Ah, Turn Around Day. That magical, high-stakes moment when one cruise ends and another begins. In an ideal world, we’d just roll over in bed, hit snooze, and wake up magically on the next sailing. Well, not exactly that easy but almost. However, Australian customs had other plans. Apparently, they need physical proof that you still exist and aren’t some kind of cruise-ship ghost.
So off the ship we went. Not a simple “wave your old card, do a little hokey-pokey, flash the new one and congratulations, you’re reborn” kind of deal. Oh no. Here in Australia, they made us earn our steps. We hiked down the gangway, cleared security, and then spent two glorious hours loitering in the terminal like lost luggage. Thank goodness we brought iPads, or I might have turned into a professional people-watcher with commentary so savage it would’ve gotten us banned from the country.
Eventually we fought our way back onto the Voyager like warriors returning from battle. But the real mission was just beginning: Operation: Surprise.
I’d been shamelessly cyber-stalking our friend Jessica’s blog for weeks (it’s called “research,” okay?). I knew their sacred ritual was to hit the Windjammer buffet the second they boarded. So while they were probably dreaming of endless shrimp and mystery pastries, I was playing high-roller and pre-booking a fancy steak dinner.
Big mistake.
Tom and Jess strolled right past us like they owned the place. Chuck, bless his zero-subtlety heart, let out a holler so loud it probably made the salad bar wilt in fear. The looks on their faces? Perfect. Pure, unfiltered “What the—?!” followed immediately by pure joy. We hugged, laughed, and spent the next hour catching up while we stress-ate our weight in buffet food.
Even though we live on opposite sides of the planet, these are the kind of friends you click with instantly. The “ride or die, annoy you for life” variety. My future as a cruise-ship private investigator is looking brighter by the minute.
But wait—there’s more!
We also bumped into our old neighbor from the Ultimate World Cruise. He and his lovely lady friend are actual locals here in Australia, and they lived across the hall from us for nine months, two years ago. Within thirty seconds of seeing each other, he and Chuck were back at it—roasting each other like it was the Olympics of sarcasm. Some friendships are just built different.
Bonus: He’s turning 86 on this sailing, and we are extremely pumped to help him celebrate. I have a feeling his birthday party will involve zero filter and maximum chaos.
I can already tell—this cruise is going to be lightyears better than the last one. The hallway monsters have officially been replaced by dear friends, and the only screaming I expect to hear is Chuck and our neighbor arguing over who looks older (spoiler: it’s definitely both of them).
Let the real holiday begin!
May God bless you always!
Chuck & Lea Ann
WorldTravelReynolds 