Today we took part in a very important ceremony– The Neptune Festival. This ritual is a time honored tradition and is held to ensure safe passage on our voyage (maybe we should have held it at the beginning during the hurricane… just a thought). Anyway, during this ceremony volunteer passengers (I volunteered to stay safely out of the way and take pictures) and crew sacrifice themselves to King Neptune and his queen. Neptune does not allow just anyone to pass safely through his waters. He demands acknowledgement of his power and sovereignty over the sea and so a grand costume parade is held on the sun deck with much pomp and circumstance. Those who are to be sacrificed are lead around the deck and then forced to kiss the fish (I’m not sure why) they then kiss the hand of Neptune and are dipped in the cleansing pool (also known as the swimming pool). It was a huge ordeal but in the end was a successful endeavor.  We ingratiated ourselves to Neptune and were allowed to safely continue our voyage. Then we all went and drank to our success.