January 19th 2009
For some vacation brings out their worst personality traits. There’s a heightened sense of only having 7 to 10 days to pack in all the “fun” they think they deserve because they paid for their cruise. And that condenses everything, including their tolerance and humanity into a very small carryon.
I enjoy overhearing snippets of conversation that in a moment tell me everything I need to know about that person. Usually these conversations are at their best on embarkation day when people are getting settled and trying to figure their way around the ship.
This week I overheard a woman in her 70’s say to her husband. “Well, so far Henry you’re batting a zero on this cruise.” They had been on board a total of 30 minutes, I just hope Henry gets another chance at bat.
Heading toward the laundry room on our floor on embarkation day, I heard a woman with a Russian accent make a request of her overworked room steward. “Yes, I need extra white hangers. Eight of them, no make it 10. And I also need extra towels and I need five bars of soap.” Thankfully her room steward and I had the same question. “Five bars, mam?” “Yes, five bars today. I need to shower.” Oh well then, that makes sense.
We live on the 10th floor at the very back of the ship. Last week after coming down from the Spinnaker lounge on 13th at the front of the ship. We turned down our hallway and could see our elderly neighbor sitting outside her room in her wheelchair. It’s a long hall and she just sat out there for the entirety of our walk until right as we approached her grown son opened the door and ushered her in. We heard her say in a weak voice. “This isn’t my room.” “Oh, God mom yes it is.” We had no idea how long his mom had been sitting out in the hallway before he opened the door to let her in, and I was just struck by how sad the whole picture was. This was clearly not a dream vacation for either one of them.
During a recent “The Not So Newlywed Game Show” (an event that happens every week on the ship), when asked “What is your husbands favorite toy,” wife number 1 with her husband out of the room said. “His toenails.” Of course Ray our cruise director wanted a follow up, how could someone’s toenails be their favorite toy? “He clips them and saves them so he can eat on them later.” Yeah….they’d been married for only a few months. I doubt they’ll make it a year.