We just wanted to mention one more time how delightful we found Hobart, Tasmania, Australia to be. On yesterday’s tour, there were six vehicles and drivers and each driver had an expertise in certain areas, which added to the tour. When we were all together as a group, one of the tour guides would take the lead in sharing their expertise regarding the area we would visit. It really added to our overall enjoyment. Our driver/tour guide was outstanding. We found all of the locals who we met yesterday to be quite warm and witty. They were very open in their discussions and we were able to learn so much from them about the history, culture, landscape, economics, traditions, values and even the political views of Australia.
Last night the seas were relatively calm so we enjoyed a good nights sleep. We woke up early and began our day in the Fitness Center. Keith and Mary were the first two to arrive at the Fitness Center. Anne Marie was the third person to arrive about twenty minutes after Keith got up there and John arrived a little while afterwards. Mary represented Crystal on the tour yesterday and Keith and Mary talked about what a fabulous tour we all had. Crystal is one of the few cruise lines that will have a representative on each tour to look after the passengers and to ensure that the tour meets the Crystal standards and is consistent with the description of the tour. Mary does an outstanding job and we wish that we could have Mary or her wonderful husband Stan on each tour we are signed up for as they are each terrific in this role.
We enjoyed a very nice workout. As usual, Keith worked out on the Elliptical Machine and Anne Marie worked out on the Treadmill. By the time we left, it became a little more crowded, but there were still many available machines to choose from.
We decided to enjoy breakfast in our room since today is a sea day and we thought it would be nice to have a quiet and relaxing breakfast. We have one day at sea today before we reach our next port of call tomorrow, which is Melbourne, Australia. We will have an overnight in Melbourne, which should provide additional time to visit this city.
Many activities were planned for today along with a Grand Gala Luncheon Buffet and a Captain’s Farewell Reception. There are still a few more days to go before this segment of the World Cruise is over.
This morning the during the Captain’s announcement Captain Glenn mentioned that the seas could be rougher later in the day which they have been. It has been quite windy, but overall the ship has done very well. The Captain’s thought of the day, which he shared at the end of his talk, is “The world is a book and those who stay home only read one page.” We thought this was another wonderful thought that we wanted to share with everyone. For us, cruising certainly has added many pages and chapters to our lives. We have so much from our cruising experiences. One observation is that everywhere we go is the pride and enthusiasm that each person we meet has about his or her respective homeland.
We enjoyed a busy morning. First on our schedule was to attend the Rap with the Rabbi. One of the couples did a short presentation for everyone and afterwards this led to a very solid discussion. The participation continues to be quite high and it is a pleasure to share and to listen to thoughts on a variety of items.
We then attended a lecture given by Destination Lecturer, Dr. Jay Wolff. The topic of his presentation was “Crossing the Outback – Death in the Desert.” The presentation covered the adventurers who met death trying to cross Australia’s great emptiness. He discussed how many starved as a result of arrogance, ignorance, and insolence and how some became national heroes. Dr. Wolff has a wonderful presentation style, as he is able to share a wealth of information by through one or more stories. His lectures continue to be very well attended and enjoyed by all.
Investment Lecturer, Dr. Bob Froehlich, who presented, gave the last program we attended in the morning titled “Where in the World is Dr. Bob Investing, Part III. The other day he had covered most of his top ten recommendations for investing in 2008 but had left out the number one and number 2 recommendations. He also shared his thoughts on some individual stocks to invest in along with views on asset allocation. He is a very animated speaker.
We attended the Grand Gala Buffet. We enjoy looking at all of the wonderful displays of food and have posted a few pictures from the buffet. We ate in the dining room, but ordered a nice salad entrée.
We took care of some errands in the afternoon and Anne Marie also attended a needlepoint get together.
Before dinner, we attended the Captain’s Farewell Reception. Once again, we had a wonderful time talking with some of our fellow passengers and several members from the crew and we enjoyed the Captain’s talk. This is the last reception for those on the ship who will be departing the ship in a few days in Sydney. We also enjoyed the music and danced to some of the music. The seas were quite rough so the second reception was moved to the Stardust Club.
This evening was formal night so it was great to see everyone dressed up. It really adds to the overall ambience of the ship and we are so very glad that formal attire is part of the cruising experience found on Crystal Cruises.
This evening we dined at the Silk Road Japanese Specialty Restaurant. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner with lots of sushi, along with some very nice entrée items.
Tomorrow morning, we are scheduled to arrive at Melbourne, Australia at approximately 8:00 AM, Sunday morning, local time.
Keith & Anne Marie
