Sailing on the deep blue sea

It is late Sunday night (Monday morning in Texas – four hour time difference) and we have not seen land since we left Los Angeles Tuesday afternoon. We are scheduled to arrive at our first port Tuesday morning at Nuku Hiva, one of the Marquesas Islands which I believe are part of the same government jurisdiction as Tahiti, or French Polynesia. The Pacific Ocean is one big puddle of water! I think the depth has been running in the 13,000 to 15,000 feet range.

We are enjoying having no schedule we are tied to - unless you count the two-hour window we have to make it to each meal. Have not missed any so far though Mom missed supper last night with a ‘funny tummy’ which is very unusual for her. She is fine today.

We have chosen to ‘share’ a table at dinner most nights and have met some interesting folks. Tonight was a couple from upstate New York in the summer and Palm Beach, Florida in the winter. They are cruising to get away from their kids and grandkids. Not quite on our wave length. They have been married five years with him in his eighties and her in her early fifties. He was an early inductee in the College Football Hall of Fame for his playing and coaching at West Point. He also served on the Board of the Hall and for twenty years on the Board of Phillips Petroleum and was president of Carrier the air conditioner maker for some time. Lots to talk about as he has traveled the world for years on business but we did not quite figure out why she married him.

Mom and I bring down the average age on board by quite a bit. One of the challenges is navigating the hallways around all the walkers and wheel chairs. There are 500 on a ship that can take 700. ( Some have said if they could have cancelled they would have because of the economic impact of the past few months.) About 200 of those are doing the 130 day world cruise that started in Florida and ends up back there sometime in May. We are clearly ‘second class’ passengers to the cruise snobs that seem to be in the majority.

We are looking forward to experiencing the south sea island paradise we have heard about all our lives. At least since we saw South Pacific. We really like the cruise director this trip. He and his wife sat next to us this morning at the worship service he arranged through his pastor in Michigan. This is a first for us on a cruise ship.

Just wanted to check in to let you know we are enjoying our time. I want to make a few points by telling that I have done a one-hour workout with sweat and everything for four days straight! Not that I expect that anyone will notice as my table exercise has far outweighed anything I am doing in the gym.

Love to all,
Dad, Grandpa, Dale