KING NEPTUNE CEREMONY –

SHIPS CREW

Wednesday, March 12, 2025, 6 AM, Temperature 82 Degrees, Humidity 66%, W- NNW 3.2 mph

The King Neptune Ceremony has been a tradition among seafarers for years! It started back in the time of wooden ships when a young seaman's skills and knowledge would be tested before he would be called a "Shellback. John went through his King Neptune Ceremony, on the USS Hancock CVA-19, October 1968. Before your first trip across the Equator, you are a “Pollywog”. After crossing, if you pass the test and King Neptune finds you worthy, you become a “Shellback”. John was found worthy and has the card to prove it! John had to crawl through a tube of kitchen waste and kiss the Royal Baby’s belly button. The Royal Baby was the chubbiest Chief Petty Officer on the ship (he also had the hairiest belly!) John says he closed his mouth (and his eyes) and just nudged the belly with the top of his head.

The crew members today had to kiss a large fish, had ice cubes poured over them and were smeared with colored foam the consistency of whipped cream – maybe it was whipped cream, it certainly wasn’t toxic because it was spread all over their body, head and face. It was a fun ceremony and a good way for HAL to show the crew how important they are. The four ranked officers on the ship were the jury (the Captain of the Ship, the Staff Captain, the Hotel General Manager and the Chief Engineer). The Cruise Director was the Prosecutor, other ship’s crew members were the “medical team” who spread the colored foam and ice on the Pollywogs (by the end, they were covered with as much foam as the Pollywogs).

King Neptune and his Queen made their entrance. The Pollywogs, tethered together, were led in by costumed pirates. The Cruise Director/Prosecutor requested King Neptune’s permission for the Zuiderdam to pass safely through his domain and asked him to review the Pollywogs. The Pollywogs, now by department, kneeled in front of the panel of the four Ships Officers. All departments were represented including the entertainers and Spa personnel. The Prosecutor identified each Pollywog by name and gave a humorous reading of their “crimes”. Then they were instructed to Kiss the Fish (a large, fresh tuna) and then lay down on one of the five tables set up where they were covered with colored foam, ice and cold water. They had to kneel once again in front of the Ship’s Officers, who, like the ancient Romans, gave them a thumbs up (sit out in the hot sun by the side of the pool) or thumbs down (jump into the pool).

In the end, all the Pollywogs were found worthy and declared “Shellbacks”! Everyone ended up in the pool, including the four Ship Officers who had been the judges! They all “played to the crowd” – the Captain swinging his white shirt with epaulets over his head before he dove in the pool. Most of the Officers still had their watches on – hope they were waterproof! The pool was drained after the Ceremony and had a thorough cleaning – lots of colored foam in the water.

When we crossed over the Equator earlier on the cruise, every passenger received a very nice Certificate saying we had crossed the Equator. I’m sure passengers who joined the cruise later received a Certificate today since we crossed the Equator again at midnight last night.