After the Storm Comes the Beauty
- Day 28, Voyage of the Vikings 2019
- Monday, Aug. 26, Prins Christian Sund, Greenland
When we left Reykjavik late Saturday, Capt. Vaartjes warned us about a storm system on the way to Greenland. He altered our course to avoid the worst, but we couldn’t escape the rolling seas.
Throughout yesterday afternoon, the captain posted weather updates in the Crow’s Nest and made announcements about what to expect. The worst of the weather came during dinner, and we watched with fascination through 270 degrees of windows as the ship rolled to side and then the other. Our intrepid dining room stewards successfully carried trays of food, but they couldn’t be everywhere at once.
First an open wine bottle toppled off a tray. Then a standing ice bucket holding white wine fell over, throwing ice all over the floor.
Drawers at the service stations flew open and the stewards blocked trays from crashing during the worst of the swells. Despite their attempts, some glasses and dishes crashed to the floor.
Following one particularly jarring series of rolls (recorded at about 10 degrees), the captain came on to reassure passengers that the storm was not worsening, but rather that the waves were coming from an uncomfortable direction.
After dinner I ventured up to the Lido Deck (deck 9). The damage was worse there. Dessert plates normally behind hinged glass doors had broken free and crashed. Either a dishwasher or a refrigerator (depending on the rumor) broke loose. Trays of dirty dishes were sitting on the floor, I assume waiting until the mess in the dishwashing area was cleaned up.
I slept well through the rolling of the ship and by this morning the seas were relatively calm and the sun bright as we approached Greenland and our path back through the mountainous islands at its southern tip – Prins Christian Sund (Prince Christian Sound).
The Crow’s Nest filled early this morning and we were lucky to find a table. Throughout the day, passengers streamed to the bow, bundled against the temperatures that started just above freezing. The hot seafood chowder was a hit.
When not just staring out at the beauty, I spent the hours adding watercolor to my most recent sketches while chatting with fellow passengers. We paused in front of a couple of glaciers, slowly spinning around so those with balconies could get good views.
This sound is the only repeat destination from the early days of our cruise, but it does remind us that we are heading toward home.
Wow – that was rough!
Very smooth here, while the captain made it sound like we would hit a bad storm again and that’s why we left the last port early.
Enjoy the remainder of the trip.
Hoping for smooth sailing for the rest of your voyage, Joyce!
Love the maps! (I’m such a visual person)
Mary, I’m glad you like them! My sisters and I say “we are map people,” having entertained ourselves by them during years of family road trips. I really should try to remember to include maps more often — it’s easy to grab a screen shot.
Wow! Were any of the three sisters unnerved by the rocking? Any other passengers? Any seasickness?
Susan, we found it more of an adventure. I haven’t heard of anyone who was seasick, but if they were they probably were in their cabins. No one seemed to panic.
Quite the adventure and perhaps why some shy away from cruising.