Friday – Strange Day
Yesterday proved to be, literally, the calm before the storm. Although the sea had a bit of swell all day, it was nothing compared to what was to come.
The Captain came across the PA system in the middle of my first class of the afternoon announcing that the large storm heading from the West, was due to reach us at around midnight, just at the time we would be entering the Bay of Biscay for the second time this trip.
He wasn’t wrong.
Today, the movement has been so severe, and prolonged, that passengers have been confined to their cabins. Clearly the message wasn’t getting through, since periodic announcements by the Cruise Director, throughout the day, reiterated the request for guests to remain in their cabins; anyone in any of the lounges on Deck 8 should find a seat and stay there.
Lunch was cancelled, as was all the craft classes, with Marco’s Bistro, Scott’s Bar and The Waldorf Restaurant closed to passengers, a cold lunch would be served to guests in their cabins, and passed amongst those sat in the lounges.
At midday, I ventured out to find Franky, the Cruise Director, for an update on whether or not any classes would go ahead, and how long the weather conditions were expected to last; we’d also decided yesterday that we should have an art and craft exhibition… would that be going ahead?
Of course, I knew the answer before I got to the office. This was the first time I’d ventured out of the cabin since last night, and with the portholes battened down, there’s no point of reference as to how things are. The corridors were strangely silent, and when I reached deck 8, I caught my first sight of the seas outside. Remember ‘A Perfect Storm’? Mountainous waves reared up like monsters, tossing the poor old Marco Polo from side to side, and when I reached the entertainments office, they told me that they’d had waves crashing against their windows (this is deck 8, remember…). All craft sessions were cancelled, along with our exhibition; the conditions were expected to last for another 5 hours.
Needless to say, it’s all be a bit of a strange day, sat in our cabin holding on to everything, watching the live feed from the front of the ship, and the sea-map, on the TV as the ship crossed the Bay of Biscay, towards le Havre. Fortunately, Tracey and I also had our laptops to entertain us, and I took the opportunity to do some online student work.
The day ended on an upbeat note. Due to the weather, Marco’s Bistro was closed for dinner, which meant we had to eat in the Waldorf Restaurant. This is not something we normally due, preferring instead to eat in the less formal setting of Marco’s. Both of us were pleasantly surprised at the quality of the food, and the efficiency of the service. This was followed by a drink in the only lounge open to guests; The Captain’s Club, before turning in for the night, quite drained… it’s tiring stuff doing nowt!
