It is always a busy time on Fram when we are in port. New supplies come in. We take on fuel. Garbage and recyclables go off. New crew arrive. Some crew leave. In the morning we say good-bye to our new friends and luggage goes off. In the afternoon we welcome friends that are soon to be and new luggage comes on.Once on board one can see that the crew is very efficient.
Soon our photos are taken and we are issued photo I.D. cards and a room key. We are then escorted to our cabins where our luggage is already waiting for us. Magic. Before long it is dinner time. The dining room is full of excited chatter as the ship prepares to leave port.Looking out the large picture windows in the dining room there is a momentary illusion that it is the dock slipping away from us and not us moving from the dock. Fram casts off with barely a vibration and our journey begins!
At 20:30 we mustered outside on deck five for a mandatory safety drill. At 21:00 we rendezvoused in the beautiful Observation Lounge on deck seven for the Captain's welcome. We were introduced to some of the key personnel on the ship including the Expedition Leader and her team.What a very long and tiring journey we had all experienced to get to the true beginning of our adventure in Antarctica. Antarctic Circle, here we come!
