by 
Living on a ship in the middle of the ocean sounds very appealing when first mentioned (at least to those who are into that kind of thing). And, coming from someone who has spent what feels like six months living on this ship (in reality its only been six days,) I can sincerely tell you that it is indeed a very unique and amazing lifestyle that has many incredible aspects to it. But, I’m here to tell you about a few of the little things that you may want to consider before moving on board.
First of all, I have to plug my ears every time I flush the toilet. The initial flushing sound isn’t too bad; it is still a little louder than a regular household toilet, but it’s bearable without earplugs. What gets you every single time though is that last second of the flush. The sound is equivalent to the feeling it gives you when you hear it: like a soul being sucked right out of its body… very loudly. That’s all I will say about that.
Next is something obvious, yet something almost all of us completely underestimated: the rocking of the ship. We knew being on a boat wasn’t going to be all smooth sailing and that there would be some swaying, but I don’t think any of us realized that sometimes it’s like trying to do your daily activities while standing up on a roller-coaster. I nearly slammed my face into my reflection in the mirror one morning while brushing my teeth. While lying in bed, it feels like I’m continuously hovering over my bed and then slamming back down into it. I’ve never before been as careful and focused when carrying a bowl of cereal across the room than I have when on this ship. Honestly, the intense rolling of the ship can be very fun (literally like a carnival ride). But, for those of us (or most of us) who are nauseated by the feeling, it’s more of a con than a pro.
Planning on sticking to an intense workout routine? Think again. Though the ship is equipped with a very small yet surprisingly functional gym, seasickness and the rolling of the ship in general can make it quite a challenge to get that beach bod you’ve been hoping for. The gym capacity should not exceed two people at a time, but you can fit two or three more in the hallway outside of the gym, as well. If the limited amount of space isn’t an issue for you, the rolling of the ship might be. I would suggest going to the gym on a relatively calm time of day. Even then, be aware of the fact that as the ship goes up and down, there is also a force pushing up and down on everything else. So, when lifting, be cautious of the fact that you may experience what feels like 10 or more pounds of weight being randomly added mid-lift, and then seconds later feeling like you’re lifting no weight at all. It’s probably dangerous, but honestly worth trying out at least once.
All that being said, the food on board is killer (another reason that beach bod might be hard to obtain), the sauna is a must, the couches in the lounge are comfier than the ones I have at home (the surround sound and movie collection is pretty extravagant, too), being completely disconnected from the world is quite relieving actually, and the awesome people living on board with you can make any “down-sides” completely worth it. All in all, life at sea really isn’t too bad after all.
-Diane Hilderbrand (UCLA)
