December 25, 2107

  Today was Christmas Day. The temperature in the morning was 4 C, windy and overcast. The ship was still in the holding pattern waiting for a weather system to pass.

        Over the past week, some of the Americans and Australians have said to us that once we say “out” they can tell that we are Canadian by the way we pronounce the word.

   After breakfast, we walked on Deck 3, taking a few pictures. You could see your breath. There were some birds flying around the ship. There was even some birds, probably the large gulls, that were floating in the wake of the ship. The land in the distance on either side was the same scenery as yesterday. The waves were about three meters high and the strong wind was blowing the white caps’ mist onto the deck that was four levels (13 meters) above the water. After 25 minutes of walking, the waves got a bit higher and the wind strengthened to the point that both the starboard side and the port side decks were getting wet. Then the rain, mixed with tiny snow pellets, started and we headed inside. Back we our room, we heard an announcement that there was an unidentified flying object coming from the South Pole to the ship. We checked the daily events schedule and at 9:30 a.m. there was a visit from Santa listed.  We went up to the Mondriaan Lounge, Deck 4 entrance, which was filled with people. Waiters offered delicious egg nog as you entered. We found a seat and watched the video on the large screen. It was a live video of Santa and some of his elves making their way through the ship’s shops and Casino to the Mondriaan Lounge where a special chair on the stage was ready for Santa.  One of the ship’s photographers took pictures as children, by age groups, were invited up to receive a gift. As the children visited Santa, waiters were weaving through the rows of people with trays of Christmas cookies. Many passengers were wearing Christmas hats, necklaces, sweaters or shirts.

   The captain announced, about 10:30, that weather conditions were improving and we would leave the sheltered area by noon to continue the voyage to the west to pass Cape Horn then head south.  He apologized that the sea conditions would prevent him for staying very long at the cape. In our last trip here in February 2012, the water was calm and the ship spent over two hours by Cape Horn. However, it was very windy.

   Ryan, the cruise director, informed the passengers that in 1832, when Charles Darwin and the ship, Beagle, were surveying the area, they too had sought refuge in the same island sheltered waters on the same day, December 24^th. They were also avoiding bad weather.

   The first Antarctica Expedition Team lecture, “The Only Continent that as Truly Discovered: An Overview of Antarctic Exploration”, was presented by Dr. Peter Carey. Antarctica is surrounded by the Southern Ocean. The first recorded sighting of Antarctica was by sealers around 1820; although the Greek philosopher, Ptolemy in 100 B.C., had included an unknown southern land on his map - Terra Incognita.  The theory was that there had to be land at the south to balance the land at the north. Although, Captain James Cook in the 1700s had sailed very close crossing the Arctic Circle, he never saw Antarctica.  Gradually over the next 100 years Antarctica’s coast was mapped and countries decided to cooperate in learning about the continent. The years 1897 to 1918 were known as the Heroic Age of Exploration of Antarctica.

       There is a boundary in the Southern Ocean called the Antarctic Convergence, where the water temperature suddenly drops two or three degrees centigrade from the northern side to the southern Antarctic side.  Mariners have been aware of this for several centuries.

   The second Antarctica Expedition Team lecture was given by Dr. Margaret Bradshaw in the afternoon. It was about the geology of Antarctica. Mainland Antarctica is made up of the oldest rock in the world, except the peninsula which is believed to have been part of South America millions of years ago when all the earth’s land mass was all together in the mass called Gondwana. This is verified by the fossil record. Many of the islands along the peninsula are volcanic.

   As the lecture progressed, the roll of the ship became stronger as the ship rounded the island and headed west for a quick view of Cape Horn and then to start the crossing of the Drake Passage. Between the two lectures, the waves got higher and all exits to the outside decks were closed.  Occasionally a jarring thud was felt as a large wave hit the front of the ship. The Mondriaan Lounge is at the front of the ship; the stage is on Deck 4.

    The Antarctica Expedition Team’s third lecture of the day was given by Gabreila Roldan called “From Companions to explorers: Women in Antarctica” just before the ship was passing Cape Horn.  By the mid 20^th century, women for the most part were not allowed in Antarctica since it was thought that they would distract the men. By the late 1960s, a few women scientists were allowed to be part of the expeditions. One of the Antarctica Expedition Team, Dr. Margaret Bradshaw, has been working in Antarctica since 1979 and received the Queen’s Polar Medal in 1993.

   The lecture audience dwindled as the ship approached Cape Horn.  The sun had broken through, although the waves were about three to four meters, the wind was very strong and the temperature was just 5 C.  The doors on Decks 2 and 3 facing the stern were open, so people could crowd onto the promenade deck 3, for viewing and taking photos of Cape Horn as the Captain cruised by at 16 knots (28 km per hour) in the rolling waters. As the ship passed Cape Horn, the lighthouse was visible and the monument, which is a reverse relief of an albatross.

   The dress code for Christmas dinner is “Gala Attire”.  With the ship battling the high waves, there were fewer people at dinner.  The higher in the ship you went and the closer to the outer sides, the rolling was more noticeable. The motion was more pronounced than the first night, we could feel the sway in our mid ship Deck 2 interior stateroom. We went for a pre-dinner drink to the Happy Hour in the Ocean Bar. If you ordered two of the same drink the second drink was just $2 US plus 18% service charge billed to your onboard account. We tried Rogue Dead Guy Ale, a craft beer from Oregon, USA and a lime vodka and limencello cocktail.  We noticed the side to side notion of the ship more on Deck 5 than on Deck 2.

   The ship is cruising though Drake’s Passage the body of water between the southern tip of South America and the Antarctica Peninsula. Although the waves are smaller, there are three to four meter swells, causing the ship to creak and roll from side to side. It is best to be close to something to grab when you are walking around the interior of the ship. Shin and Joyce were absent from dinner this evening. Joyce is sensitive to motion. The waiters were wearing black pants and white jackets with white gloves for the Gala dinner.

    The selections for Christmas dinner were: starters of Shrimp & Crab martini; coconut crusted scallops; crab and corn bisque; pear, cranberry, orange and lettuce salad; chicken & rice soup. Entrees were: Lobster Surf & Turf; Turkey dinner with dressing cranberry sauce and mashed potato.  Dessert choices were Chocolate caramel mousse in a white chocolate bowl and English Plum pudding.

    Tonight’s entertainment was the group Emperors of Soul, who were semi-finalists in the BBC1 TV’s show, Eurovision Song Contest. The quartet sang recognizable songs for the 1960s, 1970s,

and 1980s.

   The rocking of the ship continued well into the early morning. Although noticeable in out cabin, it did not deter sleep.

Final Steps 14,579 (10.24 km)