DAY 60- DAY 54 CRYSTAL SERENITY

ON THE ROAD TO KANGAROO ISLAND

Last evening we began with a pre-dinner drink at a Cruise Critic Party.  There were a lot of guests who participate in this forum in attendance along with senior officers and staff from Crystal Cruises.  It was a pleasure speaking with people who we know from previous cruises and meeting some people for the very first time.

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We enjoyed dinner at Waterside.  These are the dinner menus.

We began with an appetizer of Tuna Tartare which Head Waiter Augusto prepared for Keith and a Crispy Shrimp Spring Roll for Anne Marie.  Anne Marie's appetizer came from the modern cuisine menu and is shown in photo number to.

Next course was Caesar Salad for both of us.  

Keith had Salmon for the entree which is available each night and Anne Marie had the Cordon Bleu.  

Entertainment featured two performances each of two shows; Vocalist Chesea Gibbing performed at 7:45 and 9:30 PM and Crystal Dance Starts Curtis and Beverly performed at 8:45 and 10:30 PM.  On top of this there was live music at Crystal Cove, Palm Court and the Avenue Saloon.

The good news is that we set the clocks back before we went to sleep.  This doesn't happen often but we brought the time back thirty minutes rather than one hour back.

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We slept well as we are sailing to Kangaroo Island.  While you could feel the sea swells overall the ride was good and we had the benefit of sailing on a course that provided protection from much stronger sea swells and wind if that Captain had not revised the original course.
 
Keith was up early and began the day with a workout at the Fitness Center.  While the sea swells could be felt the movement of the ship was far less than we have experienced when the seas are very rough.  Keith could hear the howling of the wind from the door leading to the outside deck of the Fitness Center.’

After having breakfast Keith returned to the Fitness Center for an indoor cycle class and Anne Marie went to have her hair done at the Salon.  ​Nine guests took the class including Keith.

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When Captain Giske spoke from the bridge he had some good news.  He said that the seas would remain about the same between the sea swells/wind/speed of Serenity and might get better as the day unfolds.  We were happy to hear that.  The weather forecast for Kangaroo Island sounds pleasant with a high of 70 degrees Fahrenheit, cloudy with no wind.

Today's program included lots of activities and enrichment.  There were three lectures; Ken Rees spoke about our next two ports of call - Kangaroo Island and Adelaide, World Affairs Lecturer Dr. Sheldon Simpson spoke about the evolution of Japan from a defeated state at the end of World War II to having the third largest economy in the World, Australian Military History Lecturer Stuart Usher spoke about Austrian Soldier George Aspinall's photographic record of his time in Japanese Captivity.

Keith attended the talk given by Ken Rees on Adelaide and Kangaroo Island.  We have never been to Kangaroo Island so it was very informative.  Ken noted that agriculture is the primary driver of the economy followed by tourism.

He showed his sense of humor by saying that the first time he went to Canary Island he thought one might see Canary's but that is not the case.  Then he said when he went to the Virgin Islands he was expecting virgins.  Well, let's leave that one alone.  However when you go to Kangaroo Island there are Kangaroos there.  In fact, lots of Kangaroos around with many roaring wild.  There is much more to see including Seals.

There are certainly other things to see and enjoy including wine and cheese.

We returned to Marketplace for lunch where we enjoyed our usual salad entree.  At it turned out there was more movement of the ship starting late morning than earlier in the day.  In fact a few times we felt a jerk of the ship and a couple of times some items on the table that were not on table mats started to slide towards where Keith was sitting.  Captain Giske had advised to stay inside and be careful walking around the ship which is good advice.

The theme for today's lunch was the Asian Buffet featuring many items including sushi.  

The meat being cut today was a Pig and a whole Pig was located on the port and starboard sides where the buffet is set up.

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We enjoyed the rest of the afternoon with speaking with fellow guests and members of Team Serenity as well as reading and writing.

Cheers,

​Anne Maire & Keith