South Pacific at its best ...

... or the missing day

Today, on the way to Samoa, two important events occurred: crossing the date line and crossing the equator.

The date line had become a problem because we could only leave Maui quite late due to the immigration authorities, so our captain had ordered full speed ahead, as the goal was not to skip February 14th, as originally stated in the itinerary, but to skip February 13th. The background, of course, was Valentine's Day, as this brings in good revenue for the ship, as this day is valued more in English-speaking countries than here. So, a full program was run with flower orders, special candlelight dinners, champagne tasting, photos, etc. Everything went well, February 13th did not happen, the date line was crossed, and now everything is back on track.

Valentine's Day was really beautifully celebrated, with lots of decorations on the ship and at the entrance of the restaurant, a page presented each lady with a long-stemmed red rose for dinner. The ladies had been asked to wear red evening gowns beforehand, so it looked very nice with the many roses and beautiful dresses.

At noon, the crossing of the equator was announced, which in seafaring is associated with the equator crossing ceremony. 50 passengers and some crew members had signed up for it. The spectacle took place on the outdoor deck by the pool in the sun at 29 degrees, with intense radiation and a light breeze. Neptune came with music and entourage and ordered all "Pollywogs" (people who had not previously crossed the equator) to kiss a fish, then their faces were pretty smeared and they all jumped into the pool. It was a lot of fun, but I wouldn't have wanted to participate. The captain came dressed as a pirate, but looked more like Napoleon, and in the end, he and his two officers also jumped into the water. That's probably quite unusual, but he has a good sense of humor. I met him in the corridor on deck 8 after the spectacle and praised him for his commitment, and he just said that it's crazy what he does to make a living.

After crossing the equator, we are all shellbacks, missing a day in our lives, but we received a nice certificate for both events.

So, I greet you as a shellback, one day younger/older!

Eva