By Ardenia Jones-Terry
A Travelogue – Part One!!!
In the song, ‘Happy Feelin’s,’ Frankie Beverly and Maze, sing “Happy Feelin’s in the air Touching people everywhere. . . And these Happy Feelin’s I’ll spread them all over the world.”
In the last couple of weeks, when asked about my recent cruise, I have used “fabulous,” “extraordinary,” “awesome” or “phenomenal” to describe this life-altering, epic world cruise. But, those terms are inadequate. ‘Happy Feelin’s’ captures my excitement and joy about the world cruise and my desire to spread those feelings all over the world.
My journey to the world cruise began over 30 years ago when I was sitting in Heather Downs Country Club attending a Zonta International Meeting and a Toledo Blade reporter spoke to the club about her recent world cruise. I was hooked before she finished talking. I knew immediately that I wanted to go on a world cruise. I just did not know “how” and “when” I would be able to travel around the world. I told all my friends about my desire to see the Terracotta Warriors and Machu Picchu. Remember, exposure to possibilities is a key motivator!
Then, in October 2021, the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line announced the 2023-2024 Ultimate World Cruise. It was the longest world cruise ever scheduled. The COVID-19 Pandemic and the uncertainty of the future made my decision easy; I booked the cruise that week.
The cruise started in Miami on December 10, 2023, and ended on September 10, 2024 in Miami. It consisted of seven Continents, 65 Countries, 156 ports of call/cities and 11 World Wonders.
The cruise was for nine months or 274 days with overnight stays in 30 ports/cities. The cruise was divided into a nine-month cruise, four Segments (60+ Days each) as well as 17 individual mini-cruises. Cruisers could select the nine-month cruise, any of the four Segments or one or more of the individual mini cruises.
There were 2200 cruisers and 859 hand-selected crew members on the ship. Seven hundred of the cruisers were on the cruise for the entire nine months. Twenty-five of the nine-month cruisers were African, Caribbean, and/or African America people who formed a group on the ship called, The Neighborhood.
The oldest cruiser was 89 years old and the youngest cruiser was 2 years old. The majority of the cruisers were 65 years old or older and retired. Sixty school-age children were ship-schooled and 78 cruisers worked remotely from the ship via Starlink. And, from time to time, we had as many as 15 TikTokers on board.
Both the cruisers and crew were from all over the globe. Cruisers were from the USA, South America, Australia, Singapore, Japan, and Italy to name a few home countries. The majority of the ship’s crew were from Jamaica, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Brazil, South Africa, United Kingdom, Zimbabwe and China. Only a small number of the crew members were from the USA.
The cruise covered the four corners of the planet and traversed 78,770 miles around the world. We crossed the Equator eight times and celebrated the crossings with the 400-year-old Navy Ritual called “The Line Crossing” involving Shellbacks and Pollywogs.
Almost every country I visited, from the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico, South America to Europe, was involved in the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. When I think of slavery, I think of slavery in the USA. However, stories of slavery were in the narratives shared by the people living in many countries. Slavery influenced countries in all parts of the world. The six most active slave trade countries as experienced during the cruise were Portugal, the UK, France, the Netherlands, Spain and Denmark. During the stop in South Africa, Germany was also identified as being actively involved in slavery and genocide in Namibia.
I have personally traveled to 141 countries. We were fortunate to have author and traveler, Jessica Nabongo, a native Detroiter as the guest lecturer for the first week of our world cruise.
Ms. Nabongo has the distinction of being the first Black women to visit every country in the world. She traveled to 195 countries. Her book is entitled, “The Catch Me If You Can: One Woman’s Journey to Every Country In The World.” She discussed her book and one of the most important points emerging from her lectures was that “Most people around the world are good.”
Many of you have asked me if nne months was too long. For me it was not. In fact, it was too short. I could have cruised an additional nine months. I was not ready to get off the ship.
Over time the ship became like a home away from home. Was it expensive? It was cheaper than paying airfare, hotel, and food in 156 different places. Did I miss home and get homesick? I have traveled since I was a very young girl. I do not get homesick; I am always looking for my next adventure. However, I do miss my Toledo family and friends.
The cruise was exhilarating and my heart was racing every time we pulled in to a new port in anticipation of new discoveries. Make no mistake about it, I have been blessed. A Black girl from Vance and Hawley was able to travel around the world!
Happy Feelins!
