A Seaday Adventure
The sun had barely risen when we stepped onto the deck of the Oceania cruise ship Vista. The crisp ocean breeze greeted us as we inhaled deeply, feeling the promise of adventure fill the air. It was the first sea day of our seventeen-day-long voyage from Roma through the Caribbean, finally arriving in Miami. There was something magical about being at sea, the endless horizon stretching out before us.
There’s so much to do today: yoga on the deck, a walk around the deck, trivia in the lounge, afternoon enrichment speaker sessions on various topics, and the four main events during the day—breakfast, Lunch, Afternoon Tea, and dinner. I do enjoy the food onboard the Vista.
As the day began, the ship’s schedule unfolded like a treasure map of experiences. We started with a sunrise walk on the upper deck, the soft sounds of ocean waves providing the perfect soundtrack to our hearts beating and feet plodding along the deck. We had never felt so centered, the vastness of the sea reminding us how small and yet how significant each moment was.
After breakfast, we attended a cooking demonstration in the ship’s culinary theater. A talented chef showed them how to prepare Caribbean-style seafood paella. The rich smells of garlic, saffron, and fresh seafood filled the air, making our mouths water as we watched the dish come together.
By mid-afternoon, the sun was high, and the pools on the deck were bustling with people lounging under umbrellas, adults splashing around in the hot tubs, and groups of friends enjoying the relaxing vibe.
Later, as the evening approached, we made our way to the main dining room for dinner. The chandelier overhead glimmered like stars in the night sky, and the room buzzed with conversation. Tonight’s menu featured a five-course meal, each dish more decadent than the last.
“To a perfect seaday,” as we raised our glasses of champagne.
“To perfect days at sea,”
After dinner, we headed to the ship’s theater for the evening show. A Broadway-style musical had the crowd laughing and clapping along, the performers’ voices echoing across the room. It had been the perfect day—a perfect day of our unforgettable journey.
As we walked back to their cabin, the stars were scattered across the sky like glittering jewels, and the rhythmic hum of the ship’s engines reminded us that we were truly in the middle of nowhere, in the heart of the ocean.
“This is what dreams are made of,” as we gazed at the endless night. “I think we could stay here forever.”
As the Vista sailed through the night, we knew that the memories we created today would stay with us forever. It was just the beginning of their adventure, but the magic of the sea had already worked wonders on us.
NEWS FLASH
The story above is a fictional account of a perfect day at sea. Everyone, including us and our traveling companion, Giddy, has a unique experience that becomes their memory.
Giddy highlighted his day yesterday, which was somewhat like mine.
As the ship sways back and forth, Bonnie and I find it comforting as we lay in our nice, soft bed. The light begins to appear around the curtain, telling us maybe we should get up. Last night was another time change, so we slept an extra hour. Now, at home, that would never happen since it always seems like something needs to be done. After we are awake, the large flat screen lights up the room, and we hear the latest news overnight from BBC or Fox. Now, you can’t go to breakfast before eight unless you want to go to the Terrace buffet. My preference is the grand dining room for breakfast, where someone waits on you and brings your breakfast. The Terrace breakfast is similar; you can eat as much as possible. However, you need to question why.
I’m a standard breakfast eater, where the first thing is a cup of expresso and Americano coffee—black.
A nice glass of orange juice follows this to minimize any potential threat of scurvy. The pastry cart was brought where I like a large flaking croissant with butter and raspberry preserves. There is a difference between jam and preserves. As I gaze out the dining room window, my coffee cup is refilled. The waiter stops by and asks,” Are you ready to order?” My reply is simply a bowl of black and red raspberries, two eggs over medium with sides of hashbrowns, and two strips of bacon. I could have ordered an omelet; however, I may not be able to finish it.
After enjoying breakfast, we walked around the deck to review what activities we may choose to do. Mine was off to the Concierge to read the WSJ for yesterday’s news and have another cup of coffee.
Later, I changed clothing and headed to the spa area at the front of the ship. There was a nice section to lounge in and continue reading one of the several books I brought along. Bonnie and I enjoyed relaxing on the comfortable lounge chairs.
As the sun reaches the apex in the sky, it begins to warm my body, and then I know it is time to go inside. Like many travelers, I don’t want to fry myself, as the sun can quickly burn you after two hours.
I met Bonnie and Giddy back in the cabin, and we moved out to our lanai on the port side of the ship, which is shaded and has a comfortable temperature in the low eighties.
Typically, we go to the Terrace buffet area for lunch after 1:30, so we miss some of the lunch crowd before the Terrace closes at 2 p.m. The lunch buffet has many dishes, and my selection today is a seafood salad with shrimp, mussels, scallops, squid rings, and fish. The pasta dish of gnocchi is topped with pesto cream sauce whipped up by the chef in front of you.
At 2:30, I head to the Vista lounge to hear a talk on the Geology of the Mediterranean Sea”. This was quite interesting because the Mediterranean Sea if laid on the US map, encompasses most of the USA. One point of interest is that only one river feeds the Mediterranean Sea – The Nile. Off the coast of Greece, the seabed drops off to over 13,000 feet deep, and it is theorized that at one time, there was a waterfall south of Spain, as the Atlantic began filling the basin north of Egypt to create the Mediterranean Sea as it is today.
I head back to our cabin, grab a shower, and get dressed for cocktails in the Martini’s bar. After five o’clock, happy hour starts for 2 for one drink. You get to meet other travelers and learn a little about them. We met a couple who told us they were from Pennsylvania, and we started to ask some additional questions. Bonnie and I were surprised that they said they lived in Willow Street, Pa. Bonnie and I grew up in Willow Street, and we learned they lived at Willow Valley. We discussed some of the recent changes they have seen since they moved there from Arkansas to be closer to family.
We headed to dinner at seven in the main dining room, where we opted for a shared table of six. On different evenings, we met and were in pleasant company with our table companions. One couple from Winnipeg, Canada, told us about their business (Cornelia Bean), which they started after initially retiring. Their business is selling tea and coffee retail and wholesale. It was quite interesting, and they even patented a teacup that holds the leaves back when drinking. Today, tea bags are generally used by many restaurants; however, drinking tea, as in the UK, China, and India, is still leaves, which you can see what you will drink, versus the bag, which also contains cellulose.
Our dinners have been excellent, and the wait staff has provided great service. I had Oyster Rockefeller, Caesar Salad, and a nice thick barbecued pork chop, followed by only one scoop of vanilla gelato. Bonnie had Jacques Pépin’s menu – escargot, Caesar Salad, and Scallops and dessert of two scoops of vanilla gelato with caramel sauce.
After dinner, we discussed going to the show; however, we decided to head back to the room since it was already after 9:30.
Now, Giddy spent his time napping and told us he was having a great dream when we returned and turned on the lights.
As I mentioned possibly before, cruising has many benefits: visiting places and seeing the highlights, great food, and the opportunity to meet new people.
In the past, we limited ourselves to one cruise a year on one cruise line, but we found cruising enjoyable. We now choose our cruise based on several factors: destinations, cuisine, experiences, and cost per night. We started choosing other cruise lines to experience since various changes lessened our experience. Even if the cost/night has increased, the food (cuisine) and actual experiences are worth the increased cost. The cost difference is minimal when you watch for sales, creating a great memory.
As they say, orange sky at night, a sailor’s delight.
This post is brought to you by SME Assocaties LLC
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