Day 11 · At Sea · 8 March 2016

There is a dangerous myth about cruise ships.

People assume sea days are relaxing.

This is technically true.

Provided you don’t attend lectures.

Or workshops.

Or meetings.

Or excursion briefings.

Or spend half the day talking to fascinating people.

In other words, provided you avoid everything.

Bonus Sleep

The day started with unexpected good news.

We gained thirty minutes.

The clocks moved back to Tahitian time.

This may not sound significant.

But after nearly two weeks of island hopping, thirty extra minutes felt like winning a small lottery.

Nobody complained.

The Navigator Without a Compass

One of the highlights of the morning was a lecture on the sacred cultural landscape of Taputapuātea on Raiatea.

What fascinated me most wasn’t the history.

It was the navigation.

Our lecturer described how traditional Polynesian navigators crossed vast stretches of ocean without modern instruments.

One method involved reading ocean swells.

Others watched birds.

Clouds.

Stars.

Even subtle changes in water.

Imagine finding Hawaii from Tahiti without GPS.

I sometimes struggle to find my hotel with GPS.

The achievement seemed almost unbelievable.

Choosing Adventures

Part of the day involved collecting excursion vouchers for upcoming stops.

Passengers carefully debated their options.

Helicopter rides.

Scuba diving.

Shark encounters.

Lagoon tours.

Everyone had opinions.

Everyone had recommendations.

Everyone insisted their choice was the best.

Travel planning never really stops.

Even when you’re already travelling.

The Balcony Versus Productivity

At one point I attempted something ambitious.

Relaxing.

I carried a book to our balcony.

The ocean stretched endlessly in every direction.

The breeze was perfect.

The setting was ideal.

Then I started thinking about work.

And emails.

And future travel plans.

And photographs.

And video editing.

The book never stood a chance.

Interrupted By Paradise

Just as I settled into doing absolutely nothing, the ship’s announcement system interrupted.

The Rangiroa briefing was beginning.

My attempt at relaxation officially ended.

Again.

This pattern was becoming familiar.

Why Sea Days Matter

By evening I realized I hadn’t accomplished much of what I intended.

I hadn’t finished my book.

I hadn’t fully relaxed.

I hadn’t completely disconnected.

Yet somehow the day still felt worthwhile.

Because travel isn’t always about doing less.

Sometimes it’s about learning more.

And the Pacific still had lessons waiting for us.

In the next installment: A tropical rain squall, a pearl farm, and an unexpected presentation turn me into the afternoon entertainment aboard the Aranui.