So what in the hell am I up to?

Sorry for the silence!

There have been several sea days as we travel from Australia to Singapore via Darwin. There hasn't been a lot to share but here is a scene setting monologue.

I set off on this grand pacific cruise, along with 2000 travelling companions, 900 support staff, a few hundred miscellaneous motorised wheelchairs, walking frames, walking sticks, and too many “move out of the way, I’m disabled” attitudes. Constantly, and graciously, stepping aside for the many people claiming old age or disability is never an issue but is seldom returned when I say ”move over, able bodied person coming through!”, colourful language is not exclusively the domain of the young as many might suggest. There seems to be an informal competition on the ship to see how many damn walking frames can fit into a lift at one time. When the lift doors open, visualise flesh toned Meccano (a child’s metalwork construction set) and you have it.  

 Yes, I am suggesting that longer cruises attract an older age group but there are benefits such as accessing the gym, swimming pools, spas and any of the night clubs after 7pm. Be warned though! Do not attempt to reserve a seat at bingo, the “Best Songs of the Fifties” evening live show, the Four Kinsmen playing in the Vista lounge or a table in the card rooms for Euchre, five hundred and Whist. Monopoly and UNO must also be played by the rules.

I am reminded of a wonderful movie “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel for the Elderly and Beautiful” to sum up the eclectic gathering of souls onboard for this cruise, and their reasons for coming. There have already been two deaths, one broken leg and one medical evacuation. The crew advise that it is typical for up to ten people to die on these long sea cruises.    

Nothing above is a criticism of longer cruises but rather an observation of who is attracted to them. Socio-economic factors and retirement play a part. To balance the commentary I add that shorter cruises attract a much younger crowd with an opposingly more energetic set of after 7pm behaviours that many may find more to their taste. By day the view around the pool is certainly less “wrinkled”.

Now back to cruising……

I have spent five days cruising up the Australian coast so there is not a lot to speak therefore I offer a summary of what is to come.

We are going to have a look at a part of the world that is hard to get to for Australians. Moving north up the Asian coast, to Vietnam to explore the North Vietnamese Cu Chi underground tunnels used in the Vietnam War, on to China and the Great Wall (it is currently 45 degrees on the wall!), up to Korea and Russia to explore old abandoned WW2 submarine pens. We then travel east to Japan and across to Alaska to go salmon fishing (and eating) in a glacial lake. 

I do hope to find one that John West rejected. 

We then weave our way down the Canadian and United States west coast. Here I will review Disneyland, Universal Studios, Hollywood, San Diego, Las Vegas and American Diner food. It is then a slow boat home southwest through Hawaii, Polynesia, Samoa, New Zealand and then to the best country in the world, Australia.