Silver Threads: Take a cruise, get an education

The Norwegian Dawn cruised into port here last Friday, bringing with it 2,000 people who’d gotten interesting educations during their two weeks at sea.

If you hadn’t disembarked at any of the Caribbean ports to which the big ship had travelled, and learned some colonial history, how to bargain at souvenir shops,  romp with dolphins, scuba dive or avoid iguanas, you’d have gotten an education about many interesting things onboard. To name a few:

We had sailed from Boston for the eastern Caribbean, made stops on Puerto Rico, an island realm of the United States; then on to three days at the Dutch islands of of Bonaire, Curacao and Aruba;  and another in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, and its suburb, a little town called Hell, which is famous for its volcanic rocks and tee-shirts emblazoned with the words “To Hell and Back.”

Grand Cayman, still a British territory and well-known for it’s banking industry — rich people stash big bucks there — was our next stop, and then we sailed on to Cozumel, Mexico, where cruisers enjoy the beaches, playing with dolphins and visiting the Mayan ruins.

Then it was a day-long trip to the mouth of the Mississippi and an overnight glide up the river to New Orleans, a home port that I’ll share with the Norwegian Dawn for the next six months.

It was several days after arriving back at our house that I rifled through the ship’s daily news letter, which tell you about the educational  opportunities.  Only then did I discover that I’d missed two important seminars — absolutely worth the price of the cruise:

“Detox for Health and Weight Loss.” Do you suffer from a slow metabolism? Have you tried exercise and dieting and still cannot lose the belly fat? What is the secret? Come and find out in this power-packed seminar to learn how to lose weight from the right areas and how to keep it off.

And, most important, “Go Home Looking 10 Years Younger in Just 10 Minutes.” Are you tired of looking older than you feel? Are those wrinkles around your eyes and on your forehead making you look stressed and older beyond your years?

Come and find out how our onboard medi spa physician can help you with the most advanced facial rejuvenation treatments available today.

Darn! I missed the boat … and the next one already has sailed!