Judy. This is the first time Ted and I have taken such a short (7-day) cruise, leaving and returning to the same port. I'm not sure if that and the Norwegian fjord destination have affected what I've seen here, but I have several observations.
First of all, I've never seen so many families on a cruise, and it's really quite lovely to see parents and grandparents sharing time with their children. Of course the ship has many activities for the kids, and several toddlers have shown me the pictures they've colored. Meals are beautiful things, with large groups laughing together. Of course, there's the occasional tweener dashing around without looking to see who else is nearby, or shoes flying in hallway battles, but for the most part it's been delightful.
When we boarded, we saw several people in orange shirts that read "Royal Caribbean Autistic Cruise Staff," and have been pleased to see people on the spectrum both with their families, or being cared for by this staff. There are those who are afraid of anyone different, and it makes me so very happy to see folks who are sometimes shunned welcomed, at dinner, at the pool, and on the dance floor. Just now I passed a "private event"--all the families and the staff were having a party.
And the diversity on this ship! We've heard every language you can imagine, and seen cruisers wearing everything from the shortest of short shorts to Muslim women in full hijab or even a burka. Everybody seems to respect everybody in this delicious microcosm of the world.
We're used to repositioning cruises of twelve days or more, during which time we get to know our waiters and room stewards pretty well. I was surprised to find that seven days is still enough time for them to remember our preferences. The first night in the restaurant, Ted told Kiran that he didn't eat sweets, and would prefer fruit for dessert. Every night, a lovely fruit plate is ready for him, and, since I nibbled off his plate the first evening, he started bringing me one as well. And of course, we've seen pictures of his wife and daughters back in Bangalore. Rohan is our room steward, and has kept up the tradition of making towel animals.
One thing that hasn't changed is the sense of humor of the Captain. On every cruise it seems the Captain slips in jokes during the announcements. On the first day, we cracked up when we heard, "Good morning. My name is Tor, and I work here," before continuing with what we needed to know. In one port when we arrived after a very foggy night, Captain Tor announced, "Well, I wasn't sure where we were headed last night, but the port sign says Haugesund, so I guess we're in the right place."
For the first time, we have reached the level where we get into a private lounge and can have four drinks per day. We can't quite handle four drinks per day (lightweights, I know), but it's fun not to think about how expensive some of the wine is.
Ted has played pickleball almost every day, and must know half the people on the ship, so I get to meet many of them. Half the time if I'm talking to someone and Ted walks up the two of them point to each other and say, "You play pickleball!" I've been to an abs class and yoga, but it just doesn't have the same opportunity for conversations. Dinner companions are another story. A couple of nights ago we met a couple who was eighteen months into the same nomadic style we have, and last night we compared travel stories with a woman from North Carolina.
On our last night, we wandered to a lounge for a cognac, only to find a "Hush Party" going on. Everyone wears headphones and dances to music no one else can hear. We were just watching them when a young couple from Hong Kong grabbed a couple and brought them to us, laughing. After awhile, I pulled the young woman onto the dance floor and tried it myself! Neither of our partners seemed to want to try it. It was silly and lots of fun.
Needless to say, the ports have been worth (as we say) the price of admission. I expected that. But we both love sea days, and they have been as good as we remember. Seas have been calm, but somebody forgot to tell the dolphins and whales we were coming. Maybe next time.
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