North West European Research Cruise, Week One
Posted on: 25/04/2022 By: Laura Bryne
What is a research cruise?
Research cruises are used to conduct scientific research at sea. This is my first time on such a cruise, and also my first time at sea so I didn’t know what to expect when I joined the ship. Due to COVID restrictions we had to spend a week in quarantine before setting sail. The best I can describe it so far is somewhere between the first week at a new job and staying in an all-inclusive hotel.
Day 1 - First Impressions
After a long coach journey I quickly perked up upon arriving at the port and seeing my home for the next 5 weeks. Before getting aboard I took the obligatory selfie to post on social media and show my mum. In awe of the size and scale of the ship (and also the fact that someone is letting me get on it) I stepped on just in time to be shown to my cabin by a member of the crew before dinner. Everyone is really friendly and helpful to those of us who are very clearly new to this. The first real sign that I’m on a boat comes in the form of the rubber trays in the mess (I’m learning the lingo), which fills me with only a slight dread as to how rocky this journey might be. I was told that the food would be good and plentiful, but soon found out these were both serious understatements! I’m fast learning that a ‘research cruise’ is in fact half research, half cruise.
Day 4 - Home Sweet Home
It took me a few days to unpack, though I’m not entirely sure why as all I had to do for 2 days was show up to meal times. I have my own cabin, which besides being spacious and comfortable has “we’re going to hit rough seas” vibes, such as the lips on the edges of the desk, and latches on all the drawers to keep them closed. Colleagues refer to the areas of the ship where we relax and eat as the ‘hotel’ part of the ship, which I’d say is an accurate description. There’s a bar – where you can get a beer for as little as 60p, a cinema and a gym - so far I’ve only made use of one. There’s also a selection of books and board games, a dartboard and table football to keep us entertained (when we’re not working really hard obviously). The ships ‘bond’ (souvenir shop to you and me), is where you can buy your branded t-shirts and hats, as well as any essentials you might have forgotten, such as chocolate, sweets and shampoo. As the days go on I notice more and more people proudly walking around sporting their ‘RRS Discovery’ merch.
Home sweet home
Day 7 - Time to do some work
We spent our first week having meetings and lining petri dishes ready to start the real work in the next week; things are beginning to feel more like a ‘research cruise’ rather than just a ‘cruise’. There has been a safety briefing, which involved a colleague putting on a very fetching neon yellow immersion suit and lifejacket, and we were given a tour of the boat (I made a mental note of where all the coffee machines are). We were reminded (several times) to make sure everything was stuck down or tied in before we depart tomorrow. The week ended with a quiz so we could get to know our new teams and colleagues - my team won, not that I’m bragging (I am bragging). I celebrated with a hot chocolate (did I mention the plentiful free food and drink) and some sea sickness tablets, before double and triple checking everything in my cabin was safely packed away ready to set sail in the morning.
Laura proudly modelling her ‘RRS Discovery’ merchandise!
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