Why everything we thought about cruises was wrong (but somehow right)

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Our Serbian waiter Damir introduces himself to our table. His eyes are aimed at me and a smile itches in his corners of the mouth.

"I remember getting in. They had a huge backpack. I wondered if you would fall back or forward."

caught.

Color spreads out on my cheeks. "Oh yes, that was me." I explain Damir and the table that we are actually intruders: two backpackers who happened to be taken on a princess luxury cruise. Everyone finds us terribly amusing and, if I can say that, somehow lovable. We are the youngest (and most likely poorest) passengers on the boat. I joke that I have two dresses that I change at dinner. You laugh.

It's not a joke.

alt = “”> Atlas & Boots Fortunately, there is a buffet and a room service, so that we have left the formal evenings entirely

The matter is that, although we were the youngest (and most likely poorest) passengers on the cruise ship, we had an incredibly great time. This is not a surprise in itself, but when we went in, we were very aware of the stigmas around cruises: a bunch of financially strong tourists of a certain age who see the world without really seeing the world and instead decide to consume kitschy entertainment and mass pleasure. produced western food.

The cliché is something: The vast majority of people were wealthy and at a certain age, it was certainly not enough time to see the places where we stopped, and the entertainment was not always in a nutshell - but such an overall experience, it was incredible.

Sure, there was the inventor who spoke in detail about his immense wealth every time we saw him, and there was the guy who described his wife as a "naturally born killer" when he spoke of her love for hunting, but there was also the 70 -year -old author who wrote the Great American Novel, and the hard -nosed NOO YAWK BROAD, which had a one or two things about it, like one or two things or stay in love for five decades, not to mention the amazing employees who had their own interesting stories.

and yes, we had to choose between Mauna Kea and the Volcano Park in Hawaii because we had no time to see both, but we were also allowed to sail 5,000 miles across the Pacific. Admittedly, not every cruise offers something of this size, but a journey on the water with its romance in the old world and endless breathtaking views is quite impressive wherever you are.

And finally, yes, the entertainment was sometimes cheesy, but there is no pressure to participate. Instead of learning Ukelele or Hula, you can go swimming, laze in a whirlpool, use the career (run! In the middle of the Pacific!), Play table tennis - or eat . Have I already mentioned that there are apparently unlimited amounts of delicious food on board? Instead of mass-produced canteen meals, we enjoyed delicious four-course menus in one of the ship restaurants as well as access to a 24-hour buffet and a pizzeria with surprisingly delicious pizza. To mention unnecessarily that we have increased a few kilos.

On the day of disembarkation, we stopped on the way to the outside to chat with Alvin, our cabin steward. The day came to an end for us. For him it was the beginning of a 120-day circular round. While Alvin listed the stops, Peter and I looked at each other. We would have thought earlier that this was a terrible way to see the world, but if we had had the money, we might have just turned over and went back right away.

I think the moral of history is that cruises, or any kind of travel, are not inherently worth less than the way we do (a tent, two backpacks). As with everything, you should try it before judging it ... unless it is reindeer heart, in this case you should never try. (Attention, Peter.)

Mission statement: Atlas & Boots 
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