March 5th, 2020 Day 61 of 128

Happy Sea Day everyone. It was a rough night at sea with the promised 13-foot swells rocking and rolling the ship all night. It kept up for most of the day and finally started to subside around 6:00pm. It was nice to have a down day after three very busy days of seeing Auckland. We set our clocks back again last night, so we are four hours behind CA time zone. It makes for early awake time for us as our bodies adjust. This morning Megan and I have the chance to go to the Pinnacle grill for breakfast as mom and Valerie had a lazy morning of relaxation. Megan and I went to crocheting class. At twelve noon the captain came on for his daily meteorological report and then it was time for another BIG ANNOUNCEMENT. As clearly as I can explain is that India denied the ship a blanket VISA which means each passenger would have had to individually apply for one on their own, so therefore we are no longer going to be stopping there. Sri Lanka has also closed their ports and are not allowing any ships in at all so we lost that port as well. So our changed itinerary will allow us to visit Sydney, Townsville, Cairns and Darwin, Australia as previously scheduled. Then we will proceed to the ports of Broome, Exmouth, Geraldton and Fremantle, in Western Australia and then to La Possession, Reunion. From there is anyone’s guess at that point. The ships rumor mills are up and running on all engines and our family has the understanding that unless we hear it from the captain, then it isn’t true.   Passengers are understandably frustrated, some have said they should just take us back to Florida at this point. But bottom line for us remains the same. We are on vacation, we are being very well taken care of, we are together, and at this point we are all healthy. As the coronavirus is spreading back in the states we are growing more concerned for our loved ones back at home and we are praying for everyone to stay healthy. So needless to say, our day proceeded on as scheduled. Mom and I had massages, Valerie had tutoring and Choir, Megan worked on schoolwork and then tonight was the Captain dinner. It is one of the most looked forward to evenings on the ship. We usually have two empty seats at our table so we were joined by a couple from New Zealand for the entirety of dinner. The captain made a nice speech and then exited the dining room to allow us to enjoy our meal and, in our opinion, to avoid tons of questions after todays big announcement. Everyone got dressed up in their best and we were treated to an amazing meal, impeccable service as always and then we received a gift from the captain in our stateroom when we returned from dinner. We all went to the show this evening as well. It was the Amsterdam performers dancing and singing and we always find those most enjoyable. Mom and I did go up to the crows nest and had our night cap up there and watched the four couples or so that were there dancing. The girls got to go enjoy some time at Club HAL and I let them stay out till 10:30 because tomorrow is a sea day. And we set our clocks back again tonight another hour. That was our amazing day everyone. We are sending good thoughts, hopes and prayers to those of you who have been or may be affected by the coronavirus. Be wise in your decisions, make sure you have enough to sustain your needs and share what excess you may have with those in need. I love you and I am praying this all passes quickly. Hugs, Debra