Sea Days

I think you have to be a committed sailor to tolerate one day at sea after another.  My limited cruising, up until now, has included itineraries with lots of ports of call and opportunities to get off the ship and explore the land.  But I have learned that the more people cruise, the more they come to enjoy life on the boat more than the places the ship is visiting.  

The woman who convinced me to sign up for this Pacific Ocean crossing of thirty-two days, loves cruising, even having taken one cruise that lasted for nearly ninety days.  She has no interest in getting off the ship and rarely does.  “I’ve done all of that I want to,” she says.  “I just want to relax, be waited on, and eat well.”

The Crystal Symphony in Honolulu

I have to admit that the longer I’m on ships, the more I enjoy the life at sea and the chance to settle into a routine.  Here is what that routine now consists of.  Each sea day begins with a call for room service coffee as there are no coffee makers in individual staterooms on this ship—the Crystal Symphony.  It usually arrives within five minutes of my call. One morning the knock on my door came in just three minutes.  When I remarked on the speed of the delivery, the waiter bowed slightly and said, "I didn't want madam to have to wait for her morning coffee."

So with coffee in hand, I settle back into bed to read the daily ship newsletter, “Reflections,” and plan my day’s activities.  I catch up on email and social media, perhaps read a bit, or write something.  (I’m working hard on developing the habit of daily writing.)  Around nine, I get dressed and go for breakfast.  I have two options on this ship: a restaurant where I can order something and be waited on, or the buffet where I tend to over eat as there are always lots of options.

My breakfast fruit platter in the restaurant consists of papaya,
mango, kiwi, melon, etc.  All beautifully presented.

A Pilates class is offered most mornings at nine.  Every day I resolve to go, but I haven’t managed to actually get there yet.  Some mornings, I have joined the walkers on the promenade deck.  There is a steady parade of them past my stateroom window beginning about six each morning and continuing throughout the day.  My ankle is recovering from a recent fracture and is still a bit swollen and sore, so I walk slowly and with my cane, but at least I am walking.  I have also managed a few visits to the fitness center where I can ride a recumbent bicycle and do a few exercises with weights.

The ship's promenade deck

There are several enrichment lectures offered each sea day.  On this ship, there are seven lecturers who share their expertise in various disciplines.  The one I have enjoyed most is a cardiologist who has given a series of lectures on heart health, changing ones eating habits, and living to be 100 and healthy.  A Ph.D. psychologist has offered lectures on stress reduction and weight loss, and an art historian has talked about the ancient peoples and arts of the islands we are visiting.  There is a futurist whose lectures have included topics like “Medical Incredibles of the Next Ten Years,” and an elderly retired British Naval officer whose lecture about the retaking of the Pacific islands after the Allies’ win at Guadalcanal was most interesting.  There is a policy analyst who specializes in the middle east; I’m not sure why he is on a Pacific Ocean cruise, but he is.  And there is a meteorologist/oceanographer who has enlightened us on ocean life, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis, and how ancient mariners navigated their ships.  I have attended a few of these lectures in the ship’s auditorium, but I have watched others from the comfort of my stateroom through delayed broadcasts available on my television.

There are daily games on the schedule for those who play bridge, mah jongg, or bingo.  There is a well-stocked ship library for those who didn’t bring their own books along.  And there is a computer lab available for passenger use.  A computer technician is on duty most of the day, and a teacher provides instruction on a variety of topics such as using Windows 10, creating Excel spreadsheets, and using Photo Shop.  I’ve attended a couple of these classes, as well as some on taking better photos with your smart phone.  The photo teacher focuses mostly on iPhones, but some of his information is transferable to Androids.

This morning I broke my usual routine to do a couple of loads of laundry.  The ship provides several self-service laundry rooms.  There is no charge to use them, and laundry detergent is metered into the machines automatically, so I don’t even have to bring my own supplies, other than the unscented dryer sheets I prefer using.  Even though this is a month-long cruise, I only packed for ten days, knowing that I could easily clean and re-wear my outfits.  Of course, it is possible to send out laundry for a fee, but that seems wasteful when I am perfectly capable of operating a washer and dryer.

The Observation Lounge, perfect for quiet mornings

My favorite after-breakfast morning spot tends to be in the observation lounge.  It is crowded in the evenings during cocktails and dancing, but in the mornings, it is practically empty and quiet.  Today turned out to be beautiful and sunny, so I skipped indoor activities in favor of reading on the sun deck.  I try to snag an over-sized round lounge chair where I can read while getting some fresh air.  In the afternoons, a band plays music on the sun deck.  Sometimes it provides enjoyable background music, but it can be too loud which drives me away.  There is a small heated pool, but I haven’t been moved to try it out yet.

Sun deck lounge chairs and the band playing live music

My ship-board friend Sylvia (a retired finance professor from Old Dominion in Virginia) had snagged a table on the aft deck, so we had lunch under an umbrella while the ship’s wake rolled out behind us. 

Aft deck dining

A feature length movie is shown in the ship's theater twice daily.  Today I watched "Maiden," a 2019 documentary about a crew of women who, against all odds, sailed around the world in 1990 in the yacht race Whitbread.  It was marvelous and had me in tears at the end.  The woman who headed the crew (Tracy Edwards) was the first woman named Britain's "Yachtsman of the Year" at the end of the race.

I have just returned from my fourth water color class.  There are many in the class who are more creative and talented than me, but for a neophyte, my work isn’t too terrible.  Our work will be displayed tomorrow in an “art show.”  The other women at my table and I agreed that we were glad our names are on the back of our work so we will be spared the public embarrassment of anyone knowing who painted what.

Watercolor class on board 

Afternoon tea is served in the observation lounge.  The waiters dress in tuxes and white gloves, serving a variety of types of tea, sandwiches, and pastries.  There are always scones served either with jam or with strawberries and whipped cream. A pianist or classical guitarist provides beautiful music in the background as we enjoy this most-British ritual.

Tea time in the Palm Court on the Crystal Symphony

As the sun sets, everyone disappears to dress for the evening’s activities.  While there are some “black tie” nights on board, tonight is only a regular evening, but the expectation is that everyone dresses up at least a bit.  

Dinner with other solo travelers:  Sylvia is on the left and
Sue on the right.  This was a "Black Tie" evening.

I am having dinner tonight in the Italian restaurant with two other “solo travelers.”  (In addition to the Italian restaurant, there are Chinese, Japanese, and Brazilian specialty restaurants on board.)  I have been enjoying the company of two women I met the first night on board—Sylvia and a woman from London named Sue.  We are often joined by two women from New Zealand, named Margaret and Glynn.  We are all solo travelers between 65 and 75; we have lively conversations and enjoy many of the same activities.  We have become known in some quarters as “the girl gang” or in the piano bar as "Elizabeth and her friends."

Me with friends Sylvia, Margaret, and Glynn in the piano bar.

Last night we met for drinks before dinner at the Starlight Club, where a live quartet plays dance music.  Sue and Sylvia are fairly proficient and will occasionally dance with one of the dance hosts.  I have no such talent so am content to watch and enjoy the music.  There are five or six evening venues, and we typically hit two or three of them each night.   

Dancing to Dixieland Jazz in the central courtyard
with a waterfall for the backdrop.

Our after-dinner favorite is The Avenue Bar, a cross between Cheers and the one that inspired Billy Joel’s “The Piano Man.”  Mark, the piano player, greets his regulars, including us, by name when they arrive and plays songs he knows we like.  One night I asked him to play “Moon River": and he now works it into every evening’s offerings, nodding and smiling at me as he plays.  In addition to being a talented pianist and singer, he is quite a comedian and keeps us all laughing with his banter. 

Mark Ferris playing his beautiful piano music

Eventually one of us says, “I’m heading to bed,” and the others follow shortly.  I return to my stateroom to find my bed turned down, my bathroom cleaned, and the next day’s “Reflections” on the bed.  I read a bit before falling asleep as the ship gently rocks its way across the ocean.