To Fakarava

Today is a sea day, we’ll arrive in Fakarava around 7am tomorrow morning. The ship is rolling and pitching some in the 4-6 ft waves. Our cabin is near the front of the boat so we feel both motions. Cabins more in the middle of the ship don’t feel the pitching motion as much.

We went to the stretching class at 7am. There were too many people to fit in the small inside area, so went up to the top rear deck between the exhaust stacks. With to 20 kt wind we couldn’t hear the instructor very well. He did well with the moving ship.

Then we had breakfast, read a bit and I ran on the treadmill.

We took showers and then had lunch on the back deck. The captain announced that we were about 60 miles from the nearest land (a small atoll) at that point.

Mid-afternoon there was a presentation on Tahitian history and geography in the theater.

Just before the port talk, the captain introduced the ship’s officers. He also gave some stats, there are 235 passengers and 192 crew on board.

There is a problem with one air conditioner motor on the ship. They didn’t give an explanation that makes sense, but I think it is a compressor motor for a bunch of cabins on the starboard side. We are on the port side. So a bunch of folks don’t have air conditioning and it won’t be fixed till after the cruise is over as the part will arrive in Pape’ete. It seems to affect some public areas like the top lounge on the front where the puzzle is set up.

At the port talk they announced that our snorkeling shore excursion is cancelled due to high winds tomorrow. All the other excursions are running. The private beach excursion would allow some snorkeling, but it is full.

They also announced that our stop at Atuona on Hiva Oa in the Marquesas Islands will be moved to a different island, Tahuata because of high winds. The anchorage point we would have used is a bay open to the east and the ship will roll too much to use the tenders to get off. The shore excursions are cancelled and no new excursions will be offered at the new stop. The local town, Hapatoni, will present a show for us.