It Was a Dark and Stormy Night...

Hello Everyone!

Really! It was a dark and stormy night! 

The captain's weather forecast from last evening was spot on. I was awakened just before 1:00 am by being tossed around in my bed. The ship was pitching and rolling heavily, and I could hear the wind howling outside. Like watching a tornado or a severe thunderstorm, it was morbidly enthralling to feel, see, and hear the power of nature. 

Here's what it looked like on radar. The ship is located under the blue dot. Bad as it was, we clearly missed the worst of it!

Radar Image of the Storm

I briefly opened the sliding door to my veranda and couldn't believe how loud it was and how strong the wind was blowing! The double-paned heavy glass door really muffled the sound and fury of the storm.

Video from My Stateroom Veranda

My cabin is just aft of mid-ship, and the pitching isn't as as pronounced here as in the bow. So, I (crazily, I'll admit!) put on some clothes and walked to the Explorers' Lounge up front. Of course, it was deserted except for a lone crewmember who was vacuuming the carpets. It was completely dark outside, so I could see nothing through the windows, but just sitting in a lounge chair was an E-ticket ride. The wind was howling and the entire ship would shudder as we crashed through the oversized waves. I can only imagine how bad it would have been without the ship's stabilizer system in operation! 

I used an app on my phone to verify that the ship slowed as we transited the rough waters. We normally average about 16 knots, but during the night we were down to only 10 knots.

Video from the Explorers' Lounge

I walked by the pool deck to find that they had drained the pool. I'm sure it would have emptied itself if they hadn't!

Drained Swimming Pool

I eventually returned to my cabin and tried to get back to sleep, but it was difficult. The pitching and rolling intensified through the night and the sliding doors on my closet kept opening and closing, often with a loud bang, despite having spring-loaded catches designed to keep them closed. When I got up this morning, I found many of the items on my desk were on the floor, and just about all my toiletries in the bathroom came off the shelves.

Morning Update

The captain came on the PA again at 6:00 am to give an update. Although the pitching and rolling was still pretty heavy, he said that we'd come through the worst of the storm and that conditions would improve throughout the day. He said the winds would subside by noon but that sea conditions would remain rough for some time because it takes a while for the sea to settle down.

He "strongly recommended" that everyone remain in their cabins until further notice, due to safety concerns. All of the restaurants and food venues were closed for breakfast, but the cruise director told us that our cabin stewards would bring each of us a continental breakfast in our rooms.

The sky this morning consisted of puffy, broken clouds with hints of sunshine, but the wind remained very strong. Click below for a daytime video.

Video from My Stateroom Veranda in the Morning

I got breakfast delivered to my room just after 9:00 am. I guess the kitchen didn't get the word that I'm a solo traveler!

First and Second Breakfast

Altered Lunch Plans

At about 10:00 am the cruise director made the announcement that we'd be able to have lunch either in our rooms, or at the main restaurant, our choice. The restaurant would operate with a limited menu, and we could order from that same menu for room service if we wished. The other eating venues onboard would remain closed until sometime later in the day. Crucially, there would be one bar open as of 12 noon!

I went to eat in The Restaurant at noon and there were only a handful of people there. I saw a lot of trays in the halls outside people’s rooms so I assume most opted to eat in. I had cabin fever and stayed out reading a book and reading newspapers online the rest of the afternoon.

I spoke with many people who have been on far more Viking ocean cruises than I, and every one of them said that this was the worst sea conditions they'd experienced. None could recall being restricted to their rooms in the past, and even those who'd been to Antarctica said that last night's conditions were much worse than anything they'd endured even in the fabled Drake's Passage. The captain, in a later announcement this afternoon, confirmed that winds last night topped 60 knots (69 mph) at times, and that waves were in the 7-9 meter range (23 to 29 feet).

Agenda Changes

All of the day's events were cancelled until 4:30pm, when our resident photographer gave a lecture on how to edit photos on your cell phone. I attended, and I learned a few new tips.

The weather gradually improved through the afternoon and evening but the seas remained quite rough. The captain said he expected things to settle down later tonight. I hope so - It’ll be nice to get a good night’s sleep!

By early evening, most of the venues on the ship were operating again, but they kept my favorite hangout, the Explorers’ Lounge, closed because it’s on a high floor all the way at the bow, and was still moving too much to be safe for food and beverage service. I elected to go to The Chef's Table and have a nice meal before retiring early to catch up on the sleep I lost last night.

Flexible Crew

I thought the crew did a fabulous job adapting to the conditions. I can't imagine putting out 800 room service meals for breakfast, but they made it work. Some of the crew were suffering from queasy stomachs yet they soldiered on and continued to do their jobs. Scheduled events were fluid through the day and everyone adapted. All in all, another fine tribute to Viking's flexibility. 

Tomorrow

Tomorrow will be another sea day before reaching Sydney on the 5th. Our guest choir is slated to perform in the afternoon. I'll let you know how that goes!

Cheers,
Jim