Cruisin’ For A Bruisin’

This was one of my dad’s favorite expressions.  Used as a warning to my brothers and myself when we were dangerously close to stepping over the lines of his endurance.    It seemed to work amazingly well.

However, events of late have brought Cruising to the forefront of all our realities.  For those who have cruised, there is a first hand knowledge of what all the hubbub is about. For those of us who’ve never floated the oceans and seas on the equivalent of a city on water, there is perhaps a bemused attitude.

First of all….these people who were inconvenienced recently were……inconvenienced.  Yes, their cruising experience might not have been pretty, or pleasantly scented but they weren’t harmed.  And for most of them, they made out like bandits.  Refunds, vouchers, free cruises…I think they have been treated most fairly.

Was this unfortunate……..absolutely!   Was it intentional……doubtful.   And will these put upon poor cruisers venture forth to cruise again………I would wager so.

Anyone complaining about having to smell sewage while in the middle of the ocean surrounded by fresh sea air has obviously never been in a baseball complex outdoor bathroom in August in Arkansas.  Now….there’s some smell accompanied by flies roughly the size of B-52s.  Sleeping on the deck of a ship sounds kind of exciting to me – after all, that would have never been allowed had there not been a problem on board.

I’m just thinking it is a good thing this wasn’t a Disney cruise – just think…..they all could have been trapped aboard that boat with 2 children for every adult.  Now that would be my idea of a nightmare.

Get over yourselves people….it is experiences like these that give you interesting stories to tell your grandchildren.  Imagine their wide eyed wonder when you tell them how you were trapped at sea, living on the edge…..fearing you would never see land again.  WOW!  If you can manage to get over it I’m betting in 6 months you will be laughing about it, because while you might not see it now, I can imagine all kinds of things you have heard, seen, smelt or felt during your hardship that are side splittingly funny.  Laugh about it…..I did.