Notes from the sea

“Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic.” -- Dave Barry

There has been a lot of excitement on board, including some bad behavior by the students, who drank too much and disturbed the peace. Students get disciplined and may lose college credit if they misbehave. Passengers have seen some theft, surprisingly in Japan, which has such a low crime rate. Most unfortunately, I was among those who witnessed the fatal heart attack of Professor Wade Lancaster. Even with a doctor and a nurse performing CPR, he died by the time the ambulance arrived in Shanghai. He was 70 years old.

Left: Archbishop Demond Tutu throws a first rose into the ocean during the memorial service for  Professor Lancaster. His widow Jeanette and her brother Mike are standing at the railing

The English Lit professor here has become a friend. His students have finished reading and discussing Melville's Moby Dick and have moved on to Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea. Because we are sailing, he has picked classics about the seas for study.

I sit in on several classes, and every evening there is a discussion on entrepreneurship in the auditorium and documentaries running in the loop that we can watch on TV in our cabins. Several professors are kind enough to lecture just us Lifelong Learners. The Psychology professor gave us tips on how to improve our memory and is doing memory testing and research among volunteers from toddlers to those of us in our 70s.

We have two dozen dependent children traveling with their families. The ship doctor has a teen-ager, a 10-year-old and a pre-schooler, all boys. The son in high school is taking some college courses. All of the other kids are home-schooled.

Physical activities include basketball. Can you imagine? On the high seas? A female student jumped for a hook shot as the ship swayed in the opposite direction. She fell and broke her ankle. The medical clinic put her in a temporary cast and provided a wheelchair.

There are fitness classes such as yoga, Pilates, Zumba and other cardiovascular opportunities in addition to a treadmill, bikes, StairMasters and more. But walking from class to cabin to cafeteria is exercise onto itself, especially when the seas are rough. 

I have not yet taken advantage of the steam room or sauna, but intend to do so today or tomorrow, followed by a massage. Life on the MV Explorer is good.

The weight room is on deck five with outmoded machines that are available any time of day. The pingpong table and the swimming pool are at the far end, the aft of the ship. The cardiovascular machines are very popular, and you have to reserve your turn. I use one of two bicycles, as it's more accessible. The spa that includes steam and sauna, massage and facials is next door. The beauty salon gives great haircuts.