Adventure Canada Day 8 – Exploring the Ocean Endeavour

A Day at Sea & A Tour of Ocean Endeavour’s Staterooms

June 9, 2016
With the stormy weather still on the march, the Expedition Team aboard Adventure Canada’s Ocean Endeavour made the call late yesterday afternoon: we would not have our scheduled expedition stop off the southern coast of Newfoundland today. Instead, we’d sail throughout the day and night (and, as it turns out, day) to our final stop: the small French overseas colony of Saint-Pierre et Miquelon.
Technically part of France (and, as such, the European Union), nearly 90 percent of the population lives in the town of Saint-Pierre, located on the southernmost of the islands that make up this self-governing overseas territory. About ten percent of the population lives further north, in Miquelon. A small ferry service connects the two islands, and ferries are available to the outlying islands of Langlade and L’Ile Aux Marins. Rather incredible when you think the islands lie just 25 kilometres off the southeastern coast of Newfoundland.

Curiously, Saint-Pierre is a full hour ahead of Atlantic time, and 30 minutes ahead of the time in St. John’s, Newfoundland. That meant that guests aboard the Ocean Endeavour had to ratchet their clocks forward for the second time on this voyage. We’re now closer to the time in England (only three hours ahead) than we are to the West Coast of Canada, which is five hours behind on Pacific Standard Time.
This morning was spent cruising the Atlantic, though with better conditions than yesterday. Temperatures this morning hung around 8°C, with 15 km/h winds coming off our starboard bow and swells of one to two metres. The fog rolled in and out all morning, as did the rain, which came down in surprisingly heavy bursts at times.

With the better part of the day spent at sea, this is the perfect time to take a look at some of the other stateroom types aboard Ocean Endeavour. For such a small ship, staterooms are surprisingly varied, with very little consistency between them. For the most part, that’s okay. For one category, however, these differences are truly worth noting.
Since the ship is sailing at nearly full capacity, I didn’t get to photograph all categories onboard, but the following represent a good swath of the ship’s accommodations:

Category 3 Interior Twin – 5115

I love inside cabins. They’re a great value, and one of the best ways for those simply looking to get aboard a ship at the most economical price to do so.
These Category 3 Interior staterooms are described as twin occupancy, but clearly (at one time) had berths for up to four guests. That would have made things rather snug: at 125 square feet, these rooms are economically-sized. However, they also belie Ocean Endeavour’s origins as a Baltic ferry, with harsh fluorescent lighting and a complete lack of any sort of décor, save for the beds and a small end table.

But it’s not all bad news: these staterooms boast some of the best bathrooms onboard, with larger-than-average showers and tons of storage space, including an over-the-toilet shelving unit. The electrical systems in these rooms have also been redone, and feature new two-prong, European-style 220V plugs and switches.

Category 4 Exterior – Single Occupancy – 4062

Running along the starboard side of Deck 4, near the entrance to the Mud Room, are three Category 4 Exterior staterooms designed for single-occupancy guests. These rooms have no single supplement, but they’re certainly not going overboard on space: a snug 90 square feet is yours to enjoy. Still, if you pack light (there’s no room to store a hard-sided suitcase, even under the bed), these rooms are perfectly cozy for the solo cruiser. Bonus points for the nautical porthole, which adds a nice explorer-style touch to the room. Double-occupancy Category 4 Staterooms are also available, and come in at 100 square feet.

Category 6 Comfort Twin – 8001

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