Aug 14

Aug 14 Day 10 A Day At Sea

Today is the first full day at sea on this cruise. In fact, there are only two days at sea on the itinerary and they come toward the end of the cruise. The seas are relatively smooth today, but the visibility is all over the place. Heavy, dense fog will periodically clear for beautiful blue, sunny skies.

As I am finishing up yesterday’s blog, an announcement comes over the ship’s PA system that whales have been spotted off the bow of the ship. By the time I arrive, I can see guests beginning to gather. Molly, one of the ship’s Expedition Team is already on the lookout for Pilot Whales.

There were a few pods of Pilot Whales spotted this morning off the bow and on the port side of the ship.

Guests Gather At The Bow To Look For Whales

Here we can see five Pilot Whales moving near the ship. Pilot Whales are actually large members of the dolphin family, and not whales at all. But, it is much more fun to say you spotted whales than dolphins.

Later this morning, we heard announcements from the bridge that crew emergency drills would be held. When we left our stateroom to go to lunch, we noticed an EVACUATED placard hanging from our stateroom door handle. In a real emergency, crew members will make sure guests are not in their stateroom and place one of these on the door to indicate that the stateroom has been cleared.

Today’s lunch selection at World Cafe was the best of the cruise, at least for me. They had so many things on offer today that I like that it was hard to choose. So, I didn’t! I had a little of everything!

The Veal Schnitzel was one of the best I have ever had, as was the Carbonara Spaghetti. The shrimp curry was just okay, but the BBQ beef rib was amazing as were the lamb chops. I did not have room for the Caesar Salad, which is what I was hoping to have when I arrived at World Cafe.

While on the topic of dining, one of the great culinary experiences on Viking’s larger ocean ships that is missing from the expedition ships is the decadent Afternoon Tea. Viking Ocean’s afternoon tea service is one of the best in the industry and is held each day in the beautiful Wintergarden. Instead, Mamsen’s does put out some scones and cucumber sandwiches each afternoon, but it cannot compare to the Afternoon Tea on the larger Viking ships.

This afternoon, we decide to relax and enjoy a cocktail at Aquavit Terrace on Deck 5 aft. This is a very peaceful, and often overlooked, space with excellent bar service.

This evening, we attend a show at The Aula where Elmer, Viking Polaris’ Entertainment Manager, entertains us with his vocal skills.

Tomorrow, Viking Polaris will be docked in Halifax, Nova Scotia. This will be our final port-of-call before we sail toward New York City where we will disembark.