Friday 13 July 2012

Costa Neoromantica Cruises: A neophyte's perspective










Cruising. Ahhh that big fat luxurious thing. Three things instantly come to intuition. Rich old pensioners, old and I dare say, old.. That was my predisposed conjecture. Everything changed now. As inspired by the concept of having a bucket list of 20 or 50 or even 100 things that you should do before you die.. Cruising has definitely become a part of it. But that was a long term plan. Twenty years from now. Or even Ten years from now if I am fortunate enough. Imagining myself in a cruise seemed to be a foreign concept to me. So spare me a thought or two of how elated I am when I saw a bargain cruise online (www.idealcruising.co.uk) – a Northern Europe Cruise (8 nights) normally priced at £1500 and now reduced to £399 per person (and that is an Outside Cabin!).

The long term plan was cut short. The time is now. 6 months of vacation drought propels this particular insight of cruising mid-july (perfect time to getaway on a Western European Summer!). A door of opportunity has flung wide – lets do this!

Forward to July 13, I am writing this article and enjoying the bargain I have booked.. Somewhere between Copenhagen and Hamburg. Somewhere between the Little Mermaid and the land of “Hamburgers” (I am still puzzled if hamburgers came from Hamburg. Another one of my foolish thoughts!). Somewhere between the cross-over of luxury and gluttony. FYI: An approximate 10 kilogram of fats has recently taken residence between my ass and my newly acquired love-handles (Tiya Nena as I call – from the beki root word: TYAN).

I am sitting in a posh upper deck where a 180 degree panorama of the sea awaits. The views of the waters are infinite. A refuge of dry land is nowhere to be seen. There is no going away from here (God forbid this ship will capsize!). And yet the serenity of the seas were more than reassuring. Being here enables me to realise how little I am on this circle of life. I felt like I am just a very “tinee-tiny” piece of a puzzle on earth. I am lost in this certain philosophy of vastness. My life is nothing compared to the array of life that the seas (and all the life within it) has to offer. Humility – a virtue that will get you anywhere. A virtue that sitting here certainly has thought me. Whilst luxury is all around me, it gave me an indelible sense that this is just temporary. Our lives are but temporary. Indelible and temporary facets of life – ironic yet undoubtedly true.

If anything, I have no reservations that this whole dream-like state of cruising affirms the veracity that TRAVELLING NOURISHES THE SOUL (A thought that out of nowhere suddenly sprung whilst checking out the Flower Market in Amsterdam). It is an opportunity to calm the mind and find an inner peace that not even the edifications of yoga can defy (no offense to yoga followers!).

Being in a cruise enables you to be on a mobile hotel complete with a bonus of a hop-on, hop off international feature. It is arguably reserved for the financially endowed and socially unchallenged individuals, couples or families. Yes it does come with a huge price tag. But if you're lucky, a £399 bargain is not a far-sight. And I am looking for the next big one.