After a short while the booths were opened and we were issued our keys to the cabin, which was a plastic card with holes punched on it. Every trip they scramble the holes so the card becomes unusable after that trip. Moved towards the ferry where we were stopped and were asked at what time we would like to have dinner. Here a note with our preferred time, for the dinner which we had prepaid, was given. We began boarding. There was a photographer, as cars were driving onto the ramp, taking pictures. If you didn’t want your picture taken you had to flash your headlights. So we did. Parked the car took the elevator to our cabin.

After unpacking and freshening up we went to look around the ferry.

The ferry had a shopping center or promenade in the middle. We looked around and then it was time to have dinner.

While waiting at the entrance to the restaurant, we noticed a Mc.Donald’s advertisement hanging on the wall. Come to Mc.Donald’s the best food you can find in Finland, it proclaimed.

Rita was insulted, Rachel was thrilled at the thought of having all our meals at Mc.Donald’s, I was thinking Ludfisk. I decided I better have a big meal tonight, and prepare for a long fast.

A table was assigned to us by the Maitre'D. The buffet was enormous. There was all kinds of good food, chicken, beef, prepared several ways, fish including some mild Surstömming. Rita was able to elbow some people aside and get at the delicacy. Rachel and I were on the opposite end of the room loading up. The strumming wasn’t the ripe stuff, so Rachel and I allowed Rita to sit with us. Sat at our table ordered some wine and had a great dinner.

A young Finnish couple, with a young child, sat down at our table. It was interesting because, he spoke Swedish to the child, the mother Finnish, and they spoke perfect English, with a slight Finnish accent, to us. They explained that they were trying to teach the child all the languages. I noticed that the man’s plate was totally covered with fish roe and nothing else. The spoon in his hand was moving so fast that he could have been conducting Rimski Korsekov’s bumblebee. He was really enjoying his food. When he finished, he loaded up his plate again, with nothing else but roe, and conducted the second movement. I though "If I would eat that, I would have many more than two movements".

After dinner we went into the karaoke bar and watched as two exhibitionist ladies one of them performing the other giving only moral support were performing. They were strutting their stuff. The bar was beginning to fill and seats were hard to come by. The lady giving moral support sat right in front of Rita on the back of a seat, half sitting, half standing blocking her view. They were the center of attraction, they thought, and didn’t give any consideration to the other passengers. A young man obviously loaded to the gills was walking around the bar falling down the stairs and bumping into everything in sight. The bartenders and waiters didn’t do anything. He was falling all over the place. We decided to leave and go to another bar that Rachel had discovered on another deck.

There were no seats at this bar as there was a show taking place. So we stood for a while watching the show. Rachel took off to explore something else. After the show was finished and the bar cleared we sat down for a night cap. It was getting late and there was no sign of Rachel. We thought, "she must have gone back to the cabin". So we finished our drinks and headed back. No Rachel. Rita decided to stay and wait for Rachel while I went off to look for her. There were parties going on all over the ferry. The cabin doors were open and the young people were getting pretty drunk. Went to the night-club, then to the karaoke bar. No sign of Rachel. Went to the promenade. No Rachel. Went back to the cabin. Rita was in tears wondering what misfortune had befallen her little darling granddaughter. Went to the restaurant area. No sign of Rachel. Went back up to the night-club. Went back to the karaoke bar. No sign of Rachel. My blood pressure was rising fast. My safety valve was allowing steam to rush out of my ears.

Finally I had had enough. I had looked everywhere twice there was no other place to look. Didn’t know whether to be angry or to be scared for Rachel’s safety. Figured Rita was scared enough for both of us, so I should be doubly angry. Went back to the cabin fuming.

Rita was still crying alone in the cabin. Didn’t know what to do, so I undressed and jumped in bed. Rita wanted to call ship security because she was sure something terrible had happened to her little darling granddaughter. I wanted to wring the little darling granddaughters scrawny little neck. Jumped out of bed, dressed and with Rita in tow took off on my round again. Went to the night-club. No Rachel. Went to the karaoke bar, there sitting in the back of the bar with a crowd was Rachel talking about wanting a belly button ring. Next thing Rachel knew she was flying through the air having received a good cuff across the back of head before she hit ground again. Was justifiable little darling grandaughtercide legal in international waters? I wasn’t familiar with maritime law, so decided against it. I told her not to get two steps from me for the rest of the trip, and I meant it. It was 3:00 a.m. and we had to get up at 7:00 a.m. to have breakfast before the ferry docked at Helsinki, which was at 8:30 a.m.

As we were having our breakfast, announcements were being made on the intercom system. We could make out that they were in several languages including English, but did not understand the message. Near the end of breakfast we felt a bump. The ferry had docked. Everybody else was having a leisurely breakfast, there seemed to be no rush. I was wondering how the people who were parked in the back of the ferry and who were in a hurry to get off, were going to get by our car which was parked near the front. But nobody in the restaurant seemed to be in a hurry, so why should we be. Not having had enough sleep it took a while to figure out that the people remaining in the restaurant were foot passengers who weren’t blocking anybody. Great.

We rushed up to our cabin grabbed our bags and down to the car deck we ran. Opened the doors to the car deck but couldn’t see our car. The last few cars were just leaving the ferry. I knew we were on the right deck but couldn’t figure out where our car had gone. When I was arranging the car rental, Sixt-Budget wasn’t going to let us take the car to Finland and some other East European countries, because of car thefts. I had many times heard from Rita, and had seen Finns holding signs at international sporting events, proclaiming "Finns are best". Had no doubt in my mind that, hands down, they were a country mile ahead of everybody else as car thieves. We hadn’t even touched Finnish ground and they had already nabbed our car. The ferry worker who was directing traffic on the deck noticed our anguish and pointed to our car which was parked off to the right hand side of the dock, just off the ramp. They had towed it off the ferry. Maybe Finns are honest after all?