A life on the ocean wave - Part 1

'You snooze, you lose' is a phrase that definitely does not apply on a cruise ship. Food flows freely for much of every 24-hour period and although 1 300 people all appear to be rushing to get that last pork sausage or slice of cake, there is always more to replace it within a minute or two. There is no doubt that the availability of unlimited all-in-the-price food is a huge draw card for the majority of the passengers on these local coastal cruises. However, this is by no means all that is on offer.
A small group of us embarked at Cape Town on a grey Monday with a warning of high winds, and after sailing serenely past the breakwater, we quickly felt the effects of the long swells and troughs coming up from the south west, originating in the far regions of the notoriously stormy South Atlantic. Having eschewed the reassurance of sea sick tablets and being determined not to let the motion of the ocean disrupt my equilibrium, I stood my ground at the railings, watching the ruggedly beautiful Table Mountain, Twelve Apostles and Klein Leeukoppie slide by. I hadn't hurled a cat by Kommetjie and apparently had found my sea legs. All was well, despite the corkscrew motion of the vessel.

With our first (of many, many, many) onboard meal(s) safely tucked under our belts, we settled into our extremely comfortable sea view cabin that would be our home from home for the next few days. The large window (only a round one is a porthole) provided us with the best means of reminding us that we were not in a large resort hotel but actually on a moving ship - the white water from the bow wave rushed by as the ship sliced deeply into the oncoming swells, tilting the horizon giddily, then tilting it the other way as the rest of the vessel followed. The steady rolling motion didn't affect us but it certainly made us walk funny! As we made our way along the corridors from lounges to theatre, casino to shops, lower decks to upper sundecks, it was three steps to the left and then three steps to the right. It was the source of much hilarity for the rest of the week, as the deck rose up to meet our feet with every step.