Nine Day Crossing

Today is April 8, 2026. Dog and Dragon are travelling together again for the first time in just about a year actually. It was April 2025 we were on this same ship, Seabourn Ovation. As I’ve updated on the home page, this is essentially a travel journal entry to update on our travels in a more expedient time frame. I envision these travel log posts having fewer location details and more off the cuff, thought stream type journal entries. At least some of the time… This portion of our current adventure started in Barbados but quickly transitioned into a nine day crossing of the Atlantic. Let’s get into it.

DIA Redeye

My flight out of DIA was scheduled for 0055. Given the TSA issues around the country in recent weeks it seemed prudent to arrive at DIA at least three hours early. Not to mention, getting a ride to the airport earlier seemed like the nicer approach for my driver. I arrived at DIA about 2130. Turns out there was nothing to be concerned about as DIA was a literal ghost town that time of night. My trip through security took all of about two minutes and I found myself at the departure gate by 2200. Oops. Well, better early than late I guess. My redeye journey to Barbados had a five hour layover in Atlanta, but was otherwise unremarkable.

Barbados

After catching a cab from the airport to my rented flat in Barbados I set out on foot to explore, as is my usual practice. I stayed at Sakari Venture Apartments, which was clean, well appointed, and attended by friendly staff. My walking adventure on the day of my arrival discovered that I was extremely close to an absolutely gorgeous white sand beach. I enjoyed some delicious pan fried fish and chips covered in a Caribbean hot sauce and accompanied by a local Banks lager at an equally local dive called The Famous Bird Bar.

The next day, my one full day in Bridgetown, happened to fall on Good Friday which is a bank holiday in Barbados. I set out towards the beach, enjoyed the cool, clean water for awhile, and wandered towards downtown Bridgetown. It turned out that downtown was an absolute ghost town given the bank holiday. I was lucky enough to meet a sea turtle on my outing, so that was cool. It turns out my flat sadly existed in what was both a grocery and restaurant desert, with even The Famous Bird Bar being closed on Good Friday. It was looking like a forced fast on Good Friday was in the works for me until I stumbled across a single spot opened for business selling street tacos. Ironically, it seems to literally be named Street Tacos. I don’t really care what it was called to be honest, it was truly an oasis for me that day given I had no groceries and no prospects for finding anywhere else to eat. Thank you Street Tacos!

Back Aboard

The next day I rejoined Seabourn Ovation. Huzzah! Is that a word? I got settled aboard in Dragon’s cabin and we began the nine day crossing of the Atlantic.

So what does crossing the Atlantic by ship really that look like? I think that’s the real question people usually hit me with. I’m here to help people. Will a little photo montage answer this question? Here you go! :0)

Our experience is different than that of the guests. Like every crew member, Dragon works daily in her role as a cruise ship nurse. While Dog is technically a guest, he is a guest of an officer on board and must act according to both the privileges and restrictions governing that officer. We tend to spend Dragon’s non-working hours together: exercising in the gym, enjoying the sea breeze on one of the outer decks, playing games with fellow crew, and dining in either the crew mess or in one of the many amazing restaurants on the Ovation.

This is the second time we’ve done an Atlantic crossing. Our previous crossing made port in the Azores which broke up the nine day crossing into something feeling less lengthy. A nine day day crossing is quite lengthy. In this case, it offers me time to work on this blog a little more than when we are going ashore in new, exciting places every day.

I think maybe I’m being too technical and matter of fact in this post. My buddy Steve suggested I put a little more feeling and personality into some of my posts. He’s probably right. It’s great being back together with Tiffany! It just feels right. Sleep comes easier, the angry 11 recedes, there’s more of a twinkle in my eyes, and that signature smirk returns. It may not seem like much to you, but that was WAY too personal for me! LOL!!!

Ship life is an odd switch. Literally everything changes from life at home. This probably seems obvious of course. But no more hanging out with Aidan and going for tacos in Olde Town. No more access to my usual time killers like Pokémon Go. No VPN onboard, so no access to my sports stations, meaning no watching Champions League or Premier League. Although games do occasionally randomly pop up on the ship’s sport 24 network, And of course, no telephone. That means no calling my clients. I’m still working on alternative means of contact like Zoom, WhatsApp, and email.

Beyond all that, being on the ship is oddly comforting as well. I’m enjoying this nine day crossing. I enjoy being out here in the middle of the ocean with the breeze blowing and the waves crashing. I keep looking for whales, but alas, no sign of any whales. It seems the Atlantic is truly quite vast and my odds of simply spotting some whales as I look up from the laptop are shockingly low. Luckily, I have seen whales during our voyage to Antarctic. That was so unbelievably amazing!

For those of you who are curious, I’ve been relistening to He Who Fights With Monsters while I impatiently await the release of A Parade of Horribles: Dungeon Crawler Carl Book 8 on May 12. I’ve already relistened to the series a couple times in anticipation… Let’s go! That seems like a pretty adequate update for half way through this nine day crossing. Talk to all you homies again soon. Peace out!