Weather - Overcast to Sunny 20C
We docked in Hobart around 7.30am to a very overcast sky and intermittent drizzle so decided to have a leisurely breakfast on board in the dining room. By the time we had finished and collected our things from our room it was quite sunny so we walked off the ship and into town, stopping at the Visitors Centre. We purchased tickets to the Hop-On, Hop-Off bus and took the 90 minute tour around Hobart which included the Cascade Brewery, Botanical Gardens and lots of other attractions. Great commentary but lots of places were closed because its Sunday.
We then wandered through the Salamanca Market area (also mostly closed) had a coffee, and then discovered free Internet so I managed to publish yesterday's blog entry. Sky is beginning to look dark & threatening so we walked back to the ship & had our first meal (lunch) at Horizon Court Buffet. It was not bad, however I am not a fan of the buffet on ships for 2 reasons, firstly too many people have no idea of basic hygiene so despite staff keeping an eye on things, so you can never be sure if someone has touched anything with dirty hands. The second reason is the temptation to pile too much food on your plate as there are so many choices. In the dining rooms you order up to 5 courses, however the portions are very small and there are more fish/salad/vegetable options. Because the International Dining Room is closed on port days (due to most passengers being ashore on tours) we only eat at the buffet on the few occasions we are on board on port days.
This afternoon we went to the musical afternoon tea, followed by an onboard performance by the Tasmanian Police Pipe Band & Dancers.
Tonight we had dinner at The Savoy Dining Room, so gradually working our way through them. The food as usual was delicious and fresh. We had a fresh pineapple & pistachio appetiser, then a mango, pear & ginger soup (served in a wine glass with a straw) was to die for! Then I had a lamb shank in a 4 bean cassoulet .... yum. Mike had some sort of pork dish which he really enjoyed.
After dinner we headed to the Princess Theatre to see a performance by a great singer Davinia. Hadn't heard of her before, but she was really good. The main shows in the theatre only last for 30-35 minutes as they have 3 sessions to allow for different dinner times. That suits us as you don't have to sit for long periods through performances you don't like. Not that we have struck any so far.
We then went for a walk through the promenade deck and stumbled across the Crooners Lounge where a singer & pianist (Dan Hodge) was performing. We sat down and ordered a drink and ended up staying over an hour. He started by singing some 1 hit wonders, then began taking requests. Of course I asked for Frank Sinatra's "My Way" & he sang it beautifully. We also enjoyed an Irish Coffee then headed back to our stateroom & off to bed.
One thing I forgot to mention last night ...... We arrived at the dining room for dinner & were shown to a table with 2 other couples. One were at our table in another restaurant the previous night & the other couple were also from Bathurst, NSW. In a ship with almost 3,000 passengers, what are the chances of that happening? Not high I think!
I apologise in advance for the random photos. I seem to have no say as to which order they appear in here after I select them, so I can't place a comment re what they are. That's my next project .... To work out how to fix that.
More tomorrow from Melbourne.
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