Monday, April 18, 2005

Nature? What's that??


marjorie says…

I’ve often wondered what was so appealing about going on a cruise on a mammoth ship with 1000’s of other people. Surely it can’t be about nature -- after all, the size of the ship alone pretty much removes one from any contact with the water. And the activities on the ship could just as easily be undertaken at a nice resort in the Caribbean somewhere. Right? Well, folks have told me over the years that they have had excellent vacations on cruise ships, so who am I to judge? But, I can’t help but reflect on the absolute absurdity of these large cruises.

The absurdity of these cruises, and many of the people who take them, has been reinforced for me today, as I read in the news about a cruise ship limping back to shore after being hit by a seven-story wave during a storm.

“Passenger Robert Clark said he was trying not to be angry about the cruise but had one question: "Why would you go through a storm?"”

or, in other words…
How DARE they go through a storm?? After all, this is a cruise right?? We didn’t pay for no storm!!

Another passenger described it as a SURREAL experience. Folks, what is so surreal about a big storm out in the ocean…that you’ve chosen to put yourself in the middle of along with 2000 other people? Well, if you’re divorced from nature…

But, lucky for the passengers, the cruise line is giving each passenger a refund of half the cost of the cruise, and a voucher for half of the cost of a future cruise. So they all get another cruise in the future at no cost...and the company most likely suggests to them that a storm occurring is highly doubtful…