The Day That Never Was

EQUATOR AND INTERNATIONAL DATELINE: Thursday, February 25, 2010

Today we did two things on the same day that many people never do in a lifetime. We crossed the International Dateline and the Equator within several hours. Heading west over the International Dateline means losing a day, February 24, 2010. So on February 23, we had no tomorrow. On February 24, we had no today, and on February 25, we had the day after the day after yesterday. On February 25, the movie channel on the ship featured Groundhog Day--a perfect film to show after a day that never was about a day that happened over and over and over. We would love to have any of you who are reading this blog to write us at sarameanc@aol.com or lightningVA00@aol.com to inform us about what you did on Wednesday, February 24, because we will never experience that day!

In the afternoon, our attendance was requested (required) at the Crossing the Equator ceremony. While we have crossed the equator a number of times in an airplane, we have never crossed it in a ship. Prominent players in the ceremony are King Neptune (who will determine if we can cross the Equator safely), Queen Nefertiti (the ship's assistant cruise director dressed in drag with a beautiful blond wig), Officer Fish and Chips, the Royal Barber, the Royal Medical Team (who had just completed their first head transplant unsuccessfully) and the Pacific Princess' Nymphs and Nymphettes. Representing the passengers and crew members, who have never crossed the equator before, were wrongdoers who would be duly judged and then duly sludged. They included a honeymoon couple who were accused of never leaving their room and keeping their neighbors awake day and night, a young man who was overeating at all the dining venues on the ship, a woman who had overspent at the ship's boutiques, and crew members who spent every night partying in the crew bar and had never paid their rent or electric bills on the ship. All were declared GUILTY!

So we don't spoil the fun for any of you who may cross the Equator, we will only say that the punishments involved ice cream, raw eggs being cracked on heads, whipped cream, spaghetti, lettuce and throwing the Captain's representative in the pool. Besides, the right pictures are worth more than a 1,000 words. We hope that you enjoy the photographs as much as we enjoyed the ceremony. ENJOY!