THE INTERNATIONAL - International Indian

[ TRAVEL ]
Rivkah and Tirzah with their “Thathi” Christine. The cops in Malta remind you of Rudyard Kipling stories of the
British Raj. Malta is a very interesting place to visit - many Sindhi shopkeepers thriving there
lifejackets etc., is conducted for all the 3,000
or so passengers on board. And then as we all
sat around in the Windjammer Coffee Shop,
the Brilliance of the Seas drew in her anchor
and slipped into the ocean unnoticed by
most passengers. We were all busy chatting
about how to get the most out of the ocean
voyage. Making friends, meeting people and
rediscovering the art of long conversations
over a drink or a meal are some of the
highlights of a long sojourn at sea. Nobody
is in a hurry to go anywhere!
The difference between a land vacation
and a cruise is probably the level of stress
free experience you undergo - on a cruise
nobody gets stuck doing anything they don’t
want to. When you stay at a hotel, there are
inevitable decisions about choosing places
to eat out, keeping enough cash in the
pocket, carting luggage around, finding
local transport, rushing to airports etc.
On a cruise none of this applies. Once you
board everything is paid for and cash is not
necessary. Using your Sea Pass you only pay
for extras like alcohol, specialty restaurants,
spa visits, on board shopping etc. The family
gets more time with each other having
no concern for the usual holiday hassles.
I especially wanted to get to know our
grandchildren, whom I don’t see as often as
I’d like to; and there was plenty of time to
catch up with our daughter and son-in-law.
A cruise offers activities and entertainment
for all age groups so our three-generation
holiday at sea was the ideal vacation.
For some folks twelve days at sea might
seem too long, but we didn’t think so. For us
the saddest part of the cruise was returning
to the port of disembarkation! In fact after
we returned from the holiday, our little
girls have been moaning about how they
would have preferred to remain on board
instead of joining us for sightseeing. We had
taken them along to explore Venice on both
days the ship docked there, and they were
complaining! As adults we sometimes forget
that our children’s idea of fun is different
from ours. But parents are also keen to show
their kids the great sights on their itinerary,
which is also part of the whole group
experience. Most families want to record
the cruise for posterity, and the opportunity
to take family photos in various countries is
one of the big highlights of the trip.
Nonetheless everyone in the family
enjoyed the mega sailing experience around
the Mediterranean – especially the girls,
who probably fantasized they were living
out of one of their storybooks. As we often
spun yarns about various creatures hiding
in the deep blue sea their eyes would be
wide open and they would plead, “Tell us
that story again!” A natural storyteller in
the oral tradition, my wife could easily fill a
book with the tales she effortlessly concocts
Christine, Shana & Benjamin with Rivkah, Tirzah at St Peter’s in Rome. Plenty of pigeons for the kids to enjoy
feeding while you ponder on Michaelangelo’s masterpieces. Rome is just one hour away from the port of Civitavecchia
–check train timings carefully when you go
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THE INTERNATIONAL INDIAN