We're at sea again, and I seem to have slipped instantly back into sleep mode . Despite the ship's extensive entertainment machine grinding away at its hardest last night, all I found myself wanting to do was chill out to a free pay-per-view movie in my cabin (My Best Friend's Girl - good movie), and was asleep by 10 o'clock.

After a post-dinner pint in the Morning Light Pub, I wandered along to the Neptune Lounge to see what was happening there, only to stop dead in my tracks at its entrance at the sight of hundreds of little Union Jacks being waved about enthusiastically to the strains of 'Land of Hope and Glory'. I caught the eye of Brian the Dance Host who was sat in the foyer to the Lounge trying to look small. His eyes said "Go on; I dare you...", and then shook his head as if to share the sinking in my stomach. I shook my head in reply and doubled-back, muttering "Nope, I just can't do it".

Jeff the guitarist/singer's voice is almost better, but he is still inviting folks up to sing, which I'm starting to think is a bad idea. The numbers in the pub have swelled considerably in the last few days, and I told him that I thought he'd have to be careful. He agreed that word seemed to be getting around, and that people may start to expect it. He's in danger of just becoming a karaoke machine and it no longer being HIS show.

I slipped into the Coral Club Lounge to watch the Braemar Show Company do their 'Cool Britannia' show, which was good. The show company consists of 6 girl dancers, two of whom sing, and two lads who dance also, but mainly sing. The quality of their shows is very high (best I've seen I reckon), but I do find some of the dance routines a little 'samey'. Anyway; more flag-waving... I noticed the Captain had slipped in to watch at the back of the room. He seemed to be enjoying it, but I didn't see him waving any flags about.

The ship's Doctor was on my dinner table, and she was asked if they'd been busy down in the medical centre. Yes, she told us; apparently they'd had a bit of a struggle with passengers suffering from bad colds and flu... largely with those who had been on the Gatwick and Stansted charter flights. One lady asked her, during a pause between coughing, if the air-conditioning on board ship helped pass it around, to which she said no; air-con doesn't spread the infections but it can exacerbate the symptoms, particularly dry coughs. She recommended running the shower with the bathroom door open, or even better; boiling the cabin kettle and holding the button down to release steam into the cabin. Must remember that!

This morning I woke at 8am - a wacking great 10 hours sleep! I'm hoping I can eek out my stash of clothes without having to resort to going to the laundry room. Very aggressive and unfriendly places, ships' laundry rooms! Fights have been known to break out in them - in fact, going off at a tangent; apparently, someone was saying that a fight broke out on the Ventura on New Years Eve - quite a rumpus by all accounts - no such excitement here!

This afternoon I will be conducting my last workshop (a Willemstad beach scene). The good news is that while we were alongside the Boudicca the other day, in Barbados, we managed to procure a nice big stash of watercolour paper from them... woo hoooo!

I've just been down to the entertainments office to ask about details regarding our art exhibition tomorrow afternoon. I've been bigging it up to my students, promising a grand occasion, to get them to cough up their work. I'm hoping the Cruise Director will come along and metaphorically cut the ribbon... I think asking for a couple of bottles of bubbly to make the thing go off with a bang may have been pushing things a tad too far though... we'll see!

I have a couple of hours to kill so i may just go in search of someone to teach Esh-ban to as I'm getting severe withdrawal symtoms, or look in on one of the lectures that are being given - we have a financial expert who is giving a talk on 'How to enjoy paying taxes', and a presentation telling passengers what to do and what not to do when we get to Miami, and what to expect with regards to Immigration procedures (again). We have a prominent MP on board, too (whose name escapes me), who is giving a lecture entitled 'My Life in Crime - being an MP'. Hmm.... I'm rather spoilt for choice.... Next thought, I think I'll go and paint for a bit.......