Cruising and the Unexpected

I’ve been asked—more than a few times—why do I keep cruising? Aside from the obvious reasons—love of the sea, great value, the ultimate in relaxation—cruising is full of surprises.

These can be on the ship, in a port or with the sea. If you’ve gone on a number of cruises, no doubt you’ve had a few surprises of your own. Here are a few of mine:

The piano and the elevator. While waiting for the elevator on Harmony of the Seas, our eyes opened wide as the doors parted to show a man inside playing a full upright piano.

 

Only moments earlier, he was playing this piano inside an elevator on the Harmony

Princess and the pops. The year Princess celebrated its 50^th anniversary, at the Caribbean Princess’ Captain’s Welcome, along with champagne, the crew handed out Norman Love chocolate truffle pops.

The cruise director and the joke. On a sunny sea day, when a whole lot of people were around the pool, the CD got on the PA and said, “There’s a dolphin starboard.” Everyone dashed to the railing only to then hear him say, “Uh…I was only fooling.”

The lizard and the lettuce. Strolling through Wilhelmina Park in Oranjestad, Aruba, we happened on feeding time. The park keeper tossed out the makings of a salad to the slew of wandering iguanas.

The gold and the silver. It pops up for an hour or two at a time, and you never know where or when. The Inches of Gold concession has a treasure chest of affordable jewelry you can order by the inch, which means you get just the size you want.

The galley and the village. Toward the end of our pre-Christmas cruise on Harmony, as we meandered into the Promenade, we were as enchanted as children to see a whole gingerbread village laid out for view and cameras.

The holiday and the flower. One cruise happened to be on Mother’s Day and the crew handed every woman a single red rose.

The couple and the champagne. Heading back to our stateroom one night on Allure of the Seas, a cabin door opened and a guy stepped out. “Do you drink?” “Moderately,” I answered, cautiously. He thrust into my hand a bottle of champagne. It appears that he did not, and he got it as a gift.

While each cruise may not always be champagne and roses, there’s bound to be surprises somewhere. Maybe it’s part of a port we haven’t explored, a sunset kaleidoscope of colors, a shower that spawns a rainbow or a chocolate array in the dinner buffet. 

When we stop being delighted by these slices of the unexpected, it’s truly time to stop cruising.

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