Finding Quiet on a Ship of 6000

A day at sea is a difficult thing to write about, especially if you are trying to avoid the “we did this, then we did that” style of travel diary. This was also the ship’s Celebration Night, when many passengers embrace the excuse to dress up…. suits, cocktail dresses and party frocks included, ourselves among them.

Still, a quick run-through of the day probably helps before the wider reflections.

We were up early and walked the promenade deck before most of the ship had stirred. It was a beautiful clear morning: bright sunshine, calm seas and only a handful of people outside. Crew members were already preparing for the day, laying out long rows of empty sunbeds in neat formation. Looking out over the wake stretching to the horizon, there was a feeling of complete emptiness and space behind the ship, just endless sea, bright reflections and sky.

By the time we finished our walk it was still not yet seven o’clock, so we rewarded ourselves with an early coffee and a muffin while much of the ship still slept. One of those simple little holiday moments that somehow feels more enjoyable than it probably should. Sitting with a coffee watching the sea slide past through huge windows, there was a sense that the day was only just beginning while the world outside had already been awake for hours.

Breakfast in The Pearl was long and leisurely, with excellent service, before we spent some time exploring more of the ship. In the shopping area we bumped into friends who had coincidentally booked the same cruise. As people do on holiday, conversations quickly turned into comparisons…. favourite venues, things worth trying and things perhaps best avoided.

There was a quiz in Brodie’s (not entirely my thing), followed by surprisingly good fish and chips at The Quays.

Afterwards we wandered outside again and spent time exploring the upper decks. One of the things I continue to find fascinating about Iona is its sheer scale. Looking down through the vast glass dome of the SkyDome, you can really appreciate the strange little world contained inside it, people sitting in sunshine, pools and hot tubs below, different decks stacked above and below each other like a floating village. It somehow feels both huge and enclosed at the same time.

Eventually we settled on our own balcony. Sheltered from the wind, it was unexpectedly hot and sunny, enough for Factor 50 to suddenly become necessary. Another cruise contradiction.

The weather itself felt full of contradictions all day. In the sunshine we found ourselves smiling for photographs wrapped in coats, scarves and hats under skies so bright and blue they could easily have belonged somewhere much warmer. The photographs probably suggest pleasant spring weather; the reality was rather different. Step out of the shelter and the wind quickly reminded you that we were heading towards Norway.

Yet only a few feet away people were sitting in jacuzzis and swimming pools wearing little more than swimwear while others walked around with heavy coats fully zipped and hoods pulled tightly against the wind. It was one of those slightly surreal scenes that somehow only makes sense on a cruise ship.

The BAFTA Cocktail

A couple of hours later we were transformed into our evening versions, dressed for the Chef’s Table event as part of Celebration Night. Friends came to our cabin to admire the aft view, take photographs in our finery and share a bottle of Moët.

The evening itself felt a little different from the previous night. There was a sense of occasion around the ship; people making an effort, gathering for photographs and enjoying the excuse to dress up. Looking back at some of the pictures afterwards, perhaps that was part of the enjoyment: not really the formality itself, but sharing the experience with our friends.

The Chef’s Table was held in the Horizon buffet restaurant, though credit where it’s due: they made a real effort to make it feel special. The food and service were excellent once again.

Then on to the evening entertainment. There was a Take That themed production show which turned out to have a little more depth than expected. Running for just under an hour, it touched on friendship, loss and love rather than simply being a straightforward tribute act.

We finished the evening listening to a Motown live band in The Clubhouse.

There. We survived the sea day.

What struck me most afterwards was that we actually did far more than I expected and enjoyed it more than anticipated, particularly the evening. Yet I am still not entirely sure how I feel about cruising alongside 6,000 other passengers. It is difficult to imagine anything more different from our journey through India, which we loved for reasons that were almost entirely the opposite.

Cruising seems perfectly designed for people who enjoy eating, drinking and entertainment delivered with remarkable efficiency and precision timing. If, however, your instinct when travelling is simply to wander, explore and discover things independently, I am less certain.

Obvious though it sounds, 6,000 passengers plus crew really is a huge number of people. The photographs can be misleading. There are moments when the upper decks look almost deserted, rows of empty loungers stretching away into the sunshine. Yet if the weather turns or everyone moves inside, seating suddenly becomes precious and finding a quiet corner surprisingly difficult.

The front decks of Iona

Photography has also become more challenging than I expected. With so many people around, how do you find something original? How do you isolate a quiet moment or unusual perspective? Perhaps I need to stop looking for grand scenes and start paying more attention to smaller things instead — morning coffee before seven, light on the sea through a window, or the odd little moments between people that say more than landscapes sometimes do.

And finally, a day without internet is oddly difficult. Perhaps more difficult than I would have admitted beforehand.