Blue Planet Journey

What the bridge officers see.  This is from a presentation on ship navigation given by the captain. In general, the larger the ship, the more activities there are to keep you busy on a sea day (cruising between ports).  Right now I'm on the Celebrity Summit , and in a few minutes the Captain will make his 10 AM announcement on our location, sea conditions (we are 190 miles from St. Croix), and weather.  We left the island of Aruba last night, headed toward St. Croix.   I thought I would use this day as my "life on a cruise ship" example. My morning started with me heading out of our Deck 7 stateroom at 6 AM for a session in the gym on Deck 10.  I like hitting the gym early because there are no crowds... some free weights, machines, then 4 miles on the treadmill.  The ship was rolling slightly this morning, which makes running interesting as you sway. I have to hold on to the safety bar with one hand as I run, which is an acquired skill....

This is as close to the Whitsunday Islands that we will get.  Our stop at this gateway to the Great Barrier Reef was canceled because the proximity of Cyclone Iris (a category 2 storm) caused the harbormaster to close Shute Harbour to all traffic. Cruises are somewhat fickle, in that things can happen that bring into play the fine print that says something like, "We will sail here and there, unless the captain decides otherwise." Milford Sound, New Zealand . This has happened twice in the past month.  First, our visit to the famous Milford Sound in New Zealand was canceled when, 6 hours out of Melbourne, Australia, on our way to the Sound, a guest suffered a medical emergency that resulted in the Celebrity Solstice  turning around and returning to Melbourne to evacuate the guest.  Captain Zsis Taramas, in consultation with the medical staff and after considering the risks associated with a nighttime medical evacuation by helicopter, decided to retur...