America Through My Eyes – Mexico Cruise (Part 2)

America Through My Eyes

Mexico Cruise (Part 2)

Telugu Original : Dr K.Geeta 

English Translation: V.Vijaya Kumar

          Our hotel in Long Beach was roughly half an hour from the port. Since it offered free parking and a drop-off service specifically for cruise passengers, we woke up relaxed that morning. 

          After breakfast at the top-floor restaurant, we soaked in the cityscape visible from above. The cars below looked like toy cars, and the traffic signals at a nearby intersection seemed disrupted yet everything was going smoothly even without functioning signals. In America, when traffic lights fail, drivers follow the “stop signal” rule—taking turns one by one based on who arrived first. From our vantage point, the discipline was almost mind blowing. I pointed this out to the kids and joked, “If aliens visited Earth, they’d marvel at this orderliness.”  

          Satya chuckled, “Why wait for aliens? Even we are amazed, coming from the other side of the globe!” Varu added, “If we could see the harbor from here, Mom would start writing poetry.”  

          By 11 AM, we’d packed, left our car at the hotel, and took their shuttle to the port. 

          The sunny coastal weather added to the excitement. At the port drop-off point, luggage tagged for cabin delivery was collected. We tipped the shuttle driver generously, and he helped unload and load our bags onto the ship’s carts. 

          The port entrance, shaped like a grand dome, was striking. Nearby loomed a massive ship we initially mistook for ours. Later, we learned it was the historic “Queen Mary” , a retired ocean liner turned hotel. It can host at least 2400 people. Launched in 1936, it sailed until 1967 and is larger than the Titanic in size and capacity. It even offers tours and overnight stays – costing around $300 per room – but we saved that experience for another trip.  

          Outside the cruise terminal, long security lines mirrored airport protocols. Our water bottles were confiscated, and after ticket checks, we faced a tedious half-hour wait at the counter. The agent scrutinized our passports and visas, disappearing repeatedly for consultations until finally stamping our boarding passes with a curt “Have a nice journey.”  

          “Oh my goodness!” I sighed, ascending an escalator to the departure bridge. The ship ahead was a floating skyscraper so colossal it blended with the horizon. Stepping aboard felt like entering an Indra Palace with golden filigree, plush red carpets, glass elevators, and a lobby crowned by a domed skylight.  

          Near the entrance, a costumed “elephant” character (which Siri excitedly called “Afent!”) greeted children. I Joined by the photographer who snapped souvenir photos but he discouraged me not to take photos (later sold onboard for $15 each—a clever business trick we realized too late. 

          The ship’s central bar, surrounded by glitzy shops, overlooked a multi-story atrium. Sunlight streamed through the dome, casting prismatic reflections. 

          Live guitarists performed on a small stage, serenading guests between hourly sets.  

          After settling into our cabin—a family room with a double bed and two pull-down bunks—we grabbed lunch and set out to explore. The lower decks housed luxurious suites with ocean views, priced higher than inward-facing rooms. Among the two hundred rooms on four and three floors, the rooms on the sea-facing sides are slightly more expensive than the rooms on the non-sea-facing side.

          As if almost 75% of the passengers stayed there, there were no vacancies anywhere. The lower floor is the crew’s quarters and below is the ship’s machinery. It is written that no one except the staff has access to it. I felt that if any friend or a relative who works on the ship would have been there we could have visited those floors too.

          Our room on the third floor facing the sea is a family room. All rooms are the same size. In the family room, there are two single beds above and next to the double bed.

          In fact, for us with two children, those beds are more than enough in that room. Two other adults can also be accommodated easily. There is a very small bathroom. But the arrangements in that room are as good as any expensive hotel in America. When a TV appeared on the wall, the children were excited to watch the programs. But they were disappointed to see that only local channels related to shipping were entertained.

          The fact is when everything outside is alluring with lots of things to feast our eyes on, We understood that staying in a room is altogether meaningless.  

*****

(to be continued)