DFR Travels: Fourth Sea Day...

Sunday, February 26. 23 C. Cloudy sky, rolling ocean. Now 11 hours time difference between West Coast Time.

- Half way point on this trip in 10 days Luci! -

Well, we are getting used to this Sea Day Thing! Three more after today. There is no shortage of things to do on these Sea Days, just none that suit us at this time of our life. Cutbacks have affected the number and quality of good Guest Lecturers or Speakers which we usually attended. And, we don’t play Bridge, don’t Paint, don’t Play the Ukulele, don’t play Pickle Ball, and don’t want to do Origami. And on and on it goes, heck I am 87 and sometimes I just want to spend some serious relaxation time with the love of my life!

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Today’s Ramble by Doug:

What is it with these people whose 'Life Is Travelling’?

Originally, I was going write about people we run into on the ship whose whole life seems to revolve around travelling. When I started to think about what I would actually write, I realized I had it all wrong. Sure, there are some people like that, there are even some people who actually live on a cruise ship and never get off it. It is their home. Holland America had one elderly woman, her name was Dolly, we saw her on a couple of world voyages. She lived on the ship, really. In March 2020 when they cancelled the World Cruise in Fremantle, Australia, she had to leave the ship, like everybody else and Holland America actually escorted her home with one of their staff. She passed away several months later. Dolly, and people who go on a World Cruise every year are generally the exception, but certainly many, many do.

I can only offer my opinion on the subject from a personal prospective. My own world travels started in 1959 when I got laid off while doing a six year apprenticeship as a Typographer in the printing Industry. I went to Europe for seven months and buzzed around on a scooter, staying at Youth Hostels. No serious travel for many, many years later.

I met the love of my life a couple of years after Europe, we had three children. During that time I was in The Reserve Army. The Army was my passion for 24 years. We moved to a rural area when our youngest was five years old. I joined the Volunteer Fire Department and was highly active in that for 14 years. We started our own Ticket Printing company, that consumed my life and my family’s life, forever. My wife and I then started to travel, going to Africa on a regular basis for 8 years; then long Cruises for 24 years.

When I look at my travel life as I have just related, we too were focused on Cruising for the past 24 years. It was one of a long line of ‘focuses’ that I/we have had over our life, as they were needed, wanted or able to fit into our life as time, money and inclination fit into our lives.

So, we too were guilty of that enthusiasm for travel, and I am delighted to see it in people, it is a wonderful, interesting and educational way to spend your time if you are lucky enough to have the three elements that are necessary to travel: Time, The Inclination and Money!

Cruising is just another chapter in our 'Book of Life.'

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Well this is certainly not very interesting if the readers of this blog were hoping to see some exciting travel shots! Sorry about that, but now you know, travel is not always an adventure every single day!

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After dinner we were invited to attend a 'Cabana Bash' up top, up front for an hour after dinner for drinks and Appetizers. 'The Retreat’ it is called. It is really quite a nice arrangement for those who like that kind of thing. About 20 or more Tent-like Cabanas, protected from the wind and sun, fantastic views of the ocean and unbroken horizon. We spent 3/4 of an hour up there, chatting with the Entertainment Coordinator, a lovely young lady, 36. She is trying to figure out where her life is going: marriage versus a career at sea, and how to have both, if possible. Good experience and very interesting. Not really our cup of tea though.

Three more days until we see land!

An OK Day...