosphere!

🕰️ And Another Hour Back!

At 10:40 PM after the old onboard time and 9:40 PM after the new onboard time, we finally headed to our cabin.

Because it was time for another time change: The clocks were set back an hour again.

Thank you! An hour longer to sleep – we gladly take that. 😂 My rhythm will still 'thank' me.

🌴 My Conclusion

A busy sea day with a finally successful sunrise, a brief visa scare, a somewhat unpleasant experience during the photoshoot, and plenty of Halloween on board.

Plus important information about water supply and a first visible taste of our next major destination: the Amazon.

The South America adventure is getting closer. And I really hope that my throat scratching will have gone away by then.