Arriving Home

May 29, 2012

It looked the same. I’m not sure what I was expecting but the house and yard looked essentially the same as when I saw it last. There were a few differences, of course, brought about by the change of seasons. The lawn was green and the trees had leaves that weren’t there in January but other than that things looked essentially the same. Being gone and living a fundamentally different life for almost five months, though, made me believe that things would have looked more different than they did.

But things felt differently. First, everything felt ‘too big.’ When you have lived on a ship for any period of time, where space is a commodity, you become comfortable with tight quarters and lots and lots of people. Frankly, everything in my house now seemed supersized, and with only three people living in it for the summer I was shocked by home many times I had large amounts of space to myself. My routine was also completely different and I tried to remember the rhythms of home life. Most of them felt comforting and welcoming, but they did require a conscious adjustment. Where others go on vacation so that they don’t have to make their bed, clean their house, or cook their own food, my vacations returned me to that responsibility. Also, my ‘community’ had changed to a much smaller and intimate one, requiring me to act with greater awareness and concern for the specific needs of two other individuals but able to give less consideration to the next 1200 people I met.

My actions and behavior had fallen into patterns that were tied to ship life. The simple act of greeting everyone I encountered with more formal greetings than a Coloradan would normally do was now ingrained ritual and would take some time to unravel. The phrases and words that were effective shorthand on a ship were sources of amusement to those on shore.

The bigger change was probably my simple state of mind. When I left in January I brought the stress of having not had secured income for several months and being unsure of what path might be unraveling in front of me. Now I brought with me the comfort of a job well done and the opportunity to do that or a similar job for many years to come. At the same time, I faced the question of wondering how long I would feel comfortable living on a ship. There are many, many perks to living on a ship. But it comes with a high cost as well, the cost of being separated from those with whom you have built a life for many years. Fortunately, in the 21^st Century one can reach out to people daily and ‘converse’ via email, Facebook, phone or even Skype. As a result, working on a cruise ship is mostly a young person’s game. I am the aberration, perhaps a fool on a fool’s errand. There are brief moments when I wonder why I would ever go back. There are other moments when I contemplate what difference I can make here and where the path might lead.

And so, for now . . .

. . . the adventure WILL continue . . .

A Night in Bucharest

May 28, 2012

There was to be no ‘rest’ in Bucharest. We completed the first leg of our journey and needed to book the next three for Rosie before we left there. My itinerary had me going from Bucharest to Frankfurt, Germany, then to Seattle, WA, and finally to Denver. To make this escapade even more fun I had awaken from my nap on the plane with the first symptoms of a head cold. After a virtually illness free contract my return to ‘real life’ would be in the grips of a virus. We now had a five hour layover until a 6am flight to Frankfurt and needed to ensure Rosie could match up my flights as best as possible. But not knowing the airport we weren’t sure what our communication options would be to make these plans.

Who knew that of all the airports to end up in we would be at one with a cafeteria opened all night that had excellent free WiFi connectivity! After buying a couple of cups of coffee we sat at a table in the corner feverishly working out the details. Ultimately we got Rosie onto the flight from Bucharest to Frankfurt, a different but essentially parallel flight to Seattle, and the same leg on the final part of the journey. We also spent time talking to the young adults working the restaurant in the middle of the night which reaffirmed the similarity of people’s hopes, fears, and dreams all over the world. This unexpectedly positive time energized us to embrace the rest of our journey.

The flights from that point on went off without a hitch. The oddest part was heading our separate ways at the Frankfurt airport but knowing that we would connect again soon after we each landed in Seattle. The itinerary, by opportunity and intent would give us an overnight in Seattle which allowed us to meet my sister, Sue, and her daughter, Suzy, for dinner as they both live in Washington. It was an excellent benefit of this rather circuitous routing. After a good night’s sleep in Seattle the final flight to Denver seemed almost anti-climactic. When we arrived in Denver, our good friend, Pat was waiting at the airport to drive us back down to the Springs. After almost five months away from home the mountains of Colorado looked both foreign and familiar. I knew that yet another adjustment was ahead of me.

And the adventure continues . . .

Leaving Rome Into the Unknown

May 27, 2012

We awoke on our last morning in Rome realizing we wanted to spend far more time here. However, we accepted the blessing of our short visit and simply knew we had to return. The last morning began with an attempt to experience a Papal Mass at St. Peter’s. However, the time posted the previous evening and the actual time the mass began was off by an hour. So instead of being 45 minutes early to get into line, we reached the Square seeing that the mass was already underway and the Basilica was closed to further entrants. Knowing we still wanted to get to mass we remembered that the Chapel of St. Monica was right off the main plaza. We entered during the opening rite and joined a simple parish mass only steps from the pomp and ceremony of the Basilica. Without question, this fit us better. Even though the mass was completely in Italian, the rhythms of the Catholic mass are so familiar to us that the language barrier proved no problem at all.

After a quick breakfast at the hotel we jumped onto the bus and got off at the Italian capitol building. We joyfully wandered down major boulevards and hidden alleys. We discovered the Pantheon quite by accident after having lunch at a café down at back alley. We ambled onward to the Piaza di Navonne which was an unexpected surprise. Eventually we made it to the Trevi Fountain for the mandatory picture and coin toss for good luck. There was so much to see and far too soon we needed to race back to the hotel to grab our bags and head to the airport. A taxi was called and we knew we would soon be winging our way back home. Or so we thought . . . .

The first problem was with the taxi driver who spoke no or little English. I handed him my itinerary and pointed to the name of the Roman airport. He nodded and quickly drove us to . . . the train station! By the time we corrected this misdirection we were now within an hour and a half of flight time when we reached the airport. We soon discovered the second problem.

My ticket had been canceled! No one can tell me why but while Rosie’s reservation was clearly in place mine showed that it had existed but had been canceled. When I ask who had done such a thing no one could explain it to me. I called our corporate travel assistance phone number and was immediately put on hold . . . for 20 minutes. As the time for departure was drawing closer I grabbed Rosie’s phone and called the number again. I re-explained the problem and was put on hold, again. By the time the phone call was picked up they had closed the flight we were intending to board. As a result, Rosie’s ticket was now cancelled and would need to be rebooked, and paid for again! To say I was furious was an understatement. Eventually, our corporate travel made new arrangements for me but now I had to book new tickets for Rosie, which would ultimately cost over $2000 to get home. Finally, we got her booked onto the first leg of the journey, a flight from Rome to Bucharest, and would only have time to book each segment after we completed the first part of our journey. Vacation was now starting to be more stressful than work.

And the adventure continues . . .

Mini-Vacation in Rome

May 26, 2012

When we awoke on our drive from the ship it felt like we had fallen down the rabbit’s hole in Alice in Wonderland. The car hit a bump and jolted me awake and the first sight to fill my eyes was the wall of Vatican City. During our 40 minute nap we had traversed the distance between Civitavecchia and Rome and were only minutes away from our hotel. But to transition from the view of ship and docks to the walls of this city-state in the midst of Rome was startling. In front of us lay the Tiber (Tevere) River, and less than a half a dozen blocks later we had turned up a small alley to find our hotel. The sign directed us down an even smaller alley to find Hotel La Rovere, but it was too small for our car to fit. So we bid our driver adieu and dragged our bags around the corner into this new adventure, a veritable wonderland. The hotel itself was charming and the proprietors spoke just enough English to make communication possible. This hotel had been recommended by my friend, Giorgia, was definitely off the beaten path and not part of a typical American hotel chain. Our room was a corner room on the fourth floor and the views were inspiring. On one side we looked out over the Tiber and the rooftops of Rome in front of us, with at least two churches neatly framed nearby. Out the other window was a small courtyard shared by the apartment buildings around us. Although there was no air conditioning, the cross breeze from opening the windows was marvelous although we sometimes wondered from our vantage point if we might end up with a bird as a houseguest.

As much as we enjoyed the room, we wanted to explore, and we ventured off back in the direction of the Vatican. In seven minutes we were standing in St. Peter’s Square. It was late afternoon on a Friday and the famous landmark was blessedly empty. We hoped to visit the Basilica, but Rosie’s skirt was just above her knees which barred access to the church. Saving that experience for another day, we sat and people-watched in the square for a bit and then found a nearby café for dinner. We continued our pattern of only eating al fresco and watched the flow of clergy and sisters pass to and fro not unexpected with our proximity to St. Peter’s.

The next day we dove more deeply into sightseeing. The hotel provided a wonderful complementary breakfast and properly fortified we headed back to St. Peter’s. When we arrived we saw that some official function was taking place on the stage set up in front of the Basilica. Since it was the Saturday before Pentecost, representatives of the Italian government were reading proclamations honoring the Roman Catholic Church on this feast of the Church’s founding. We watched for awhile but when we realized the presiding Cardinal was even looking bored we decided to explore the streets behind the Square. After a nice walk we returned to the Square to the sound of cheering and singing. Focusing on the big screens that display in detail all that is going on at St. Peter’s we saw that Pope Benedict XVI was blessing the crowd as he toured about in the Popemobile. We found a corner of the crowd closest to the barriers and I instantly recognized that where the Pope was shown as currently traveling would take him right in front of us in a matter of seconds. As I raised my camera the pope came into view less than 5 meters away. I accepted his blessing my snapping a photo, quickly making the sign of the cross after I had captured the moment for posterity. Excited by our good fortune we enjoyed the moment over another fine Italian meal and then continued playing tourist.

That afternoon included trips to the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel, both which are so jam-packed with things to see that it is simply overwhelming, and then a general tour on the Roman Open Air Bus to get the lay of the land. Just before we returned to the hotel we were able to make our way into St. Peter’s Basilica before it closed. We then headed back to the hotel only to be baptized by a gentle spring shower. We enjoyed the cooling effects of the afternoon rain until one block from the hotel the skies opened up in a far less gentle manner. We ran the remaining 50 meters but not before we were quite wet. However, our plan was to cross the river that evening to eat at one of the bistros in a nice little district across the Tevere. So, after a warm shower to take away the chill, we dressed in our finest threads, not wanting to be an embarrassment to our country while visiting this capital of fashion and with an umbrella for cover walked the wet streets of Rome. We found another lovely outdoor restaurant which had just enough umbrellas covering the tables so that we could enjoy the food and the street scene on this Saturday night in Roma.

Our last day in Rome would be the next and our plan was to re-board the Open Air Bus to tour more of the local attractions, far too many to count, before we headed back for the States the following evening.

And the adventure continues . . .

The End of the First Contract

May 25, 2012

Last night was the final night I would sleep on a ship for the next eight weeks. When I awoke this morning I had the right not to put on my uniform. However, there was still work to do and I wanted to run through the finish line. I had completed my packing last night so the morning routine was much as the same as it has been over the last 4 ½ months. After morning coffee and email I headed to SKY B to teach a Business Ethics class. With that complete I returned to my office to finish the paperwork associated with the class and began to ‘hand over’ the remaining tasks on my desk to my vacation replacement, Jackie. By then it was lunchtime and I knew that after lunch I would begin the translation to life ashore.

Setting my uniform aside felt a bit uncomfortable. I would now walk the ship looking more like a guest than a crew member. Or maybe not. I decided to travel in my suit with an open collar shirt. Since it was a very warm day in the port of Civitavecchia, near Rome, I was definitely overdressed to be a guest. But now the goodbyes needed to begin. Tim made our goodbye as simple as possible. He was going to his room for his afternoon siesta, so there would be no long goodbyes. He stopped at the door of my cabin gave each of us a hug with a promise to stay in touch, and was gone. We traversed the pool deck and bid adieu to crewmates who were working in a guest activity. We crossed Decks 5 and 4 past Café al Bacio, Bistro on 5, and then down to the Martini Bar to give hugs to many of our friends who were working. On Deck 3 we gave a wave to the Guest Relations officers who were as always busy dealing with guests. Finally, we began to walk the length of the I-95, stopping every few feet to say farewell to another crew member.

When we reached Lavern’s office, our Crew Administrator, to get my final sign-off paperwork the journey was near its end. Dwight and Lavern were both there and we took several final pictures before the HR team would change, again. With too many bags to carry down from Deck 6, one of our Celebrity Cleaners agreed to come up to our cabin and load our bags for the trip down the gangway. The last goodbyes were to the security guards and then with Lavern and Jackie as companions we headed off the ship and across the dock to the waiting car. It was unquestionably emotional for me. I told Jackie to take care of my crew, and then gave Lavern a big hug. As we finally got ready to close the door, Lavern dove into the car one more time to ensure a final embrace and then the door slammed and the car began to roll.

I didn’t know whether I wanted to look back at the ship or not. But I couldn’t resist stealing a final peak as we drove away. Our emotions and adrenaline were at full tilt, and Rosie and I began to talk rapidly about the experience, about leaving, about my returning. The conversation went on for several minutes as we kept our eyes focused on the road ahead. Words were spent and silence enfolded us, and in no time, we both closed our eyes and slept.

And the adventure still continues . . .

Pizza in Naples

May 24, 2012

It’s hard to believe that this is my last port of call before ending my first contract. To celebrate this successful tour of duty, Tim, Karen, Rosie and I decided to go to lunch in Naples. Although Naples had done little to attract me on our last visit, I knew that I would have to eat the most famous dish from the birthplace of pizza. Fortunately, there is a great little pizza restaurant only a block from the ship. There are, of course, several great little pizza restaurants near the ship. But this one, in particular, is a favorite of ship’s crews which we would soon discover.

First we had to accomplish the simple task of crossing the street from the port to the shops. If it sounds like a simple task, you have never crossed the street in Italy. In Italy it appears that traffic lights are mere suggestions, and the key is to find an opening in the traffic, make eye contact with the driver or drivers and step boldly with more than a little faith that you won’t be run over. For Rosie, she had the added assistance of Tim escorting her through the traffic. Fortunately, Tim is not a small man which gave valuable mass to protect Rosie should a driver decide not to honor the pedestrians in front of him. Fortunately, we all made it safely across. Karen headed straight to the Money Change office while Tim negotiated to purchase a pair of ‘Faux Bans’ from a street vendor. With the preliminaries out of the way we headed up half a block to find our destination.

The restaurant is fronted by a small outdoor seating area, and on approach you are met with a clientele which is at least half comprised of crewmates. The waiter who greets and seats you looks like he may have been there as long as the restaurant, tall and wizened, with enough English skills to make every visitor feel welcome. We sat at an outdoor table and in no time our orders for pizza and a starter salad were taken, and wine was poured into small tumblers to lubricate our palates for the meal ahead. We looked around the garden seating and saw the trellis was adorned with pictures of various cruise ships. These pictures were signed as mementos by crews who over the years had visited this establishment. It made you feel ‘at home’ as if you were at the corner bar in Cheers, where everybody knows your name. It is at this meal I learned what the British call the leafy vegetable, arugula. They call it rocket. And now you can sleep at night. When the main course came it was definitely worth taking our life into our hands crossing the street. The pizza was crisp, savory, and flavorful. But realizing it was our ‘last supper’ together, we got a bit teary-eyed, which led for some melodramatic photos in order to capture the moment.

With the meal done, Karen and Tim headed back to the ship while Rosie and I went to take a stroll through Naples. Maybe it is that the city does not offer that interests me near the port. Maybe it was the realization that I would soon leave the ship that made me restless to get back onboard. Rosie agreed, and we headed back onboard Silhouette with our time on my floating home soon coming to an end.

And the adventure continues . . .

25th Anniversary and Ravenna

May 23, 2012

Sometimes new ports present unexpected delights. Other times you wonder what we are doing here. Ultimately, how you choose to engage the new destination results in whether you enjoy yourself or not. Such was the case in Ravenna, Italy. Rosie, Paola, and I decided to go out in Ravenna and explore a port that was new to our ship and definitely new to each of us. We went with no particular expectations and couldn’t check out the city from the dock as we would need to take a crew shuttle to get to the center of the town. As we walked down the gangway, though, we saw a beach right next to our ship. If this had been the Caribbean we would have been excited, as beach days are our favorite pastime during the winter months. But today we walked past the beach and got on the shuttle to head into Ravenna.

The ride took us about a half an hour and when we got there we were deposited at a bus stop directly in front of an architecturally intriguing church. We immediately explored the church grounds and then turned walked back out to the street to see what else there was to see. And honestly, there was nothing obvious that caught our attention. Fortunately, Ravenna had city maps placed around the town with the key sites marked. Not wanting to rip the signboard off of the building, Pao decided that the answer was to take a picture on her phone so the map would travel with us. Unfortunately, when you do that the point of reference on which the map is built is no longer in place. Still the street references helped us from getting completely lost. Our wandering did not present us with much more than several other churches. Nothing against churches but they are literally on every corner in some cities in Europe. Sadly, they are mostly empty. We finally made our way to a small café on a back alley in Ravenna and enjoyed the quaint eatery. With little more attracting our attention we headed back to the bus stop perfectly timed to grab the shuttle back to the ship. The best part of the day was what happened next. We all fell asleep during the brief ride waking up with a start when the bus stopped at the ship. Sometimes the greatest joys are the simplest.

May 23^rd was Rosie and my 25^th anniversary. It was still a work day, of course, as those never end. Additionally, the previous day my vacation replacement had signed on and I needed to focus on helping her prepare to take the reins. So, the focus of the night would be on dinner at Murano, the fine French dining restaurant on board. This restaurant defines attentive service with a ‘team concept’ that means that every course arrives exactly at the same time for each diner at your table. Rosie and I were greeted warmly by the Maitre D’, not only because we were known on the ship but the grapevine had spread the word that it was our anniversary. The Murano experience that night was all that it could be with each course delicious and each course building in flavor profiles on the one before. When it came time for dessert we knew we wanted to try the soufflés. After the order was taken, though, we were in for a surprise. The restaurant presented us with a complementary anniversary cake. However, this cake could easily have fed twenty to thirty people, which I think was the plan. We each had a small piece, as our soufflés were still on the way, and then asked the waiter to have the cake delivered to the Crew Mess so that the crew members could enjoy what we couldn’t eat. Once the soufflés came we looked at each other with the ‘what were we thinking’ expression, but dove in anyway. We left the restaurant stuffed and feeling very well cared for by our crew mates. It was a wonderful way to commemorate our 25^th.

Thank you, Tim, for helping make this visit and anniversary celebration possible.

And the adventure continues . . .