20 May 2011

Time for a Cruise

Welcome back. I’ve driven about as far as I can until my wife, Vicki, tells me where we’re going. While I’m waiting, I’ll think about taking a cruise.

I’ve friends and acquaintances who need all of their fingers and, for some, their toes, to count the number of cruises they’ve taken. The only cruise I ever took was when I was an undergraduate. I tagged along with my parents on a winter cruise from New York to the Caribbean.

I had a grand time! After the first day, I felt like I had the run of the ship. Actually, I almost did.

Cruising to the Caribbean

The ship was designed for nearly 800 passengers. If it was indeed at full capacity, I’ll guess that 796 of the 800 were too seasick to leave a bathroom. The upright 4 of 800 were my mother and me; the ship’s physician, who was too busy handing out suppositories to be sick; and whoever was steering the vessel--I would have noticed if we were zigging or zagging or going in circles. 

Whereas one would expect the crew to be able to withstand rough seas, with or without the bouncing of the ship stabilizers (bump, bump, bump as we rolled to one side; bump, bump, bump, as we rolled to the other side), the ship had just come across a very aggravated Atlantic. The crew was pooped and as woozy as the passengers. 

Finally we sailed past Cape Hatteras. All was pleasant if not forgotten. Crew members started appearing, as did shaky, green-hued passengers. When we reached Puerto Rico, the ship must have floated noticeably higher in the water, because many passengers grabbed their bags, disembarked, and caught the first flight back to their respective home cities without stopping at a beach or casino.

We took our chances and stayed with the ship. The return voyage was delightful.

Warren, following his mother and seasick-recovering father down the gangplank. (I’d credit the ship’s photographer if I had a name; the ship was sold and renamed twice and scrapped long ago.)

Where Are We Going Next?

With age, I may have lost my ability to ride the waves; I sure can’t handle theme park rides anymore. But I’m ready to do it again. Or how about Alaska this time?

I’ve only heard good things about Alaskan cruises. Well almost. One honeymooning colleague and her brand new husband had a disastrous time getting to the port of departure. That shouldn’t really count, though, since she said the cruise itself was fine. Being on their honeymoon, they didn’t miss their baggage that much anyway.

Wrap Up

I just noticed that our county’s Adult and Community Education program offers a course that meets once and covers everything anyone could possibly want to know about travel cruises. Great! Except it meets 7PM to 10PM, which means I would either fall asleep in class or be awake all night. I’ll have to think about this.

Thanks for stopping by. I’ll write again in about a week.

1 comment:

  1. Nice photo's! Ever thought of using Facebook for your venue???

    ReplyDelete