In Praise Of Last-Minute Cruises (1 Of 3) Poem by Frank Yue

This poem is the first chapter in the following:

1. In Praise Of Last-Minute Cruises (1 Of 3)

2. Where are you, my sweet little Plump Plum? (2 Of 3)

3. An Encounter with Merpati Putih on the MS Oosterdam (3 Of 3)


"Good morning! " - Good morning.
"Some coffee or tea? "
Thank you, no ice water for us.
We'd like hot water, please,
With green tea.
Cold water is no good for seniors, you see.
This is Traditional Chinese Medicine thinking:
Your vital core temperature cold water keeps lowering.

As long-time retirees, my wife and l
Would always try
To hunt for bargain cruises
Whenever the opportunity arises.
If you are ready to go any day,
Pleasant surprises may come your way -
Like, for last-minute sailings,
You may enjoy half-price savings!

Some inexpensive offering:
The annual re-positioning -
Ships move from the Caribbean
To the Mediterranean
In April, then in October
It's vice versa.
The 14-day trans-Atlantic crossing,
Though, might give you a little tossing -

Then with only four ports of call,
There are eight sea days in all.
On a cruise ship pampered are you -
The steward makes up the bed for you;
Like, for breakfast, you just choose from a comprehensive menu.
In the dining room, the goodies are of course bought to you,
Unlike the Lido market where
You'd line up and pick your own food here and there.

On the 17 day San Diego-Honolulu cruise,
For my wife and I,
It's a shopping tour, things to buy:
Walmart provides free shuttle from the terminal
To its two stores at Honolulu and Hilo,
Where there is also free wifi.
Visiting the world's largest active volcano is not our plan,
Helicopter rides my wife just can't stand.

Out-going and homeward flights -
Sometimes pose a problem they might.
To play it safe, you should usually
Arrive at the port of embarking
One day before the date of sailing.
Or to save money if your budget's really tight,
You may consider spending
At the destination's airport the night.

It's quite ironic
That the most requested song
On cruises is "The Titanic",
And enchanted passengers
Would always sing along!
Some people like the cruises so much they simply
Book their sailings back to back -
Of easy life that would be a hack.


(2019.10.22)