We had been warned that crossing the Drake Passage from Argentina to Antarctica could be rough. When we got on the ship we saw that the ship had a number of design elements that we had never seen before on our many cruises.
The first night and day were very rough. The swells were estimated at 20-25 feet and some waves were even higher. The Captain said that the ship listed to 27º, so we got an opportunity right away to see how the differences were valuable.
First
of all, the beds had bedrails.
The
dining room was pleasant and airy and looked like any other dining room
until we looked more closely, when we saw. . .
We
decided that they really didn't think that anyone was going to steal the
chairs. But when one particularly large wave hit during a meal, Pat was
REALLY glad the chair was chained down.
The
lounge had a mixture of heavy chairs that were chained down and light
directors chairs that could be folded and put away during rough weather.
The
pianos were especially well-secured.
The
library was impressive, with a comprehensive selection of books on a variety
of topics. Of course, all the books needed to be behind rails to prevent
them from ending up on the floor.
Other
tricks were in Shackelton's bar, where the "coasters" for the
drinks were actually circles of rug-grippers that kept the drinks and
plates from sliding on the tables. In the dining room, damp tablecloths
accomplished the same thing.
When
the seas were calm there was a very pretty verandah cafe open for all
meals.
There
was a heated pool on the outside deck, but while the water occasionally
came out of it, we saw no peope going into it.
As
things calmed down on the second day, we had our first whale encounter,
with a pair of humpback whales who found the bow of our boat irresistable.
The most excited person on the ship was Stephanie, the naturalist who
specialized in whales, who narrated the encounter over the PA system.
