“the Big One”! World Cruise on Sojourn

[shark b8]

The best thing we saw……a triggerfish defending its egg-nest from all comers.  The random-internet pic below is a Picasso triggerfish and I’m pretty sure it wasn’t the exact species I saw, but very similar.  Anyway, he/she was furiously defending his/her eggs, which are usually laid at sunrise and hatch less than 24 hours later.  I use both pronouns advisably as (1) both sexes tend to the brood, and (2) mis-gendering something can get you in big trouble these days.  

 

[shark b8]

Going back a message or two - on the other-other-other-OTHER hand, the shallowness of the water accentuated the coral colors - the deeper you go, the more monochromatic everything appears.  So in only 3-4’ depth, the pink and purple colors were on full display.  

[shark b8]

Our catamaran Captain was also the lunch chef.  He mixed up a batch of ceviche with fresh tuna, chopped veggies, and then took freshly, finely chopped coconut meat and squeezed the milk out, through a finely sliced bit of tree bark.   On the way back to the ship, he joined the other two crew guys and sang traditional Polynesian songs…..eventually including “You are My Sunshine” and “When the Saints Go Marching In”.

 

 

 

 

 

[shark b8]

5 minutes ago, shark b8 said:

…..eventually including “You are My Sunshine” and “When the Saints Go Marching In”.

 

 

Which reminds me….a few days ago when I posted a previous catamaran trip, I remember that - on the way to the destination, the soft sound system was playing simple, tinkly ukulele/vocal Polynesian music.  On the way back (presumably after most cruisers had imbibed a rum punch or two) the music changed to “Sweet Home Alabama” and some particularly cranked-up vintage Tina Turner.

[Mauzac]

Great memories, we did this excursion, the ceviche was delicious!  You look like you had good weather on the little island... it rained for us and we all had SB towels wrapped round us! 

[SLSD]

Thank you for your commentary Shark b8!

 

[saminina]

6 hours ago, shark b8 said:

 

 On the way back (presumably after most cruisers had imbibed a rum punch or two) the music changed to “Sweet Home Alabama”

I hope you mention this to Andreas as you walk into Colonnade.

[mariap]

Enjoying the pictures and commentary - thank you! Re the Huahine excursion (post 274), did you book the excursion thru Seabourn as we will be there on the Odyssey in April?  Thanks Maria

[shark b8]

1 hour ago, mariap said:

Re the Huahine excursion (post 274), did you book the excursion thru Seabourn as we will be there on the Odyssey in April? 

yes, it was Seabourn’s,  link below. It appeared there were several combinations of similar things, meaning you could pick and choose tours that included 2-3 specific attractions of the 4-5 that.are available.                https://www.seabourn.com/en_US/shore-excursions/HUH/HUH005.html

[shark b8]

Today we were in Raiatea, with a short launch ride over to sister island Taha’a.  Went to a black pearl operation and then one for vanilla - the First Mate got in some of her Christmas-next-year shopping.   We then went to this area for more snorkeling - not as impressive as the previous few days, I must say….considerably less coral, mostly just 4’ depth over sand.  *however*, there were 4 or 5 stingrays which were quite accommodating, they let us just drift along with the gentle back and forth swell, and watch them do their thing, alternately undulating those wonderful “wings” to glide along, and then nuzzling the sandy bottom.

 

 

 

Edited February 11, 2023 by shark b8

[tv24]

22 hours ago, shark b8 said:

 

Which reminds me….a few days ago when I posted a previous catamaran trip, I remember that - on the way to the destination, the soft sound system was playing simple, tinkly ukulele/vocal Polynesian music.  On the way back (presumably after most cruisers had imbibed a rum punch or two) the music changed to “Sweet Home Alabama” and some particularly cranked-up vintage Tina Turner.

"Sweet Home Bora Bora" and "What's Breadfruit Got to Do With it."

[shark b8]

Not the greatest of pix, but….we sail away from French Polynesia, with Bora Bora off in the distance.  

 

[topkatz]

Shopping with Chef on our second day in Papeete.

 

[shark b8]

Utterly brilliant, topkatz.  I was scheduled to go along but my back was barkin’ at me, so Mrs Captain Sharkbait went by herself.  She loved it, and your vid makes clear why that was. 

[topkatz]

Thanks. Glad you liked it.

Chef Karl said they are planning additional Shopping with Chef.

No indication of where or when.

[shark b8]

So, enough of this frivolous splashing around in the surf, we’ve got business to attend to.  Sailing, that is.   Next port will be Wednesday, the first of two in Fiji.   So it might be a little quiet around here, for the next few days.

 

And it’s Super Bowl Sunday of course.  The Herald announced a screening & a big ‘do in the Salon, so they must be pretty confident the signal problem of two weeks ago will not be repeated.  We are promised wings, sliders, and nachos.  Shall report back.

 

[shark b8]

 

 

 

Edited February 13, 2023 by shark b8

[shark b8]

Well.  With less than 2 minutes to go in the game, an alarm sounded and the Officer of the Watch, and then the Captain, reported a possible incident requiring attention.  For most of the last 2 minutes, our TV screen showed this, while those announcements were made.   Grrrrr.

 

 

 

Edited February 13, 2023 by shark b8

[shark b8]

But we did manage to see the KC field goal and the desperation last play for the Eagles, in between interruptions.  Great game!

[shark b8]

(Munchies were ok, but I will immodestly say that I wish we would have had my traditional jalapeño poppers and bacon-wrapped onion rings instead).     😉

[2SailingNomads]

On 2/1/2023 at 9:05 AM, Mr Luxury said:

There are no shell spoons for the caviar

Not triple orders

[2SailingNomads]

On 2/8/2023 at 8:00 PM, shark b8 said:

Ok, we have to say goodbye to Bora Bora.  It’s magnificent.

 

And we happen to have Keller Grill reservations tonight so…..this is a good day.

 

 

You were lucky with the weather when we were there on Seabourn the heavens opened.  We had a rented boat with 2 other couples and 1/2 thru we got totally soaked and wind.

[shark b8]

2 hours ago, 2SailingNomads said:

You were lucky with the weather…

 

We’ve been extraordinarily lucky pretty much since the Miami sailaway (almost hate to say it out loud, for fear of jinxing it).  But that may well change in the next several days - the Captain, in his usual 12:00 noon PA announcement, mentioned rain in the forecast.  I went to weather.com and found this, below, for Suva, so…..Fiji may be a little damp when we get there.

 

Edited February 14, 2023 by shark b8

[shark b8]

I am now utterly delighted (and more than a little relieved) to report that….(drum roll)…….the onboard wifi has improved dramatically.  The change happened over a week ago, but I decided to wait a bit to see if it was just some sort of fluke, a temporary anomaly, but……it is better by orders of magnitude, and has been pretty consistent now, going into a second week.  And of course, lately we’ve had mostly sea days, so it’s not a signal somehow being mooched from cell service in a port or some weirdness like that.  I am now attaching 3-4 MB photos which upload in 10-15 seconds, rather than reducing photos to a paltry 60KB and waiting 4-5 minutes for the same result.  The wifi has always been one of the bigger nits that I’ve had to pick with Seabourn onboard life, I’ll be thrilled if the improvement is across the fleet and here to stay. 

Edited February 15, 2023 by shark b8

[shark b8]

So, this was interesting - first time I remember seeing it onboard.  The ungrammatical part notwithstanding, sounds like something I’d be interested in, but…10:30p?  I guess they want it to not be in conflict with dinnertime hours, also only after the nightly 9:30p show breaks, but…..starting out with whiskey and a loooong cigar smoke at 10:30p?  On a night with early shore excursions the next morning?