Days 15 & 16 (cruise days 14 & 15) - I cannot believe how fast these past two weeks have flow by. I have crossed the equator, gone from winter to summer, and changed time zones six times. The last two consecutive day were at sea through which I mainly worked but also took a bit of time for me. As there are no ports of call or anything of interest to report on the work front I thought I would introduce you to the Eclipse.
This is my third time on the Eclipse, the first being a Caribbean cruise (2012) and then the Vancouver to Hawaii cruise (2019). She is of the Solstice class and really a comfortable space to be in. Some people imagine cruise ships to be crowded and lacking privacy but, aside from supper time and sunny days at sea when the pool and decks get busy, there are a lot of spaces to hide and hang out. I see people every day that I swear did not get on the ship when I did and, on disembarkation day, there are so many people I never saw the entire voyage. Today was the most crowded I have ever seen the Oceanview Café (main cafeteria area) but that is because it is cooler than usual and most people are inside. And by cooler I mean 15C with a breeze.
On the outside there are a variety of places to hang out ranging from the pool deck (Deck 12) and the upper level (Deck 14) that overlooks the pool (this is where the track is). On both these levels you will find rows of reclining deck chairs that become competitive spaces on sea days, some in the shade and some with full exposure for the sun bunnies. At both ends of the ship there is another level (Deck 15) that are meant for lounging - the forward is mostly deck chairs for sunning and the stern has real lawns for putting and "picnicking". My favorite (the center picture above) is the fantail where I sat writing this blog - shaded, close to one of the many bars and the café, and usually only full at lunch time. As with many areas on the ship the fantail is a great place to relax and people watch; there is such a variety of passengers and crew from all over the world that there is not a shortage of observable traits and behaviours. I have often thought it would be an interesting thing to do a long term ethnographical study of cruise life 🤔
The inside of the ship has some mighty impressive areas like the grand foyer on Deck 3 that has an open atrium and a double bank of elevators on either side going up to Deck 14. The atrium has a real potted tree suspended over the open space and several amenities overlook the atrium, such as a coffee shop-like bistro, martini bar, and the library. And, given the holiday season, a minora for Hanukkah and Christmas trees are on prominent display. There are all kinds of boutique shops, an art gallery, theatres, and, of course, a casino on Decks 3, 4 and 5. Scattered around the ship are many different bars and lounges, each with its own purpose and ambiance. The Martini Bar on Deck 4 is pretty self-explanatory and is a common meeting place for people before or after dinner; stereotypically, it is where the regular meeting of the "Friends of Dorothy" (2SLGBTQA+) occurs. In the first cruise I ever did, someone thought how nice it was there was an AA group for women not realizing "Friends of Dorothy" always met in one of the bars or lounges, whereas "Friends of Bill W" (the actual AA group) was in either the chapel or one of the other meeting places 🤭 I think my overall favorite place is the Sky Lounge at the bow of the ship on Deck 14 where a person can relax with a vista of the seas or port to the front of the ship.
In the end there is a place and a space for everyone, whether on the deck, in one of the public spaces, or in the privacy of one's stateroom. There are people who rarely leave their stateroom for one reason or another - I could not imagine that, unless I had one of the executive suites on the ship (there are a few 2-level suites with living and dining areas complete with butler). In theory you can stay contained in a stateroom since there is full room service but that would not be for me as a big part of a cruise is being able to roam, switch up my environment, and to selectively socialize. Speaking of staterooms, the next and last port of call for this leg of the cruise is Valparaiso where Jean will join me to continue on the journey around the tip of South America.
Comments