A day at sea... what to do...

It has been so long since I have written; I really want to get better at writing more often. I can’t use time as an excuse, since we all have those issues. I would love to say it’s baseball season and I spend a lot of my time on a baseball field, but that’s not all that great of a reason. I really think it’s that I just don’t think about it except when I’m on a ship. Our family finds ourselves trying to pin down a cruise for this September. I have a group going on the Carnival Inspiration Labor Day weekend. It’s a great price for a holiday weekend: $360 for an inside and $390 for an oceanview. Just one port of call, Cozumel, Mexico, and two wonderful days at sea. Shirley and I really love the days at sea. There is so much going on all over the ship, we get a bit frustrated because we have to narrow the activities down so we can get the most out of our day. We love to play the different trivia games. We have about 15 of the coveted “24-carat gold plastic ships-on-a-stick.” People have been known to do some pretty strange things to get one. On one cruise our good friend, Ellie, corned one of the ship’s staff and talked him into giving her one. She wore it around her neck all day like a very large “bling.” But she was smiling from ear to ear. There are a lot of other activities. My sister-in-law Donna and her husband Gene spend a lot of time at the art auctions. If you are patient and have a keen eye, there are bargains to be had. Shirley likes the artist Jean Claude Picot; she has collected several of his prints. I have purchased some sports memorabilia. My two prize possessions from the Park West Art Auctions are a signed photo of the great third baseman Brooks Robinson and a Hall of Fame commemorative baseball signed by Oakland A’s pitching great, Rollie Fingers. (What a great baseball name for a pitcher.) We have a few other treasures we have brought home: a full uncut sheet of Charlie Brown/Peanuts trading cards that we got for Courtney, and Tiffany likes Anatole Krasnyansky. Not only can you get some good deals on paintings and prints from artists like Thomas Kinkade and Peter Max, the auctioneers go into the history of the artists and who or what influenced them. They also will offer a lecture on how to collect art and what the different media are. It’s actually very interesting. Another of our “sea day” things we like to do: putt-putt! Yes, many ships have a nine-hole putt-putt course. Sometimes there are a few kids running around the area, but most of the time, they’re having fun and don’t really get in the way. It looks easy, but with wind across the deck and a rolling ship, putting can be a challenge. Sometimes, missing a close putt can tempt one to throw a club into the ocean. Then you remember: The club is checked out to your room and if not returned … someone has to pay for it. One little secret: It’s okay to check out your putter and ball on the first day of the cruise and keep it for the entire cruise. Putt-putt at 1:00 a.m. in the dark can also be a challenge. I have never done it — I’m normally asleep by then — but it’s the thought that counts. Also, a sea day is a great time to do some shopping. The ship, depending on the size and age, has four or five shops selling everything from candy, T-shirts, Christmas ornaments, jewelry (watches, gold, silver, diamonds), purses, clothing, alcohol … it’s a real shopping experience. And believe it or not, the prices are not that bad and they’re tax-free. But be carful how much you spend, or US Customs will have something for you when you get back. Now if you are into that sort of thing, the casino is in full swing. Table games, slots, cards, and tournaments. The players tell me that the ships don’t pay as well as shore-based casinos, but I have seen some nice payouts. My sister, Lee, plays penny slots and will be there for several hours at a time, enjoying herself. If you don’t know how to play the different games, the ships offer gaming lessons. They also have the Ocean Players Club that rewards points and prizes; the last cruise we were on, there was a large group from the Ocean Players Club. Before you know it, the day is over and it’s time for dinner — like you really need a meal after snacking all day. Everywhere you walk on the Lido Deck, where most of the outside activities are, there is food. Grilling hamburgers and hotdogs, buffets, deli, fish and chips, ice cream, cookies, cakes, and did I mention ICE CREAM? Well, this is just a very brief discussion about a normal at-sea day. I had someone tell me the other day that he didn’t want to take a cruise because he didn’t want to be on a ship with nothing to do. That’s the beauty of a cruise: you can do everything or nothing. It’s up to you.