Day 175 – Sail the Labrador Sea

It was another rough night and day, but it certainly did not approach the violent conditions we experienced two days ago. We are just rocking and rolling along, and everyone looks as if they have had too much to drink.

Knowing that the end of the World Cruise is fast approaching has made me quite emotional, and I have found myself tearing up at the drop of a hat. I also started to pull back from the events on the ship and retreat to my room. This morning, for example, I should have been first in line to photograph the extravagant displays at today’s Brunch. Instead, I did not even attend, let alone take photos. I stayed in my room and ordered room service.

Remaining in the room was a perfect opportunity to catch up on more lectures. Tim and I watched Dr. Robert Cribb’s talk on “Canadian Exploration,” where he reflected on the motivations and legacies of key figures during the late fifteenth to seventeenth centuries.

Canadian Exploration: First Contacts

During Captain Marcus’ noon announcement, we learned of yet another change to our itinerary. I was not at all surprised to hear that our diversion to Nuuk due to the medical emergency, as well as the rough seas that we are still experiencing, meant that we would not be able to arrive in L’Anse aux Meadows in time to conduct our port call. Therefore, we will now sail directly to Halifax as scheduled. We were also advised that Viking’s Customer Relations team will contact us when we return home with an offer of compensation.

I watched Russell Lee lecture on “The Tragedy of the Acadians – Canada’s Lost Colony” in the afternoon. Although I was familiar with these seventeenth-century settlers who got caught in the colonial wars between France and England, I learned much more about the background and reasons that led to their expulsion from Nova Scotia.

The Tragedy of the Acadians - Canada's Lost Colony

Since we no longer needed a port talk for L’Anse aux Meadows, the Viking Sky team arranged an impromptu talk about “Navigating in Polar Waters,” courtesy of the Ice Pilot who has been with us since Reykjavik. It was very interesting to hear about all the resources that are consulted to decide whether a port is safe to visit, due to the amount and location of the ice around it. He also discussed the various tools that are used to help navigate a ship through areas where icebergs are present.

Navigating in Polar Waters

After resting during the afternoon, my typically-happy self somehow reappeared, and I was ready for a dinner that I had facilitated in Manfredi’s Private Dining Room. This time, I was merely the booking agent. Several days ago, I suggested to our friends Nancy, Heather, and Jim that we get together for dinner and that each one invite another couple. They did, and we had a very fun evening. It was a good thing we were in the private dining room and not the restaurant, since there was so much laughter.

A Fun Evening with (l-r) Sarah, Evelyn, Dave, Tom, Valerie, Heather, Jim, Nancy, and Tim