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The CREW CAPERS
They rocked the house.The last ten days of our cruise were filled with parties, packing and some sightseeing thrown in for good measure. We had a smooth cruise up the Red Sea into Safaga, Egypt. This is the port for Luxor, which is called the greatest open air museum in the world. Many passengers took an overnight trip to see the temples and tombs and other ancient marvels in the Valley of the Kings. Since we have spent a lot of time there we opted to stay closer to the ship to take care of a number of situations regarding the end of the cruise. Many passengers were quite unsettled by the turn of events and having to fly home rather than cruise back to the United States. There were concerns about traveling with valuable jewelry through airports and shipping expensive clothing home. One of the reasons many passengers book an around the world cruise is precisely for the reason of getting on the ship in the U.S. and leaving the ship four months later in the U.S. They prefer not to have to deal with airports and airplanes and transfers and the rigors of international flights. Regent arranged the flights for everyone and
Chocolate World
The work of the talented pastry chef Chris Kiss. booked all the world cruisers in business class. They also arranged for our luggage to be shipped home from Rome. In order to do that it was necessary for everyone to itemize every single piece of clothing and anything else that went into the luggage. This was due to US Customs regulations. Ordinarily this would be a fairly simple task but for people who are gone four months there is a monumental amount of luggage to be dealt with. So things became pretty quiet around the ship as everyone was busy compiling their lists and preparing their custom declarations. We decided to bequeath our porcelain Vietnamese elephants to the ship, since we were sure they would never make it home in one piece. We started donating various things to the crew in an effort to lighten our load. We had to divide our stuff into two piles since most was being shipped to California and the rest we would be taking with us to Rome and then on to Florida. It was still quite chilly in Italy and we knew that it would be hot and steamy in Ft Myers so we had to organize our clothing accordingly.
When
John & Juliane
Fonda, NY. They jumped ship and joined the Mariner in Hong Kong we arrived in Safaga we noticed a familiar looking ship docked close by. Although now renamed, it was the old Pacific Princess—the original “Loveboat.” We took our very first cruise on the PP back in 1981. At that time, we never imagined that cruising would become such an integral part of our life.
Speaking of which, our ship had become the “New Loveboat.” We had our share of romances on this year’s cruise. We counted three engagements, all staff members, and what a nice location to acknowledge their love for one another---at sea! Not only does the ship provide a romantic setting, it’s also a convenient place for the lucky ladies to show off their new engagement rings!
The romantic ones are Manuel, Destinations Office, engaged to Stephanie, the fitness instructor from Montreal. Australian ballroom dance champions, Andy and Meghan were betrothed. And finally, the ship’s desktop publisher Dodie, a British lassie, and former sports director and bass player Eric, from Ohio, pledged their undying love to one another.
Meanwhile back in Egypt, we went into Safaga for the day. This port town is not a real tourist mecca and there is little in the way of
infrastructure to welcome foreigners. In previous years we had visited Hurghada which is a famous dive destination but is quite a drive from Safaga. We bought a couple of suitcases for some of our guests and scurried back to the ship. The next day we were in Aqaba, Jordan. This is the gateway to the majestic Petra, the Rose Red City. Aqaba and Petra prospered as waypoints on the spice trade route. Aqaba sits at the end of the Gulf of Aqaba and edges up to the border with Israel. Eilat is a favorite vacation spot for Israeli tourists. Again, we are fortunate that we have been to Petra recently, as we didn’t have time to make the all day trip out to the spectacular Nabatean village which is carved out of the rust-hued sandstone cliffs in the Wadi Musa--the Valley of Moses. According to tradition this is where Moses stuck a rock and water gushed forth on his wanderings through the desert.
We cruised up to the entrance of the Suez Canal and had our Cruise Specialists farewell party on the aft deck of the ship. Our last get-together was perfect and we gave out pashminas and frankincense
as party favors. Then two minutes after everyone left, a tremendous wind storm came up and furniture and glasses went flying and cushions blew overboard. The Captain had to weigh anchor and steam back into the Red Sea to avoid being smacked by cargo ships which were dragging their anchors. These wind and dust storms are so fierce and sudden that it is truly an amazing spectacle to witness. Later Captain Dag told us that these were the strongest winds we had encountered on the whole world cruise.
During the middle of the night the storm subsided and so we were able to return to the anchorage and take on fuel and prepare for our passage through the Suez Canal. At daybreak the convoy started through the canal led by a US Navy frigate followed by a US nuclear submarine and then the Voyager. Dozens of freighters and tankers were behind us. This 119 mile canal was long in the planning process and has had to persevere through many wars and a great deal of political intrigue. The canal was closed to shipping from 1967 until 1975 due to damage and sunken vessels caused by the Arab-Israeli War. Ours
was a peaceful passage through “the ditch.” After passing Port Said we left the land of pharaohs and pyramids and the desert sands of Arabia and emerged into the beautiful Mediterranean Sea.
We had started making arrangements for a one week driving trip around the Abruzzi region of Italy. I had reserved a car and we were checking into accommodations and had decided on a tentative route spending our first night in L’Aquila. Our Italian friend, Iliana who works at the tour desk on board recommended this lovely 13th Century village and we were anxious to see it. Then we awoke one morning to the awful news of the earthquake whose epicenter was located in the Abruzzi region and had decimated L’Aquila. Coming from earthquake country, we could only imagine what those poor people were going through and the turmoil that would ensue in the recovery and reconstruction efforts. So we quickly changed our plans and decided on three days in Roma instead. We were both ready for a Roman Holiday.
Then it was time to get serious about wrapping up all the loose ends of the world cruise. The officers put on their annual talent show with
Andy & Meghan
"I Love You. I Honestly Love You" some lively skits and impressive singing. The crew talent show was a smash hit also. There were farewell dinners and a special Italian night in LaVeranda filled with singing and dancing. Every year it is necessary to go through some separation anxiety over the thought of leaving what has been home for the past four months. We always wish that this dream world could go on forever. Within the cocoon of shipboard life there are no doctor or dentist appointments; no home repairs or marketing phone calls at dinnertime; no traffic jams to navigate around or grocery store lines to wait in. On the ship there are people to serve our meals and clean our rooms and polish our shoes and iron our clothes and they do all this with boundless energy and a smile. There are musicians and singers and dancers to perform for our pleasure, there are dealers who will happily take our money in the casino; there are experts to advise on tours and port highlights and to make future cruise reservations. There are friends around to play cards, tennis or ping pong or help with a jigsaw puzzle. There is always someone willing to share a
Eric & Dodie
"I Can't Live Without You" cup of coffee or a quiet drink. There are expert speakers to enlighten and educate and entertain. All of this is happening while we are going around the world visiting exotic ports, experiencing varied cultures and seeing sites we only dreamed of when growing up.
Many things have happened in the sixteen weeks we were gone. A new year was ushered in. A newly elected president assumed office, a Super Bowl champ was crowned, the Academy Awards came and went, the financial crisis deepened and winter passed and spring emerged. We lost our dear brother-in-law, Larry, and we welcomed several new nieces and nephews into the world. Exactly 175 years ago Darwin set sail on the HMS Beagle with the intent of circumnavigating this planet. He developed his theory of evolution based on what he witnessed while cruising the world. We didn’t exactly come up with any new sociological theories while on this trip, but we did notice that this planet is a wonderful, beautiful, exciting and confounding place. The world as seen from a ship allows a unique perspective and we are mightily blessed to be able to cruise around the earth in such high style surrounded by
friends. In spite of its shortened itinerary, this was one of the nicest, most enjoyable world cruises that we have been on. The weather was the absolute best, the passengers were the most congenial, the staff was superb and the ports were intriguing. We can hardly wait until next January 13th when we are scheduled to board the Voyager and set sail on our tenth world cruise…..God willing and the creek don’t rise!
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