Buzzing Around The World With Fellette & Doug

Life aboard…. [or half-life aboard, or life-a-bored]

Most of us have an ample supply of free time while on board, others seem to be on the go all the time. I must confess that I think there is an awful lot of snoozing going on at any particular time. Some people lay in the sun on a lounge chair and snooze, or in some cozy chair in various lounges, some read, some talk. In warm weather the odd person will sit at a bar, usually outside and talk with a another person, usually one is a smoker. You sometimes wonder when somebody has a cocktail at 10 am. Many people aboard are avid readers, great time for them.

There is always somebody in the gym or walking laps on the deck. Lots of various shapes are lounging around the pool. They sort of remind me of a group of sea lions, looking at the water and once in a while, slipping in to get wet and then beaching again. I sometimes think that some people are hard-pressed to find something to do to justify paying all this money and then having all this “free time”.

One thing that a lot of ladies are doing is knitting or crocheting afghans, crib blankets, baby toques, baby sets or whatever they can for the needy around the world. The finished products go to UNICEF. Holland America supplies all the materials. I saw ladies with armfuls of wool, happy as a clam taking their supplies back to the cabin. It is a wonderful way to do something positive for those who cannot or do not wish to be sea lions but enjoy knitting and have endless spare time.

Re the gym. It gets its use, usually the same devotees, usually it is far from full. It is well equipped, with five treadmills, same for bicycles and steppers and skier things. A good sized weights room with all the machines you could think of. There is not too much conversation going on in there. Exercise is not an easy way to lose weight, as we all know. [The best way is restrict what goes into your mouth in the first place!]

The casino is a fair size, there is usually very few people in there. Once again the same folks every time I peek in, I think at night when we are well asleep it gets more action.

They have an afternoon bingo as well. Dance classes are held every day at sea for the whole trip. Of course Tai Chi, [now a class of about 40-50 devoted klutzes]. Port lectures are repeated on the TV. Plus educational lectures as well. Bridge lessons go on every day at sea, very devoted participants. The cabin has good TV reception. CNN international is there if you want. A few good movies are on if you are so inclined.

For an active person such as me, I have a bit of difficulty having so much non-productive time on my hands. Fellette doesn’t seem to have a problem doing the transition from home to here. She is always busy and happy. I suppose that I will have to start classifying reading as productive.

posted by Doug and Fellette @ 12:45 PM