22 -23 December 2018 - Embark Azamara Quest and Cruising the Southern Sea

22 December 2018 

Saturday

Breakfast with Colette and Marc at the Fremantle Marketplace after which we separate to complete our last minute errands.   Phil and I are off to buy our suitcase.  Since we'll need two taxis --- we'll meet onboard the Quest mid-day.   

By 11am Phil and I are in the lobby ordering a taxi to take us the very short distance to the ship.    Check-in is efficient -- we are welcomed onto Deck Five with a glass of champagne.  I sit with the carry-on luggage while Phil goes to see about dining reservations in the specialty restaurants.

While I sit, Colette and Marc arrive -- Marc goes to join Phil  -- Colette and I find out about internet access.   We eventually head up to the Buffet on Deck Nine.   After lunch we decide to see if perhaps our rooms are ready on Deck Six  -- they are so we drop our stuff and Phil takes us on a tour of the ship.

This is exactly like Oceania's Insignia, which was our home away from home last winter from Miami to Singapore.   Our tour starts on deck ten with the specialty restaurants, the Drawing Room (Library), and the Living Room (lounge at the bow of the ship with lovely views).  Next is deck nine for the pool, the spa, the buffet and the grille.   Decks six, seven and eight are all cabins so it's down to deck five for the coffee bar, formal dining room, shops, casino and theatre.   Deck four holds the concierge, shore excursions and the front desk.   We're done!

Back to the cabins -- our luggage has arrived so we begin the unpacking process.   These cabins -- particularly the bathrooms are much smaller than Oceania's -- but we find a place for everything -- I put up my Christmas decorations and we're ready for the 5pm mandatory safety drill.

Phil and Pat by the Gingerbread Village on Deck Five 

At 5:45, there is a drawing in the Spa for two $250 gift certificates -- must be present to win so all four of us are in attendance.   For the second drawing, I was asked to pick the winning ticket.  I stuck my hand in the glass bowl holding all the possibilities -- picked a ticket and gave it to the manager who called my name and cabin number.   I had picked my own ticket!  Nobody could believe it least of all me!   I now have $250 to spend on a spa treatment.

Our next stop is The Living Room for hors d'oeuvres and music -- before heading to the Buffet where the theme is seafood.

The Quest leaves port at 10pm to Albany in Western Australia where we will arrive on Christmas Eve Day.

23 December 2018

Sunday

At Sea -- The Southern Ocean

Up early -- attend the 8am stretch class -- breakfast with Phil then Mass at 9am.   This ship does have priest on board but just during the holidays.

At 10am I attend the shore excursion presentation the Phil and I sit in on Trivia at 12:15.   We stop in the shops to look at watches -- Phil needs one and we have a lot of shipboard credits.    Phil bought us each a stocking in Fremantle so now we have to fill them up.  

Pat adding "Mistaken Identity" to the Swap Shelf onboard Quest

Before dinner in Aqualina (the Italian specialty restaurant) I stop into the Drawing Room to add a book to the 'Swap Shelf" -- it is a book from the Dennisport Public Library on Cape Cod.  I promised P.J. in my writing group I would leave the book "down under".   The deed is done!

Our dinner tonight is very nice -- complete with Christmas Carolers.

Phil watching Christmas Carolers in Aqualina

Amazing how easy it is to kill a day on board a ship --- there is always a place to go and something to do.

Thanks for Reading.

Pat