On the Good Ship Lollipop Story and photos by Gloria Beck We all remember our “firsts”… first date, first boyfriend, first kiss, etc. Recently I had the pleasure of a first cruise. I have to confess I was a bit anxious because I get motion sickness in a bathtub. Until now, my only life experience with a ship of any kind was The Staten Island Ferry. Does that really count? I brought along a few items that I thought would help me overcome any problems with the ship’s movement… assorted acupressure bands and meds. To be safe, I think I wore all the bands at one time all the way up to my elbow. You can never be too sure. Between the bands and the meds, all that was missing was a portable bucket (Just in case nothing worked.). But where does one pack that? I can only suggest that preparing for any trip should coincide with the time to have your closets painted. That would save a lot of work. My closets were almost empty. Somehow I had a nagging suspicion that I might have over-packed! These days, with these special plastic bags, you can compress your whole wardrobe into something the size of an oversized blintz. As a matter of fact, at the pier, instead of a baggage handler, they needed four pallbearers for one piece of my luggage. I had another small problem. I prepared for a trip to Nome, Alaska, but I was going to the Caribbean! With all I took, however, I was able to find enough to wear, though the quilted jacket did become a problem when it hit 92 degrees. There was no shortage of classes and entertainment, if you didn’t want to leave the ship. I noticed the theaters were situated in the forward and aft. The short cut was conveniently located through the casino. Hmm… I wonder why? I don’t gamble at all. I know someone who is so averse to gambling, she won’t put money into any kind of slot—parking meters and pay toilets included. That could become a problem! There were dance parties for seniors every night. I didn’t feel like going, because at times, I had enough trouble walking straight with the slight rocking of the ship. Can you imagine what a few drinks would have added to my challenge with walking? Well, I cannot lie. Sometimes they did, but who cared? In the end, it was fun. I couldn’t imagine what dancing would be like. I know the party favors for me would have been free Ace bandages and a “hit of oxygen.” I was fortunate enough to lose some weight before I left home, but with so much delicious food being offered, it was another challenge. You know how paper plates bend with too much food on them? That happened to me with china plates. You can’t possibly imagine how heavy the food is, because a filled buffet breakfast plate was carried to a table for you, and you just sat and ate. Wine was everywhere. I, the non-imbiber, drank so much pink Zinfandel that I had a permanent pink glow. Who knew my glass was being refilled after every gulp? I think I drank so much they needed to start a new vineyard on the upper deck of the ship. I started to look more relaxed because my perpetual smile removed all of the wrinkles. That was really good, because I forgot to take the wrinkle/putty make-up along. Sitting at the pool was lovely. I didn’t bring my bikini, but a lot of other people did. The farther away people lived, the smaller the bikini. I saw some bikinis that almost weren’t there. Some were the size of a small dinner napkin. I was almost tempted, but no dinner napkins for me. How about a tablecloth? Where do you get a pattern for that? Seriously, I must say that any misgivings I had, were for naught. My good friend who encouraged me to go on this “first,” I now consider one of my best friends. She put up with my craziness and upside down interpretations of life, which I don’t need wine for to keep me perpetually smiling. To her I say, “Thank you from the bottom of my heart.” I think I can count this sailing experience as one of the “seven wonders” of my life. Everything is sweet right now, and I just keep humming “On the Good Ship Lollipop…” and have started planning for my next “first adventure.” Maybe the moon! By the way, do you ever think the company that makes those compression bags for clothes will make them large enough for me to wear? Let me know. Blue Curaçao Author and Cabin-mate share an elevator selfie on the ship “Diet rice pudding. Didn't taste as good as it looked.” 10 NORTH SHORE TOWERS COURIER ¢ February 2017
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