Steve and Cathy's Blog

The photo above has no particular significance, but is a good example of the care and creativity of the dozens of chefs who prepare our meals. Oceania’s claim is to have “the finest cuisine at sea,” and we will attest to that claim. The dish you see here is merely a dessert that Steve had at lunch – some kind of pudding with coconut pasted on to the rim of the glass. The presentation of everything that’s served in the Grand Dining Room is presented with this skill and imagination.

As our captain told us in a late afternoon message over the public address system, today the sea is letting us know that it – not us – is in charge. It’s not anything to be concerned about, just that the 12-foot rolling waves and 20+-knot winds keep the ship slightly pitching (fore and aft) and rolling (port and starboard) noticeably. 

The “motion of the ocean,” as the cruise director on a previous trip described it, began pretty much the previous evening. For the purpose of sleeping, it works wonders. Never do we sleep so soundly as when the ship is in such motion. It’s like being in a cradle being gently moved back and forth.

Having said that, there is a limit to our enthusiasm for it all. Sleeping is one thing. Moving about the ship is another. You really do have to hold on to railings as you proceed down corridors and stairs, and, for Steve and Cathy, being in a room of any size with no view of the ocean will bring on seasickness in no time.

The temperature is in the mid-40s and the sky is partly cloudy. We just went through a time change and gained an hour. We’ll gain an hour tonight as well, and then be on Greenland time.

Our plans are simple. Steve will blog and Cathy will read until 10am. At that time, we will go to Sirena Lounge in the bow of Deck 5 and listen to a one-hour lecture about Viking history given by Dr. Colleen Beatey, an archeologist and historian. 

We walk into Sirena Lounge … and walk back out in less than twenty seconds. First of all, being in the bow is where you feel the pitching of the ship the most. Secondly, because curtains cover the windows, there is no view of the sea. We’re out of there, heading back to our stateroom to watch her on the ship’s television.

We both had failed to remember to bring any of our seasick meds, and once it takes over, it’s hell to get rid of. So we head back to the room. Hmmm, technical difficulties are preventing her lecture from being broadcast, so it’s back to blogging and reading.

That’s about it for this day. Sea days are full of other activities, but is not often that Steve or Cathy participate. Our purpose in taking cruises is that it provides luxurious, ultra-convenient transportation to places we want to visit. For most cruisers, the shipboard activities often take precedence.

Besides, the previous days in Iceland have been full and busy. We never have gotten over the red-eye flight to Iceland. We take long naps, eat dinner at 6:30, retire to our stateroom, and sack out, rocked to sleep by the North Atlantic Ocean.