Married with children, I find myself seeking more and more the type of vacation in which we can get away from home for a time, have a little adventure and - and this is of optimal importance - avoid headaches. These headaches are often brought on by constant queries from the back seat of the car: "When are we going to be there?" Or the seat across the aisle of an airplane: "But I have to go to the bathroom now." Or while walking through an airport concourse: "When are we going to be there?" Or while riding a shuttle to the hotel: "But I have to go. . . ." You get the idea. This is not - repeat, not - my idea of a vacation.
I had always resisted going on a cruise. I had my reasons.
For one, if I was going somewhere I wanted to get there ASAP. Bermuda was two hours away by jet, a day and a half away by boat. This was, after all, the modern era of travel. Why play Christopher Columbus? Why spend the equivalent of three days round-trip on a ship, three days that could be spent luxuriating on the pink sand beaches?
Besides, wouldn't I be bored to death on a cruise ship? What would I do for a full day on the boat while we headed toward our destination? Then there was the day and a half back. And if I was bored, wouldn't the kids be bored silly - and bugging me? I could hear it already: "Daddy, there's nothing to do. . . ." I thought there might be a way around that - the Disney Cruise. But it was very expensive. One local travel agent priced out a weeklong trip at $8,500 for the four of us, in one room (though it came with a small balcony).
I was ready to give the whole thing up. But, with the appeal of flying somewhat diminished after the attacks of Sept. 11 (and one of my daughters a little anxious about boarding a plane), I decided to keep trying.
