OUT OF AFRICA AND ACROSS THE ATLANTIC

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Whenever we begin an ocean passage, I think of the early explorers and what thay must have thought as they began their journey to the unknown. Now crossing an ocean is a fairly common occurrence especially with the advent of GPS, radar and stabilizers. The weather is always unpredictable but modern day ships are better able to handle sudden storms and rough seas. This cruise across the Atlantic Ocean turned out to be the best weather-wise of our previous fifteen crossings. The southerly route and the time of year improve the chances for a smooth cruise. As the toast goes, we had “fair winds and following seas” all the way.

To celebrate this passage we decided to have a dinner party for our Cruise Specialists group. We thought that another fancy meal would be a bit mundane by this 109th day into the cruise. So we opted for a “Wonders of the World” outdoor cocktail party followed by an international dinner and karaoke soiree. In costumes! We encouraged everyone to dress up in some exotic garb that they had purchased during the cruise. We worked with the ship’s chef to develop a menu that would have an international taste and flair. The afternoon of the party we joined in with Cruise Director Jamie and staff to decorate LaVeranda Restaurant with country flags and Asian fans and Mexican sombreros and set up the karaoke equipment. We had party favors which we had picked up in Africa. Everyone got in to the spirit of things and showed up in their finest costumes. We had guests dressed as Arab sheiks and China dolls and others wearing safari outfits, Vietnamese Ao Dai, Indian sari, Filipino barong or African tribal wear. Our sunset cocktail party got things started. We had margaritas, champagne and Australian wine followed by sushi, salsa and chips, pancit noodles, pasta, turkey, French cheese, Greek salad, tapas and pizza. To get the karaoke off the ground Jamie had arranged for several singing stewardesses and waiters to croon their favorites. Then Kevin and Jamie did their duet of “Chantilly Lace.” It wasn’t long before many of the passengers showed off their singing talents. It was a night filled with fun and laughter and good food. Dr Tinkle would have loved it!

We stopped in the island group of Cape Verde, a former Portuguese colony off the coast of Africa. Being there on a Sunday wasn’t ideal as virtually everything was closed. We hired a cab and drove around mostly deserted towns and hillsides. Due to a drought, Cape Verde isn’t green but it is beautiful especially when shrouded in clouds of sand from the Sahara Desert.

Four days at sea provided ample time to pack and take care of the end of cruise details. Once we arrived in the Caribbean we were busy with excursions every day. Landfall was made in the most easterly island of Barbados. This prosperous island’s main claim to fame is that Tiger Woods was married and honeymooned there. We thought that the mountains, seashore and cane fields were more impressive.

Antigua is a boater’s paradise. We went ocean fishing and snorkeling on a small motor boat. Kevin caught eight fish much to the envy of the other anglers aboard. In Tortola we took a ferry over to Virgin Gorda and went hiking and swimming around the Baths. These are famous geological stone formations complete with giant boulders and water caves. In Turks and Caicos we went on a catamaran for some ocean diving in warm, shimmering crystal clear water. You might detect a pattern here. It seems that we are always drawn to boats and water—which is a good thing considering where we live and what we do.

This was a very successful world cruise. The majority of passengers were pleased with Regent, the Voyager, her staff and crew and with the itinerary. We loved the weather and were very fortunate in that by some blind luck of scheduling we missed typhoons, cyclones, tsunami waves, rebellions, floods, snow storms, fishing nets and pirates. They all came in our wake after we were safely cruising off to other ports. We crossed the equator four times, as well as the International Date Line and the Prime Meridian. This 119 day journey circling the globe took us to some wonderful places and we had numerous adventures and interesting encounters. We were sad that so many passengers had to leave the ship due to ill health and we will miss Captain Dag and the special excitement he brings to a world cruise.

After all the farewells we disembarked in Ft Lauderdale and drove over to Ft Myers where we will spend some time prior to going back to California either by car or airplane. It is good to have a few weeks of quiet time to reflect on the past four months and to become acclimated to life on shore. Right now our plans are written in sand on a rising tide.

Many people ask us how the last cruise compares to our previous world cruises. Each cruise has its own tempo and personality. The common denominators are always the anticipation of adventure, the constant movement onward, the sense of discovery and the people. The people include our friends on the ship, the old friends we meet up with along the way and the new friends we make onshore and onboard. Circumnavigating the world is a very unique experience on an intellectual and emotional level. It is educational and exhilarating. The ship is the vehicle that takes us around the world. It is up to us to seek out the adventures and encounters in the places we visit. For us, no other travel experience can compare to it. We have found our home and it is the world.

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