Steve and Cathy's Blog

The photo above was actually taken at 12:40am tomorrow, July 12^th. That’s 40 minutes past midnight and yes, that is the Midnight Sun. Sort of hidden behind the clouds, but it’s there!

Steve has set his alarm and awakens at 6:00am to be conscious when the ship crosses the Arctic Circle. Whether the ship is actually crossing at this precise time is irrelevant to him. He just wants to bear witness to something he has wished to experience for a long time. He looks out at the Norwegian Sea … and then closes the curtains and goes back to bed. We’ve arrived!

We actually don’t arise until 8:15am – a record for us. These heavy curtains work all too well, it seems. At any way, this is a Sea Day, so no harm done. After breakfast in the Grand Dining Room that is over around 9:30am, we decide to spend the morning in Horizons, a large area in the bow of the ship on Deck 10. There are activities such as needlepoint, Indoor Crazy Golf Putting, bracelet making and the like going on, but there are also many people like us just 

enjoying the morning by reading and such. Steve will write and edit photos and Cathy brings her huge needlepoint project.

The fun thing about Cathy doing needlework is that it attracts the attention of other likeminded guests, who want to know what she is making. It’s a great conversation-starter, and today is no exception. A woman whose name I am ashamed to say I have already forgotten comes over to inquire. We end up spending a half hour or so chatting about this and that. Very fun.

Noon rolls around, we lunch in the GDR, head for the stateroom for quiet time. The outside temperature is 50 degrees at best, and our room is, well, freezing. We decide that it is time to bring in the maintenance staff for a look. At 5:45, Cathy goes to listen to the Darsem String Quartet in the Upper Hall on Deck 5. 

Steve is left with the job of contacting Bernadel, our Stewardess, who will bring in the maintenance troops. It finally occurs to him to check the door to the veranda. Ahhh. A slight breeze of arctic air is coming out of the bottom. That’s the problem. He stuffs tissue in the crack where the freezing air is coming in for a very temporary fix, and notifies Bernadel of the problem. He tells her we’re fine for the night and she says she’ll get maintenance on it tomorrow.

Again to the Grand Dining Room. Tonight, both of enjoy Tournedos Rossini (Cathy has negotiated to have both slices of the foie gras, hers and Steve’s. Not a tough negotiation, really).  It’s another wonderful 5-star meal. The food on this ship is simply beyond compare; it really is. And the service of the staff matches the quality of the food. 

Well, Sea Day number two is in the books, and now we are above the Arctic Circle. If it’s cold, we can’t complain. We have asked to be here, and we are really looking forward to arriving at Hammerfest, the northernmost town in the world, tomorrow at 7:00am.