Cruising the Clear, Blue Seas

Brrr…It’s cold! It seems especially cold since this time last week I was headed to Jamaica on a big boat! Jimmy and I, along with his sister, Cathy, and brother-in-law Dewey Wright just returned from a seven night cruise to the western Caribbean.

Our first stop was Key West, a place Jimmy has always said he wanted to see. The Wright’s son, Dewey, Jr., and his girlfriend, Jenny, and his son, Will, picked us upon a large, nice golf cart, and took us for a tour of the city. It was probably 60 degrees, and riding along in the golf cart in our short sleeves made for a cool outing. What happened to the place where it’s always 75 degrees and sunny? But compared to snow and ice back home, it was quite comfortable.

The boat was docked there about six hours, but we didn’t leave immediately, so we spent about four hours on our tour. We mostly rode, stopping only twice for beverages. We didn’t even get key lime pie. Jenny had mentioned a place to get the best, and I thought we’d go there, but we didn’t and by the time I realized it, it was time to be back on the ship. So, I guess I must go back one day.

The next day we were at sea all day, and it was warm, restful and relaxing. I had taken a novel with me to read, and it was a great book which I enjoyed while sitting on the balcony watching the water and sky when my eyes needed a break. It was very peaceful.

The next day we stopped in Jamaica, and we had not made any plans for excursions. My group was not real keen on walking, but Jimmy did get off the boat with me, and sat on a bench while I did some souvenir shopping.

We didn’t go to the falls; we never saw a beach, and the taxes on souvenirs was high! Alas, my trip to Jamaica was not memorable, and my sister is fussing at me for not seeing more there. After Jamaica we had another day at sea on our way to Puerta Plata in the Dominican Republic.

Now we booked after my sister-in-law, and if it was billed as a seniors cruise I didn’t know it, but it definitely was. Dewey observed that the median age for people on the boat was 69, and I think he was right! There were lots of white-haired people, and no shortage of canes, walkers and scooters.

But mostly it was people like me that didn’t need help walking but moved a little slower than, say, our children.

There were less than 20 children on the whole ship, which holds about 2,800 passengers. Many, from what I heard talking to others and overhearing others, are frequent cruisers. Cathy and Dewey cruise to see their grandson in Key West.

Some were on the boat for back-to-back cruises, and others, like us, just enjoyed a week (that’s long enough away from home for me).

Talking to our eldest daughter after our return, she asked about activities on the boat. We recommended she find a little younger crowd to sail with, and recommended cruising.

In the Dominican Republic, I was the only one of our group to get off the boat, so I didn’t venture real far. I bought some souvenirs, and marveled at the beautiful pool almost as soon as you get off the ship. It was beautiful, as were the parrots in the trees at the way to the pool.

I regret I didn’t walk on to the beach; afraid I would get lost. So, after a couple hours looking around it was back to the boat.

Luckily, it was nice hanging out on the boat. Daily room clean up, snacks, and champagne also made the trip enjoyable.

We didn’t intentionally book anything other than the most reasonable price. But somehow we were Concierge class, receiving a few perks that Cathy and Dewey did not receive. I’d do it again, but I’d either take an excursion or find someone to do more exploration with. It was a great respite from the daily grind of the newspaper, and from the cold y‘all were experiencing while we were sailing the clear blue seas.

And the best part…we all stayed healthy! Some of my readers will recall the last time we sailed was to Alaska, and Jimmy caught Covid, ending up in the hospital in Seattle, Washington delaying our return home several days, and scaring his family as he was so very sick.

This time we made it home without so much as a sneeze, so it was indeed a good trip. I recommend it every winter!