A very sultry and tropical day. We were in squalls most of the day with grey skies and bucketing rain but hot temperatures. Not that it mattered as we had a pretty full day of activities, all of them indoors.

First off after breakfast was our bridge lesson. We haven't been for ages what with repeat catch-ups for some of the late starters and then port days. Anyway, today was a new subject and we were partnered with a nice couple who play friendly bridge at home but need improvement and to understand more of the advanced conventions. In the end we had to just play for about an hour before starting the lesson because the crew were on exercise and the bridge room was one of the emergency stations for the drill. So, in between calls, people would rush in with stretchers and medical kits…. All very interesting if a bit distracting. Well, that was my excuse….

Not very hungry, so no lunch but we sat out under cover at the rear terrace bar and had a cup of tea and Bob looked over his script for our rehearsal later. I suspect he was a bit nervous as he suggested we shared a large cider LOL. Then art, a scene from the Tahitian flower market. Very detailed, with umbrellas and stripey awnings, not to mention the flowers, a big droopy tree and a flower seller. Not displeased with mine but I think I am better at the style we did yesterday.

Then, rehearsal of Fifty Shades of Little Glumley! Bob's first rehearsal too. We met early to have an extra read through and my chap did very well especially as he has such a big part. The main part in terms of lines. He is playing Gerald who is the show's director and playwright, a domineering, impatient sort of man. On my suggestion, Bob is playing him broad Yorkshire which - no offence - helps bring out a certain loud brashness LOL. We are performing for the other group tomorrow and for tech notes, so we are fitting in an extra rehearsal before that too. Then tech on Sunday and performance on the 24th. Not as much time as it sounds because we lose February 22nd altogether crossing the International Date Line. Yikes! Still arguing over the venue. It will either be in Masquerade, the club-disco, (problems with suitable seating arrangements and acoustics) or The Playhouse (a purpose built small theatre). It might seem a no-brainer, but having it in the playhouse necessitates cancelling a film showing and this may create havoc apparently. I doubt it will create as much havoc as trying to cram 300-400 people into the nightclub but……

In response to some reader enquiries, ROFL, as far as I can see, the ship has been relatively quiet since the Mad Lady was ejected in Valparaiso. Truly, it would be hard to follow her performance. Lord and Lady Eyelashes have been very low key - no more shouting at the waiters - and in fact he has disappeared from the Am Dram group. As has Mother T. There has apparently been a Big Row in the Passenger Choir with the choir split over the perfectionist approach of the choir mistress and her choice of music. Open revolt and harsh words, in fact, as I understand it!!! There is obviously still some issues with table compatibility in the "fixed dining" restaurant. This is the restaurant where you go at a fixed time for dinner and sit with the same people throughout.

We met a man in the elevator today who was in despair at his table allocation as his tablemates are all "horrible". Not enough time to find out all the ins and outs but he was trying to change tables and not having a lot of luck. We are so happy we chose Freedom Dining. We meet interesting people every night and if there is someone who is not our cup of tea, well, it's only for one night and you can get over that. Also, if like last night when we were so tired and exhausted we couldn't face a full dinner, we can just go off to the casual restaurant without feeling we are "letting the table down" by not turning up. We have encountered relatively few incompatible people at dinner but maybe that's just because we haven't had enough repetition to expose them to our ways and us to theirs. We did dine with one woman who launched into a violent diatribe at the waiter as she asked for green beans and was given French Beans, not English Runner Beans (clearly the end of the world) but luckily we have never seen her again.

We have also managed to avoid The Moaners, and I'm sure this is because we have opted for Freedom Dining, which is "a new fangled" arrangement in cruising terms. There is always a small but vocal body of people on a cruise who have been cruising for donkey's years and feel the need to moan on and on about "falling standards" and nitpick every detail. So, the food is NEVER as good as it was, or the ports, or the speakers or the free drinks or the other passengers etc. but on the other hand, they conveniently forget the real cost of cruising is falling. I honestly don't know how P&O do it for the price they charge. Yet these daft people crank on and on. Amazingly really, they come back every year! Why??? If it's all so disappointing and ghastly, why come back and spend all that money and waste their, frankly, dwindling years on the experience.

Anyway, rant over LOL…. Lovely tablemates as usual tonight, followed by a show from a young singer opera cross-over from New Zealand.