Day 9: Day at Sea

Day 9 — Sea Day Sunday. Our first day at sea with no stops, after an intense week that wore us out. So we took the chance to rest — my wife got a pedicure and a massage, and I went to the barber for a new haircut, Arctic Style.

And I swam in the Arctic Ocean. A technically accurate statement. Because I did swim. And we are in the Arctic Ocean. But for more accuracy, if anyone asked, I'd add that I swam in the pool filled with ocean water, normally heated to 30°C, but which had dropped to 26°C today, for obvious reasons.

I also hit the laundromat and washed all my t-shirts. I'd already done the rest of the laundry yesterday. Now everything's fresh, like today's the first day of the cruise. At this rate I could stay on this ship another year or two.

This industry is incredible. We're on a floating city with a single mission: to spoil us. We're missing nothing. From now on I'm calling this industry: The Spoiling Industry. Its main goal: to spoil you rotten. Just like the space cruise ship in Pixar's WALL-E. Whatever it takes, as long as you leave happy and come back again. Very few passengers on board are on their first cruise. Most are repeat customers.

We have everything on board. At dinner I tried to make a joke and asked the waiter if they had alcohol-free wine. I expected a good laugh. Instead he asked me, very seriously, which I preferred — white, rosé, or red — then opened a bottle for me, from which I drank two glasses, and told me I could finish the rest another evening, no problem.

Good thing I got some rest, because now I'm super pumped again and can't sleep. I'm on watch trying to photograph whales. It's nearly two in the morning, I haven't seen actual night in a few days, and if the sky weren't cloudy right now… the sun would be shining, just like it was at 11pm, like in the photos where the clock on deck reads 11:00 — and no, that's not 11am, it's an hour before midnight.

While I was writing this I didn't spot a single whale.
They must have gone to bed. I'm going too.

Good "night"!