Days 79-83 – at sea -Our Low Point!

Disclaimer: This diary entry details gripes and petty niggles which can only be described as ‘first world problems’. However, it is with full awareness of the fact that we know we are very lucky to be on this voyage that we choose to grumble anyway! 😉All extended periods of travel have their ups and downs and we are definitely having a down patch, and believe it is worth noting, as it represents the reality of our overall experience.

Being confined to a ship, no matter how big and glamorous, for an extended period of time, reduces your world down to a microcosm of the one you are accustomed to living in. The effect of this, over time, is that without the usual day-to-day distractions of your life at home, things take on much greater significance, both in a positive and negative way.

We are now on day 4 of 5 of our crossing from Honolulu to Los Angeles (day 17 of a total of 18 across the Pacific) and we believe we are definitely starting to exhibit symptoms of ‘cabin fever’. We find ourselves sleeping until nearly lunchtime and are then awake until 3 am. The constant time changes and crossing the International Date Line (meaning we had to ‘do’ the 26 March twice) have not helped. We are constantly lethargic and lacking motivation to do anything. America’s impromptu bombing of Iran and all the uncertainty that engenders for the world is a cause of great anxiety. We find ourselves spending too much time in our cabin watching hour after hour of news coverage of America’s latest misguided and hopelessly futile attack on Iran. Against this backdrop, we are ashamed to find ourselves grumbling about the food, cross that there are never enough sunbeds around the pool, vexed at the lack of quality speakers and entertainers compared with our South American trip and completely fed up of being spoken to like three-year-olds whenever we do a shore excursion. We’re so fed up with it in fact that we have cancelled most of our remaining excursions and will make our own arrangements.

We have both been ill several times since we left Southampton at the beginning of January (which feels like a lifetime ago). Every time there is a major turnaround of passengers, a whole new batch of viruses and sickness is brought on board. Between us we have both had two chest infections and Bridge has had six stomach bugs.

In summary, we are definitely at a low point. As stated above, we absolutely know how lucky we are to be on this trip, and we also know that when we get home and look back, we will only remember the positives, but having asked ourselves if we would embark on another world cruise, we both agree that we most definitely would not!