Day 121 ~ The Last Sea Day

 May 10, 2022

Who knows what the temperature is? We're packing! 

“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” ― Ursula K. Le Guin, The Left Hand of Darkness (a fascinating sci-fi/fantasy novel!)

Bergen, the Viking Star's home port, was always intended to be the end of our journey. But on our way to Bergen, a voyage that began on January 10th, we had a complete overhaul of our itinerary. Instead of slow-cruising along the equator for 50+ days, and spending most of our time in hot climes, we had a much cooler weather journey. (Thank God that Viking provided all of us with fleece-lined jackets!) And even once our new itinerary was announced, it didn't survive the entire cruise. We lost a stop at Punta del Este, Uruguay because sea conditions wouldn't allow us to tender in there. Ditto for Heraklion, Crete. We called at Chania, Crete instead because the Star could skinny into its tiny port and tie up to the dock. And we lost our stop at Alexandria, Egypt because we needed another sea day for Israeli officials to come aboard to oversee our shipboard PRC tests before allowing us to enter their country. (For more about all the changes to our planned itinerary, I've got them listed on separate pages accessible from the tool bar at the top of the blog.) 

But for the most part, we were able to complete the inventive and frankly, wildly exciting schedule of stops. It's been a remarkable voyage and there will never be another World Cruise like it. It was an adventure in every sense of the word.   

Packing to go home is easier than packing to leave. We just have to fit everything into our suitcases, including the gifts we're bringing home to our loved ones, and keep all the bags under the weight limit mandated by our airline! Traveler's Tip: Be sure to pack a portable luggage scale. It's a little handheld scale with a hook attached for lifting the bag to be weighed. Don't leave home without one!

Kristy and Dave with Aswi (right) and Dani (left) our regular servers in The Restaurant. Both are Muslim and even though they worked all day around truly luscious food, they kept the Ramadan fast during the month of March. They were so happy to be able to get off the ship to pray in the mosque near the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem and the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. And their families at home felt blessed by their faith pilgrimages as well. 

One of the joys of making this journey was getting to know our friends Kristy and Dave better, and renewing our acquaintance with Laura and Russ, an octogenarian couple who climbed the Sydney Bridge on our 2018 Pacific Princess WC, and Don Wooley, who was also on that 2018 voyage. 

Don is a true inspiration to everyone who meets him. At 91, he's still going strong though he relies on a walker now for balance. He is nearly deaf, but always has a smile on his face, didn't miss an excursion and was often on the same bus we were. Rumor has it that Don is about to become the Star's first full- time resident. I hope so. For an active person like Don, it's a much better choice than traditional assisted living. He is able to care for himself, but the care the crew gives him is outstanding. He loves to visit museums and new places, and is an avid Baggo fan and bridge player. And if he's on the Star, he will never be alone unless he chooses to be. 

Members of Rotary who were on the Star gave Don this commemorative picture of the ship, signed by the senior staff and captain. 

There are a few sad things to report, things I didn't want to mention while we were still in the midst of the voyage lest I scare our family silly. We had a few cases of Covid at the beginning of the cruise and some people were taken off by ambulance to recover ashore. Then the ship maintained its covid free status for months, until the last few weeks of our sojourn around the Med. A couple who sang in the choir with us--in fact, she sat beside me in the soprano section and he next to the DH with the basses--tested positive and were quarantined on the ship. But the DH and I were tested every day and never showed the slightest hint of catching the virus. We never had so much as a sniffle. Thank you, Jesus!

There were falls here and there and people turned up with fresh casts on their arms or using crutches while a sprained ankle healed. And one poor lady fell at the pyramids and broke her hip. She had to remain in Cairo and have a hip replacement there. Frankly, with all the uneven trails and cobblestones we walked, a fall was our biggest fear. As we walked along as a group, everyone got into the habit of pointing out protuberances, curbs, potholes and invisible steps to the ones behind them.

And two people died while on the cruise. This was not a surprise, given the demographic of world cruisers. Princess officers said they expected to lose four on a world cruise. A gentleman who sang and played his ukulele in the passenger talent show and the husband of one of the ladies who attended church services with us passed away. Both of natural causes. 

No one knows how many trips around the sun are allotted to them. It served as a reminder that it's important to discuss your wishes with your loved ones in case it's time for you to disembark before them. If I had my choice, I'd shuffle off this mortal coil while I'm doing something I love. Death on a cruise is only difficult for the one who remains, so next time, we need to have a serious discussion and whatever documents are necessary just in case.   

Katie, our delightful cruise director, introducing the new Viking vocalists. We lost the talented group who made the trip with us in London. Over several months, you become attached to these young people because they aren't just entertainers. They serve as excursion helpers, shepherding us along. They read the questions as Trivia hosts, a job that merits hazard pay. Everyday at noon, devotees were reminded "It's only a game!" We actually never tried it. We'd heard the questions were pretty difficult. After all, as Uncle Torstein says, "This is a thinking man's cruise, not a drinking man's cruise." However, as freely as the Silver Spirits packages flowed, I suspect it's both!  

Our last task is to put our packed bags, all four of them, outside our stateroom door. (Another Traveler's Tip: Make sure to leave out your traveling home clothes! No one wants to see your pj's in the airport!)  We will order our last room service breakfast and hang the request on our door. Then we'll let the Star rock us to sleep one last time. 

It's been magical. It's been exciting. Exhausting. Reviving. Too long and too short. Above all, much different than we originally planned. But that's okay. 

Sometimes, the best adventures are the ones that catch us by surprise.