Permanent Passenger: My Life on a Cruise Ship by Micha Berman

Author:Micha Berman [Berman, Micha]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: lulu
Published: 2007-12-28T05:00:00+00:00

Crazy Cruise Trivia

Did you know?

In 1853 Cornelius Vanderbilt decided he needed a bigger ship

to take his family on vacations.

Hence with 500,000 dollars he launched the

2,500 ton North Star Ocean Liner

with his own private crew

including a

clergyman,

doctor and

purser.

Chapter 6 Ports, Ports, and More Ports

It's quite a scene. Passengers everywhere studying their tour books, maps, and travel brochures. As the ship nears its first port of call each passenger is consumed by their imagination, their buffet-filled brains processing how they will spend their ideal day in the Caribbean. Some will go shopping, others to the beach and a few will visit historical sites, but one thing is certain, they will not have a lot of time; the average time in port is not more than six to seven hours. Once the ship docks the footrace to see who can get off the ship first begins. Younger more versatile honeymoon couples with their spanking new tennis shoes and sex-driven adrenaline are the first to cross the threshold, followed by the more casual travelers and finally the walking infirmed, the seniors getting their last look at their cabin bathrooms before they head out on their adventure. It's a fancy Noah's Ark reversed, but much louder, chaotic and a bit less smelly depending on the cruise. Excitement fills the air as the cruisers get their first breath of paradise and witness the radiant blue waters and postcard-perfect mountain vistas.

Our cruise ship switched between two routes, the Eastern Route and the Western Route. The Eastern Caribbean cruise consisted of the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, followed the next week by the Western Caribbean ports of Cozumel, Mexico, the Cayman Islands and Jamaica. The Western Route offered an endless list of delectable sins, partying in Cozumel, snorkeling in the Cayman Islands and dozing off on the white sandy beaches of Jamaica and indulging in the delicious food. The Eastern Route was more refined, gambling in the posh casinos of San Juan, Puerto Rico, shopping for bargains in the bazaars of Nassau, Bahamas and finally a round of golf and fine dining in the Virgin Islands. Working two itineraries was a blessing, after all I could see six different ports in two weeks. For others in the business they had the unfortunate fate of seeing the same island every two days.

For the first couple of weeks I too was quick to rush off the ship to discover these new and exciting islands. Curious to see everything, I studied Fodor's, Frommers, Lonely Planet and every other travel book out there, occupying my days in port walking the islands, exploring the beaches and restaurants and enjoying the historical sites. After several weeks my discovery phase ended; the ports had become familiar places. Coming to the ports each week was like coming home. I knew all the places to go and was getting to know many of the people. The islands lost much of their fantasy appeal and took on a much more practical use. They became places to run my errands.

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