Earl and I have this saying about taking a cruise. We call it being out of exile. From the moment we arrive at the cruise port we are welcomed and welcomed again. The person who gives us our passes to use onboard ship is glad we’ve returned. Our cabin steward – even though we’ve never had him or her before – is ecstatic. Even the captain has left a couple notes on our bed, personally inviting us to special activities for returning guests.
But most of all, returning from exile means returning to a place where your any and every want is catered to. All you have to do is enjoy. You want room service at two in the morning? Pick up your cabin phone. You want a mojito by the pool? A server suddenly appears. You can’t find anything on the copious menu you like? The chef will find it for you. You need your teeth whitened while you’re on vacation? That too is available.
I’m not sure how we started using this expression; maybe it’s because the cruising experience is markedly different from any other kind of vacation we take. It takes less work for one thing. It’s very relaxing for another. On this cruise, for instance, I plan to read five books while I work on my tan.
Granted, it isn’t like an “in-country” experience where you actually begin to get a sense of the history and culture and the people of a place. But, when you live a good portion of the year in a state where the temperature is colder than what the food in your refrigerator experiences, it’s not a bad way to go.
Leave a Reply