First Full Day at Sea - Ship Tour!

Hello Everyone!

Yesterday (6 Jan 2026) was our first full day at sea and I took the opportunity to look around the ship, sample some of the eating venues, and just do some reading and relaxing.

As I write this (Wednesday the 7th, early afternoon), we're about 1/3 of the way from Los Angeles to Honolulu, having covered some 750 NM since we left. Only 1500 to go! At an average speed of about 18 knots, that'll take another three days - we'll be in Honolulu early Sunday morning.

We went through a time zone change overnight and are now on Alaska time (UTC-9:00). For my readers on Eastern time, that's four hours earlier than you.

My Phone Works!

I discovered yesterday that Wi-Fi calling works just fine on my phone while on the ship. That means I won't have to pay exorbitant cellphone charges to make calls while we're at sea. Thanks, Kelli, for helping me to test it!

The Wi-Fi connection has been solid, if a bit slower than I'm used to at home. But it works very well on all three of my devices (Phone, iPad, and PC). Texting (SMS, iMessage, WhatsApp) all work fine as well.

Sea Conditions

Today the sea is pretty smooth (no more than 3' swells) but yesterday we had some moderate seas with 8'-plus swells and small whitecaps. My cabin is just aft of midship, so although I could feel some movement, I didn't realize how extreme it was until I went to the lounge in the front of the ship for breakfast. My sea legs got better as the day went on, but as I made my way forward the pitching became so pronounced that it became difficult to walk without holding onto something. As seas go, this wasn't really very bad though. I've heard tales of 25-30' seas from some of the passengers, and I wonder what that experience would be like. Maybe I'll find out!

Here's a 30-second video taken from my balcony. In the first part of it you can see how pronounced the pitching was by noting how the bow moves up and down in relation to the horizon. There were times when it was more extreme, but I didn't get video of that.

Here's another video of the pool onboard. We've got some pretty good wave action going in there thanks to the rough seas!

I had no problems at all with motion sickness, and I don't think others did either.

Exploring the Ship

I spent most of my day taking it easy, reading, chatting with other guests, sampling some of the food, and exploring the ship. I showed you pictures of my stateroom in an earlier post, but here are some other parts of the ship.

The Wintergarden (Deck 7)

Afternoon tea, finger sandwiches, and pastries are served in the Wintergarden every afternoon, along with many other small group activities throughout the day.

Quiet Sitting Area Outside the Wintergarden

Sitting Area Adjacent to the Atrium

There are numerous areas like this throughout the ship. Some are more secluded, but many have nice gathering spots for small groups.

 

A Model of Our Ship, The Viking Sky

This model is very intricate, down to individual lounge chairs and tables on the various decks. It is a work of art!

Main Staircase Looking Down From Deck 2

Pool, Deck 7 (Top Slides Open in Nice Weather)

Explorer's Lounge, Lower Level (Deck 7)

Explorer's Lounge, Upper Level (Deck 8)

The Explorer's Lounge is on Deck 7 in the bow of the ship, just above the bridge (Deck 6). There's a panoramic view out the front with floor-to-ceiling windows spanning both levels. There's a full-service bar in the lower level, along with table service for drinks and snacks. It's a wonderful place to sit and read a book, sip a drink, or just watch the ocean go by.

Steinway Piano in The Living Room

Living Room Bar

The Living Room is on deck 1, on either side of the ship at the base of the stairs shown in an earlier picture. There are comfortable seating areas throughout, along with a piano and a bar. There have been classical musicians playing each evening so far. Sometimes it's just a pianist, but there is also a string duo (violin and cello) that also performs.

Outside Spaces

Here are some pictures outside the ship.

Deck 7, Port Side, Aft Looking Forward

Our Ship's Mesmerizing Wake

Deck 8, Midship, Looking Forward

Ship's Superstructure Above Bridge

There are several more areas onboard (restaurants, shops, promenade deck, theater, etc.) but I'll cover those in a future post - this one is getting long!

My Activities

Monday and Yesterday I walked around the ship and I had bites to eat in several of the restaurants (I'll cover some of the food venues in a future post). I also relaxed and read part of a book ("The Manhattan Project" by Al Cimino) as well as a few newspapers. I went to one of the upscale restaurants (Manfredi's, an Italian restaurant) and had a magnificent meal (farro & bean soup, spaghetti carbonara, steak Florentine, and chocolate gelato) accompanied by a nice Italian red wine that I can't remember the name of. The steak was among the very best I've had - cooked perfectly, tender, and very flavorful. The pasta was the perfect al dente and I'm certain it was freshly made.

Today and Tonight

This morning I attended two lectures. The first was by a retired Good Year tire engineer who worked in the automotive racing industry for his entire career. He gave a presentation on the "US Legends of International Motorsport" that was very informative and entertaining - lots of little anecdotes. One quote attributed to Henry Ford, stuck with me: "Auto racing began precisely five minutes after the second car was built."

The second lecture was by a retired NASA astronaut, Mike Foreman. He recounted one of his missions, STS-129, and regaled us with entertaining tales about the mission and his fellow astronauts.

Later today, I plan to attend another talk about the wildlife of Hawaii and French Polynesia. 

Solo Traveler's Welcome

This evening there will be a reception for all the solo travelers on board. I've already run into quite a few, but this will be a chance for all of us to mix and mingle a bit. I'm told that there will be sign ups for future dinners especially for solo travelers.

Along those lines, I also have reservations this evening at another upscale restaurant, The Chef's Table. I'll be sitting with three other solo travelers (a man and two women) whom I've not yet met. The food in this restaurant is a bit Avant Garde and includes wines paired with each of the five courses. The food alone should give us plenty to talk about!

That's all for now. Stay tuned for more pictures of the ship, as well as some info about the restaurants. And I'll be sure to let you know how dinner with three strangers went!

Cheers,

Jim