“I don’t know if I could handle it.” That was my initial thought to joining the Vegas Voyagers Travel Club on the Tony Arias “Aloha” cruise this month.
It wasn’t the destination. I’ve never been to Hawaii and the idea of going with my PILL (partner in love & life) Rana, Vegas Voice Executive Director (and my Bronx brother) Bill Caserta and our Travel Editor (and my buddy of now 50 years) Stu Cooper and wife Sharon were all a plus.
Another plus – there will be six private “command” performances by Tony Arias and Rebecca Spencer. Both Tony and Rebecca were outstanding at our New York New Year’s Eve show last month at Sun City MacDonald Ranch so there’s no question that that the entertainment will be phenomenal.
I’ve also had the great fortune to get to know Tony through our Vegas Voice Rhinestone Room videos. Tony is exactly who he is off-stage as he is on-stage. So assuming the ship doesn’t sink or we encounter typhoons (anybody remember the Poseidon Adventure movie?), the laughs and good-times will be substantial.
But my concern ran deeper. In my 70+ years, I have never been on “holiday” for more than a week. How will I handle this 16-night Hawaii cruise – especially with all those day at sea?
Will I enjoy it or start climbing the walls? Both Bill and Stu have done numerous multi-week cruises and they assured me that I will enjoy it too.
As one example, Bill told me that on one particular cruise, he took a wonderful class on “napkin folding.” He thought it was great and could not understand how I began to shudder and made him promise that if we were to stay friends, he must never, ever mention or discuss this again.
My Rana likewise promised me that with all the books available on our respective Kindles (“it’s like your own library” she happily explained) we would be able to sit for hours watching the world go by as we leisurely read away the hours… until the next meal.
But 16 days? That’s over two weeks. And I wonder if I could survive so many days “relaxing.”
I keep having this dream (or is it a nightmare?) that one of two events will occur:
1. I’m able to (continuously) relax and enjoy myself – and ask why I never did this sooner?
OR
2. Such “togetherness” with my Rana (along with Bill & Stu) will make me throw her overboard or worse – Rana conspires with them to have me visit Davy Jones’s locker.
When I casually mentioned my thought to her, my Ladylove made it very clear that after watching so many Law & Order and Dateline TV episodes, she has acquired more than enough information and expertise to make my disappearance an “accident.”
Now I’m not saying that my Rana harbors any sinister plans against your truly, but if you don’t see this column next month, I hope that someone contacts the Coast Guard …or FBI.
With fingers crossed, more next month.
