This is my first post on my new “Cruise Boy” blog. So below is my post on Facebook where I announced this cruise 1-Nov-18.
Short version: I’m going on a world cruise!
Long version: I don’t have a very long bucket list. My father was in the Navy, so we lived all over the US and world: South Carolina (several times), New York, Virginia (several times), Germany, Hawaii (twice), and California. In my career in Lockheed Martin I lived in Virginia, Pennsylvania, England and Silicon Valley (has it really been 12 years?). While in Germany and England I traveled all over Europe, and even spent two weeks in Kenya on a photo safari (see my pictures on Facebook).
But I have not yet visited Asia or the South Pacific, so I knew whatever I did to celebrate my retirement would include that. Years ago, I re-visited Hawaii with my mother on a week-long island-hopping cruise (which I recommend for anyone wanting an introduction to Hawaii). More recently I went on a week-long Disney cruise in the west Mediterranean with my sister’s family, and it was great (Disney does the cruise thing very well). So that put the idea into my head for a world cruise.
Shopping around, I was surprised by the options. While there were differences with the itineraries, Silversea is the only line that went as far north as Japan in their 2019 world cruise. They start in San Francisco, so that’s an easy drive to start with. They skip Hawaii – which does not bother me as I’ve lived there – but that necessitates a week-long initial all ocean leg. The Pacific is not small.
I know when I link to the cruise web page you are going to see the cost. Silversea is high-end cruise line – the ‘Silver Whisper’ only carries 382 guests and 302 crew (other world cruise ships carry thousands). Realize the first three “cabins” are larger than my house, and that the prices are per person! I am not staying in them – I will be down in the bowels, shoveling coal for my passage. They may force me to serve meals to the other passengers.
The cruise is January to May, 2019. Since I’m now two months out I got to sign up for port excursions. There are also “land programs” that are multi-day escapes from the ship while its hopping between ports. No, they are not included. Yes, my credit card hates me.
In preparation I am taking a photography class next week, and will likely upgrade my bought-for-my-Kenya-trip 12-year-old camera. They say they have world-wide WIFI, but I don’t think I can count of high bandwidth while on the oceans. I plan to update my FB with pictures while in port, and will have basic picture editing software on my laptop.
Since I’m an engineer I’m making packing lists, otherwise I’m sure I’d forget something basic like underwear. Which I’m sure Silversea would be happy to sell me at $20 per pair. How did anyone learn about “what to pack on a world cruise” before the Internet?