Cruising The Bahamas!

“O Athah Samudra! Kaisa vishaal kaisa antaheen”

(Oh bottomless ocean! How huge and how endless!)

I stood on the deck and watched the deep blue ocean moving in its own gentle rhythm making periodic small waves as our ship sailed by. The cool breeze brushed my face and a chill went through my body. Partly because of the cold and partly because of the realization that I’m sailing in the deepest waters of the Atlantic ocean. Our ship is a huge one but nothing compared to this magnanimous sea with gallons and gallons of water everywhere around me. I could see only the horizon, where the sea seemed to meet the bright blue sky. But there was no land in sight and there was no land even beyond my sight for miles and miles!

“Don’t think so much. All ships are not Titanic!”( A very popular movie from where I belong). That was the advice I gave my mom when she looked bewildered when she heard that I will be on a cruise for 4 days. Four days in the middle of the sea for no rhyme or reason!

But there was a reason. The reason was to break free from the monotony of everyday life. I agree life is beautiful with its small everyday routines but to realize the importance of that one needs to get away from it once in a while. Just change its course, explore the unknown and come back. It’s like adding a sizzling tadka(tempering) to the everyday boring boiled daal(lentils).

So, here we were on a Royal Caribbean cruise to the beautiful island of Bahamas!

“Oh my God is this a ship! Are we going to live in it! Oh is this The Bahamas I had heard about!” Such reactions are impossible these days due to technology. All the information and the videos are available online and we do check them to be aware of what to pack, what to expect etc etc. We can find lots of people talking about them in great detail on YouTube. So where is the fun? That was my thought initially but since technology can’t instill ‘feelings’ yet, I did get my ‘Oh my God’ kind of surprise.

A cruise is one of the best ways to relax and rejuvenate! It’s a complete entertainment in itself. I will explain what I’m talking about.

First and foremost let us talk about food. If the tummy is full, life is good. I handle the food department in my house and I fully resigned from it in the coming days.( I resigned so sincerely that later I had immense difficulty resuming my post. Worrying about ‘what to cook everyday’ part of my brain had taken a total setback). 

There is a continuous supply of food day and night in the cruise. The variety will blow your mind, American, Mediterranean, Indian, Chinese, Italian you name it, they have it. Right from healthy fruits and salads, delicious main course to mouth watering desserts, they serve all and of endless varieties. There are beautiful dining areas and restaurants with an amazing ambience where you feel great about everything around, yourself included. (I felt like a food pampered princess in my mind). My favorite was a dining area named ‘Windjammer’ which was a food heaven. I was seen loitering there with plates full of food at 6 am, 9am, 12 pm and 6 pm daily and had spent a major chunk of my time on the ship there eating and watching the sea.

My favorite spot in the Windjammer was a place with an amazing view of the ocean. One side wall was glass from top to bottom. Peep down while sitting in your chair adjacent to this glass and watch the gentle lapping of the waves while munching on some delicious food. Or watch the golden glow of the sun setting in the horizon with the sea gleaming like jewels while sipping a warm cuppa of coffee. Nothing could beat that experience. Not to mention a mind free of any kind of worries, chores or distractions.

Did I mention that there was no internet on the ship? Or else the above experience would not have been possible undistracted in all its glory. I mean it is possible to use the ship’s wi-fi but that comes with a price. Is it worth it to spend hundreds of dollars to scroll through reels when on an amazing cruise? I guess not. Not for me.

Next comes entertainment. There is so much of it that one can easily get overwhelmed but still love every bit of it. There was something fun to do for all ages and interests. For the kids there were swimming pools, water rides, zip lines, rock climbing, colorful golf areas, 24/7 open pizza corners, unlimited free ice creams and mom dads busy enjoying themselves so no one could unnecessarily fuss over them! What more can they want? Not to mention the world class water shows, ice skating shows and acrobatics arranged for a memorable evening which were enjoyed by one and all.

The adults also enjoyed the above mentioned activities. The inner child of every person should show up at times! I personally loved the dance parties which happened from time to time on the ship. My husband kept track of the time and exact location from the cruise’s app and I danced away! It was exhilarating and much needed to digest the hefty meals I had all day. More than that it felt free to dance like no one is watching. The truth being that no one was watching, even my family. They were too busy enjoying themselves and I was lost in my world dancing for myself with people who I never met earlier and never knew!

There is a saying that nobody sleeps on a cruise and that turned out to be true. Sleep might invade you but you are sure to shoo it away. You can not afford to miss even a few moments in a life that is a party day and night without any effort from your side (Except of course for the money you paid in advance). 

There were also provisions to soothe the nerves in an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity. I’m talking about an evening of live jazz music with comfortable seating under the star lit sky and candles all around. You sip your coffee or drink and enjoy the music with the slight rocking rhythm of the ship. Pure bliss!

There was also a casino for the ‘lucky people’ around. I played and lost since I’m lucky in love and so not lucky in cards. My friends played and it turned out that they were lucky in both! I don’t mind as long as I get to have breakfast at 8, lunch at 12, dinner at 6, coffee at 10 and pizza at 12, none of them prepared by me!

I would recommend another amazing experience from a cruise ship. I saw the sunrise in the ocean. It was magical! I got to the deck of the ship early in the morning and waited with a warm cuppa of coffee cradled in my hand till the sky turned a shade of bright yellow behind the clouds. The sea looked grey and cold. At first I was disappointed to see the black clouds hovering above the horizon. But when a little deep orange glow peeped from it, I was ecstatic. The orange glow slowly rose above the horizon like a red ripe mango and soon the whole world was filled with light and the sea started gleaming from the faint rays emanating from it. That’s our sun doing this one activity religiously without fail from eons and here I was seeing it for the first time. Talk about priorities in life!

The ship docked at two islands. One was a private beach called Coco Cay and another was Nassau, the capital city of the Bahamas. Coco Cay is a small island owned by the Royal Caribbean cruise. We had an amazing time there soaking up abundant sunshine at the pristine beaches of white sand lined with swaying palm trees and taking a dip in the lapping waters of the deep blue ocean. And yes, I danced with the locals too! We had a ‘Perfect Day at Coco Cay!’.

Nassau, the capital of The Bahamas is a beautiful city. We took a van on rent and toured all the famous places. The colorful pastel colored British Colonial  buildings and pink hued government houses, the narrow lanes and the shrubs loaded with bougainvilleas reminded me of my home back in India. The vibes were the same. We did a little bit of shopping but a lot of bargaining in the famous Straw Market which is known for its knick knacks and souvenirs. Tourism is the main source of income in the Bahamas. The owners were mostly ladies selling T-shirts, hats, street jewelry, show pieces and bags. Old grandmas were sitting and knitting bookmarks out of straws while the younger ones were busy bargaining with tourists. It looked like a family business. 

We didn’t have much time for a proper meal but managed to eat a spicy tangy ‘Conch Salad’ from a roadside Conch Shack. It is a seafood dish native to The Bahamas. It was just like an Indian ‘chaat’ with fresh tomatoes, onions, cilantro, lemon juice and chillies mixed with conches cut into tiny pieces. Conch is the meat of a large marine sea snail found mostly in the Carribean. The briny taste of the conch mixed with the vegetables and citrus juices was so refreshing!

We also visited the famous Atlantis Paradise Island Bahamas Resort and were mesmerised by the picture postcard view. It’s an extremely famous and expensive hotel. But our goal was only to take pictures so we did that.

We also visited the famous fort of Nassau, Fort Charlotte. It is a British era fort built by British colonial Governor Lord Dunmore and was built to fight the invading pirates. The fort has high stone walls, cannons, motes, bridges and underground passageways. We explored the fascinating underground passages but didn’t go very deep into it. What if we got lost since we didn’t have a guide! 

An interesting fact is that this fort was never used. Who thought that a fort like that would finally be reduced to a tourist attraction and the canons will be fired for entertainment purposes only? I’m a lover of peace so it’s fine for me. Built something for protection but never used for destruction. What’s better than that? I was awed by the stunning view of Nassau from this fort. The cool coconut water sold on a bicycle and the tiny shacks selling momentos and other tiny stuff near the fort reminded me of India again.

After a warm and hectic day, the ship welcomes you back to its lap for nourishment, rest and entertainment. I can’t even begin to describe how relaxing it felt. The rooms at cruise were small but felt like a home away from home. It had a comfortable bed with side lamps, TV, a dressing area with a round mirror with lights and a stool, one dresser and two cupboards, a tiny bathroom and shower, a small sofa and wall paintings to add to the aesthetics and to complete it all they had a balcony with two chairs and a table. Our balcony didn’t face the sea or else it would have been tough to move me from there and I would have missed all the fun outside. Positive thinking you see! The staff were extremely friendly and kept our room spic and span with a new towel animal art everyday.

Another cute fun activity was to find the little toy ducks hidden anywhere on the ship. We spotted three ducks and it became a free souvenir from the cruise!

The fun and the food aside, I loved gazing at the sea just like that whenever I could. The sea reminds me that we are so little in front of its enormity and our desires are even minuscule. If the sea decides to roar, all of us with our money, houses, jewelry and desires will be engulfed in no time. The sea teaches us to be humble and keep our feet grounded. If sometimes your ego forces you to believe you are the greatest, I would suggest you come and watch the sea up close. Your ego will be crushed in no time.

The time spent on the ship was so memorable. But as we know about this parameter called ‘time’, it goes away fast when it’s good and faster when it’s best! Our time on the cruise also got over pretty fast but every minute was worth it. It was hard saying goodbye. The heart felt heavy to leave all the fun and frolic and go back to our mundane lives. But that is what makes a cruise  so special. It’s short and sweet and it beholds a promise to come back again!

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