First impressions from the staircase circuit

By the time I reached the bridge, I’d clocked over 9,000 steps—easily 8,000 of them on stairs. Five decks high, steep staircases, and a safety tour that looped us through the whole ship like a vertical maze. My legs were burning, but I refused to pant. First impressions count, after all.

Today was safety drill day. We toured the ship top to bottom, led by the third officer, who showed us everything from fire hydrants to emergency eye wash stations. I tried to absorb it all while pretending I wasn’t sweating through my clothes. And also, who knew safety shoes were so heavy!

The atmosphere on board is friendly, if a bit transitional. Some crew are arriving, others are preparing to leave. I met both the outgoing and incoming captains. The third officer is my safety guide and walked us through everything. I’ll need to revisit a few key points, especially the life raft stations and how to respond to drills.

Right now, I’m rehydrating and reorganizing. The warm gear is going into storage since it isn’t that cold yet. I’ve turned a corner of my cabin into a tiny office and set up shop next to a mountain of mineral water. Cosy.

There is a deep hum that never really goes away. I didn’t bring noise-reduction headphones, and I wish I had. Still, the ship is well-equipped. I’m well-equipped. And if I’m being honest, just a little overwhelmed. In a good way.