The weather started off pretty poorly today, dull and damp, but it improved to warm and sunny. The clocks go back another hour tonight, which makes us GMT +13. I'm totally confused as to how we're still gaining hours and not losing them. We have to start losing time sometime soon I guess. I'm putting on too much weight, so I've decided 2 course meals should be the order of the day. It hasn't started well. Breakfast is usually OK, tea, juice and either A...

Got up late today, and the weather was wet, so as I'd already semi-planned to have a sun free day it wasn't so much of a problem. I'm also having an alcohol free day. I took part in the Battle of the Sexes and we pulled back another 2 points, then I wandered off to Carmens to find Henry, the Dutch guy from my old table, as we've been having lunch together most sea days. I then collected my passport and went to my first lecture. This was by Derek Clark and ...

I got up early and thought I'd do my washing, so encumbered with my basket, I opened my bedroom door and walked straight into a bunch of balloons Barbara and Linda had stuck on my door. As I was walking out of the Battle of the Sexes, the captain was making his daily announcement. He told us that we would cross the International Dateline sometime in the next day or so and that he had made the decision to lose the 13th rather than Valentines Day, so it's his f...

My birthday and it's the Invisible Day! We crossed the International Dateline and lost a day, today. I'll be celebrating on the 14th instead. All passengers and crew who lost a day got a mention in the 'Horizon', the ships daily newspaper. There were 8 passengers and 1 crew member mentioned. My picture was there too. The 'Horizon' was full of silly things, like free drinks all day, dress code of pyjamas and so on.

The first of our sea days to Auckland, and the captain came on at lunch time with some good news. The original itinerary has been reinstated. Rumour has it that a German engineer boarded at Papeete and it has now been decided that repairs can wait until our scheduled two day visit to Dubai. When I got down to dinner, there were balloons on the table and the others had brought some cards and daft presents, including a slimming belt type thing, which I'm goi...