3-7-2024 Cairns, Australia Day 1

Cairns is a very big modern city at the edge of the Great Barrier Reef. We took two big packages to the post office for Colinda to mail. Everyone in her large family is getting a birthday present from her trip. It has been fun watching her pick the presents out. Went to a huge shopping mall and had toes and nails done. Bought something green to wear for St. Patrick’s Day. Meanwhile back at the ship were asked to come for a meeting. So finally what we had been speculating for a month was revealed. We will be skipping sections eight and nine and will be going around Africa instead of going through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. Dubai will be the last stop. We can continue onboard but will have many days at sea and will only stop to refuel. We can go home and get credit for future voyages. We can get off and come back for part 10 which starts in Venice and goes around the Mediterranean Sea. We soon found out that Colinda’s daughter and granddaughter had booked passage on part nine of the trip for a surprise for Colinda. They got a notice the same day cancelling their trip . So. Stand by for the outcome. Lots of choices. Will we goof around with family for two weeks and go somewhere and live for three weeks, or will we go on with the voyage? We definitely are not coming home. Having too much fun!!!