Part LII - Installment Travelogue: Cruising With the Mothers, Maasdam - One Down

Part 1 of this story is available here.

“Yup,” I said as I sipped my coffee and unfolded the newspaper. An idea had been forming in my head while I arranged the cruise, but I kept beating it back into submission. Suddenly, it escaped through my mouth. I was powerless to stop it…

“Do you think our mothers would like to go?” There - it was out. A perfectly crazy idea...

Part 2 (52) One Down

I think Kris was momentarily taken aback. “Well, my mother probably would – but your mother? I doubt it. I don’t think my mother would want to be all alone in a room, though.”

“Our cabin can sleep four,” I said, mainly for effect. It worked.

“No way!” said Kris.

“It’s a lot less expensive that way.”

“No! Absolutely not,” Kris said.

“I could upgrade to a suite for the three of us and still save money,” I said. I knew she wouldn’t go for it, but what better way to demonstrate my love and flexibility - with no risk whatsoever?

“I love my mother, but I want my own cabin,” said Kris.

“So you want me to room with your mother?”

“You know what I mean.” Kris denied me the chance to continue the tease. “She’d have to pay her own way, right?”

“Afraid so,” I said. “I’d love to treat, but we can’t afford to go in the first place.”

“I know,” Kris said. “Should I call her? How much would it be for an inside cabin.”

I looked up the range of prices and gave Kris the figures. “Unfortunately, the single rate is 160% of the double rate.”

“Well that stinks,” said Kris.

“It’s better than double, which is pretty common,” I said. But hopefully I’ll be able to talk my mother into going, and they can share the cabin.”

“Do you think they’d get along?” Kris asked.

That was an interesting question. The fact was that since our wedding 27 years earlier, the mothers probably hadn’t spent more than an hour together. “It’s probably a moot point – I really can’t see my mother signing up for this. She’s just not the vacation type,” I said. Readers of the first story in this series will recall that until our Galaxy cruise, Kris and I weren’t vacationers either. My mother taught me well…

“Let me call mom,” said Kris. “She’ll probably want to think about this for a while.”

I read the paper while Kris made the call. She laid out the proposition quickly and efficiently.

“…That’s right…August 20th…Boston…We don’t think she’d go, so you’d probably be by yourself…Yes, it costs almost the same for one as it does for two…I know…I just thought I’d ask…No…No…You’re sure?…OK, then…I know…We will…I’ll tell him…Yup…OK…Love you, mom…Bye.” The phone call was over in less than two minutes, and I assumed that Kris and I would be traveling alone.

Kris hung up the phone, turned to me and said, “She’ll go.”

“Just like that?” I asked.

“Yup – no hesitation at all. She’s really excited.”

“She didn’t have any problem with the higher rate for a single?”

“Nope. If it works out that way, she’s fine with it,” Kris said.

I felt myself flush with concern. “Is this a dumb idea? What if she hates it?”

“If she hates it, she hates it,” said Kris. “What about your mother?”

“I won’t even bring it up until next year,” I replied. “It’s going to be a tough sell.”

“Well, aren’t you going to book it?”

Chester the travel agent… “It can wait a half hour,” I said, returning my attention to the newspaper. “They aren’t even officially announcing the cruise until the show tonight.”

Of course, I should have listened to Kris and acted immediately. I intended to pick an inside cabin category that I could arrange to be near our hoped-for aft cabin. When I got back on the computer a half-hour later, all of the inside categories except for “K” were sold out – and those cabins were a long way from where I hoped we’d be. In fact, there were only a handful of categories open at all. I quickly booked a Cat. K in my mother-in-law’s name, which, for the record, is Irene. Like me, though, she goes by an alias – Pat.

By noon the next day, the cruise was completely sold out – possibly a world record. I was glad we had a spot, but held the nagging concern that we’d just talked Pat into a situation that she’d forever regret. Now all I had to do was talk my mother into going, but that would have to wait until we got through the holidays. I only have so much stamina these days…

More, please!:)

Claudia

Thank you for the Thanksgiving treat, Chester! We almost fell under the spell of Maasdam for our next cruise, but ended up booking on Constellation, instead. Already counting down the days 'til April 19. Now I have your Maasdam posts to keep me occupied at virtual-sea until then!

Happy HAL-odays!

Coming right up, Claudia. Nothing like a couple of days off with nothing much else to do as an enticement to practice my typing...

"Jansen" - long time, no "see". Good to know that you are bound for the calming seas once again. Are you sure it'll take me into April to finish this one? Could well be, I suppose. Writing about a trip with the mothers is a very delicate operation...

All the best,

chesterh

So glad chapter 3 is already on the boards. Heading over there right now!

Hurry up, Carole. Part 4 is ready to cut and paste...

Hurry up, Carole. Part 4 is ready to cut and paste...

I started to read part 3 and realized there wouldn't be time to read it before we had to leave. I'm now delighted to have two more to read. Maybe I should be saving 1 for tomorrow morning. You know know how I love my Sunday chapters!

Carole, if you get an email as a result of this post, stay off the boards until Sunday coffee is made...

Carole, if you get an email as a result of this post, stay off the boards until Sunday coffee is made...

I hate to resort to guilt; but, whatever works. Thanks Chester for the helping the weekend end on a positive note. I can think about the new chapter, instead of work tomorrow!

Enjoy your new toy. I don't want to wish you lots of snow, just fun.

Carole - I'm about to head off to work, myself. It's fairly warm, and the fog is thick - both outdoors and in my head. The snow that fell is still in the driveway. Looks like nature will take care of it soon enough...

chesterh

Carole - I'm about to head off to work, myself. It's fairly warm, and the fog is thick - both outdoors and in my head. The snow that fell is still in the driveway. Looks like nature will take care of it soon enough...

 

chesterh

I think it's going to be in the high 60s tomorrow. Jan said it was 70 in Pittsburgh. I forget, is this November?