Ambience Day 2 - Sea Day Cruising the North Sea

“I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky.”

 John Masefield, Sea Fever

 

Sea Day on Ambience

 
Yesterday, we embarked on Ambience, which gave us the chance to explore some of the ship.  Our second day on board would give us more time to get used to the ship as we cruised the North Sea up the coastlines of England and Scotland, as well as give us the opportunity to watch birds and whales, and attend enrichment talks in the afternoon.

Morning on Board Ambience

 
Our day began early as we were both excited to be back on a ship and at sea.   This has always been a challenge for us...being excited for a new journey does not give way, at least for us, to restful nights. This is not a reflection of the room being uncomfortable or the vessel being unseaworthy...it is merely the result of us being very eager for the start of a new adventure.

 
As with our journeys on Queen Mary 2 and on Wind Surf over the course of multiple transatlantic voyages, last night I spent most of the time looking out the window and striving to watch the seascapes or the nearby coastline.  Mostly, however, I revelled in the feel of the waves under the hull and the hum of the engines through the structure of the ship.

After a night of what felt to us like gently rolling seas, this morning dawned clear and sunny.  (Later, we learned that active swells of 3-4 meters had made quite a few people seasick throughout the night.) F

From our 5th deck porthole this morning, the waves looked very impressive, with their tops being whipped back by the wind into Poseidon's manes.  Sean was up on deck by 7 AM, still well before sunrise, and after my own shower, I followed him outside.
 

Morning Sunrise and Wind Farms

 
I soon discovered that half of the outdoor promenade on Deck 7 had been sealed off, presumably due to the high wind on that side of the ship. However, the walkway on the other side was accessible, and when I stepped out onto the wet and shining wooden boards of the deck, I was greeted by a beautiful, soft pink and yellow sunrise. 

 
Just behind the ship, I could see the wind turbine farm we had just sailed through, which apparently is one of the largest in the United Kingdom.  Behind us, perfectly straight rows of turbines stretched off into the distance until they were lost in the silvery light, looking to me like they belonged in some kind of Sci-Fi movie.

According to the crew, it was the largest windmill farm in the UK or the North Sea.  Apparently, this is the Dogger Bank Wind Farm, which is situated 130-200 km off the east coast of England in the North Sea, where the waters are shallower, which facilitates their construction.

For my part, I was fascinated at scale of logistics required to build such structures so far from the mainland and the challenge of then getting power from each turbine back to communities.
 

Exploring Nature on Ambience

 
For a few minutes, I had the deck entirely to myself - just sunshine, wind, and waves.  The sea was a surprisingly deep and bright green, unlike anything we've seen during previous transatlantic crossings or in the Inside Passage of BC and Alaska while travelling on Queen Elizabeth.  The highly active waves and huge whitecaps made it difficult to spot marine mammal or bird activity, but after a small adjustment period, I realized there were quite a few large, elegant Northern Gannets gliding along the tops of the water, as well as a host of much smaller and more agile Black-legged Kittiwakes. 

 
I also spotted a few tiny black and white birds flying very fast and straight over the water.  A birder we met later in the morning suggested they might be Razorbills, and iNaturalist later confirmed that both Razorbills and Common Murres were indeed zipping past over the course of the day. 
 
We had seen both of these species in the huge colonies of breeding seabirds in Witless Bay, Newfoundland, while hiking the East Coast Trail, and it is always heartwarming to see the connections between distant places.

After taking a few moments to enjoy the wild, salty, fresh air, I continued on, making my way up to Deck 12 in search of Sean.  I stopped to get a cup of strong coffee from the machine outside Borough Market, and then made my way outdoors once again.  The temperature was much warmer than I expected (around 11⁰C), and in the sun it was quite pleasant. 
 
In my search for Sean, I soon discovered that the stairs up to the jogging track were also sealed off due to the high winds.  Regardless of the conditions, two ORCA researchers were keeping watch for whales, dolphins, and porpoises from excellent vantage points toward the front of the ship. 

Not finding Sean on Deck 12, and guessing he would be taking photos from the more sheltered back end of the ship, I strove to try to figure out how to get to the aft of the vessel.  When travelling on an unfamiliar ship, it always takes a few days to learn the unfamiliar layout, but I eventually found him photographing seabirds while deep in conversation with another passenger who shared his passion for photography. 
 

Why Voyage on Ambassador Cruises?

 
With my second cup of coffee in hand, I was soon chatting with others as well and quickly discovered a pattern in the conversation.  Upon discovering I was Canadian, the next question would invariably be ' What made you choose to cruise with Ambassador Cruises on Ambience?'

 
In a nutshell, we hoped it would offer a nice blend of everything we were interested in.  The ship departed in late October, meaning there would still be around 6 hours of daylight during which to enjoy Norway's stunning scenery, but we would also have a decent chance of seeing the northern lights.  The itinerary would take us into the Arctic Circle, and from ship tour vlogs like @Sailawaymag and @TravelBlogJamie we thought the ship itself would be ideal for nature lovers, with lots of spacious outdoor areas providing the perfect vantage points to observe wildlife and soak in the breathtaking landscapes as we sailed along. We were also drawn to Ambassador's partnership with ORCA, which added an extra layer of meaning to the journey, supporting marine conservation and offering a deeper connection to the environment. So far, we've been very happy with our choice.
 

Sea Fortresses and Pirate Radio Stations

 
From Ambience’s stern, with the wind in our faces and waves breaking against the hull, we had an uninterrupted view of seabirds passing close by.

 
During the morning, while bird watching, we began to pass a line of man-made metal skeletal structures sticking up out of the water that at first we assumed was oil drilling platforms.  However, another friendly lady soon stopped for a chat and explained that she thought the platforms might be Maunsell Forts.  These defensive towers were built in the Thames and Mersey estuaries during the Second World War to help defend the UK.  I could only imagine how terrifying it would have been for the soldiers stationed on such a small platform, in such a powerful and unforgiving sea, while keeping watch for attacks.

 
Apparently, these bases were decommissioned in the 1950s and later used for other activities, including pirate radio broadcasting such as Radio Caroline and Radio City.
 

Bird watching on Ambience

 
We spent about an hour moving about on the five levels of open decks at the back of the ship, watching the flocks of seabirds playing in the wake behind us.  Most of them eventually passed us, overtaking the ship with apparent ease, even in the high winds.  We recognized Northern Gannets, which were by far the largest white birds soaring this morning. 

Amid the lines of birds, we spotted a number of smaller Kittiwakes, looking like gulls with light grey wings and snow-white tails. Quite a few Northern Fulmars were performing their impressive acrobatic manoeuvres among the tossing waves, and a host of other gull species were present as well, European Herring Gulls, Little Gulls, and Common Gulls.  

We also caught sight of the occasional Razorbill and/or Common Murre as they zoomed past.
 

Gull Identification

 
It is easy to dismiss gulls as nothing more than white, grey, and black birds haunting beaches, stealing unattended food, and filling the air with constant squawking. Yet to reduce them to this caricature is to miss just how remarkable they truly are. Gulls can remain aloft for hours, riding invisible currents with effortless grace. Many spend vast stretches of their lives far from land, navigating storms, swells, and the shifting unpredictability of the open ocean with instinctive precision. 

 
One of the great challenges (that I have) with gulls is identifying them.  While I am able to recognize many of the birds of North America, have a PhD in Ornithology and Forestry, and have worked for years for Bird Studies Canada, I still find it challenging to ID Gulls and Seabirds accurately - or at the very least without iNaturalist.
 
And even then, the use of online help is no guarantee of clarity in identifying gulls.  So many gulls change in appearance owing to different age morphs, changing plumages, hybridization and the fact that, to be honest, they are all brown when they are young and some mixture of white and black later on.

 
As we watched the seascapes around the ship, we met a number of people who stopped for a chat, making us realize just how friendly people on board this voyage are.  Added to this is the fact that if you are carrying binoculars or a camera, these tools seem to act as magnets for curiosity and conversation. 

 
One of the reasons we chose to try Ambassador Cruises was because of its partnership with ORCA, a program that advocates for marine conservation through teaching better practices to the shipping industry and inspiring ordinary people to get involved through Citizen Science.  We were glad to find ourselves among like-minded passengers who clearly shared a passion for birds and nature that was strong enough to get them outside on a windy deck in the North Sea.

Brunch and Enrichment

 
Eventually, we tore ourselves away from the birdlife outside and stepped into the Borough Market for a quick breakfast of yogurt, granola, fruit, and a small pastry.  It was not long, however, for us with our third coffee in hand to be back on deck.  There we stood, happy to be in the sunshine once more.  We moved around a little, photographing and birding from Deck 7, from the jogging track at the top of the ship where the whale watching volunteers were being mobbed by a constant stream of curious passengers, and from the back of the ship.  We soon discovered that the lower decks at the back of the ship were the most protected from the wind and salt spray, and on Deck 8 there was even an air vent that blew warm exhaust for extra warmth!

Around 11 AM, we stepped inside and headed to the Palladium Theatre to listen to what we thought was an enrichment talk. However, we had misunderstood the daily schedule, and instead of a presentation by the ORCA team, the offering was a screening of the popular daytime TV show The Cruise: Fun-Loving Brits at Sea, which is being filmed on two of Ambassador's ships: Ambience and Ambition.  Never having heard of this UK-based TV show before, we chose to check it out at a later date and instead head back outside. 
 

Captain’s Noon Update

 
At noon, the Captain made an announcement informing us that we had travelled 292 nautical miles (542 km) since leaving Tilbury, and were currently moving at an average speed of around 15.3 knots (28 kph).  We were heading into winds of gale force 8 (40 knots) with 4 m swells.  Interestingly, our current position at noon was in the North Sea off the coast of Middlesbrough, England.
 
This community lies just south of Newcastle upon Tyne, which, for us, marked the starting point of Hadrian’s Wall National Trail a year ago.
 

Lunch and 10 Forward

 
By the early afternoon, feeling a little chilled, we stepped into the buffet for a bit of late lunch.  Even though it was well after 1 PM, it was still very busy with people milling about, but we managed to find a table beside the window, where Sean enjoyed a small cheese plate, and I had a small bowl of pasta with garlic bread.  It felt nice to sit and take a pause from the wind after the excitement of our first morning at sea.

After the break, we headed down to see if Ten Forward, the viewing platform at the front of the ship, was open, but perhaps unsurprisingly, the wind was too strong to open the door.  As a result, we continued upward to the Observatory on Deck 12 where we sat in a couple of deep red velvet chairs looking out the front of the ship. With its cozy seating and panoramic views, this venue reminded us a lot of the Commodore Club on Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth, making us think it could become a favourite spot on this voyage. 

From our lofty vantage point, the swells looked formidable, and the waves appeared as long white streaks in the dark sea.  Every once in a while, the ship would give a great big shudder as it dug into the waves.  We happily watched the seabirds playing outside, but the windows were too salt-covered for Sean to photograph much through them.  Eventually, Sean headed downstairs to clean up the copious amounts of sea salt that had covered his camera lenses, while I stayed on to write my daily travel journal and enjoy the view. Interestingly, a very well-attended beginner Ukulele class took place behind me in the lounge.
 

Afternoon of Exploration

 
The afternoon slipped by as we wandered the decks, slowly getting our bearings and beginning to understand the rhythm of life aboard.  We moved through Ambience from deck to deck, allowing the ship to reveal itself in layers.  It was clear there would be time to return to these spaces in more detail later.

Beyond wondering the ship to orient ourselves, we went to the scheduled port talk on tomorrow’s destination of Invergordon.  We soon discovered, much as we had on Queen Elizabeth, that this was less of an orientation to the town and more of a pitch as to where to shop.  Making matters less appealing was the fact that the “talk” was not even delivered by a crew member or guest speaker – it was a pre-recorded video.  Needless to say, we did not stay to listen to the entire advertisement.
 

Captain’s Welcome and Crew Introduction

By late afternoon, a thick fog bank began to roll in.  During the morning, we had passed quite a few structures out on the water, from wind turbine farms to lines of defensive structures, to what looked like a huge oil rig to something in the distance that resembled a tall rectangular apartment building.  However, as the day wore on, we saw fewer obvious signs of human development or industry, increasing our sense that we were heading toward adventure in the wild and untamed north.

 
Just before dinner, we made our way to the Palladium Theater for the Captain's Welcome.

 
At the doors, we were met with a complimentary drink, and soon found ourselves enjoying a humorous half hour that was part theatrical performance and part introduction to the captain, bridge officers, cruise director, and the ship itself.  Part of the Ambassador Cruise line's branding is that they provide "the warmest welcome at sea" and they were certainly doing everything they could to get this message across.
 

Dinner in Buckingham Restaurant

 
After the presentation of the bridge crew, we headed downstairs to the elegant Buckingham Restaurant for our first dinner in the ship's main dining venue.  We had been assigned to a specific six-person table, which we would share with the same four people for the entire voyage. 

 
As a result, we were very pleased to discover that the two British couples we were sitting with were interesting and excellent company.

In addition, the meal was delicious, with my choices consisting of classic potato salad with shallots, capers, and mayonnaise, followed by baked aubergine parmigiana. 
 

Evening Trivia in the Purple Turtle

 
After dinner, we stopped by the Purple Turtle, the British-style pub, for a spot of 'Nice & Easy' Trivia.  I am completely useless at quiz games, having absolutely no ability to retain the type of information required to do well at it.  Sean is usually able to hold his own, especially when it comes to music, movies, and history or world events.  We never come close to winning, and simply participate because we enjoy the challenge. 

After several rounds, we soon discovered a trend in the entertainment on board Ambience that added an extra layer of difficulty for us.  I would estimate that around 99% of our fellow passengers were from the United Kingdom, and everything from the food, to the entertainment to the trivia was designed to appeal specifically to this particular clientele.  Unless you were the kind of people who know the names of every MP in the UK, can recall UK Olympic medalists from specific events in the '80s, know whose face appeared on the back of the £20 note in the '70s, and remember how long a certain song stayed at the top of the UK charts, you didn't have a hope. 

 
We consider ourselves fans of the BBC, but most of the TV show and pop culture references were a complete mystery to us.  Obviously, the quiz was well designed, because a tie-breaker round was required and many teams scored high, but for us it was anything but 'Nice & Easy.'
 

Theatre Performance

 
After trivia, we headed to the Palladium Theatre for 'Masquerade,' a production involving high-powered vocals, acrobatic dancing, and many costume changes, all set against a backdrop that suggested a Viennese Masquerade Ball. 

 
I am perhaps not the best judge of onboard entertainment, or really any theatrical performances anywhere, but it was clear the cast was highly talented, and our fellow passengers absolutely loved the performance. 

It was a good way to end a sea day filled with sunshine, wind, and salt spray on a high note.  Tomorrow morning, Ambience will be making a stop in Invergordon, Scotland, and we can't wait to see what adventures await on shore.
 
See you on deck!
 
Nautical Term for the Day: White for the Wind - Sailors watched for “white” caps forming on waves-an early sign of rising winds. The term survives in some regions as a warning of building seas or a freshening breeze.