Today was our second day at sea, spending hours eating, drinking and being entertained while staring at the endless horizon that separates the sky and the sea.
For two days we lived a life of manufactured excitement, where our every decision and every move heavily influenced by the enthusiastic voice through the loud speaker system, telling us what is happening, where to go, what to eat and what to buy on an hourly basis.
Good morning ladies and gentlemen, I hope you enjoyed this morning’s breakfast and is ready for a whole day of fun!
Such are the setting of the atmosphere, and as the day progresses the voice becomes a regular fixture. I watch as hordes of passengers head toward various venues on the ship at the sound of that voice: to the shop at the announcement of the 50% off Diamond Sale Event, to the dining room for free ice cream and to the gallery for the art auction.
To the art auction you ask? Well, I’ve been told, that cruise ships are often also used as the gathering of art collectors. Art works are auctioned off, often for millions on cruise liners such as the one I am currently on.
So it was in such an environment that I have spent my first two full days on a cruise, and suddenly, I have been surrounded by first world problems: there’s too much food at breakfast; there’s too few seats at the bar; the toilets flush too loudly and the internet is not fast enough.
As the cruise sailed full speed ahead at 21 knots, I watched and listened to my fellow passengers and found myself asking the question: “are we there yet?”
I keep forgetting that I am not travelling this time – I am actually just taking a ‘holiday’. I don’t need to learn a new culture, I don’t need to speak a different language, I don’t need to stick to transport schedules and pack and re-pack our backpacks. I can actually…. rest.
I can’t say I am fully enjoying myself yet. There are too many people gambling and too little people trying to find out more about our destination.
Is it because I tried too hard to resist the temptation of becoming one of them? Or am I being too harsh on my fellow passengers? After all, it’s only been the second day.
Ladies and gentlemen! I hope dinner was to your liking and that you’ve had the chance to meet the captain. Just a reminder that Bingo will start in the main lounge in 30 mins, come along and have some fun!
What? Bingo is starting? Gotta go.
Review: Aloft Kuala Lumpur
A
Not sure I’m much of a cruise person. I get a little antsy being stuck in one place like that even if there are a lot of “activities”. Eating and being relatively sedentary does not seem like a immense amount of fun.
Amy McPherson
While I say the same, I live by the theory that you’ve got to try it at least once to truly say whether something is for you or not. In a way it’s like saying “I am not travelling to because… blah” ;-)
In a way, being on the cruise is similar of just chilling at home. There’s the gym, there’s the food, there’s the water slides and there’s the theatre shows – with an added bonus that at the end of the day you end up somewhere different.
While it isn’t always something for the young, I can see why it can suit certain travellers. There are plenty of older people on board that have done everything we are currently experiencing and now that they have backpacked, explored, learned all the languages and had their adventure, it isn’t a bad way to continue their travelling lives really! :)
Paul
Just relax and enjoy – don’t resist :p
Amy McPherson
Ha. Thanks Tsangers. No, I make the most of all situations. Whether I’ll do it again, is another matter ;-)