Cabin Fever at Two Days

April 24, 2012

Despite the Captain’s predictions the weather is not getting better. We have completed our second full day of gale force winds mostly accompanied by driving rain. When I first awaken in the morning I flip on the TV to see the bridge cam. It is never a good sign when the windshield wipers are going. The Captain thought we would be out of this storm by mid-afternoon of the second day, but the storm seems to be sliding east perfectly in sync with our course and speed. Boy, were we spoiled in the Caribbean.

Although I’ve stayed inside for two full days before there is something about this crossing that has definitely given me a major case of cabin fever. Part of it is definitely the weather that just makes it very unpleasant to stand on decks for more than a few seconds. Every time I try, I slink back in with a feeling of defeat. The second part may be that I know I won’t see land for five days nor have a chance to get off the ship for six. What you can’t have you always want. I have always been ‘solar powered,’ so the thought of being under artificial light for all that time is already affecting my mood.

The guests have generally been in good spirits so far. However, I noticed that after this afternoon’s intended change in climate came and went with no relief from the storm that their good humor was beginning to fade. Many have been on crossings before and so know that the weather is always questionable. But for those who are new to the game I think they have been caught by surprise. When you are in the Caribbean or the Mediterranean you generally expect nice weather. When you are at sea and not in port you can often steer your ship to avoid the worst of the weather. But when you have 2500 miles of ocean to cover you can’t be chasing the sun. The thought was that since we were supposed to have good weather on the crossing that we would ensure that some of our favorite outdoor guest interactions would take place, such as Officer Pool Volleyball and Officer Guest Bocce. However, each has been scratched from the schedule as the rain continues to fall and the wind continues to blow. Our jealousy towards Eclipse and her perfect crossing seas and sky are increasing every day.

If this continues for the next four days they will need to redecorate my cabin with new wallpaper. I will be ready for the rubber room. In the meantime we hope for a break and begin counting down not just the days, but the hours, until we reach Europe. And this only two days in with four days to go . . . or 96 hours . . .

And the adventure continues . . .