Our Journey Begins

On past cruises that I have traveled the average age of the guest has been 65 years old.  Ashley and I knew this before we booked our trans-pacific cruise.  When we arrived we quickly realized that we were still the youngest guests, but this time the average guest age is now 85 years old.  The commodity of our youth was affirmed as Ashley and I were walking up the stairs the other day.  I was first to round the corner and one of the guests exclaimed, “LOOK, A YOUNG PERSON!”  Ashley then followed me and he added to his previous statement, “ANOTHER ONE!”  I feel like I’m an act in the circus. We haven’t yet been able to get around subtly.  Despite the attention of being young traveling with these people it's tons of fun, because relatively speaking we don’t get hit on (with the exception of “grandpa” and the crew members).  I don’t mind the crew members so much because we do have the perks of free daiquiris and peer conversation. 

 

When we were talking about our trip this summer the things we were excited about were sleeping, eating, and working out.  These things might seem mundane to most people, but to use these three things are the epitome of leisure.  We just finished a really hard, stressful summer.  Work averaged 65 hours a week, and our boss hated us… and by us I mean Ashley (I am just guilty by association).  With that in mind eating, sleeping, and working out is a great change of pace. 

 

So far found our groove for sea days.  We have been getting up each morning around 9 and we head directly to the workout room.  Surprisingly, we haven’t been fighting for machines; I have attributed this to the demographic on our ship.   After our work out we go the bar and schmooze the bar tender by just ordering water and chatting for a bit (This is what results in free daiquiris).  For the rest of the day we do whatever, but mostly lie out and sleep.  We are still recovering from not sleeping for 6 months (Ashley for 4 years, she just graduated).   I think that a month’s vacation is merited.

 

We have tried our hardest to not mingle with the guests, but somehow they seem to seek us out.  They always start the conversation by “Oh yeah we’ve seen you around”…  NO SHIT!  We stick out like soar thumbs.  Our first encounter with a guest was we were obviously in line and this woman totally stepped in front of us.  I think she thought she was entitled to go first because she witnessed creation, or maybe she just figured we were crewmembers and we didn’t need to eat that day.

Last night I think was the fun-est with guests.  Understandably they were curious on how we could afford our lifestyle.  We quickly explained that we work very hard and usually treat ourselves with a cruise after our summer job.   They weren’t impressed; obviously we don’t understand hard work because we have never worked on a farm.  I jumped in with a quick joke to break the tension.  The next conclusion was that we were trust fund babies; at this I had to laugh without censer; if only they new how cheap I am and how much my parents actually saved for me (nothing). 

 

Oh well, I understand that I shouldn’t be here on this ridiculous trip, but I am here and I am loving it.  I know that I am blessed to see this amazing beauty and eat amazing food (who knows when I will be able to eat again…seriously).  It is an incredible feeling to know that I am in the middle of the ocean with nothing around me or below me but water (and two-thousand 85 year old people.)