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Published: February 18th 2006
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Albany, Australia, where is that? For me, unknown ports usually turn out to be the best. From the minute we make our turn towards Albany, the scenery and town delight and surprise me. We pass islands with rocky outcroppings that have a thick forest of green on top. Coves of snow white beaches are tucked in between hills. One long stretch of wide beach seems to extend for miles, guarded by a long sand dune. Pretty good background for a 50th birthday celebration, don’t you think?
Captain Dag turns 50 today and a large white painted sheet hangs from the ship’s atrium announcing that fact. Cruise Director, Jamie Logan, has been hinting at many special happenings today. We can’t wait.
But, for now, it’s time to go ashore and walk the short mile to Albany. This former penal outpost became a booming whaling town in the 1840’s. It’s also surrounded by scenic landscape that includes Stirling Range National Park.
The town has picturesque old buildings plus many small shops along the main street. Alan and I walk across the railroad tracks and up a hill to the main part of town. We find a telephone booth and stop
to make calls to our parents who are glad to hear from us. It’s a pleasant day for walking and we enjoy being on land for awhile.
On the way back to the ship, we go into a grocery store to buy detergent for hand washing clothes. I don’t think Albany gets many cruise ships stopping by and the clerk peppers us with questions. Other customers greet us and we have a fun time talking.
Walking back to the ship, we notice a “Capt. Dag is 50” sign hanging from the ship’s smokestack. A bagpiper pipes to us from the foot of the gangplank as we go aboard. A group of school children has been invited onboard to wish Capt. Dag a Happy Birthday. When we go to the pool deck for lunch, we see the children on the top deck being treated to a cold soft drink and candy bar.
Once the ship is underway, Alan looks out to shore and says, “I think we’ve created a traffic jam.” Sure enough, a line of cars is parked at a hillside overlook and traffic is jamming the road. We assume they’ve come to watch us sail out
of port.
After the harbor pilot leaps back onto the pilot boat, the Captain is free to come to the pool deck for his birthday lunch. What a feast…Norwegian delicacies (in honor of the Captain), steak, fish, even a caviar bar. And, sitting in the middle of all this is the largest bottle of champagne I have ever seen. The Voyager Quintet is playing 60’s music, which must be Capt. Dag’s favorites. Finally, our kind of music!
The Captain walks up on deck and circles around several times, accepting birthday wishes and posing for pictures. I’m not sure that he ever got to sample his birthday lunch. The officers gather around the bottle of champagne, Capt. Dag pops the cork and it goes sailing up into the air. All I can hear is the sound of clicking cameras capturing the moment. Passengers are treated to one glass of champagne each from the Captain’s special bottle. Lunch is over and it’s time to rest up for the remaining birthday festivities.
When we walk into Compass Rose for dinner, the waiters are lined up beside Capt. Dag’s birthday cake. It’s a festive dinner and includes more Norwegian dishes including
a delicious poached salmon. Alan and I eat by ourselves so that we can have a quick dinner. We want to make it to the theatre in time to find a good seat.
Capt. Dag’s birthday show plays to a full house. The lights dim and the entertainment begins with greetings from the Captain’s wife and children who are at home in Norway. Dana Logan, Assistant Cruise Director, reads a letter from his wife while pictures from their life are flashed on big screens hanging on each side of the stage. His wife is an eloquent writer and the Captain must be happy to be sitting in the audience where his emotions can be hidden in the dim light. His children appear on a video wishing him Happy Birthday and then there are greetings from the crew and officers.
Jamie, who is the emcee, invites Capt. Dag up on stage to sit in a huge red chair (a leftover prop from a stage production). He presents two gifts from the crew: a bottle of whiskey that the engine room has welded in such a way that he’ll never be able to open it. The other gift: a world
map notating the Captain’s voyages. Crew members have signed their names and included personal notes.
Kenny Smiles, a comedian known as “the Mad Welshman”, walks on stage and the night transitions from serious to funny. He pokes fun at Captain Dag although the humor is lighthearted and good-natured. Kenny asks the Captain to assist with a magic trick, but, first, he will need to wear a wizard’s hat on his head. Kenny places the hat on Capt. Dag’s head and deftly removes the black cover without the Captain knowing it. Now he is standing on stage with a plunger tied to the top of his head. Capt. Dag sings a karaoke song with Kenny’s wife. Then, he sings a duet with Jamie. During this song, the Captain notices his shadow against the stage curtains and realizes he is wearing a plunger on his head. It doesn’t stay on long after that. If I were Kenny, I’d beware. The Captain will be looking for revenge.
The evening celebration ends with the audience giving Captain Dag a standing ovation: a tribute to an excellent captain and good man.
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