Day 11 – January 5, 2026
Drake Passage
(Day 9 on the ship)
Today we were at sea, sailing south through the legendary Drake Passage—a 500-mile-wide stretch of water connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and separating the southern tip of South America from Antarctica. It’s infamous for extreme weather and massive waves, and… it definitely lived up to its reputation.
Overnight and into the morning, the ship was rocking and rolling. The top deck remained closed for safety, though it was expected to reopen around 1 pm as we moved into calmer waters beyond the passage.
After breakfast, John headed to the gym while I treated myself to a 75-minute massage—and it was heavenly. My therapist, Nicole, is from St. Lucia and has been a massage therapist for 13 years. She did an amazing job, and I nearly fell asleep more than once.
Later, we met Catherine and Scott for lunch, then bundled up and ventured onto the top deck once it reopened. John managed one full lap before deciding the cold and wind were enough for the day. With the strong winds and wind chill, it was definitely brisk and not all that inviting.
In the afternoon, we attended a culinary class at 3:30 pm called New World Mediterranean, led by Chef Lori Powell—who was an absolute hoot and made the class so much fun. We kicked things off with a cocktail called a Roasted Pineapple Sparkler, made with roasted pineapple juice, Canton ginger liqueur, vodka, mint, and club soda. Very refreshing!
Next, we prepared a chia chocolate pudding for dessert, which went into the refrigerator to set. Chef Lori then demonstrated how to cook scallops with panisse (polenta discs), and we got to make them ourselves. I think we both did pretty well! The final dish was zucchini fritters—not my favorite—but I did take a bite.
Dinner was at Compass Rose, and after our afternoon of cooking, I wasn’t very hungry. I opted for the Mykonos salad (essentially a Greek salad) and a cup of sweet potato soup. John went with tomato soup and salmon. Dessert was an easy pass for both of us that night—shocking, I know! 😂
After dinner, we headed to the Constellation Theater for the show Crossroads, a lively production pitting country music against rock music… with rock ultimately winning. The cast was fantastic, and the performance was really well done.
We wrapped up the night with a nightcap in the Observation Lounge before turning in. Tomorrow morning, we should start seeing icebergs—and hopefully whales and penguins as well. We’re really looking forward to that!
