We are sailing across the Arafura Sea from Darwin to Thursday Island, tomorrow’s port of call. We started this morning with coffee and hot chocolate in the winter garden. It’s not very wintry with the air conditioning running, but it’s very light and airy, and it’s a beautiful place to sip a morning beverage and relax.

Last night, we attended a performance in the ship’s theater. The performer assured us he would keep an eye on the clock because he knows we have to eat every 15 minutes at sea. It’s not really that bad, and Ted and I are doing a good job of portion control (keeping in mind that a cruise ship carries enough food to feed a small country) but still, we’re getting pretty ant-sy without more regular exercise.

Unlike our trips to Europe, our excursion destinations have been miles away from the harbors (except Darwin), so we’ve been bused from the ship to our destinations. In Europe, the ports were near the city centers and we easily walked anywhere from 5-15 miles per day (record: 18 miles in Paris last July). The ship has a large, beautiful fitness center equipped with everything you’d get with a membership in the U.S., so Ted and I have started walking on the treadmills to get some cardio exercise. It’s really not a hardship, even though today’s view was all water and sky.