Cruises.com.au Blog

At 8 a.m. Rhapsody of the Seas pulled into the dock a couple of minutes walk to the heart of Cairns.  Many passengers went ashore on organised tours while others just walked around the town.  We decided to spend a lazy day on board as we had been to Cairns several times before.  We regard the ship as the destination and enjoy all our time aboard.

We decided to have breakfast in our stateroom and after placing a fairly large order only had to wait fifteen minutes for our breakfast to arrive.  There is so much going on on board even on shore days.  I am often asked “don’t you get bored on a ship”, the answer is never, there is something different happening every few minutes.  Every taste is catered for.

Sandra played trivial pursuits with a team and came second, just missing out on winning a Royal Caribbean baseball cap.  She came back to the stateroom where I was resting my eyes on the comfortable bed and asked me the two questions that her team had missed, I knew the answers!  That baseball cap could have been ours.

Lunch was in the Windjammers buffet.  At the entrance there is a yellow caution sign about half a metre high warning people to watch their step.  To date the only accidents I have seen on board have been three people who have tripped over the caution sign.  Lunch as usual was fantastic, so many choices, it’s hard not to overeat – not that anyone cares and like all the others on board, we had more than we should.

Later in the day we listened to one of the many bands while sipping the daily special, a champagne cocktail that was on for the special price of $5.95.  Perhaps that’s what accounted for the woman at the next table thinking she was Marilyn Monroe singing Happy Birthday Mr President, to Jack Kennedy who in fact was her father.  The table and all around thought it was a good free floor show.

No big show in the theatre tonight, but instead a “newly weds” game show that was playing to a packed house.  We are naturally writing this from the internet cafe as the most delightful music is wafting through the Atrium.  I think we will go and listen and have an Irish Coffee before heading to bed, getting ready for a busy day tomorrow when we pull into Port Douglas.  Will be going ashore by tender so not too many drinks tonight, perhaps we might catch the movie on the big screen in the theatre.  PHOTO: Rock climbing wall was popular with all ages. (except me – the safety rope couldn’t take my extra kilos).

John Pond – Editor at Sea, Cruise Passenger Magazine