Day 11 ~ Ask a Silly Question

If an ass goes traveling, he’ll not come home a horse.
~ Thomas Fuller

Since 911, security measures have changed on cruise ships just as they have at airports. We used to be able to take a bridge tour and actually be in the rooms where the captain and his officers plotted our course and controlled the ship. Now we are treated to a “virtual” tour (Read: a lecture with lots of photos given by the first officer in the Cabaret Lounge.)

I was amazed by the length of time required to become a bridge officer. After earning a university degree in naval operations, it takes about eight more years before an officer is allowed to touch a certain button on the bridge.  The length of education and practical experience rivals the training required to become a doctor. And in both careers, they hold people’s lives in their hands.

In addition to their navigation duties, the bridge crew is expected to be pleasant and informative with the passengers, but sometimes, our first officer confided, it’s difficult to answer some questions with a straight face. Here are some of his infamous favorites:

1.    Does the crew sleep on the ship?

2.    How do I walk forward?

3.    Do these stairs go up and down?

4.    Will this elevator take me to the front of the ship?

5.    When do we take off?

6.    Does the sun always rise on the left side of the ship?

7.  What do you do with the ice sculptures after they melt?

There are no good ways to answer these silly questions.

And speaking of silliness…today we were witness to the Crossing the Equator Ceremony which turns Polywogs (People who’ve never crossed the equator on a ship) into Shellbacks (People who have sailed into the southern hemisphere before). This is actually our 3^rd trip across that imaginary line since we went over and back on our 30 day South Pacific cruise in 2016.

The Crossing Ceremony is nothing more than a glorified food fight bent on humiliating the volunteers as much as possible, but it’s supposedly all in good, if not clean, fun. King Neptune, who moonlights as the Head of Housekeeping, presides over the event. His Queen with the big bazongas is actually David, our choir director. 

Like I said…silliness writ large.

But while we’re on the subject of silliness, let me make a case for it. When we were children, silliness was as natural as breathing.  As we grow older, we tend to forget how to play, how to abandon our rigid fear of appearing ridiculous. There are times to give up the stern path we walk because we think it’s the adult thing to do, and just have fun.

Wishing you a little silliness today! 

May 29, 2018 update: Speaking of silliness...let me preface this by admitting that I am the "Anti-Shopper." I'd rather do just about anything else than wander around hoping I'll find what I'm looking for because I won't know until I see it that I want it. Ugh! I acknowledge that mine is a minority position among women, and even some men!

The DH, however, claims my anti-shopping bias is part of why he was able to retire early.

But there are some shops on the Pacific Princess with some very nice things in them. Foremost, is the Effy store. Fine jewelry for the discriminating shopper, i.e. so not for me, but I thought you might like to see some of their offerings.

The Effy store runs countless sales throughout the cruise and does raffle-style giveaways to get feet in the door. For example, our Aussie tablemate Kathi (who joined us in Sydney with hubby Vaughan) won a lovely pair of diamond earrings this way! 

But I've always said I'd rather have an adventure than a new sofa. So when I look at a piece of jewelry, I always translate the price into "cruise dollars." Rather have a few more days at sea than a new bobble hanging around my neck, no matter how shiny that bobble is!