February 16, 2014. The Queen Elizabeth. The Equator.

We have passed the Equator and are now in the southern hemisphere. This happened in the middle of the night, so I was not able to see the line across the Pacific Ocean, the one that can be clearly seen on every map!! This afternoon, a ceremony was held, where King Neptune and his entourage initiated all Pollywogs into the circle of those who have already crossed the equator. Those of the officers and crew were the only ones to be actually thrown into the swimming pool, uniforms and all. The rest were merely given certificates!! Ken and I continued our pattern of staying away from crowds so we sat quietly at lunch while the band played and the speeches continued. I will watch to see if the water really does go down the drain counter clockwise, now we are south of the equator. We attended two lectures today. Both were excellent. The first was about the american airmen who joined the RAF and were named The Eagle Squadron. The second lecture was the history of Space. Both were interesting and informative. The lectures are perfect for us, lasting 50 minutes. This is the first cruise line where lectures are given throughout the cruise. We will be interested to see what is provided on our long ride home on the Holland American Line, as we are enjoying these lectures on the Cunard Line.