Cruising Becomes Me

Salt water cures all wounds. ~ Anonymous

For millennia, people have been traveling for their health. As far back as 4000 BC, the Sumerians built health complexes around hot springs. (Of course, they also performed trepanation--the practice of drilling into people's skulls, so what did they know?) Regency era Brits visited the sea side or journeyed to Bath to take the waters. There's an account in the Bible of the paralytic languishing beside the pool at Bethesda, hoping to be healed when the water was stirred up. When Jesus came along, the man was healed without getting wet, but the point is, there's long been a connection in the human psyche between health and water.

This falls under the category of anecdotal evidence, but I think there's something to it. My general health, lung condition, and well-being were definitely improved by our world cruise. Here are some of the ways:

1. Salt air acts as a natural antihistamine. I took fewer decongestants while on board than I usually need on land.
2. Oxygen makes up about 21% of the atmosphere all over the world, but at higher elevations the air pressure is lower, which causes the molecules to spread out, making it feel as if there is less oxygen.

   

   View from my sister's deck, a nice place to be a slug!

   At sea level, I get the full benefit of that 21%! (This may also explain why I turn into a slug at my sister's place in Keystone, SD. The effective O2 level drops to 17.5% at her house. Even Herkimer, my portable oxygen concentrator isn't as efficient at higher elevations and, according to factory specs, quits working entirely above 10,000 ft.)
3. I actually lost weight on the ship! My doctor was so surprised (and pleased). I credit controlled portions in the Dining Room, less diet soda and more water, and being much more active! 
4. On the ship, I started a walking regime, trying to up my step count each day. In January, my average didn't make it to 2000 steps a day. February bumped up to almost 5000, and March was nearly 6000. In April, my average step count was 7900 and now that I'm home, my average for May is still over 6000. I know this isn't the 10K everyone says we should have each day, but for someone who needs supplemental O2 when she walks, this is big stuff! 
5. My balance is improved. After dancing with the ocean for 94 days, I'm much surer of foot on land.

And the changes weren't just physical. I'm more curious about our world. I seek out news of things happening beyond our borders. I've started playing the piano more--in case I ever run into David Klinkenberg and his violin again! 

Speaking of David Klinkenberg, I've gone back in the blog and updated Day 1-6 with additional photos and memories, including a video tour of stateroom 7009 on the Day 3 post. If you'd like to see those embellishments, you'll want to start with Day 1, and move on to the next newer post. Most of the added material is at the end of the post, but occasionally I think of things I wanted to add within the existing post. Either way, I've used a different color and font for the extras. This may well be nothing more than something for me, to remember the voyage more completely, but there may also be a few things you'll  be interested in too. 

Hope so.

Day 95 ~ Back to Our Real Life...

The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at least to set foot on one’s own country as a foreign land. ~ G.K. Chesterton

April 27th came faster than we expected. The 94 days we though would never end passed by in a blur of fun, activity and adventures. We had to be out of Cabin #7009 by 7:50 AM,  so we rose early and went for one more breakfast on the fantail before meeting fellow disembarkees in the Cabaret Lounge.

We dropped by Kristy and David's cabin to say goodbye and leave them a couple of extra Cokes we had left over. The friends we made on this trip continue to be the enduring highlight of the journey. We hugged and promised to keep in touch (and maybe do this again together in 2021!)

We had a Princess transfer to the Ft. Lauderdale airport. After a trip through customs, three different porters, and a bus driver who was very vocal about the tips he expected (altogether about $50 between him and the various porters! In fact, the porters and driver in Florida were the most aggressive in demanding tips in all our travels), we arrived at the American Airlines Priority First counter (remember, we splurged on first class airfare) at 9:15 AM to check in for our 2:42 PM flight.

They wouldn't check us in. 

Don't let that smile fool you. He's just being nice. We were both pretty disgusted by this turn of events.

Apparently, we were too early. They couldn't take our bags or give us a boarding pass until 4 hours before our flight. So we stood there for an hour and a half (there were no chairs on the check-in level) feeling like neither a priority nor first class. After being treated like royalty for over three months, it was a dash of reality we weren't quite ready for. (Side note for other travelers: If we'd known about this 4 hour policy, we'd have bought a disembarkation tour and had one last adventure! Be sure to check on this when leaving a cruise.) 

Anyway, after we were finally checked in and made our way through TSA, our spirits lifted. We were going home! Our dear #1 Daughter was meeting us in St. Louis that evening and we'd spend the night in her Columbia, MO home being mobbed by our rolicking pack of granddogs. What could be better than that?

Couldn't resist sharing one last food picture. This Arabic breakfast features Greek yogurt, a falafal, pita bread, assorted olives, peppers and other veggies. Yum!

After breakfast with #1 Daughter & Daughter-in-Law at our favorite coffee house in Columbia, we pointed our noses south and headed for the Ozarks. We were delighted to discover that we hadn't missed spring! The woods along the highway were dotted with red buds and dogwoods in full glory.

And after seeing the karst rock strata in Slovenia, Croatia and Montenegro, the layers of rock outcroppings along the way home were fascinating in a fresh way. I really need to learn more about geology to understand more about the history of our beautiful planet! 

Thinking about the water-starved United Arab Emirates, I was thankful afresh for the wide Missouri River and all its little tributaries that spread this life-giving liquid throughout several states.

Before this trip, I'd never realized just how precious dirt is. I mean, think about it. We are blessed with abundant topsoil in this country. We have more than enough arable land to feed our people, and extra to export to others. What incredible wealth! 

And not just abundant land for crops and livestock--the USA has been showered with other resources. Timber is big in the Ozarks. In fact, we're surrounded by the Mark Twain National Forest--oak, walnut, hickory--renewable wealth as far as the eye can see. And beneath the ground, we have oil, natural gas, coal, precious metals...oh! how much we've been given!

The Missouri state capitol building in Jefferson City

And we live in a free society. Whatever its faults, and they are many, we have a government that guarantees our rights. We're free to live, work and play as we choose. We can follow any religion or none at all. Our daughter and her wife aren't in danger of being arrested (or worse!) because they're gay. We are able to vote, to petition, to demand change. Power is passed from one administration to the next peaceably, relatively speaking. And in the meantime, we're free to say any silly thing we like. 

This is not a summation of our trip. It's too soon for me to have processed it all yet. These are just a few of my random, grateful thoughts about being home again. And I think I understand what Mr. Chesterton was talking about when he said the goal of travel was to set foot on your country as a foreign land. It means seeing home with clear eyes, not blind to its faults, but oh! with such thankful eyes.

Over the next few weeks, I'll be adding more pictures and hopefully some videos to the blog, along with some additional commentary I didn't have time for while I was on the Pacific Princess. When I get a week's worth done, I'll put up links to the "enhanced" posts in case you're interested. And if, by chance you've just discovered this blog, welcome! If you're planning a world cruise yourself, you might want to start back in the May 2017 posts when we first booked and began preparing for our trip.

More soon...

PS. Oh, oh, oh! Just gotta share that I actually LOST 7 pounds while we were on our world cruise. I credit my commitment to up my step count, which means I need to keep going and find ways to walk more now that I'm home.   

Day 94 ~ The End is Near…

Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey. 

~ Pat Conroy

We cruised through the Sargasso Sea yesterday and now we’re threading our way through the Bahamas to reach Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale tomorrow. We have to put our luggage out in the hallway this evening before we turn the lights out. And in the morning, we have to vacate Cabin 7009 by 7:50 AM. We’ve purchased transfers to the airport from Princess so no worries on that score. We’ll be there in plenty of time for our 2:30 PM flight.

Packing to go home is not nearly as taxing as packing to go on the cruise. There are no decisions to be made. Everything has to go.  Of course, we’ve accumulated some new stuff, but we’ve also used up things as well. It’s all  rather like a 3-D jigsaw puzzle, trying to get everything squared away in our 4 large suitcases, two carry-on roller bags, Backpack Herkimer, Roller bag Herkimer, and C-pap bag. If we do another extended voyage, I keep saying I will pack less—one large bag apiece.

No, I mean it! Really. I could have done with less (though I confess, I did wear everything at least once. I even used the duct tape I swore was just taking up space.) Oh! And I have to share my big win today. There was a pair of capris I’d been avoiding in the closet because they zipped and buttoned instead of having a drawstring waist. I skinnied into them with no trouble at all! (Must be all those extra steps I’ve been taking.)

Anyway, we took time out of our busy packing schedule to go to a cooking show featuring our executive chef and always entertaining maitre d’, Oscar. It was a subtle reminder that soon we’ll all have to start cooking for ourselves again.

We played trivia with our team one last time, and went to a final choir get-together. David Crathorne announced that he’s been asked to be on the 2019 World Cruise, so the choir members who are already booked to go again next year are thrilled. Choir is a big draw for lots of travelers. It’s been fun and so good for my lungs to do some controlled breathing on every sea day.

Sometimes, it feels as if this voyage has gone by in the blink. Other times, it’s like we’ve been cruising forever. I still almost can’t believe we did it. Living in the middle of a large land mass, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that so much of this wonderful world is covered with water.

Even so, we’re ready to head home. Our life there is even more precious to us now than it was when we left. We’re more grateful for everything—our family, our friends, our little dogs. And we’ll be happy to share our pictures and our memories of this trip with anyone who’s interested.

But in so many ways, it’s been just for us. The DH and I have had the most incredible adventure. Every day, each port of call, was filled with moments that will stay with us for the rest of our lives. Things that have delighted, challenged, amused, or filled us with dismay, they blend into a kaleidoscope of experiences we may never fully understand, but we’ll be pondering them for years.       

(Tomorrow will be a full day of travel for us. We’ll fly to St. Louis where our dear #1 Daughter will pick us up. We’ll spend the night with her family in Columbia and then drive home on Saturday. Once I climb out from under the mountain of laundry, I’ll be adding more pictures and memories to these posts. Thank you to all who’ve joined me on this trip through my little blog. I love reading your comments!)

Day 93 ~ Last Times

I’m really not a drunkard. I just walk like one.
 ~ Me to everyone I meet in the halls as I do my appointed 8K steps because the projected 1.5 meter swells have grown into 3 meters.

We’ve reached the portion of our world cruise where almost everything is a “last time.” Bermuda was our last port of call. Last night was the final show by our uber-talented resident production company of singers and dancers. (After a couple months of vacation, this troop is bound for the Australian-based Sea Princess. Lucky Aussies! You are in for such a treat!)

We ate lunch out on the fantail even though it was raining because we only have a few more chances to enjoy the mesmerizing view of the Pacific Princess’s wake.

The Harmony Choir gave its last concert this afternoon. There were lots of weepy eyes when the last note sounded. Singing together on every sea day has made us all friends.

Tonight is our last formal night. One last chance for the DH to do his James Bond imitation in his tux. I dearly love stepping out with my “silver fox.”

We’re running out of time to hand out tips to members of the crew who have made this trip such a pleasure. Of course, our regular gratuities were pre-paid, but these are a little extra something for crew members who’ve gone the extra mile for us. We’ve caught up with most of them, but about three continue to elude us. We’ll be on the look-out for them tomorrow, when it really will be our LAST sea day.

It’s time to roll up the world map. Thanks again to our dear friend Marcy for giving it to us! We’ve scratched off lots of new countries, but there’s still a lot of “dusty brown” (indicating an unvisited country) on the chart. But oh! The places we’ve seen, the things we’ve experienced, the emotions, the colors, the people, the music, the sights, the sensations--we’ve been shaken and thrilled and stirred.

I’ll never get over it.

And, please God, I don’t want to.

Day 92 ~ Hello, Old Friend!

If you can laugh at yourself, you’ll never run out of material. ~ David Pengelly, virtuoso ukulele player (I kid you not! He can make that mini-guitar do everything but the laundry.) 

Royal Navy Dockyards and the Commissioner's House

Our last port of call is a familiar one. When we lived in Boston, we used to take a Norwegian ship to the beautiful island of Bermuda and spend a week at a time here. It’s actually 138 islands if you count every islet and rock peeking its head out of the surf. The reef system is extensive and the reason for many shipwrecks over the centuries. 

                                     

The sail in to Hamilton was gorgeous, small islets on either side and lovely homes lining the waterway.

In fact, a shipwreck was why Bermuda was finally colonized. The British ship, the Sea Venture bound for the colony at Jamestown, Virginia, ran aground on the reef with over 100 souls on board. They discovered the hellish sounds that had been reported coming from the island were made by wild pigs that had survived earlier wrecks. There were no indigenous people to displace.

We're definitely in the high rent district! 

But not all the castaways were satisfied to remain there. They built a ship they called Deliverance with native cedar and sailed on to the Americas. One of those who continued on was John Rolfe, who eventually met and married Pocahontas. 

The DH snapped this pic of Captain Slight on the wing bridge from our balcony.

Because we’ve been here several times, we’ve seen most of the sights on Bermuda—the enchanting Crystal Cave, Horseshoe Beach (and yes, the sand really is pink there!), the Royal Navy Dockyard and the 19th century Commissioner’s House, historic St. Georges with its period homes. I love Bermuda so much, I even set one of my novels here. (Lord of Devil Isle in case you’re interested. It’s a book I wrote as Mia Marlowe, in collaboration with NYT bestseller Connie Mason, which means I wrote the book and Ms. Mason allowed our publisher to put her name on the cover with mine. It’s a marketing thing. Any time you have a book with two writers and one of them is much better known than the other, it’s a sure bet the lesser known one is the main, probably only, writer of the book.) 

Our balcony looks down on Front Street--perfect for people watching!

Anyway, I used some of the island’s history as the backbone for part of the story. During the American Revolution, Bermuda was used as a place the Brits sent captured combatants where they were released on parole (their word they would not fight any longer.) The island also had a magazine filled with gun powder, something the Americans were desperately short on. Somehow, someone made a daring run to Bermuda and managed to steal the contents of the entire magazine. No perpetrator was ever caught, so I was free to use a little artistic license and make up my own idea of what happened. 

Flowers everywhere!

On our previous trips here, we always docked by the Royal Naval Dockyards, but today, we were berthed right downtown in Hamilton, on charming Front Street. We decided to explore the town on foot. Because the sidewalks are nice and level, I took Herkimer in his rolling bag to give the DH break from carrying him on his shoulders. However, he donned a backpack anyway because he wanted to bring a spare battery for me in case I needed it. 

This sculpture is title "Against the Tide"

We were delighted to find a little park we’d never seen before. It was dedicated to Queen Elizabeth II in 2012 for her Diamond Jubilee and was filled with statuary, well-tended flower beds, and a koi pond. 

Herkimer and I are dedicated walkers now.

Then we walked up the hill to Church Street and found a mall where they offered free wifi. The DH was able to FB chat with #1 Daughter on his phone. She’ll be picking us up at the airport in St. Louis on Friday. We can’t wait to see her.

We discovered this old wall ringing the Queen Elizabeth garden.

Herkimer’s batteries were wearing down, so we headed back to the ship for lunch on the fantail. The weather was perfect, if a little breezy.

I love art in unexpected places!

All the houses on the island have white roofs that collect rain water which is stored in below ground cisterns, and the homes are all painted in delicate pastels. It reminded me of Corfu, where all the buildings had to be one of only a handful of hues on a specialized color palette. If a place wants to encourage tourism, it makes so much sense to make the place as aesthetically pleasing as possible. Bermuda has “pleasing” down to a science. 

Our Aussie friends, Anna and Frank, are feeling out of touch with their family just like we are. 

It was a lovely morning and I’d walked almost 8000 steps already. Our old friend Bermuda had shown us something new about itself. What more could we ask?

Day 91 ~ 2020 World Cruise itinerary

Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen. ~ Benjamin Disraeli

Today is our last sea day until we call on Hamilton, Bermuda. We love days at sea, but if you don’t, a world cruise might not be your cup of tea. Any time you cross one of the major oceans, you have to expect a stretch of nothing but water all around, barring the occasional pod of dolphins.

But in case you’re interested, I have the itinerary for the 2020 World Cruise in my hot little hands. It was announced here onboard first. The route covers five continents, 42 ports of call in 111 days.

Segment One: Ft Lauderdale to Los Angeles—15 days, Jan. 5^th-Jan. 20^th

            Ports of call: Aruba, full transit of the Panama Canal, Puerto Quepos, Puerto Chiapos, and Cabo San Lucas before reaching LA.

Segment Two: LA to Sydney—29 days, Jan. 20^th-Feb. 19^th

            Ports of call: Honolulu, Kona, Rangiroa, Tahiti, then it’s all New Zealand: Aukland, Picton, Kaikura, Dunedin, Stewart Island, Fjordland National Park Scenic Cruising. Cruise across the “Ditch” to Sydney and this leg is done.

Segment Three: Sydney to Cape Town, South Africa—45 days, Feb. 19^th- April 4^th

             Ports of call: Melbourne, Perth, Bali, Singapore, Phuket (Thailand), Colombo (India), Maldives, Seychelles, Zanzibar (Tanzania), Mayotte, Nosy Be (Madagascar), Mauritius, Reunion Island, Durban, East London, Cape Town

Segment Four: Cape Town to Ft. Lauderdale—22 days, April 4^th-April 26^th

            Ports of call: Luderitz, Walvis Bay, St. Helena, Natal, Devil’s Island Scenic Cruising, Martinique, St. Bartholemy, Ft. Lauderdale

If you wanted to do the partial WC, segments 2-4, it’ll be 96 days from LA to Ft. Lauderdale. Figuring the most economical cabin in each category, here’s the breakdown on what it would cost per person:

            Inside Cabin--$20,990

            Ocean View--$22,699

            Balcony--$28,949

            Mini-Suite--$39,349

            Owner’s Suite--$52,199

Of course, that doesn’t include taxes, port fees, travel insurance, excursions, tips, soft drinks, not-so-soft drinks, vaccinations, visas, flights to and from embarkation and disembarkation ports, hotel for night prior to departure... I could go on and on. Your travel agent may be able to shave some off these figures or offer additional incentives. If you don’t have a travel agent, let me recommend ours: Teresa Skeim at Cruise Specialists. She did a wonderful job for us!

We will not be on the 2020 WC unless we win the Publisher’s Clearing House Grand Prize (And not to burst anyone else’s bubble, but I’ve never been closer!) However, I hope we will do another world cruise someday. It’s been an amazing adventure, and even though the DH reminds me there is no crying on a world cruise, I almost can’t help tearing up at how blessed we are to have been able to do this one.

It really has been life changing. I’ll be years trying to sort out all the experiences and what they’ve meant to me. I guess Princess was right.

I will be coming back new.

   

Day 90 ~ Busy Sea Day

You can do as much as you want, or as little as you like.
~ Tobi, our assistant cruise director

April 22, 2018

Today was the busiest sea day we’ve had on this cruise. We woke around our usual fairly early time of 6:30, but it felt later because we earned back another hour of the day we gave up in February when we crossed the International Dateline. (We’re only 3 hours ahead of home now.) We had coffee delivered to the cabin, as is our decadently spoiled habit, and then breakfast in the Panorama Buffet. We’ve come to enjoy that venue more than the Main Dining Room in the mornings, because I can get my omelet made to order and how often can we have breakfast on the fantail of a lovely ship, even if it is pitching more than I’d like? After that, our day took off at a trot.

8:30 AM ~ Church service in the Pacific Lounge. We miss our own church, but it’s been nice to worship on board when Sunday falls on a sea day.

9:15-10:45 AM ~ Cabin time. After walking for a bit, I worked on Lord Bredon and the Bachleor’s Bible, and updated this blog. The DH spent the time reading Green Mars. He’s not sure if he likes the series yet, but he’s already finished Red Mars, so he feels like he has to see it through. Reading for pleasure is a luxury for him because when he’s home, he always thinks there are other things he should be doing. I hope he realizes that isn’t the case. Everyone deserves some “me” time.

11:00-11:30 AM ~ Trivia! We had sixteen right answers out of twenty this time. The winning team had seventeen so we (Kristy, David, Mary, Brian, the DH and I) didn’t disgrace ourselves too badly. We’ve already won all the little nothings they give out as prizes anyway, so we play for pride’s sake now. The Belinda King dancers take turns calling out the questions and I’m sad to report that some of our fellow  passengers have been quite ornery with them from time to time—arguing over the answers, and correcting their pronunciation (Never mind the fact that all those twenty-somethings are multi-lingual and English is likely their second or third language!). I’m afraid the kids feel like they’ve been thrown to the wolves, so I try to encourage them when I can. After all, it’s only a game, people. And the prizes are sort of Dollar Store rejects. ;-)

11:45 AM-12:30 PM ~ Harmony Choir rehearsal. The lion’s share of the group are disembarking in Ft. Lauderdale, so David will have some serious recruiting to do for the final FTL to LA leg of the World Cruise. We’ve been singing together long enough that we’re starting to pay attention to dynamics and phrasing.

12:30-1:00 PM ~ Passenger Talent Show rehearsal. George from Table 22 has repeatedly requested we sing Drop Kick Me Jesus Over the Goalposts of Life, but for some reason, it’s not in our repertoire. Instead, the DH and I are singing a medley of Jesus Loves Me and Oh! How I Love Jesus, two little diddies we used to sing to our girls on road trips.

Jane and Glenn demonstrate a new step.

1:00-2:00 PM ~ Tango Lesson. Amazingly enough, we’re able to do a basic Tango and make it across the dance floor and back without my O2 sats dropping. Jane and Glenn, the dance instructors, were wonderfully helpful. We’ve tried dancing before, but always with me wearing Backpack Herkimer or trying to stay within the seven foot circumference of my cannula attached to Herkimer in his rolling bag. The turns and traveling always tripped us up before. This time, the DH wore Backpack Herkimer and we danced “in hold” the whole time. If we don’t try any underarm turns, there’s no chance to get tangled up.

I so wish we’d taken dancing lessons from the beginning of the cruise. We’d have a lot more steps in our little quiver by now. But I didn’t think it was possible then, and I wasn’t in as good a shape at the start of this trip either. I hadn’t been walking as I should, but now, for example, I had over 9300 steps yesterday and feel so much better for it.

2:00-3:00 PM ~ Resting in our cabin. We missed lunch. I supposed we could have wandered up to the Panorama Buffet, but neither of us like to sing on a full tummy. I worked a little more on Lord Bredon, so the manuscript will be ready to go to NYC by the time we get home.

3:15-4:15 PM ~ Passenger Talent Show. We were 10^th out of 11 in order of appearance. As we were singing, my phone in my pocket began to chime an alarm. It was my reminder to take my 4:00 pills! We kept singing and finished our a capella piece. (Unfortunately, my phone was tinkling in its own key!) This, my dears, is why you need to turn off your phone when you enter a theater! Anyway, when the song ended (to very appreciative applause) I admitted it was my phone. (There were several relieved faces in the audience and my friend Candy told me the lady next to her was giving everyone around her the fisheye of accusation until I ‘fessed up!)

4:30-5:30 PM ~ Walking. I don’t like to fight for time on a treadmill, so I use Deck 7 as my track. Folks are used to seeing me making my rounds now and invariably offer words of encouragement. It always surprises me when people tell me they admire the way I keep going, even with my POC (Portable Oxygen Concentrator). What’s my other option? But I do appreciate the encouragement and often they want to learn more about my machine because they have a loved one who needs supplemental O2. Too many folks fight using it for pride’s sake and I certainly understand how they feel. It’s a starkly public display of disease. It’s the first thing people notice about me.

I’m determined it won’t be the last.

5:30-6:15 PM ~ Primping for our “evening out.” We like to change for dinner and our evening show even when it’s not a formal night. Smart casual is the dress code. I usually ask myself, “Would I wear this to church?”

6:30-7:15 PM ~ Encore Showtime. Becky O’Brien, who won Britain’s Got Talent, sang a collection of Broadway hits. She’s a pint-sized 4’ 9”, but she has a really big voice! Very talented.

7:30-9:30 or so PM ~ Supper with our friends at Table 60. Emily and David were given a free bottle of champagne because of their travel status. They have over 750 days on Princess.

9:30 PM ~ Crew Show. On a normal night, this is the time when we go to the Cabaret Lounge for the guest artist’s show, but we got to see Becky O’Brien early so the crew could present their talent show at 9:30. Personally, I wish we had an early show every night. It’s bad enough to be at the late seating for dinner. I’ve slept through a number of shows that started late. We’re still not late night people.

Only 4 more days and the World Cruise will be over for us. We’re starting to pack…but that endeavor deserves a post of its own.

More soon…

Day 89 ~ Dancing with the Cast!

April 21, 2018

I could have danced all night! ~ from My Fair Lady

Along with our usual sea day activities today, the six professional dancers on board paired up with passengers for a ballroom dance competition. The DH, as usual, was chosen to participate. (Whenever a performer needs a volunteer, he’s likely to be picked, even if he’s in the middle of the back row. He just has “good sport” written all over him.) His dancing partner was Natalie, the young lady responsible for keeping the dance troop in tip top shape.  

He and Natalie had about 45 minutes to rehearse three dances. First, the cha-cha. It’s been a long time since the DH and I took ballroom lessons, but it all came back to him. At least enough for him to remember a few patterns and how to signal them to his partner. In a contest like this, the men had the harder job because they actually had to lead instead of being dragged around the dance floor by their partner.

After the cha-cha, one of the other male passengers was eliminated along with his professional partner. The DH was still in the hunt! The next dance was the waltz. That used to be one of our favorites. In fact, we won the waltz competition on the Hawaiian cruise we took for our 25^th anniversary.

Get a load of that good waltz frame!

A female passenger and her pro partner were eliminated next. Whew! The DH was still dancing! But, as he confided to me later, 90 seconds of dancing is a much longer time than he thought! His young partner, however, wasn’t even breaking a sweat.

The third dance was the swing/jive/rock&roll—sort of anything goes. We used to love to spin and dip with the best of them, so this dance was right in the DH’s wheelhouse. Sure enough! The other remaining male passenger and his partner were eliminated and the three couples still standing advanced to the finals.

No one was able to prepare for the final round. They were each given an envelope with two dance styles they were supposed to mash together. The first couple was assigned Salsa & Irish Dancing. The last couple got Meringue & Bollywood. The DH and Natalie danced the Tango & Korean Pop (Gangnam style!)

I have some blackmail-worthy video I will post here once we get home.   

Anyway, the judges couldn’t pick a winner, so Meringue/Bollywood couple took first place by audience acclamation. (Probably because the pro dancer picked his partner up and swung her around until she almost passed out! Too bad we didn’t have Carrie Anne to point out that move was an illegal lift!) Nevertheless, I thought the DH was robbed, but I must admit to a little prejudice.

Tomorrow, our on-board dance instructors are doing a tango class. The DH wants to gear up with backpack Herkimer and see if there’s a way for us to do a modified tango together. The dance has several things going for it that might make it possible. It’s danced mostly in hold, so no underarm turns to get my cannula tangled up in. The tempo is slow, which works for me. And it’s perfectly acceptable to stop dead still and stare with fierce passion at our partner while we catch our breaths.

If we can only manage that without giggling, I’ll count it a win!  

Day 88 ~ Par-tay on the Pacific Princess

And if travel is like love, it is, in the end, mostly because it’s a heightened state of awareness, in which we are mindful, receptive, undimmed by familiarity and ready to be transformed. That is why the best trips, like the best love affairs, never really end. ~ Pico Iyer

We woke this morning to blessedly placid seas and bright sunshine! The ship is no longer heaving and rearing like an unbroken horse. I could have breakfast on the fantail without seeing the DH & the sky, the DH & the sea, the DH & the…well, you get the idea. It was like being on a ship-sized seesaw. But my patch worked its magic and I haven’t needed to put on a fresh one. We’re still 400 miles from land in any direction, but we’re steaming toward Hamilton, Bermuda, our final port of call, at a good clip.

Our choir director David didn’t mind skipping the Azores. He’s thrilled to have an extra sea day for practice. I really like all the pieces we’re working on for this segment, especially a sweet ballad called “Somewhere Out There.” It’s from An American Tail, a darling little animated movie our girls loved when they were little. (Just a quick note on singing when the ship was pitching. We remained seated for most of those rehearsals, but when I rose from my chair, it happened to coincide with a moment when the ship took a steep dip and the floor shot out from under me. My feet left the hardwood and I was momentarily airborne. I came down fine and it was actually kind of fun, but I hope not to try it again. I might not land so well next time.)

This afternoon, we were treated to a talk from Hussein Khadir, our second officer, who’s from Leeds, England. Every day, he has us in stitches with his clever noontime updates as “the Voice from the Bridge.” It was nice to put a face and name with the voice. Hussein explained Great Circle navigation and how the shortest distance between two points isn’t always a straight line. On a sphere, it’s an arc. (The wing bridge is located just forward and above our balcony. While catching some rays, the DH has had conversations with the officer of the watch from time to time. And one evening, a steward rapped on our door, asking us to pull our drapes. Light from our cabin was making it difficult for the bridge officers to see the information on their console.)

Tonight is yet another formal evening. We’ve had 3 or 4 for every segment of the world cruise. With all that practice, the DH has become quite adept at tying his bow tie, but this tux shirt calls for a regular tie that matches his red vest. There are more tuxes and dinner jackets on the Pacific Princess than I’ve seen on other ships. Still, some people decide to opt out and dine in the more casual Panorama Buffet. Even so, there is still a lot of glitz to be seen on these nights. I always wish my mom was with us on formal nights. She’s the queen of bling and loves dressing up. She’d also love seeing what others wear.

Oscar, our extraordinary Maitre d’, always brings some fun to formal nights. He obviously picked this mask up in Venice. And on formal evenings, the Belinda King dancers and singers provide the entertainment. Their production shows are the best I’ve ever seen on a ship. Excellent!     

We’re short timers now—only a week till we’re back in the USA. But for now, we’ll party on.