it's only water over the edge

"Why is there no water in the swimming pool?"

She was a passenger. Blonde. Middle aged. Trim enough to be a hobbyist swimmer. But the look on her face was one of disabused privilege. Someone had inconvenienced her.

If she had bothered to visit the pool deck the day before, she would have discovered who had tar-babied her day. The sea.

When we left Copenhagen, our captain informed us we might face some rough weather around The Azores. He was correct. Even though he managed to steer a course away from the worst part of the low pressure areas, we still experienced some moderate swells.

And when the ship is tipping back and forth like a teeter tooter, the water in the swimming pools does not stay in the pools. Just like turbulence in the ocean,. the energy builds up into waves and splashes over the edge. Sometimes quite dramatically. The kids on board flocked to the edge of the pools to be doused by the cascades, despite the screams of hysterical grandmothers.

We are well past that portion of the trip. For the past two days, we have been sailing through mainly calm waters in the Sargasso Sea. At times, it feels as if we are docked in Hamilton, Bermuda -- which we will be tomorrow.

So, for now, I am enjoying catching up on my reading, while I sit on deck watching the same ocean pass as did admirals of the Spanish fleet and the British privateers who preyed on Spanish silver.

The only pirates to be found on this cruise are the concessionaires who run the gaming tables. And that is not one of my vices.

Tonight is another dinner and show night. The dinner will be at Cagney's. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser commented, when one of the Norwegian Cruise Line ships docked in the Hawaiian capital, that "Cagney's was the best steak house in town." The compliment is still well-deserved.

And that isabout four reasons why I like to cruise.