Day 6 (2nd day on sea): Introducing "MeinSchiff"

Another day at sea, and the perfect opportunity to explore the ship. Here’s a quick tour of its 15 levels:  

Blue: Our deck and elevator shafts

Level 1: Underground. Off-limits. Reserved for skeletons only.  
Level 2: Staff quarters. Off-limits except for embarkation/disembarkation.  
Level 3: Reception, restaurants, bars, hospital.  
Level 4: Restaurants, bars, shopping, theater, and a meeting point for gamers.  
Level 5: restaurant, 24h-restaurant, outdoor restaurant, bars, casino, shuffleboard area.  
Levels 6–11: Passenger cabins only (we’re on Level 7—economy class).  
Level 12: Pool, sundeck, fitness center, spa & sauna, hairdresser, buffet restaurant, ice cream parlor,
                 and another outdoor restaurant.  
Level 13: Mysteriously absent—never found.  
Level 14: Sundeck, sports arena, kids’ club.  
Level 15: Sundeck with Captain Bluebear's lookout point.  

The ship currently carries about 2,000+ passengers, though it can accommodate up to 3,000.  

Staying Active  

Getting around the ship involves a lot of both vertical and horizontal movement. For vertical travel, we have 10 elevators, but we prefer the wide, open staircases—18 steps between each floor. Horizontally, it’s roughly 200 steps from our cabin to the far end of the ship, where our favorite daytime restaurant is located. This means that a small ice cream treat requires 200 horizontal steps plus 90 vertical ones—and the same distance back!  

This setup ensures we’re much more active here than at home. On sea days, I average between 12,000 and 16,000 steps. Back home? Sometimes less than 5,000.  

Keeping Passengers Happy  

The crew works hard to keep everyone entertained and stave off cabin fever. There’s a wide range of activities: music, sports, dancing, shuffleboard, crafts, cooking and baking, board and card games, and, of course, eating and drinking. (Spoiler alert: there will be a blog dedicated to the food and drink onboard.)  

Bowling and the Quiz of the Day  

My wife and I enjoy bowling, and some of our bowling friends have asked if there’s a bowling alley on the ship. Unfortunately, there isn’t—and there’s no pool table either.  

Quiz of the day: Why is there no bowling alley on the ship?  
Hint: The same reason there’s no pool table.  

Any guesses?

Impressions

Our favorite breakfast, lunch and coffee spot


Shuffleboard instead of Boccia


Main restaurant areas




Disco fever

Live music every night

Captain Bluebear on the lookout

Entertainment next to the pool

Our home for 33 days

Logbook

Position: 6°20.24' N, 15°04,62' W
South of Cabo Verde, North of Namibia
East of Cabo Verde, West of Namibia
Timezone: GMT

Speed: 36km/h. Wind: 55km/h. Heading: 137°
Time to next port: 6 days

Risk of sea sickness: NONE
Risk of hallucinations: MEDIUM

Our ship is somewhere on the red line


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