The open deck of the cruise ship is still a fairly cramped expanse—stairways and access points to the bowels and corridors are numerous, as are ladders over the edge, and a number of lifeboats provide potential cover. Elsewhere, benches and folding chairs create small circles suitable for conversation. From the deck, one can take in almost all of the flotilla with a little walking; only the clipper ship's crow's nest offers a higher vantage point.