07-12-2026 Another Sea Day and ABBA

July 12 was the day the North Atlantic reminded everyone who was in charge.

I loved the ship locater map on our stateroom tv

We woke to the roughest seas of our journey, with sixteen-foot swells sending even seasoned cruisers weaving down the hallways. It was also our last full sea day before six straight days in Iceland, and neither of us realized just how quickly the rhythm of the voyage was about to change.

We spent the morning in the Explorer's Lounge watching northern fulmars gliding effortlessly over the tops of the swells. They hardly seemed to flap their wings at all, simply banking into the wind as though the rough seas existed for their enjoyment.

I had no clue these were 16 foot seas till the captain announced it

As Mo and I watched from our comfortable chairs, I suddenly caught sight of three quick blows. A moment later a small whale surfaced before disappearing beneath another swell. The naturalist identified it as a minke whale from the pattern of its blows and the shape of its back. Minke whales are the smallest of the great baleen whales, usually twenty-five to thirty-five feet long. They are curious, surprisingly fast, and common in the cold, productive waters of the North Atlantic, where they feed on schools of fish and krill.

By lunchtime, watching perfectly normal adults sway their way across the dining room had become unexpectedly entertaining. Then it was my turn.

The ship lurched just as I was trying to guide my walker through the buffet line. Instead of rolling forward, it insisted on heading sideways, and for one memorable moment I nearly lost my footing. Before I could recover, one of my now familiar Viking waitstaff appeared, steadied both me and the walker, and quietly took charge of helping me with my lunch.

That seemed like a good time for a meclizine. On an ocean like this, I wasn't interested in testing my luck. A healthy respect for the sea had replaced my curiosity about whatever might be swimming beneath it. The North Atlantic won a small battle that afternoon, but not the day.

A yummy Asian seafood salad

By dinner I had learned another lesson about cruising: there is no prize for doing everything yourself. Sometimes the smartest thing you can do is accept the kindness that's being offered. We made our way to the World Café, where I simply handed the waiter my list and let the crew bring everything to the table. No more trying to wrestle a walker, a plate of food, and a rolling ship all at the same time.

My Szechuan beef definitely needed a hit of sweet Thai chili sauce but it was good

Dinner was Asian-themed, with the usual assortment of seafood, sushi, and one of my favorites, Szechuan beef. Viking's idea of spicy and mine are apparently not the same thing, and although the waitress warned me it might be "hot," I found it rather tame. Seeing my disappointment, she disappeared for a few minutes and triumphantly returned with my favorite sweet Thai chili sauce. Crisis averted. Dinner was relaxed and surprisingly unstressful despite the rolling seas.

A large crowd waiting for the evening entertainment in the Star Theater

That evening we settled into the theater for a high-energy ABBA tribute, and before long I found myself smiling over one of my favorite travel memories with Mo.

Many years earlier, probably around 2004 or 2005, I was in Minneapolis on a work project. It was one of those unforgettable Minnesota afternoons when the temperature hovered around thirty-seven below zero. Bundled in heavy coats over sweatshirts after stopping at a local brewery, we wandered through downtown trying to stay warm.

The marquee that gave us hope in Minneapolis

Across the street stood one of the grand old theaters, with Mamma Mia! beginning in about an hour.

Mo looked at the marquee. "Why don't we go buy tickets?" I laughed. "We can't just walk up and get tickets for a show like that." "Let's try," she said. That's Mo.

Our view after dinner at the Radison in St Paul.  It was 37 F below zero actual temperature.

To our amazement, the box office had two wonderful seats in the second row of the front balcony. We hurried inside wearing our sweatshirts beneath our winter coats while everyone around us looked as though they had planned this elegant evening for months.

The show was pure joy. We laughed, sang along, and walked back into the freezing Minnesota night wondering how one completely spontaneous decision had become one of our favorite travel memories. Hearing ABBA again aboard Viking Neptune brought every bit of that evening rushing back.

As all the shows had been this one was excellent and energetic on Viking Neptune

One surprise during the performance was learning that ABBA had reunited decades after retiring to record Voyage, released in 2021. Even more remarkable, they created a London concert using motion-capture technology and astonishingly lifelike digital "ABBA-tars" based on their younger selves. It was a fascinating reminder that even legendary careers can begin entirely new chapters.

Proof we sailed above the Arctic Circle

Somewhere out there, in the gray North Atlantic, Viking Neptune quietly slipped across the Arctic Circle. There was no fanfare for us. We skipped the Blue Nose ceremony, choosing instead a leisurely dinner and an evening of music. When we returned to our stateroom, two Arctic Circle certificates were waiting on the bed.  It was a milestone for us since on our long motorhome trip to Alaska we turned around on the Dalton Highway before reaching the Arctic Circle.  The road was rough and we only had one spare tire.

Crossing the imaginary horizontal line on the Earth this time was much simpler. Somewhere between dinner and an ABBA tribute, we had quietly become Arctic Circle crossers.