Friends are the best souvenirs
I used to have a very bad habit of buying very stupid souvenirs when I traveled — Anklets that didn’t translate outside of the Caribbean Islands; clothes that didn’t make sense in any climate I was regularly in; objects that only looked good in their natural habitat and not in my own.
So, I started taking more photos and only buying things to which I could answer affirmatively to the question, “Will this translate to my real life?”
But recently I went on a Celebrity Cruise with my wife, and we met another couple who we ended up spending a lot of time with. When we got back and told our friends about meeting them, our friend Ashley reflected, “New friends are the best souvenirs.”
I was really struck by that.
I love to travel. I love going on cruises. And I love meeting new people. But there was something about this cruise that was truly special.
Jenny and her wife with Chris Funk and Staci and Mike Heaney
It was my first Celebrity Cruise, and I was so impressed. The Edge, the name of the ship we were on, is so beautiful. It came out just before COVID hit, so it has hardly been out to sea. It’s so techy: You can work the curtains and the TV and the lights in your stateroom from your phone.
The ship is full of beautiful art. Real art, too; not the cheesy cruise ship stuff.
The food was out of this world. The specialty restaurants were places I would seek out on dry land.
And the crew and entertainment were top-notch — truly.
I gush, I know. But it was our first cruise since the pandemic. We had had to cancel one trip mid-pandemic, and, when we booked this one, I feared we might never get to go. So as we got onboard, the crew cheered, and I cried.
It seemed like normalcy might be around the corner.
And on this sailing, because of the pandemic, there were only 1,000 or so passengers, all vaccinated, despite the fact that the ship can hold about 3,000. We had a lovely suite and terrific weather. And with so few passengers on board, we had plenty of space, both to ourselves and to really talk to people.
Jenny and her wife with the Craft Grooms
Everyone onboard was required to be vaccinated and tested before getting onboard. Children, of which there were only a handful, had to wear masks in public spaces. And we wore masks in ports of call. (In the Bahamas we didn’t even disembark because you had to be on a cruise curated excursion in order to get off the ship there.)
We felt safe and spoiled and stress-free. Maybe that was what made friend-making all the easier.
There was an LGBT+ happy hour where we made all kinds of friends, including a couple known on TikTok as the Craft Grooms (aka Brad and Tim), beloved for their Dollar Store crafting. We even made friends with some of the performers onboard, including the fantabulous magician Chris Funk, The Wonderist, and a hilarious comedian named Tom McTigue, both of whom we had a blast spending time with over great food and even better drinks.
The people we spent the most time with, however, were a couple we met on St. Martin, Mike and Staci Heaney. We were standing at the taxi stand when we overheard a few other couples saying they were headed to the same beach to which we were planning to go. We all decided to share the van ride, and away we went.
We chatted in the van, as people do, and I felt myself getting giddy. It had been a long time since I had gotten the chance to talk to strangers and make new friends, something that as an introverted extrovert I very much enjoy in small groups.
When we arrived at the beach, like a little puppy, I followed after one couple asking where they planned to spend the day. I think I scared them a little with my overt friendliness. But we all settled in at a great beach bar and spent the day sunning and drinking and eating and talking and laughing like old friends. We connected via the ship’s app and made plans to connect that night.
The husband texted with their phone number; I texted him. But I never heard back. My 12-year-old heart was broken, thinking, “I guess they didn’t really like us” — until they came up to us the next day and said, “You never texted back.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. I was so glad their 12-year-old selves hadn’t made them assume we didn’t want to hang out. I apparently had texted the wrong number.
We spent the rest of the cruise together, going to dinner and shows and clubs. We even hung out right after the cruise was over. They live in Florida, so they had a car parked at the port. And since we had a late flight, we all jumped in their car and spent some time in Fort Lauderdale before they dropped us off at the airport.
Since then, we’ve FaceTimed and texted, and they are even coming to visit in January.
I was so sad getting off of that cruise. It was spectacular living in a COVID-free world aboard a fancy ship equipped with every bell and whistle, being completely taken care of by people who seemed to truly be thrilled to be taking care of people once again.
But leaving with new friends as opposed to a giant straw hat and a magnet and a menagerie of animals made of shells sure softened the blow of re-entry.
More photos and friends, less stuff: Words to live by.