December 25 - Christmas

 

Merry Christmas All!

It is another day at Sea, however there is Christmas all around.

We started the day crossing the equator. I really like Captain Stig. His sense of humor is great! He gave us a 15-minute warning to get up on the 12th deck so we could document our crossing of the equator. I was ready and headed up. When I got there, he announced that the equator could be seen off the port side of the ship and to look for Neptune as he was welcoming us to the southern hemisphere. Naturally everyone crowed the port railing to get pictures, hahahaha. I, too, got a selfie on the port side, however, I also got one on the starboard side. Just to be symmetrical. Yes, It was a tad bit windy.

 

He then announced we would circumnavigate the equator by going in a circle and a horn would blast each time we crossed the equator. Three horns later (south, north and back to south) we were back on our way to Brazil.

 
 
How many people can say they were literally on the equator, 3 times, on Christmas day!
My friend, Kat had here GPS and recorded the exact time. And my friend Sue took a picture of the TV locating us at the equator

 
Merry Christmas from the Equator

Later someone on Facebook actually found a picture of a NOAA buoy and posted it saying they saw the “Equator Navigational Buoy”. Come on folks get a clue?!?


Back to Christmas

Santa Everywhere
  

Eggnog, with light or dark Rum or Brandy, everywhere
 

Spirited staff everywhere
  

Even Santa desserts. Yes, he looks a little creepy.

And of course, I did some Art & Crafts. And no, I won’t be pursuing a career as an artist.

 



Comments

  1. Kathy HDecember 26, 2023 at 11:33 AM

    Your art looks great and so excited for you crossing the equator three times on Christmas Day! Let the good times roll! :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. KarenFebruary 1, 2024 at 2:32 PM

      Thank you Kathy. Hope all is good back home

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

April 7 - Forbidden City, Beijing, China

Image
After 40 years, I finally made it to China! And I'm going to walk on the Great Wall. Wohoo! But first we are going to The Forbidden City. We ported in Tianjin, and were greeted with a heartfelt welcome from the Chinese government.  They provided entertainment, including the revered Dragon Dance (the dancers in blue), which I caught on video.  And to no surprise and they caught everything on CCTV.  As I was watching the entertainment, the drone was literally in my face. And later when I headed out on the excursion, the film crew followed me. If you see me, please forward me the link.  It was quite smoggy in Tianjin, so my pictures may be a little blurry. We found out later that the Chinese government moved all smog producing factories out of Beijing and into Tianjin, to clean up the air for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. It was a 3+ hour drive to Beijing. We were lucky that we didn't arrive yesterday as it was a day a remembrance. It is a day when all Chinese visit...
Read more

December 27 - King Neptune's Equator Crossing Cerimony

Image
We passed the equator on December 25 th ; however, King Neptune was a little busy. So, he arrived today to commemorate our Crossing of the Equator. Our Cruise Director, Joff, emceed the ceremony and welcomed King Neptune and his wife, Amphitrite, on behalf of the crew and passengers.   The line-crossing ceremony is conducted as a sort of admittance into the ‘Court of Neptune.’ This ritual is also a way of appreciating the prowess of the cruisers who are able to brave the uncertainties and dangers of the sea. A cruiser who is relatively new or has not crossed the equator is termed as a Pollywog. To be more precise with the colloquial term, the inexperienced cruisers are termed as ‘Slimy Pollywogs’ who are not yet adept with the ways of the sea. On the other hand, the cruiser who have crossed the Equator are initiated as ‘Trusty Shellbacks’ into the court of Neptune. We found out we had scoundrels on board who had crimes against the guests and Neptune's realm and they were brought fo...
Read more

September 10 - The Party is Over, Time to Head Home

Image
It's over, I'm all packed.  Hello Miami, we're back, right where we started from.  There was a great homecoming with lots of decorations and music.  And we can't forget the certificates. One for completing the Fourth Segment, and one for completing the Ultimate world cruise.  I had to laugh when I saw on Facebook the Activities Team stole the decorations and posed for us.  My Condo never looked better and my fridge and liquor cabinet was fully stocked. Which was great, because I wasn't ready to drive, yet. Two hours after arriving home, it looked like a bomb went off in my condo, as I attempted to unpack. No pictures because as of a week later, I'm still unpacking
Read more