"Snow" Day

ms Amsterdam
January 31, 2013

We were supposed to spend the day on Rarotonga in the Cook Islands however when
we arrived dawn-ish this morning the whole island was engulfed by rain. We knew
something was up because instead of anchoring and preparing to launch the tenders
the ship was hovering a couple of miles off shore in choppy seas and a wicked wind.
At about 7:30 the captain made the announcement that it was indeed too rough and windy
(35 knots) to launch the tenders and the weather was not going to improve, so we were
going to head on towards New Zealand and maybe an extra day in Auckland.

So it's a Snow Day!!! Bruce the Cruise Director is now scrambling to have a new day's
program printed and just announced that all the usual sea day activities would be held.
We're disappointed to miss Rarotonga; it has its own currency, Cook Dollars, that are
non-negotiable anywhere else in the world (it also uses NZ Dollars), has one road
around the island with two buses, one running clockwise the other counter-clockwise
and supposedly the best bargain shopping in Polynesia. As one of my ship-board
friends just told me, "I've been here three times and have yet to get ashore."

Oh, and it's Dutch Day. Happy 75th Birthday, Queen Beatrix.