GO-SHIP IO5: Free time on a 55-day cruise

I05 Log: Free time on a 55-day cruise

Have you ever gone on a long flight or bus ride, so you download some movies or bring along some books? But of course, when you get on your bus or plane, you no longer have any interest in watching or reading the media you brought? Well imagine that for 55 days. But luckily for us on the R/V Roger Revelle, there are tons of movies downloaded to watch in the lounge and books of various genres in the library. During the almost 2 months at sea, you will need lots of activities to keep you occupied, so different games and competitions have arisen. In the evenings there is a rotating schedule of board games and poker nights (5 dollar buy in but you have to be careful because it can add up over a few weeks). Another group activity is the ongoing ping pong tournament which has crew and scientists competing for the grand prize (to be announced). If you struggle to play ping pong on land, wait until a huge swell comes out of nowhere and your paddle moves further away from the ball. It has been a great activity to interact with new-ish people (the people are all the same on a boat) and have some fun.

When going on these long cruises, some people bring along new hobbies to try such as knitting, cross-stitching, or drawing materials. Others may try to excel in long forgotten hobbies such as the new Super Mario Bros., which doesn’t take as long to complete as you might think, and you may complete the game more than six times… that totally wasn’t me…! When the weather outside is too great to stay inside there will be a gathering of people drinking coffee and eating snacks in the sun. Sometimes on these breaks a whale will be spotted, which can start a frenzy of people trying to also catch a glimpse of wildlife. Sometimes it is just nice to have fun while chatting with your team, learning new things about each other. So, in summary when on such a long cruise you will definitely find ways to occupy yourself… some are not what you might do for fun on land, but at least you are entertained.

~By Kirstin Petzer