Well, not really. But, that’s what it seemed like to Lorraine on a recent cruise. After sailing the same class of ships numerous times, she thought she had become too “comfortable” – always booking the same location – forward starboard.
It was familiar (perhaps too familiar) but convenient to all her favorite haunts (the coffee bar – the cigar lounge (where all her “cruise buddies” would congregate) but quite frankly, was becoming a bit of a snooze. Hum! It was time for change, and just at the perfect time, too!
RCL was introducing a new ship to the Port of Galveston. Of course, Lorraine had to sail the inaugural nine nights in the Caribbean. But this time, booked a rear port location. “No big deal,” she thought – same class of ship (but 92 feet longer) and her “haunts” were not necessarily in the same locations anyway, so why not?
Why not? Because she was hopelessly lost – at least for the first couple of days. Nothing was familiar from her new vantage point – the bow was at the aft and the aft was at the bow, even her cabin layout was reversed. It was like starting all over – LOL!
Well, guess what....it turned out to be a most pleasant change. Since the ship was longer, what would have been previously considered “aft” for the same class was actually more mid-ship, conveniently close, but not too close to the elevators, right above the coffee bar, which was above the main lounge (accessible to a quiet outdoor deck area), and above the dining room. Wow! Lorraine found a new “corner of the world.”
Needless to say, she onboard-booked for April – same location! Instead of being “lost at sea” – she’ll be in her “new comfort zone at sea” – well, at least until it gets too “comfortable” – LOL!