By Lee Hyon-soo
After almost two years of being stuck at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I am anxiously waiting for the day when I will be able to go places as I please. The first thing I want to do after the restrictions on international travel are lifted is to take a Mediterranean cruise which is on my bucket list. In the meantime, I console myself by reminiscing about the Caribbean cruise that I took several years ago.
My wife and I flew to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, where we boarded a mammoth cruise ship which carries more than 6,000 guests and a 2,000-plus crew. As soon as we checked into the cabin assigned to us, we roamed the entire ship to familiarize ourselves with the on-board facilities including restaurants and bistros where we would later wine and dine at our leisure.
We sailed all day long to get to Labadee, Haiti, which was the first port of call. When the ship docked, we landed, had a tropical buffet lunch on the beach, and spent the afternoon basking in the sun. We skipped a city sightseeing tour because we were a little concerned about security in Haiti.
The second port of call was Falmouth, Jamaica. We got off the ship for a shore excursion. An antiquated van took us to an old town and a historic sugar estate. We learned a little about Jamaican history from our tour guide and tasted the Jamaican snack, jerk chicken with some of Jamaica's famous rums. Jamaica looked poorer than we imagined it to be, and it was depressing to see signs of abject poverty everywhere we went.
It took a whole day to sail from Falmouth to Cozumel, Mexico, which was the final port of call. In Cozumel we boarded a motor coach to enjoy a narrated, scenic ride through a traditional Mayan village. In the village we saw traditional thatched-roof Mayan houses and medicinal gardens. From our tour guide we learned about the myths, histories, and beliefs of the Mayan world.
While cruising in the high seas, we were stuck aboard the ship, but there were many activities and plenty of entertainment to occupy ourselves with. We played various sports and enjoyed watching an ice show, an aqua show, acrobatic feats, musical performances and a 3D movie, among others. From time to time we just relaxed on the deck, admiring the changing scenery or passed the time in an outdoor cafe, observing other vacationers who came from many different parts of the world. It was fun to watch men and women of all sizes, shapes, ages and skin colors strolling in a festive mood on the ship's main walkway. To our relief, we did not get seasick as there was no pitch or roll when sailing because of the ship's enormous size.
While sailing back to Ft. Lauderdale, I wanted to do something special to remember this cruise. So a friend of mine and I competed as a team in a doubles table tennis tournament. We defeated two teams and advanced to the finals. But to our regret, we were soundly beaten by our opposing team. After seven fantastic days in a floating wonderland, we returned home with lots of fond memories.
The writer (tomhslee43@gmail.com) is a freelance columnist and the author of "Tales of A Korean Globetrotter."
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My wife and I flew to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, where we boarded a mammoth cruise ship which carries more than 6,000 guests and a 2,000-plus crew. As soon as we checked into the cabin assigned to us, we roamed the entire ship to familiarize ourselves with the on-board facilities including restaurants and bistros where we would later wine and dine at our leisure.
We sailed all day long to get to Labadee, Haiti, which was the first port of call. When the ship docked, we landed, had a tropical buffet lunch on the beach, and spent the afternoon basking in the sun. We skipped a city sightseeing tour because we were a little concerned about security in Haiti.
The second port of call was Falmouth, Jamaica. We got off the ship for a shore excursion. An antiquated van took us to an old town and a historic sugar estate. We learned a little about Jamaican history from our tour guide and tasted the Jamaican snack, jerk chicken with some of Jamaica's famous rums. Jamaica looked poorer than we imagined it to be, and it was depressing to see signs of abject poverty everywhere we went.
It took a whole day to sail from Falmouth to Cozumel, Mexico, which was the final port of call. In Cozumel we boarded a motor coach to enjoy a narrated, scenic ride through a traditional Mayan village. In the village we saw traditional thatched-roof Mayan houses and medicinal gardens. From our tour guide we learned about the myths, histories, and beliefs of the Mayan world.
While cruising in the high seas, we were stuck aboard the ship, but there were many activities and plenty of entertainment to occupy ourselves with. We played various sports and enjoyed watching an ice show, an aqua show, acrobatic feats, musical performances and a 3D movie, among others. From time to time we just relaxed on the deck, admiring the changing scenery or passed the time in an outdoor cafe, observing other vacationers who came from many different parts of the world. It was fun to watch men and women of all sizes, shapes, ages and skin colors strolling in a festive mood on the ship's main walkway. To our relief, we did not get seasick as there was no pitch or roll when sailing because of the ship's enormous size.
While sailing back to Ft. Lauderdale, I wanted to do something special to remember this cruise. So a friend of mine and I competed as a team in a doubles table tennis tournament. We defeated two teams and advanced to the finals. But to our regret, we were soundly beaten by our opposing team. After seven fantastic days in a floating wonderland, we returned home with lots of fond memories.
The writer (tomhslee43@gmail.com) is a freelance columnist and the author of "Tales of A Korean Globetrotter."
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