100 voyages … and counting! - Cruise Views - Brief Article

Cruise Travel, July-August, 2002 by Georgina Cruz

Have you ever enjoyed something so much you exclaimed, "I could get used to this"? I did, during my first cruise in June of 1977, a 10-day Caribbean voyage on Sitmar's Fairwind. Always an ocean lover, I'd never sailed, but finding myself at sea--in a breathtaking, totally blue world of cloudless skies and indigo waters--being pampered right and left, eating lots of good food, enjoying activities and entertainment, and exploring six islands (but unpacking only once) turned out to be the most relaxing and fun vacation I'd ever taken. And I'd done my share of traveling by air, train, bus, and car before that.

Happy as a clam and hopelessly hooked, "I could do this a zillion more times," I told my husband after that first cruise. And like Aeschylus long ago recommended, I inscribed it "in the remembering tablets" of my mind. Then I went a step further: I wrote a story about it. Until then, as a former "lifestyle" reporter for my hometown paper, I had only written general-interest features, and later as a freelance writer for a public relations firm--a job I did not care for--real-estate releases. My travel article--which I loved writing--was published, and that first cruise became the vehicle for a journey within myself: I chose a career change to do something I really liked.

Soon I sailed again, this time on a three-day Bahamas cruise on NCL's Sunward II. And I kept right on sailing: to Bermuda, Alaska, the Galapagos, trans-Panama Canal, Mexican Riviera, trans-Atlantic, Northern Europe, Mediterranean, Hawaii, and other destinations. Each voyage has been like a treasure chest of memories: whale sightings in Alaska; a total eclipse off the English coast; snorkeling in Cozumel; dolphin appearances in the Caribbean; a volcano spewing lava into the sea in Hawaii; a misty sail-away sunset in Venice; sunbathing with sea lions in the Galapagos--to name a few.

Along the way, I've sailed in all manner of vessels: budget, moderate, and ultra-deluxe; small, mid-size, and mega. And I found that I wholeheartedly agreed with marine historian John Maxtone-Graham, who once confided after a lecture at sea, "If it has a smokestack and it floats, I love it."

So much so, I just set sail on my 100th cruise. Because the 100th of anything is a milestone to be savored as special, I booked a 25-day cruise-tour on Orient Lines' Crown Odyssey, combining Singapore, Bali, and several Australian ports. It was an incredible "odyssey" including: sampling Singapore slings where they were invented, at the Long Bar in the Raffles Hotel in Singapore; snorkeling among coral gardens in the Outer Great Barrier Reef; admiring emerald rice terraces in Bali; petting koalas and kangaroos, and crocodile-watching in the Australian Outback; savoring the sight of Sydney's Opera House--among other pleasures.

On our first cruise all we could afford was the cheapest category of inside cabin; now we enjoyed a deluxe suite with a big bay-window, the pampering of business class air on Qantas, and accommodations in wonderful hotels like the Hyatt Regency in the Orlando airport (prior to our long, early morning series of flights), the Conrad International in Singapore, and the Grace Hotel in Sydney. The Crown Odyssey dished out great food including Asian and Pacific Rim delights, friendly service by a Filipino crew, enrichment lecturers, and local entertainers including folkloric groups in Bali and Australia. A lot of water has flowed under the bridge in the quarter-century I have been sailing. Ships have gotten bigger and more options-rich--with such features as rock-climbing walls and ice-skating rinks. Dining has undergone changes with varied seating formats and more alternative dinner venues--many rivaling the best restaurants on land. But whatever the changes, I find that my heart continues to dissolve in the waters I sail.

I didn't dare dream I'd sail 100 times, but as I thank my lucky stars, I dare hope for another 100. I have as great a passion for cruising now as I did 100 cruises ago, and this year I've already scheduled #101, the Orient on Crystal's Crystal Harmony; #102, the Western Caribbean on NCL's Norwegian Sun; and #103, Northern Europe on Celebrity's Constellation. The only thing better than 100 cruises is 200!