Changes in Latitude

Sunday, April 28, 2024

Sailing in Arabian Sea

Now we’re heading in a new southern direction around Africa. This continent was not part of our original itinerary, but Azamara decided sailing through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal was not wise. So, we began a “repositioning” cruise to get to the Mediterranean. We now have seven days at sea along the eastern coast of Africa, hopefully a safer route despite the threat of pirates. Captain Carl gave us instructions for our behavior if we come under attack and requested that we draw our window shades and extinguish outside lighting at night. And we were worried about malaria! ;-)

Many guests departed in Dubai headed home or off on separate trips. Now the ship feels pretty empty — we’re pretending it’s our own yacht! We elected to stay aboard along with 140 other World Voyagers —- seems like a TV episode of Suvivors!

There’s a plethora of pursuits onboard to keep us busy — the gym, yoga, trivia, art, dancing and singing lessons; swimming and tanning, nightly entertainment, Rummikub and of course, themed dining and cocktails! Guest lectures on animals, nature, culture, astronomy and hallelujah: how to productively utilize hand-held computers ie:I-Phones! The last one could be life-changing for us! There is real hope that we can master everyday technology by the time we reach the Cape of Good Hope! Siri is getting a workout!

We’ve learned from a guest presenter the iconic group of stars known as the Southern Cross is one of the benefits of this new route. Because of its orientation in the night sky, the Southern Cross has historically served as an essential navigational guide: two of its major stars form a line that points to the South Pole. The Southern Cross is also featured in the flags of several Southern Hemisphere countries. Seeing stars is possible at sea — no light pollution after the moon fades and we’re learning how to be astrophotographers. How cool to be learning how to take advantage of the incredibly convenient cameras we have in our hands. The sky’s the limit!

Captain Carl Smith, Master of the Vessel