Monday, 26 February 2018 Crossing the rough Tasman Sea. We have been rocking and rolling since the middle of the night, and it will be this way until we reach Sydney tomorrow. Yesterday, was balmy and calm, despite being on the crossing from Bay of Islands to Sydney. I knew it couldn't last. This stretch of water has a reputation for being the most turbulent in the world. Right now, we have 45 knot winds, rough seas and a gray and overcast sky. Our friend, Terry, reports that Sydney promises good weather for our time there tomorrow and Wednesday. Fingers crossed!

When last we spoke, we were ready to arrive in Auckland, on Friday 23 February, our first stop in New Zealand. What a beautiful city! We took the Hop On/Hop Off Bus to get a feel for the city, and then hopped off several times. There were many parks and great use of the waterfront. Our Hop On/Hop Off ticket also provided a return ferry ticket to Devonport, an island off the coast of Auckland. Wow! What a charming little town. We wandered around and then stopped for a bit at the Esplanade Hotel. We dined outside with a beautiful view across the water to Auckland. We took some time to call Samantha and Ben to check in. All to soon, it was time to return to Auckland by ferry and out beautiful Queen Elizabeth.

Next stop in New Zealand, was Bay of Islands. Like our day in Auckland, the weather was gorgeous! Bay of Islands is an area of 144 islands with spectacular cliffs and hills, and a sub-tropical climate. We tendered into port, in a very expedited manner. There was a shuttle bus to the little town of Pahia and we took our seats for the short ride. Once in Pahia, we walked to a craft fare and watched a Maori dance show presented by local teenagers. Our plan was to take the ferry to the town of Russell, also known for its Victorian architecture. What a charming place! We returned by ferry and took a run to the supermarket to buy more tonic water and snacks for cabin parties. It's a nice way to have drinks before dinner, and we have been hosted twice by dear friends Randell and Bobby and dear friends, Lin and Bryon. We did a bit of gin tasting at Randell and Bobby's. We sampled one of the Cunard gins named for the ships. Each one is slightly different in spices and herbs. I liked the Queen Victoria one with a hint of citrus.

Everyone we came in contact with in New Zealand was lovely—cheerful, helpful, friendly! Perhaps this comes from living in such a beautiful country and a Trump-free land!

Sunday, 25 February, 2018. The loss of the day when we crossed the International Dateline has be very confused. We are Sunday, while all the folks at home are still Saturday! We have 2 days between Bay of Islands and Sydney. The highlight of today was a matinee performance by celebrity Anne Reid. Ms Reid and her musical director, Jason Carr presented an afternoon of songs and stories. Ms Reid has had a long career in films, stage and TV. She is most recently known for her starring role in “Last Tango in Halifax” which had rave reviews. It was one of our favorite series. She was delightful! Today, she followed up with an interview and Q and A. What a charming and talented woman!

Last night was the Black and White Ball—a long Cunard tradition. It's really very special to see everyone in tuxedos and gowns—people go all out! However, the many of the Aussies on board prefer the casual dining in the Lido. A dress code is maintained in the rest of the ship public areas. There are lots of themed balls, and we have had a Hawaiian Ball and a Cunard Ball so far. Informal nights are on port days, and a jacket and tie and dressy dress or pants outfit is expected for woman. Formal nights are every 3^rd or 4^th night with tuxedos or dinner jackets for the men and long gowns or dressy cocktail dresses for woman. It makes the evening feel very special.

Tomorrow is Sydney! We are so fortunate to have private guides for both days! Our dear friends Terry and Kerry will pick us up at the ship and takes us on a tour each day. In 2016, they were wonderful tour guides and took us all over Sydney and to the Blue Mountains. We also went to their home to meet their pups, Prince and Ranger. This time, we are doing the area south of Sydney and Wednesday we will be doing the zoo and other sights in Sydney proper. We're anxious to see them and catch up on all the news and have our usual great laughs!

Unfortunately, our friends Pam and Peggy are leaving our table and the ship in Sydney and flying home to the US. We will miss them very much! Fortunately, they visit Sarasota every year, so we will get to see them at home. Hopefully, the new couple joining our table will be a good fit, because we've had a wonderful time at dinner every evening with lots of laughs!

All for now, time to get ready for drinks with Lin and Bryon in the Cafe Carinthia. By the way, we've missed being winners in Trivia by one point the last two days!

22 February, 2018 Off the coast of New Zealand

To all those who have been waiting with baited breath for the latest installment in our blog, I apologize. Internet service has been very, very slow—too slow to post the blog, and equally slow on land in French Polynesia.

We last left off after a magnificent day in Bora Bora. The 16^th of February found us docked in Papeete, Tahiti, where it was hot, hot, hot!!! We have been to Tahiti several times, so we decided against a tour, and went on a mission to find faster internet and tonic water. We tried several cafes that promised wi fi in exchange for a purchase, but none were fast enough to do any posting. Even reading emails took forever to load. We walked around quite a bit and went to the market. There were lots of stands selling fruit and local crafts, and we were treated to a pareo wrapping demonstration and some Polynesia music and dancing. We decided to give up our quest for wi fi and went in search of tonic for gin and tonics for a cabin party. Fortunately, we found a small supermarket with a large selection of soft drinks, and a small selection of Schweppes “Indian Tonic.” We loaded our cart and decided to walk back to the ship since it was very humid and hot.

Onboard, there was planning for a celebration of the Chinese New Year, the Year of the Dog. Those born in the Year of the Dog are conservative and full of justice. David wore is striking red and gold silk jacket that we purchased in the Silk Market in Beijing and received many compliments. Entertainment before dinner was “O Tahiti E” who performed music that told the story of daily life: love, fishing or joy. After dinner, there was a Deck Party with Synergy.

Our new, Captain Inger Klein Thorhauge, has taken control of the Queen Elizabeth at noon with Captain Hashmi signed over charge of the ship to her. We haven't met her, yet, but she is well liked, but very different from Captain Hashmi, according to those who know her. She is far more formal and rather flat in her delivery of the noon time announcement. The Captain's Table is right next to ours, but she rarely makes an appearance, preferring to send a senior officer to host the table.

We had a very long trip to Moorea, just 12 miles from Tahiti. Saturday, 17 of February found us anchored off of Moorea. Unfortunately, this was a day of heavy clouds and rain, so we had to forgo our plans of a beach day. Moorea is only 51 square miles, slightly larger than New Jersey. The name Moorea means “yellow lizard” in Tahitian. James Michener is thought have based his mystical island of Bali Hi on Moorea. The island has no traffic lights and no buildings taller than a coconut tree!

Back on board, I was able to do some laundry without a long wait. Although we receive 20 items free to send to the laundry each week, there are always more clothes in the hamper. I LOVE the laundry benefit and they do a terrific job—no ironing for me!! The entertainment tonight was Marcus Winter, the “Sandman,” who is a contemporary performance artist who creates New Zealand/Maori art while he tells tales of the Maori culture. This makes for a unique experience. Randell and Bobby, our friends from Sarasota, came for drinks in our cabin before dinner.

Sunday, 18 February, 2018 at sea en route to Auckland, New Zealand. Luckily, another time change tonight. This entire itinerary is special for frequent incidences of turning back the clock one hour during the night. Although the guests appreciate the extra hour's sleep, I feel confident that the ones who love it most are the crew. Speaking of the crew, we have found service ranging from excellent to indifferent. There are 3 special bar waiters in Cafe Carinthia who take very good care of us every night. This is the bar where we meet our friends, Bryan and Lin for cocktails at 7:45 every evening. In my mind, it is the most beautiful public room. There is a wonderfully helpful man, Argel, behind the counter in the Lido Cafe at breakfast, who will often go in the back and find me a blueberry muffin and bring it to our table. We have very good service from our waiter, Hannah and junior waiter Paolo in the Britannia Dining Room. Captaining the Britannia is Maitre d' Stanley Williams from southern India, who is unflappable and a true example of “grace under fire.”

I have stayed with my plan to not eat any meat during this cruise and find a good selection of fish, seafood or vegetarian specialties for dinner every night. The next day's menu is always waiting for me on the table when we arrive. I've been eating a lot of Indian dishes, which I enjoy. I shall try to take some food photos.

Tonight's entertainment was a New Zealand “comedian” Simon McKinney. We found him lacking in entertainment value, but perhaps there is a difference in the US humor and the New Zealand humor.

Monday, 19 February finds your intrepid travelers bumping a bit as we cross the South Pacific, We are feeling the affects of Cyclone Gita, which decimated Fiji. The Captain is keeping us well away from the storm, the there is a great deal of wind. We had a bit of a lie in this morning and went up to the World Cruise Lounge after showering. We sat with our friends, Evana and Alan, from Indiana and Punta Gordo. We met Evana on Cruise Critic and got together for lunch midway between their home and Sarasota a few months ago. They boarded in San Francisco and it was good to see them! At 12:15 there was a great lecture on “Cole Porter—His Life and Music,” by Roy Hunt. I love the music of Cole Porter and would really favor Broadway bringing back some of his shows. Tonight, our friends from Lincoln, in the UK, Lin and Brian came for drinks before dinner. We served nuts and cheese and crackers. Hardly a gourmet spread, but you do what you can...

Missing: Tuesday, 20 February! We crossed the International Date Line and lost a day!

Wednesday, 21 February, still at sea en route to Auckland. Another time change tonight! Yea! I finished my 8^th book on this cruise and also finished a needlepoint project. David and I played Hand and Foot and I beat him solidly. We had lots of opportunities to chat with people we have met onboard. A Wing and A Prayer, our trivia team, came close getting 19 out of 20, but no win. Our table mates, Peggy and Pam, left the table at dessert to go to their box for this evening's performance. One can reserve a box in the beautiful theatre for the performance. The guests are taken to anti-room for champagne cocktails and petite fours, and then are escorted to the box where champagne is poured and chocolates are provided. Peggy and Pam (mother and daughter) have over 1500 days onboard, so they have one special night in a box in the theatre each segment.

Thursday, 22 February. We are getting closer to Auckland and will arrive tomorrow morning. Today was of note for a very interesting wine tasting. We tasted 4 wines from South Africa: Kleine Zalze Sauvignon Blanc from the Western Cape; Lowry's Pass Chenin Blanc from the Western Cape; Rhebokskloof Estate Pinotage from Paarl; and Springfield Estate Cabernet Sauvignon from the Robertson Valley. I had never tasted a Pinotage, and had actually not ever heard of it. This is only produced in this area and has flavors of ark fruits of black currant, blackberries and a rounded tannin. It was my favorite.

Great news! A Wing and A Prayer won trivia today with 16 out of 20 correct! Tonight we are invited to Bryan and Lin's stateroom for drinks before dinner, so I am saying TTFN (Ta Ta for now—aren't I getting British?)

Friday, 16 February, 2018 Papeete, French Polynesia

Good morning from paradise! Fortunately, we dodged the cyclone that was brewing in the South Pacific that decimated Tonga. Before arriving in Bora Bora yesterday, we had several days of spirited seas. It wasn't rough enough to put away anything breakable, but one definitely knew that one was at sea.

We had 4 sea days from Honolulu to Bora Bora. In my last transmittal, I published a list of sea day activities, and they vary from day to day, primarily with the speakers.

11 February, our Celebrity Speaker was Major General Mark V Rosenker USAF (ret) who spoke on: “The Care and Feeding of the President of the United States: a behind the scenes look.” One would think our current President would need a keeper.

Ken Lennox, spoke on “The Royal Family, 1958-2018. Ken was a photographer assigned to the Royal Family and gave interesting insights into the different personalities of the Royal Family.

Our evening meal was in The Veranda, the elegant French specialty restaurant onboard. We had dinner with our friends: Lin and Bryan , Paul and Andy and Evana and Andy. The food and service was very good, and we enjoyed the company, the conversation and the laughter.

12 February, was Shrove Tuesday or “Pancake Day” in the UK. The two teams competing in the Pancake Race Relay were the Bridge Staff and the Galley Staff. It was a stiff competition with racers with frying pans transferring the pancake to a waiting pan. The Galley Staff was the winner! Just a note, the “pancakes” traditionally served on this day in the UK are more like crepes, not the flapjack kind of pancakes served in the US. There are sweet or savory pancakes, and the sweet ones are traditionally served with sugar, butter and lemon.

Murder on the Orient Express (new release) was the movie of the day.

13 February, we had a very interesting Celebrity Lecturer, The Honorable Mark V. Rosenker who spoke on “Trains, Planes and Automobiles. The NTSB's Role Investigating Catastrophic Transportation Accidents.” His talk was encouraging because he shared the technical innovations that may prevent these tragic accidents from ever happening again.

This evening's entertainment was a Variety Show with the Magician, Stephen Garcia and Violinist Gary Lovini. We really enjoyed Stephen's first show a few nights ago, and he performed some very clever and very funny tricks. We were fortunate to have drinks with him the the night after the show. He's a very talented and funny guy.

13 February

Today was the Crossing of the Line Ceremony to mark crossing the Equator for the first of three times during our World Cruise. There was a very large group of both guests and crew who were “polliwogs” (had never crossed the Equator before) who were convicted of silly crimes and made to kiss a fish and then doused in what appeared to be colored frosting and spaghetti and made to jump in the pool. Then two officers and the Captain, dressed as a pirate were “convicted” and thrown in the pool. It is all fun and now those participants were “Shell Backs.” We first crossed the Equator on our Grand Voyage around South America and to Antarctica on Crystal Symphony. The food coloring stays with you for a few shampoos!

14 February, Valentines Day! The ship was decorated with hearts and red and white balloons and dinner had a special heart-shaped desert. Each woman was given a long-stemmed red rose when we entered the dining room.

There was a delightful live interview with Captain Aseem A Hashmi, MNM, our favorite Captain ever! His life was an interesting one and this interview presented more detail into his career as a Pilot for British Air and ultimately, at a very young age, Captain of the Cunard ships. His sense of humor is delightful, and we will miss him when he leaves the QE for a well deserved vacation on 16 of February in Papeete.

15 February, Anchored in Bora Bora, French Polynesia. What a fantastic day!! Bora Bora must be the most beautiful place on earth, and each time we visit it, I fall in love with it again. Our friend, Evana, organized a private tour for 24 of us in two boats with Patrick, whose tours are legendary. Today, Patrick himself captained our boat. Our first stop was snorkeling and swimming with black tipped sharks and stingrays. The stingrays followed Patrick around like a puppy, because they knew he had fish for them. They are huge and feel sort of slippery. We then proceeded to deeper water within the reef where we snorkeled and saw an incredible array of blue, yellow, silver fish and a huge moray eel as well as an octopus. We all are sharing photos, so I will post more later in the cruise. After this adventure, we docked at Patrick's motu (island) for lunch. This motu of more than 24 acres has been in Patrick's family for many years. Lunch was a French Polynesian BBQ where a hole is dug and lava rocks are heated for several hours. Then food is placed on top of palm leaves, covered with more palm leaves and then sacks to seal in the heat and cooked for several hours. Patrick unveiled the food and identified the types we had: a full suckling pig, pots with poi and spinach and chicken, plantains, breadfruit, taro root, and tapioca (just the fruit, not the pudding). Additionally, fresh fish was grilled and there were bowls of fresh pineapple, grapefruit and banana pudding. There was an open bar with local beer, wine and soft drinks. We sat on picnic tables whose legs were in the water so that our feet dangled in the crystal clear water. Tiny 4-5 inch long silver colored fish came to investigate. After lunch we were treated to a Tahitian man with a fire “baton” doing an amazing routine. We had one more stop to snorkel or swim and then back to the dock. It was an absolutely glorious day with water so turquoise and so clear. Bora Bora had been plagued with rain for several days before our arrival and we were treated to blue skies and a gentle breeze. Patrick said they sacrificed a virgin for the beautiful weather for us—and it took a lot of work to find one. Our tour of the island took us passed gorgeous resorts with over-water bungalows that start at over $1000 per night. Patrick pointed out a nearby island that has a boarding school for the children on Bora Bora, the hospital and the jail. We also saw Bora Bora's airport on a motu, where boats ferry passengers to and fro.

16 February, Papeete, Tahiti. Papeete is the largest city in French Polynesia. One must really get out of the city to experience Tahiti. The natural beauty in the mountains and the views are spectacular. The city itself is crowded, with lots of traffic, but with a definite French flavor. At noon today, Captain Hashmi turns over command of the Queen Elizabeth to Captain Inger Thorhauge, one of the few female captains in the cruise industry. Captain Thorhauge began her career as a stewardess onboard a cargo ship to earn extra money during school vacation. She quickly determined she liked a life at sea, but not cleaning and enrolled in DFDS Scandinavian Seaways as a cadet. She rose quickly from captaining ferries to employment with Seabourn and Cunard and has been a Captain with Cunard for 7 years. She lives in Denmark with her husband.

I wanted to end this post with a comment about the tragedy that occurred in Florida yesterday. Another school shooting—this time with 17 students and teachers killed. We have become desensitized to these tragedies. What does this say about us as human beings? I am tired of the rhetoric of our “thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.” Prayers will not work! We need new laws controlling the manufacture and access of guns, particularly automatic weapons or bump stocks that convert guns to automatic weapons. Automatic weapons are not used for hunting or for sport, they are only used to injure and kill. Those who hide behind the Constitution and the “right to bear arms” need to realize when that was written, they were referring to muskets not automatic weapons. The NRA should have NO control in Washington. Our President (strangely silent on this matter) and representatives in Washington on both sides of the aisle need to stand up and say “NO MORE!”