The Lure of the World Cruise

 

I have often said that my travel dreams are largely confined to the United States (or North America, to be more specific). It’s not that I think the rest of the world has nothing to offer, but my speed bumps in world travel are my lack of love for flying and my lack of ability to speak other languages. There is something about being unable to communicate that terrifies me.

            In North America, I can drive where I need to go (or ride comfortably as Ryan’s passenger) and I can speak the language nearly everywhere. Those things comfort me and draw me to explore close to home.

            Happily, North America is full of so much that I really want to see. Mountains, deserts, oceans, rivers, forests, plains…so much variety. I’m content to stay in the drivable zone because I genuinely desire to see what’s in my own (very large) backyard.

            But during a Facebook scroll last year, I saw a post about the ultimate world cruise, and I confess: it piqued my interest.

A ship in the Royal Caribbean fleet will leave Miami on December 10^th, and for 274 days, they’ll sail all around the world, stopping on every single continent and in 64 countries. Can you imagine? All seven continents in one trip – and in less than a year at that?

            Other than getting to Miami, flying is not involved in this adventure, which is why I first took notice. I also told Ryan that the idea of being able to sleep and eat in a place that seems like home (the ship) is also a draw.

            As you might imagine, what did not draw us in was the price tag. To get a balcony room – which I would most certainly want if I’m spending 274 days on a ship – starts at $82,000 a person. We don’t have that kind of pocket change begging to be spent, unfortunately. And I’m fairly certain they aren’t looking for mascots, so our pets would have to stay home, and I can’t bear to be without them that long.

            But back to the price tag: it comes out to about $300 a day, which initially sounded astronomical to me, but when I think about all it covers, it makes a measure of sense in my mind. That daily price covers a room to live in, airfare to and from the cruise, a hotel room and gala entry the night before the cruise, transportation to and from the airport, hotel, and ship, beverages throughout the duration of the cruise, internet access, gratuities, laundry service, and more food than any one person could ever hope to eat in 274 days. (If you’ve been on a cruise before, you know the food is plentiful!) And then, of course, the ship has pools and entertainment and a gym and housekeeping …so that $300 a day really does cover quite a bit. Can you even put a price tag on having someone cook, clean, and do your laundry – and be your chauffeur – for the better part of a year?

            I read through the itinerary and smiled at the familiar memories from the ports of call at the start of the trip. They’re the ones I’ve seen in person, and I did love them. Miami – where we thought we might die from the bob-and-weave tactics of the driver who took us to our first cruise ship. (Perhaps love is a strong word for that one.) The Bahamas – where we accidentally found a private beach and spent a romantic afternoon splashing in the water and taking beautiful pictures. Aruba – where we took the “granny tour” to see the sights. Curacao – where we saw turtles swimming in blue ombre water.

            And from there, the itinerary shifted into places I’ve only read about: waterfalls in Argentina, the icy views of Antarctica, Machu Picchu in Peru, the islands of Hawaii, New Zealand and Australia, the Great Barrier Reef, The Philippines (where the kids I used to drive to school are from), The Great Wall of China, Japan (where an exchange student friend of mine from 30 years ago was from), India (where Phoebe’s people were born), the pyramids of Egypt, Israel, so many cities in Greece, Italy (reminding me of the many stories Lynne told me when we worked together), Croatia (where my former roommate, Angela, was a missionary for a year), Spain, Ireland, France, England, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, and even New York City.

            I can’t imagine how many scrapbooks it would take to chronicle the sights found in these beautiful places. (That might be another $82,000 expense.) But I can imagine that seeing the world by ship would be the only way I could do it without a panic attack. I can imagine that the sights are breathtaking, each in their own way. The God-made and man-made alike would be more than I could imagine seeing in front of my own eyes.

            When I think about the awe-inspiring worship that flooded me standing on the Gulf of Mexico last month, I can’t imagine that magnified over the whole earth in all its splendor and unique beauty!