New Zealand is adamant in restricting foreign plants, seeds and any food from the ship to shore including sandwiches and fruit. Sometimes the food sniffing beagles with their handlers were at the disembarking gangplank and other times they were in the port building.
While Kathy toured Rotorua, where geothermal geysers and mud pools spurt from the earth and home of Maori culture, I had a leisure day since Paul and I had visited there in 1993. So, I started a book, walked a mile (four times around the outside deck) and observed Mt. Maunganui which dominates this resort region.
Three things are certain on cruises – the food is always very good with excellent presentation and service. After dinner we usually went to one of the high energy extravaganzas held in the Van Gogh Lounge with a Broadway style stage. There were dancers, singers, magicians. comedians and musicians – all extremely talented. Male escorts were also present to dance with single ladies before the shows.
