Deck the Decks! Holiday Season at Sea

Days 18 & 19 of GA (second cruise days 2 & 3) - When I boarded the Celebrity Eclipse in Los Angeles, there were already early signs of the holiday season throughout the ship. There was a menorah in the foyer and the usual Christmas trappings throughout the ship adding a touch of the holiday season for travelers and crew alike. For this second leg of my journey there was a slightly different vibe onboard with many people beginning their official holiday break and vacation as family units. Whereas the ship had not been full for the first leg at about 2,400 passengers it was now a full house with 3,200 of which 300 are children. The additional souls and sudden lowering of the average age has made a significant shift in dynamics and some interesting interactions.

Before this leg of the cruise, the holiday season began with Hanukkah and each evening there was the symbolic lighting of a candle on the menorah in the foyer of the atrium. Most nights there was a fairly good crowd of people sharing in the service while each "candle" was lit and a rabbi recited the blessings. While there were many Jewish people on the cruise, most of the attendees were of different faiths or, like myself, spiritual. One other couple I chatted with at the service were not particularly religious but came to the lightings in recognition of the current challenges in the Middle East and hope for peace. I initially attended to be part of the celebration as I had never had the opportunity in the past but after getting to a couple evenings (the event occurred from December 7 - 15) I found there was something about the solemnity of the occasion and the symbolism of the light that helped (forced?) me to reflect on world events and my own situation in the past year. A moment of silence with a group showing solidarity and peace, when so much craziness is happening elsewhere truly, makes one appreciate what one has. And, in spite of my own challenges with work environment and health, I am so grateful for what I have at this point of time. This shared communal experience provided a renewed sense of hope and faith.

As usual, there are all kinds of activities on the ship as we enjoy two full days at sea on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Some are specific to the spirit of the season with karaoke caroling and onboard religious services but many are either regular events each cruise (e.g., group dance lessons in the foyer and trivia games) or those added for families and kids (e.g., paper airplane competition and indoor shuffle board). But there are still places just to hang out and be low-key jolly like the library or a quiet lounge.

Although it should be all merry and bright, there was an incredible scene during our Christmas Eve dinner in the formal dining hall. Next to our table was a large combined family of three couples and six kids where the kids were allowed to run rampant during the meal - the youngest would have been about 6 years old and the oldest probably about 11 or so. Literally, they were allowed (actually encouraged by one of the fathers 😳) to do whatever they wanted...standing on chairs, climbing into the window well beside the table, and causing havoc with other tables and the serving staff. An elderly man snapped at the situation and a very large, public verbal altercation occurred between him and that one father to the point where supervisors came in. The elderly man and his wife were moved elsewhere but the rest of us had to continue to endure further uncontained shenanigans while none of the other 5 adults stepped in to address the situation. I understand kids need to be kids but there ought to be parental responsibility and accountability in all this since we and the other passengers have paid a significant amount of money for enjoyment of this time. Needless to say, it known was made known by us and the couple at the next table to one of the supervisors that we will asked to be moved if the behaviors of both the adults and children are not addressed. Bah...humbug!

That aside, a memorable aspect of this year was celebrating the holiday season in the southern hemisphere. While both of us have spent Christmas time out of Canada and with no snow it is quite a different experience being in Summer with such long days - even when we celebrated one Christmas in the Caribbean we did not enjoy a sunset at 9:10 p.m. I am not sure the exact latitude we are at (maybe 45 South?) but our solstice and long days is another source of light for hope and inspiration for the future. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!