 |
| The beginning of the miniature golf course on deck 12. |
Our ship, Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas, has reached land after two and a half days at sea since leaving Sydney on April 22nd. We plan to embark on a tender boat for a 20 minutes ride to have an opportunity to browse the island and take some photos.
Thus far, all is going well as we thoroughly enjoy every moment aboard the ship, meeting more and more wonderful people, engaging in lively conversations while sharing endless stories of travel and life.
 |
| A small uninhabited island off the coast of New Caledonia. |
Many passengers aboard the ship are from other parts of the world besides Australia and are of varying ages. We received the following information from the Diamond Club concierge, where we’re seated at this time. See this information below:
Passenger stats
Australia: 1889
US: 830
Canada: 147
UK: 103
NZ: 81
Germany: 44
Brazil: 10
Ireland: 10
Other: 92
Total passengers: 3186
Diamond Club & above: 880
Ages of Passengers
22 – 30: 75
31 – 40: 89
41-50: 151
51-65: 1162
66-75: 1311
75 and over: 305
 |
| The basketball play area on deck 12. |
Last night we had another engaging evening in the Sapphire Dining room while half of our table of 12 became engrossed in a discussion about politics. Not precipitated by either of us, Tom was excited and animated to participate in discussing world affairs with a few other politically-minded individuals at our table. He was in his element.
Based on the fact that we prefer to keep our views under wraps in our posts, he was thrilled to be able to spew his opinions with other like-minded individuals. I listened intently occasionally interjected a short blurb into the conversation.
 |
| Another island in New Caledonia. |
When the dining room was about to close, we wandered to the Palace Theatre to see a comedian performing a late-night “adult” show. Unfortunately, both of us dozed off during the show. I awoke with a stiff neck and rattled Tom’s shoulder stating, “Let’s go to the cabin and get some sleep.”
Off we went to our cabin for what proved to be a good night’s sleep. By 7:30 am, we were seated in the Sapphire Dining Room with two couples at a shared table for breakfast.
 |
| Rock climbing wall. |
As for the upcoming date for our get-together in Minnesota, we’re shooting for Friday, June 9, 2017, from 6 to 9 pm. We’ll get back to our readers with a location once we know how many people may be able to come.
The location will be near Highways 394 and 494, located close to Minnetonka/Plymouth. The exact location will be posted over several days as the time approaches.
Please email me if you’d like to attend at the link on our web page on the right side of each day’s homepage or by clicking here.
Today is ANZAC Day, a day of remembrance for lives lost in wars in Australia and New Zealand. A presentation was conducted on the ship’s pool deck at 5:45 am. We didn’t attend but later watched the event on TV.
We’ll be back tomorrow with photos from our visit to Isle of Pines, New Caledonia. Have a blissful day!
Based on the poor WiFi signal aboard the ship, it appears we won’t be able to post any “one year ago” photos until after we arrive in Vancouver on May 15th. Thank you for your patience.