Travel｜What is the significance of cruise travel?

Text/Qiao Ping

When it comes to cruise ships, "Titanic" comes to mind. Those picturesque places, those luxurious and extravagant places, those soul-stirring places... everything is mysterious and yearning. I usually suffer from motion sickness and airsickness, but by chance, I took a cruise. The name of that behemoth was Costa Serena.

Along the way, I felt curious, fresh, happy, uncomfortable, disappointed, and regretful. However, as an experiential tour, overall, the inner enlightenment is more than the immediate impression.

Boarding on the first day is the most troublesome thing in the entire trip. In order to board this ship, necessary documents, such as passport, passport copy (used when landing on the island), credit card (must have a credit card, Alipay bound room card, cash consumption is very troublesome), etc. cannot be forgotten. Needless to say, the team leader will remind you in advance. It is important to remember your group number, the procedures before boarding the ship, and the group activities on the ship are all conducted in groups. What's more important is to arrive at the port as early as possible, because thousands of people flock to the port at the same time, and entering the port, going through formalities, and boarding the ship will be very slow or even delayed.

This time we arrived at Wusong Port in Shanghai before 12 noon, 2 hours earlier than the scheduled boarding time. We thought we were early, but we found that many people arrived earlier than us. It is said that some people arrived in the morning , I don’t know whether it is true or false. There was definitely a queue to go through the formalities and board the boat, but it was not crowded. We were already on the boat at around 2 o'clock. According to later people, what they experienced was a huge traffic jam outside the port. After entering the port, there was a huge crowd of people and a spectacular scene. It took some people four hours to get on the ship. So, boarding early is a cruise rule of thumb.

I felt at ease as soon as I got on the boat, and I curiously observed Miss Selena from Italy. The ancient Roman style decoration revealed an Italian style, giving people a warm and unrestrained feeling. .

As for eating and drinking, too many people have said that Chinese food, Western food, and even hot pot on the sea are endless delicacies on board, and there is always something suitable for you. What I want to say is the humor and seriousness of Italians. When picking up food from the sideboard, you are often attracted by some interesting fruit carvings or ornaments.

In the afternoon and evening, in addition to entering the room to put your luggage and simply wash up, you can walk around, eat and drink here and there, it is no different from visiting a large shopping mall in normal times. You can almost forget that you are here. On a boat, in the sea.

My best friends who were traveling with us were particularly concerned about the departure. They went to the glass window again and again to see if the ship was moving. They even sat in front of the hanging window to wait for the ship to set sail. "Why hasn't it started yet?" "It's already past 10 o'clock, why hasn't it started yet?"...

I don't know why, but I'm not interested in setting sail at all. After watching a performance, I immediately washed up and went to bed after returning to the room. It felt like returning to a hotel to rest after shopping. Very late at night, I heard my best friend say: "The boat seems to have left. It's so dark outside that I can't see clearly on the water." I thought, it seems that someone complained about Selena's lateness on the Internet, and it was verified again today.

Lying on the bed that was slightly wider than a train sleeper, I thought to myself, what is the meaning of cruise travel? I curled up in a corner of this behemoth, and it was swimming around. Did I come up here just to let it take me to a place far, far away? Not really! If my destination is Japan, airplane is definitely the best means of transportation. So, isn't the boat the destination of my trip? We have reached our destination, does it matter whether it goes or not and where it is going?

I didn’t sleep well the whole night. I couldn’t sleep at first, and then I heard the roar of the waves and the sound of the hull of the ship being slapped. I thought to myself that the ship was probably already swimming on the high seas. Anyway, There is no cell phone signal. It is said that the sea likes to change its face, and it is true at all. It seems that we have caught a big wave. I hope it will be calm tomorrow.

As soon as I got out of bed in the morning, I felt like I was shaking badly. I looked out the window and saw the waves rolling over me. I immediately turned around and rushed to the bathroom. Vomiting was inevitable.

The boat is rocking, the bed is rocking, and people are rocking. It doesn’t matter whether you are standing, sitting, or kneeling. These postures will cause the body to exert force subconsciously in order to maintain balance, and how can human power compete with the natural force? ? At this time, all I could do was let nature take its course, lie on the bed, become one with the bed, and keep in tune with the rhythm of the waves. It was indeed much more comfortable, but there was nothing else I could do.

On the third and fourth days, according to the schedule, we went to the island and set foot on Sasebo, Fukuoka and Nagasaki in Japan. Originally, I was not interested in sightseeing and shopping tours, so Not much to say. I have a few insights to share during the process:

First, it is not an easy task for thousands of people to disembark and get on a cruise ship. There were several arrogant, anxious and impatient passengers in the long queue. Their bodies were constantly arching around, and at the same time they were spitting out abusive complaints from time to time. It was really exhausting. Although when we boarded the ship in the evening, there was a farewell speech from the mayor of Sasebo and a beautiful saxophone performance not far from the queue.

Second, Japan is really very small. The famous atomic bomb memorial site, Nagasaki Peace Park, and Fukuoka Castle ruins are so small that they are incomparable to free community parks in China. .

The only thing that I find new is that there are no trash cans in Japanese parks or on the roadsides, and there is no litter littering the ground. It is said that Japanese people carry garbage bags with them. The garbage will be put in the bag and taken home for disposal. Littering will be severely fined.

Third, I found a very tall car running on the road. It looked a bit ugly but very sturdy. My companion and I had never seen this car before. I learned from the tour guide that this is a car produced in Japan and only for domestic use in Japan. It is the strongest, most durable and most fuel-efficient car and is not exported. Tsk tsk tsk, it turns out that good things are reserved for yourself?

Fourth, I happened to pass by a school playground and saw a group of teenagers playing football on the playground. They were all wearing shorts and short-sleeved sportswear. You must know that this is around 0 degrees Celsius. What's the weather! Although I didn't have the opportunity to talk to them, I can probably see their strong character. Compared with Chinese people, parents must be less doting on their children, right?

Finally, I have to explain the fourth day. When I returned, the sea was calm. Maybe it was because the sea didn't want me to have close contact with the bed, right? I think so.

I didn’t feel dizzy at all that day, and I was finally able to eat, drink, and look around. Although it is raining lightly, it is still very pleasant to go on the deck to get some fresh air and look at the endless Dadonghai Sea. Standing on the deck really makes you feel like you are merging into the sea.

It is said that the sunrise and sunset seen from the bow of the boat are very beautiful. It is a pity that we did not catch the sunny day. It is also a kind of beauty to have regrets. Maybe the imagined scenery is more beautiful than the actual one!

After experiencing a cruise trip, it’s really hard to say whether this way of traveling is good or bad. Everyone’s feelings should be different. The most talked about thing before is the food on board, followed by the entertainment facilities. I just want to say that you can eat delicious food everywhere, and the entertainment facilities in the city are definitely more complete than on the ship.

What really makes me feel is seeing the various faces of the more than 3,000 people traveling with me, experiencing the living conditions of more than 1,000 employees on the ship, and experiencing being with the sea day and night. The ups and downs. In this world, good and bad, beauty and ugliness, bitterness and sweetness coexist, and there are no boundaries. If you like it, it is good, and if you gain something, it is meaningful.