10. Blue Coco Mojitos. Rum. Lime. Mint. Ice. What’s not to like?
9. Casual conversations with other passengers. We’re sharing a dinner table with a very liberal Unitarian Universalist minister and his wife — a warm, passionate, and dedicated teacher. Also on hand are Roger and Patty, two vetrans of California’s raisin industry, who have given us the inside scoop (pun intended) on what goes into those little cardboard boxes. Very cool!
8. Built-in tipping. On Holland America ships, there’s a ten dollar per day tipping fee built into your final bill, so there’s no juggling one dollar bills every time I order a mojito.
7. Pretty good food. Dinner in the Rotterdam Dining Room is pretty good; so far, we’ve had tasty lobster bisques, adequate steaks, and beef wellington that would even please Chef Ramsey on Hell’s Kitchen. Nothing outstanding, mind you — but it’s all very solid fare, nonetheless.
6. Lazy schedules. The nagging little worries that can mar a vacation’s relaxing effects("Where will we go for dinner? What will we do next?") are entirely eliminated. Instead of going and doing, we’re pretty much just doing whatever we do — and I’m finding this nice for a change.
5. Intriguing destinations. In order to appreciate the Hubbard Glacier, you pretty much have to be at sea. And Hoonah — a city you can’t reach by any road — was a delight.
4. Friendly staff. After years and years of living in Jackson, MS — where service personnel in shops, stores, and restaurants are more likely to spit at you than smile — it’s a nice change to be working with Holland America’s eager, pleasant Fillipino waiters and pursers.
3. Endless vistas. The only problem with the sights we’re seeing? They’re too big to photograph. You really have to see ’em to appreciate ’em … and they change every day.
2. Lots of "together time." Because all the details of the trip were handled before we left, we have more time and opportunity to focus on — and enjoy — each other.
1. Traveling to your next destination while you sleep. The ship moves from place to place over night, leaving waking hours free for non-stop enjoyment.
Add comment