The view from the eighth of 11 decks on the Journey is panoramic. The dark sparking blue of the sea just off the coast of the Dominican Republic blends at the horizon with the light blue Caribbean sky with beams of yellow burning through high light white clouds.

On the deck, watching numerous screens of data about the ship, is a three-man crew on an eight-hour shift including First Officer Andrei from Romania and Second Officer Giusou from Italy.

Andrei, whose vacation starts in two weeks when he will go home to be married, has a big enough personality and sense of humor that I predict he will be an Azamara Captain in the future. He explains all the computer screens and other gadgets he shows us, so we know his knowledge of sailing is captain-worthy too.

Here are some tidbits I remember:

All voyages are mapped out in detail about a year before they are offered for sale to the point that all dates, embarkation times and disembarkation times are perfect. Azamara captains are allowed to change times when necessary.

The sailing maps are no longer on paper but on the computer screens. In certain parts of the world where conditions easily alter the navigation, new electronic and paper maps are ordered in advance of sailing. These maps were needed for our crew to deal with the Chilean fjords and the Antarctic peninsula.

There are international rules about when different types of waste can be ejected into the ocean such as human waste and laundry materials. The ships have to be a certain distance away from land. They cannot remove waste in port or on a river.

The telephones in every stateroom have auto dial buttons. The room services auto dial is near to the 911 auto dial. Occasionally, on the first day of a new voyage, the 911 alarm is sounded and that alarm only goes to one place, The Bridge. Lights go on! The call goes on all speakers of The Bridge. The crew on The Bridge jumps in anticipation of the emergency. What they usually hear on the speaker is something like "This is room 6080. Can you deliver a pepperoni pizza?"