October 18 Sea day #1 (first of three in a row)

  As will be the schedule for the next four days, around 8 a.m., a paramedic will come to administer a COVID test to Larry. If Larry is positive then he should be phoned within 60 to 90 minutes. Claire’s medic, Cole, will be arriving sometime between 9 and 11 a.m. each morning to administer temperature and oxygen checks and see how she is feeling.  Checks were done today as scheduled. Cole gave me a tiny envelope with two tablets of Dimenhydrinate 50 mg for seasickness if needed. He also gave me a packet for Larry. We have experienced heavier seas than this in the Drake Passage, but it is nice to have the pills just in case. 

   At 8 a.m. Anthem was just west of Brest, France (just like 12 days ago). The ship had travelled 286 nautical miles, which is about 530 km in 15 hours. The sky was cloudy, temperature 16° C, very windy about 40 knots (75 km per hour) and the waves are rolling about two meters high and an occasional white cap. Geographical location was 48°17.93 N & 6°23.12 W, course 212, speed 20.3 knots The daily morning “Entertainment Today” show is hosted by the cruise director, Mario. He mentioned today that there are 150 children on this Trans-Atlantic cruise. There is a new Activities Manager, Sheena. In the afternoons on that channel, the previous evening’s shows that were videoed are broadcast but, except for some of the headliners, we saw the big shows last cruise.  There were five ships visible in the distance to the east of the ship many kilometres away.

   I ordered breakfast from room service and the fruit plate and muffin were here in less than 15 minutes. Larry went to Solarium café for breakfast and then went to the Shore Excursion Destination talk. Azores is pronounced Aah-zor-ays. The Azores archipelago is an autonomous region of Portugal.  I will miss the tour in Ponta Delgada on Friday but hopefully next Tuesday's port of Halifax, we will both be able to leave the ship. 

   The captain announced at noon that he is trying to find a route along the edge of a storm churning close by, that extended north from the Mediterranean Sea to north of Northern Ireland and just as wide from Spain and Ireland to the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. At noon the wind was 73 km per hour and there were three meter waves. The intensity continued all afternoon and evening, with comments from some of the over 900 member Facebook group for this cruise that it is so rough they are taking seasickness pills. The water in the swimming pool from the camera feed visible on the TV showed it sloshing end to end and with no one near the pool, the lifeguard was over in a sheltered area.

  Today the ocean was what I expected for the North Atlantic. Sitting by the closed balcony door, you can hear the low howl of the wind, the white capped waves are about three meters high and there was a light mist blowing around which was from the waves rather than the cloudy sky.  The sun briefly popped through.  I found a map of the storm. On the map the Azores are in the mid Atlantic on the 1014 line about 7 o'clock

   I think my COVID cold is almost over, but have to wait until Friday (Day 5 since diagnosed) to be tested once more, then tested again on Saturday to be able to leave the stateroom. If Friday and Saturday are both negative then quarantine will be over.

   Larry went to a lecture in Two70° theatre called Personal Power Mastery with Douglas Vermeeren, a Calgarian. He brought back coffees and cookies from the Diamond Club after the lecture. Tonight was formal night. At dinner Larry and Jenny were joined by Melvin at the table for six. Maybe the other two seats will be filled tomorrow.  For the first time this year there was a Captain Reception in the Royal Esplanade for all passengers. After attending the reception for a while, Larry brought me a drink before going to the Headliner show at 8 p.m. featuring magician, Jamie Allan. It was a very entertaining show.

   The ship was still rolling quite a bit, but we have almost finished crossing the Bay of Biscay and travelled 290 nautical miles since this morning.

   Clocks go back one hour to be on Azores time for Friday.


Larry’s total steps 9,883         Claire around 900 step


8 a.m. Anthem was just west of Brest, France


the Azores are in the mid Atlantic on the 1014 line about 7 o'clock


the captain is trying to find a route along the edge of a storm






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