We are slowly getting back to normal. The guests are finally complaining that it is too cold on the ship – music to our ears! For those of you who don’t know, our six star vessel has sailed for over a month in some of the hottest climates without air-conditioning.
It started in the last week of the crossing, and carried on all the way up and back down the Amazon River. Connected to the same compressors are all the ice machines, so you can imagine the fiasco we have had. The company has offered various refunds and credits with the last being a totally free cruise – no complaints on that voyage!
They tried to get various parts which either were the wrong ones, got blown out after installation, or were seized by customs in Brazil. They ordered a new compressor in the end and are getting another part specially made as the 17 year old part is no longer made – go figure.
The temperatures on board ranged from 28 degrees in the Dining Rooms to 40 in the galleys! In the end I have lost 5kg, which cannot be too bad.
The Amazon cruise was great. We had Pink Dolphins (native to the Amazon) playing in the swell on the back of the ship. We have seen Anacondas and loads of birdlife whilst going up the river. We organised a tour for the crew to go Alligator spotting which got rained off so we went swimming with turtles when we got to Barbados. One of the girls had an underwater camera and sent around the photos.
We are currently going through the Panama Canal, which is as picturesque as it always is. We will be leaving the last loch around 5:00pm. The guests this cruise are quite nice, not too many headaches which is a good start.
We will be in San Diego on the 22nd and I am looking forward to getting my new laptop (MacBook Pro). I am sure it will be a big change but I have been playing with a friend’s and it seems to be the way to go.
Here’s my itinerary for the next two weeks… 
- 13th December: Puntarenas, Costa Rica
- 15th December: Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala
- 17th December: Acapulco, Mexico
- 18th December: Zihuatanejo (Ixtapa), Mexico
- 20th December: Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
- 22nd December: San Diego, California, USA
- 23rd December: Ensenada, Mexico
- 26th December: Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Time for my afternoon nap,
Steve
