Day 4: At Sea

Last night we were reminded that, while the Grand Princess is a floating luxury five-star hotel, nevertheless she is an ocean-going vessel. The winds picked up overnight to 38 knots gusting to 46 off our starboard bow. Land-lubber translation: 70 gusting to 80km/h off our right front. Seas categorized as Very Rough with Moderately High Waves in this Fresh Gale mean a wave height of 21 feet. Captain Maresca announced today over the PA system these conditions are expected to persist throughout today and into the wee hours of tomorrow morning. He's reduced the ship's speed from the normal 19 knots to 15 to make walking about the ship a little easier.

I went down to the International Cafe on Deck 5 to get us our caffeine fix. I glanced out the window and the sight was astounding: the waves reached just above the height of the windows during a big swell. Wow! 

Like most cruise ships made recently, the Grand Princess has stabilizers that stick out just below the waterline. These are hydrofoils that mitigate roll during heavy seas. They do help a lot, but there's only so much they can do. Combined with the fore-and-aft pitch as we ride the waves, we need to hang on to railings as we move about the ship.

It's mesmerizing and humbling. Despite the technological marvel humans have created in te Grand Princess, it is insignificant when compared to the power of the sea.

We went for a workout in the gym on Deck 15 forward. Though I chose my usual Nordic machine, the experience was quite different. The pitching and rolling of the ship meant I had to hang on to the machine while I was pedaling. Dona made the wise choice of a recumbent bike. The good news was we had a panoramic view out the window, so we could see the swells and prepare myself. In fact, after the Grand Princess reached the top of a swell and moved downward, I almost did a zero-g  off the Nordic machine. It was intense!

We relaxed for a bit in our stateroom,

then I took in my first Ukelele lesson. Any of you who have taken guitar can easily guess how it went. Fingers trying to figure out where to move on the frets did not make for great music. Still, I can see where ingraining the muscle memory with lots of practice really helps, Eddie Van Halen has nothing to worry about from me.

We had a wonderful dinner, then we took in some of the entertainment on board in the Explorers Lounge. A band named Opus was playing, and these guys are from St. Lucia. We vacationed there last February. 

Tomorrow's forecast is for much calmer winds and tropical temperatures. We have our second couple's massage early in the morning. Getting up early won't be so bad because we move into a new timezone tonight - Alaskan Standard Time - three hours behind Central Time. It's also the first of three formal evenings.

Good night all.