Having been up since 6 o’clock this morning, I became very heavy-eyed after a one course pub lunch, with Jo, in the Golden Lion.  I rested those weary eyes in my darkened stateroom for just under an hour.  Then, I watched the weirdest of movies, which had been shown in the cinema (Illuminations) during yesterday.  The Menu was released last year, and is billed as a conedy-horror film.  I didn’t detect much humour, but, despite some shock-gore, I did watch to the end.  I have been put off very high-end restaurants for the time-being!  

Today’s Daily Programme was hastily rewritten and available quite early this morning.  It seems that Cunard has some very impressive plan Bs in place for when port days are cancelled at short notice. 

It was a great pity not to be able to tender to Bali this morning. But the Captain was absolutely right to abandon any possibility of calling there.  Small craft were bouncing all over the place, and serious injury was probably a dead cert, as passengers were assisted onto the tenders.   I think we weighed anchor sometime around 1.30 to 2 o’clock this afternoon.   Had the day gone as planned, I imagine we would still not yet be underway.  (18.15)  I guess we may go just that bit slower, save some fuel, and still arrive at Darwin around 7 am.  I have no plans yet for the place I visited ever so briefly in 2019. 

Captain Hall announced in his noon-day address some two hours after midday that we would be heading into fairly heavy seas, with very mixed weather.  The sky is not offering the dramatic fiery beauty it did roughly this time in 2018.  The soaked decks indicated heavy rain while I was resting in my room this afternoon. At least, it is far from cold, and the (possibly) contaminated on-board air conditioning does provide welcome relief. 

Around lunchtime, I delivered the small number of invitations to my birthday lunch on Tuesday. 

Although I enjoyed a power nap this afternoon, I don’t really feel like a late night tonight.  I shall change for dinner, but nothing overly posh.  I am very pleased with the onboard seamstress who did a superb job on some silk shirts I bought in Thailand, which, although the right size, needed altering around the shoulders.  I am assured they fit perfectly now. Jo chose to watch the classic film Cabaret being shown in Illuminations tonight. I remember seeing the film when it first came out and being rather taken with Liza Minnelli! Still influenced by getting up at 6 a.m., I was more than happy to dine alone and choose how to pass the evening.

Completed and Published 08.56 BST + 9 27/2/23