Baltic Observations

Over the past few days I've had a few observations I thought I'd post.

1. The Baltic sure is a busy sea. I can't remember a time when I looked out and did not see a ship on the horizon - and often 3 or 4 ships. This is very different from the Caribbean where seeing a freighter is a rarity. The large number of passenger ferries is also surprising. Apparently several passenger ferries a day make their way between Helsinki and Stockholm. And ferries go out to other cities as well. When we were leaving Stockholm yesterday we had a mini-traffic jam. Two outbound ferries passed us as we left and a cruise ship entering Stockholm had to slow down to let the traffic clear in the narrow passageway.
2. It sure is cold! This is the first time I can remember actually planning a route to the Horizon buffet via an interior route so I would not have to walk out in the open air. I have gone to the buffet a time or two wearing jeans and a t-shirt, but it has been a chilly walk across the open desk.
3. When we were walking this morning we could actually see major buildings in cities on both sides of the Baltic, Estonia and Finland. I had no idea that this part of the Baltic was that narrow.
4. The smoothness of the Baltic is amazing. We've been on board the ship for 3 days and I have yet to really feel it sway or move. Not once have I felt slightly off balance as I walked down a hallway as I have been on every other cruise. At first I attributed this to being close shore for the first 2 days at sea. But after heading across the open Baltic sea last night and feeling no rocking at all, I'm wondering if this is just very quiet and smooth sea. Maybe we are in a fortunate weather pattern, but the lack waves and the long swells you experience in the Caribbean or in open ocean is amazing. Maybe that's it - the lack of the long rolling swells which, when combined with waves keep a ship in constant motion.