FIRST CRUISE

On life’s vast ocean diversely we sail ; Reasons the card, but passion the gale. - Alexander Pope



‘IT’S not far down to paradise,’ that hopeful song about sailing goes. ‘And if the wind is right you can sail away, and find tranquility…’


Tranquility, indeed – and joy; the thrill of a new adventure, the giddiness of a first time happening, a gleeful sense of anticipation over a dream vacation come true. Daybreaks and sunsets at sea. Islets glimmering in the horizon. Untainted air. Moonlit evenings. Peaceful mornings. An endless canvas of sky blue and ocean green. Swooning to the rhythm of waves kissing the hull of a beautiful boat bound for… paradise?


Nah, just China. Xiamen, to be exact. But that’s not saying there is no pleasure in the destination. While the boat – Star Cruises’ Super Star Aquarius – is as lovely as ‘love boats’ go, Xiamen is the nearest there is to an oasis of clean and leisurely living in this side of old world enchantment.


But first, the ship. There is something about cruising that makes one equate it in a sense with romance, though, more than anything, one feels a rather curious intimacy with Nature. The milieu appeals to the dreaminess of it all – sounds and sights so far removed from the dreariness of everyday concrete and steel. ‘Love Boat’ – or the notion of it – is indeed altogether a different world!


Traveling by sea has its own fascination. On an airplane, one looks down at the clouds below, at the dots of white on an emerald swathe, at firefly-like flecks under a pretty night sky. But on a ship, one looks up. In wonder and amazement at the beauty of all creation. At the miracle of sun and sea, moon and stars, mountains and valleys, rivers and streams, land and people. And one is reminded of the puniness of man, and the greatness of The One Up There who made everything down here.


To someone taking their very first cruise, SS Aquarius provides just the right dose of initiation to the sea, so to speak. It doesn’t come on as too huge as to get constantly lost in a maze of aisles and cabins, or to be too overwhelmed by its sheer immensity. Neither is it too small as to feel it swaying here and there from restive waters.


Cliché though it may sound, the luxury liner’s three-day, two-night cruise to Xiamen out of Hong Kong, however short it is, affords the stressed-out workaday struggler the chance to get away from it all – to relax, unwind, recharge, let the hair down, make new friends, think nothing and do nothing but laze around, take in the scenery, shoot the breeze, eat and eat.


There are a million and one things to do on board there is absolutely no time to get bored. The ship entertains you, from the moment you embark until you get off, almost reluctantly. The crew never runs out of smiles or a cheerful greeting. The schedule of activities will leave you breathless – for lots of choices and lack of time.


Face painting, coconut bowling, line dancing. Piano serenades, live bands, karaoke singing. Pool games, jackpot bingo, afternoon movies. Body stretching, kung fu demonstrations, magic shows. Table tennis, production numbers, card games. Aerobics, jogging, swimming. Work out at the gym. Get a massage at the spa. Play slot machines at the casino. Hit the golf driving range. Take a dip at the Jacuzzi. Shop at the souvenir store. Join teambuilding exercises.


And the food, heaps of glorious food all there for the taking. Chinese sit-down at Dynasty, international buffet at Mariners, Asian specialties at Spices, outdoor barbecue at Oceana. Fruits and sweets galore. Coffee and tea all you want…


Alone time? Just a little. When you retire at night and wake up in the morning. And that’s when you contemplate on the comfort that the ship’s stately rooms offer – hot shower, cable TV, hair dryer, toiletries and amenities, spacious closet, safety deposit box, queen-size bed, a sitting room beside the floor-to-ceiling window where you look out at the breathtaking seascape passing before your eyes. It’s a veritable five-star hotel out there on the high seas…


And what of the shore excursion at Xiamen? China’s ‘window city’ allows the sightseer to take a glimpse of what the erstwhile Sleeping Giant is all about. Even as it reeks of progress and prosperity, there is no mistaking the traditions still steeped deep in its pristine environment cloaked in the hum and hustle of its modern incarnation. It will take more than a whirlwind stop to fully appreciate its evident charms and explore its ancient history. Like its motherland, Xiamen is an enigma waiting to be unraveled.