Silver Muse cruise, Day Six - Just, er, cruising

With thanks to Silversea for this cruise

And the laid-back vibe continues, today with added sunshine and heat as we head towards baking Australia. So there's very little to report: people scattered all over the ship, lying about reading or squinting at screens in the bright light on the various outside decks, or more comfortably in the lounges. Presumably there was action in the gym and the spa but they were, as ever, closed books to me.

I can attest that the pool was busy, all the loungers a-sprawl with people, and some even in the water braving the impressive tsunami that was continuously sweeping from side to side and end to end. In the Panorama Lounge, heads were down and the atmosphere silent and concentrated for Bingo - unlike the rowdy bunch a bit later in Dolce Vita for Team Trivia, which continues as undisciplined as ever, with blatant cheating and helping, and even some calling out. I've given up on trying to stick to the rules and have joined the herd.

We were a team of seven today, and scored 13/20, unplaced despite the cheating. Questions included South America's highest mountain; capital of Mongolia; the name of the fourth musketeer; which sport begins by throwing salt; and what does the mathematical symbol II mean? The answer to that last one is not eleven, by the way - though it was such a good joke, it was allowed.

Dinner, at Atlantide again, was a dull affair, though the food was excellent (prawns and filet mignon) and it was pleasing to be offered wine from a vineyard with which we will soon have a tenuous family connection. The others at our shared table were a well-travelled (superfluous adjective - everyone on board is) Australian couple and a Brit-turned-Tassie who was sulking, not unreasonably, because he lives near tomorrow's port of Burnie, but isn't allowed to disembark there and instead has to continue to Melbourne and then fly home. He annoyed me because, despite boasting of 280-odd nights with Silversea, he insisted on mis-naming the line Silverseas. I'm petty like that. The conversation was dominated by the two OWMs and, though I made a few attempts to break the deadlock, I soon lost heart. The topics (in between long silences) included: the current NZ-Oz cricket scandal (yawn); silly season stories in the press; Raffles hotel; showering on board the Emirates A380, first class; and distinguishing brands of flour.

The show tonight was Broadway hits, but only one of the six singers has a really good voice, the others seeming to strain just a little for the high notes - though full marks for effort. I seem to be getting very picky. Time to go ashore, I think.