Yesterday, on October 2, we boarded the Holland America ship Westerdam, embarking on a 36-night cruise from Seattle to Sydney, Australia. Some people have asked us, why are you taking such a long cruise?
Reasons why we decided to take a repositioning cruise:
It's been a long few months, filled with stresses and tasks. We love the idea of getting on a ship and not cooking, cleaning, or washing our clothes for a little over a month. We need some rest.
2. We'd like to establish our nomadic life again, slowly adding back some routines to our lives. Instead of our usual touristy approach, this time we'll be going to the gym for stretching or work-outs in the morning, walking the decks looking out at the ocean, reading and writing in the afternoons. We'll meet folks along the way but in a slow manner. We hope that by the time we reach Australia, we'll be ready for more walking/visiting adventure. But for now, we want to take it slow.
3. We've always wanted to visit South Sea islands, but not sure which ones or how long to stay. This way, we get a taste of Fiji, New Caledonia, Samoa, Papua New Guinea (with Hawaii and Aussie coastal towns thrown in) interspersed with many days relaxing at sea. Seems like the right mix.
4. Have you flown lately? After a summer of flight delays, frenetic passengers, and full to bursting planes, the idea of taking a long flight to the other side of the world was not appealing. People traveling by air are stressed, too, and we don't need to add more stress. On our most recent flight, we were crammed in, and it was a major ordeal just to use the restroom. We loved the idea of being able to move around while we were traveling. Since we were in Europe the first half of the year, we wanted to travel in the other direction. A one-way cruise will get us to a part of the world we want to visit for a while, but in an easy manner.
5. No phone service, sporadic internet. Sounds like a plus right now. Unplug.
6. The ocean and the islands are beautiful.
7. It fits our budget - repositioning cruises are cheaper than regular ones, and when you consider it's your housing, food, transportation, and entertainment, it's a good deal.
Given that we're in high relaxation mode, and will have spotty internet, you might not hear from us every week. We'll blog when we can, and post photos. So for now, au revoir!