Roald Amundsen was the first explorer to reach the South Pole in December 1911. It was a race between his team and a British team lead by Robert F. Scott. Scott arrived a month later. Sadly Scott's team did not survive the journey back. The ship MS Roald Amundsen was built in 2019 especially to sail in Antarctic waters.
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| MS Roald Amundsen |
It can normally carry a little over 500 passengers but because of the pandemic our ship has only about 250 passengers. The ship has 11 levels. The passenger cabins are from Level 4 to 9. Level 3 is where they launch small boats for shore excursion. It's also where the Medical Center is located. Level 10 has the Explorer's Lounge where you can stare out of the windows in comfortable chairs. There's a bar that serves alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. At the stern are two jacuzzis, a swimming pool and an observation deck. All these are outdoors.
Here is more information about the MS Roald Amundsen
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| Spacious Cabin |
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| Bathroom |
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| Dining Room |
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| Outdoor Running Track on the 11th Level |
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| Outdoor Jacuzzi |
The ship has an indoor gym on the 7th level and an outdoor track and some exercise equipment on Level 11. With so much food and idle time passengers do need some way to burn off the calories. It also has a co-ed sauna, a Scandinavian favorite. I enjoy the outdoor walking/running track on Level 11. Each lap is about 150m which means you have to walk 11 laps to have walked about 1 mile. I try to walk the track at least once a day. It helps to keep the body active and perhaps build up an appetite. When the weather is nice and calm it's such a pleasure to walk the track. However, when the weather is nasty you can feel the biting cold and if the wind is strong you can almost be blown off.
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| Explorer Lounge on Level 10 |
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| Indoor Gym |
Eating goes hand-in-hand with cruising. The abundance of food and choices is part of the game. This ship has 3 restaurants: Aune, Fredheim and Lindstrom. The first two are for all passengers. Lindstrom is for passengers staying in suites. This means they pay enough money to warrant having a restaurant of their own. All other passengers who want to eat in the Lindstrom have to pay an extra 25€ or almost US$30 per meal. Fredheim is a casual-style restaurant serving burgers, milkshakes, waffles, etc. If you want something simple and not too big, this is the place to go. Aune is a little more formal, with multiple courses per meal. Beer and wine are served here. I usually eat in Aune and after a couple of days got to know the waiters and waitress serving in that section. Unfortunately, it's hard to turn down good meals Often I have to take a walk on the Level 11 deck to ease my over indulgence.
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| King Crab Roll and Yakitori for Lunch in the Fredheim |
One remarkable fact about this ship is most of the manual work are done by workers from the Philippines. When I first got on board I heard some chatter in the lounge area and recognized right away it's Tagalog. This is the national language of the Philippines. They are recruited because of their low wages, English fluency and are hard workers. They do all the manual labor - kitchen, dining room, housekeeping, mechanics, bar-tenders, etc. Working on a cruise ship may sound like glamorous or fun because you get to go to many foreign countries. Not so. These workers work long hours, at least 10 or even more. They are away from their families for months. I am sure some of them miss their family. On the positive side they can save up a fair amount of money that they can buy land or houses in the Philippines.
On the first day we were directed to sit at a certain table. Mine was somewhere towards the back of the ship. Each section is served by a team. After a while you get to know your servers and they know you and what you like. The team that served me almost every time I go to the Aune Restaurant are: Shelly Ann (nickname Goosy), Arthur and Theo. They are so efficient, helpful and friendly. Being an Asian myself I felt a little kin-hood with these servers. They have been on multiple cruises, which means that they have been away from home for a few months. It must be hard for them and their family but they never show it. They are always cheerful and willing to bring you your favorite food. I know that sometimes they are tired and probably a little homesick but they never showed it. I hope most of their customers will tip them generously when they get off the ship.
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| L-R: Theo, Arthur, Shelly Ann (Goose) |
There is not much to do on the ship. Normally there would be some activities conducted by the crew but because of the pandemic, face-to-face contact is minimized. Information is disseminated through the Hurtigruten App which everyone must download. Activities, programs, menus, meal bookings, etc, are all done through the app. I don't know how those who are not comfortable with new technology cope with this vehicle. Everyone must wear a mask when you leave your cabin except when you are eating. Strict COVID prevention protocols are followed. In spite of all these restrictions I can sense that most passengers are happy to be able to travel.
The passengers are from all over the world. A sizable number are from Germany and quite a few from the US and Canada. There are also some French passengers. As a result announcements are made in all 3 languages. Unless you came in a group there is little interaction with other passengers. Sometimes you jump into a conversation because you hear something that want to chime in but mostly passengers stick to themselves. I am used to traveling by myself so I am okay with that. I downloaded a book called "The Code Breakers" by Walter Isaacson on my Kindle. It's about CRISPR, the new gene editing tool and the scientists, especially Jennifer Doudna, behind it. It's a fascinating story. I finished it halfway through the cruise. Unfortunately, the internet on board is too slow for me to download another book from the Phoenix Library.
I brought along a hard disk that has about 20 movies on it. Soon I will be watching the movies. I've been staring out into the gray waters of the ocean and it's becoming monotonous. Yesterday we saw a pod of whales in front of the ship. That was exciting. This is the first time I saw whales since we came on board.
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