Sleeping at Sea

Some people get sea-sick. I am not one of them. I remember that when I was a pre-schooler, my uncle had a water-bed. I used to ask to visit him just to lie on it.

When I moved out of my parents' home, my uncle said, you know, I still have that water-bed, you just need to replace the bladder so I ended up using it for at least two years until I got engaged.

Maybe the rocking motion comforts me. There is just something about the ocean that triggers me to relax so nights at sea are just an added bonus on a cruise.

Even when the seas were wild, I would obsessively look out and be mesmerized. On the first night at sea after leaving Hong Kong, the spray churned up into my stateroom window and you could see the enormous waves as the bow ploughed through them. I wondered what the view from the outside cabins one deck lower would have been like because I love that kind of excitement.

It was too far for me to see from my bed so I gathered up my comforter and fashioned a little bunk on the window ledge. I spent the whole night there sleeping and waking to watch the show.

It was around the same size as a business class lie-flat bed so I was pretty comfy. When he came to make up the the room the next day, the steward had a good laugh at my makeshift sleep area and called his buddies over to see what I had done.

Another fun thing is to get out on deck at night:

It's 2:30 am. The moon is shining into my cabin and I am wide awake. Seas are calm. I need fresh air so I get dressed, gather up my silk sleeping bag, a blanket and a pillow and headed to my secret enclave on deck 5 forward just under the tenders.

It is a quiet area even in daytime so I reckoned that I wouldn't be disturbing anyone and might even see some whales as we sailed into their Okinawan breeding grounds.

I found a deck chair and replaced the cushion which had been stowed for the night. Then I set myself up with my little cocoon and enjoyed the sound of the waves with the bright moon glittering on the water. It was very comfy and I slept well until the morning sun warmed my face.

Soon after the deck hands came by to set up the chairs for the day. Needless to say, they were a little surprised to find me there.

I put on my best fake indignant voice, pointed at my imaginary watch and proclaimed: "I have been sitting here since 2:30 am and NO ONE has offered me a drink!"

It took them a second...but then they laughed. The crew on this ship are very easy going and mix it up with the passengers at every opportunity. On +Celebrity Cruises , it sometimes seems like a two-tiered class system but on +Azamara Club Cruises , the staff IS the main attraction.

Alas, I saw no whales from my position but folks in the Windows Cafe where I normally went for breakfast did. Oh well...