The International Date Line
On this Japan & South Pacific Cruise I imagine that some confusion would have probably been caused by the International Date Line. Confusion over what day of the week it was, let alone what time of day! The reason for this being that, in common with most ocean crossings, various time zones would be entered and left, with the ship's clocks constantly being adjusted to suit.
On Caronia's usual Great World Cruises the clocks would only get put forward as her Eastbound circumnavigations progressed, however on this cruise they would be put back on the outward run and put forward again on the homeward section. In addition, the International Date Line would be crossed no less than three times this month and once again in March.
Certainly all this would have created its own aura of anticipation and no doubt all sorts of “sea lore” would have been perpetuated from those who had “done this before”. One thing about being aboard a ship like the Caronia, no matter where we were, or what might be happening, there was always someone with a story to tell. It was those that sounded the most far-fetched that would often turn out to be true!
Crossing from East to West, and losing a day, was not a common occurrence on the Caronia. Usually the Great World Cruise would be an Eastbound circuit, where overall a day would be gained.
However, time adjustments apart, there were other excitements in prospect for this month with the unforgettable arrivals at Easter Island and Pitcairn Island. As you follow the Timeline below, just ask yourself - “What would you have given to be there?” More extracts from J.S. Wright's diary article also appear on this page.
