Taken Tuesday, May 4, 2010, San Juan, Puerto Rico
This is my 23rd sailing, my 12th with Ransom. What is it I/we like about cruising? It seems easier to list the things we don't like: loud, boorish Americans who dress badly; herds of people moving slowly through the ship; mediocre musicianship; glitzy shows that are long on razzle, short on dazzle; higher and higher prices for things that often used to be included; and, oh yeah, loud, boorish and badly dressed travelers.
But then there's the ocean. The glorious, comforting ocean that gently rocks us to sleep at night and daily overwhelms us with its majesty and seeming limitlessness. There's the ship itself which, at least as far as Celebrity does it, exemplifies beautiful design and sleek accoutrements. And the kitchen (galley in ship talk) which amazes with its ability to provide huge numbers of excellent meals day after day.
When I first started sailing I used to try to do everything and be everywhere on ship. I was up early so as to not miss anything and I was up late, dancing in the disco. (For those of you who might not know, a modern cruise ship runs a daily program of events that starts at 7am and goes past midnight. It is not possible to do everything on the list; at 2pm for example there might be three or four things happening in different venues around the ship.)
Over the years my tastes have changed, and I have slowed down. Ransom and I partake of almost no activities and are very content to hang out in the cabin, often just siting on the balcony watching the world float by. We usually eat lunch at one of the buffets around the ship and then have second seating dinner in the dining room. By the time we finish it's 10:30 so we stroll out on deck for a bit and then head back to the cabin to perhaps watch a video, perhaps just sleep, or perhaps to . . . well, never mind.
It's a lazy, hedonistic life. There are no cell phones ringing, no dogs needing food or a walk, no laundry to do, nowhere we have to be. It's just us, being together and recharging the batteries.
Us and the sea. Nice.
Celebrity Solstice, Wednesday, May 5, 2010, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, VI
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