Chapter 13: Caribbean Cruise

Mom and dad drove Sarah and me down to the cruise ship terminal so we could take the trip I had won at the after-prom party. It was an exciting time to embark on a trip of that size since neither one of us had ever been out of the US. We got aboard the ship and moved into our cabin. We were told that our luggage would be brought up later that day so we set out to explore the ship.

I have always been interested in nautical things so I was as happy as a pig in slop. I took pictures of everything the ship had to offer including lifeboats, rigging, equipment and passengers (mostly girls). They had a couple of pools onboard so the kiddies could wade and the older passengers could swim. I was fascinated with how the ship got under-way so naturally I shot a gazillion pictures of them striking the gangway and casting off the mooring lines.

We pulled out of the harbor and were headed for the open seas so it was too late to change our minds. We were off on an adventure of a lifetime. There was an announcement to go to our cabins and don our lifejackets and report to our lifeboat stations for a drill. We arrived and were all lined up as a crew member showed us what we would have to do in the event of an 'abandon-ship' incident. Sarah and I were ready but there were some little old ladies who had their jackets untied so the cute crewman could show them how to tie the strings. I noticed one lady, when she saw what was going on, untied her jacket on purpose.

After the lifeboat drill we returned to our cabin to stow our life jackets and continued our tour of the ship. I was really impressed with the up-scale accommodations afforded to the passengers. The dining room was just like a fancy five star restaurant with round tables to seat eight people. Fancy linen tablecloths were set out with very high quality dinnerware and silver. A tropical flower arrangement adorned the center of each table. Dinner would be served in two shifts and we were assigned the second shift which worked out well so we could take advantage of as much daylight as possible. Also we wouldn't be rushed to leave the room after we were through eating.

One large room was appointed just like a night-club complete with a bar, stage, dance floor and tables all around. On the stage there were instruments belonging to the band so entertainment was a given. We were told that there would be an amateur night so those with enough courage could perform. I figured that was my chance to do my stand-up comic routine I had wanted to try out on a live audience. They also had a movie theater, gymnasium and craft workshop.

Dinner time was approaching and we were getting a little hungry. The wait staff had set out assigned seating so we would be joining a group of people close to our age group. We got to meet some very nice couples and made some friendships. One couple was in college already and another couple, like us, was starting in the fall. The third couple was two college graduates and starting their careers in business. The food was far beyond excellent. We had five choices of entrees and all the fixings that go with them. They made a big production of serving the desert. The lights went out and flaming dishes were carried high to each table and served with a flourish.

After dinner we went out on deck for some quiet time. We went to the lido deck and relaxed in some lounge chairs and let the breeze cool us off. I moved two of the chairs together so we could hold hands and enjoy each other's company. We were close enough that we could just lean over and share a tender kiss from time to time. Being a typical guy I took advantage of the position and let my hand roam over the heavenly body next to me. Just about everybody on that deck was doing the same thing so nobody really noticed us.

With all that stimulation we were both getting ready to call it a day and retire to our cabin for some mattress calisthenics. That's a fancy way of saying SEX. I mean let's face it. We were two horny teenagers intent on doing what teenagers do best. Just as soon as we were in the cabin, the clothes came off at lightning speed. Both naked, we jumped into the bed and christened our accommodations by making love three times before we were so exhausted that we fell asleep in each other's arms. Just as I was dozing off it occurred to me that we could do anything we darned well pleased with no chance of interruption. Early-morning sex, pre-lunch romps, mid-afternoon fun and after-supper raw sex were all possible.

Our first port-of-call was Key West Florida. Not exactly an exotic paradise but very entertaining just the same. We arrived about mid afternoon and went ashore for a carriage guided tour of the town. We even got to see where Ernest Hemmingway lived and the bar he used to frequent. There was a lot of history in that town. We got to see the southernmost point in the United States which was the southern end of US highway one. Our guide pointed out that we were only a few miles from Cuba.

Back at the ship we had supper and were lounging around the ship when there came an announcement. Due to a failure of one of the water circulating pumps we would have to spend the night tied up to the pier there at Key West. Cruise ships were not supposed to be there at night since they would block the spectacular sunset which attracted tourists from far and wide. We would, however, have an unparalleled view of the sunset from the ship. As we watched the sun get lower in the sky we noticed a man setting up some equipment on the pier. It turned out to be a traveling show of performing cats so we were entertained while we waited.

Just as the show was ending the sun had started to disappear below the horizon. As we watched, the whole sky lit up in the most brilliant orange glow with streaks of light radiating from the rapidly sinking sun. It was truly a sight to behold and we could easily see why people came to see it.

The next morning we embarked on the next leg of our cruise. I was up on the bridge as the captain was talking on the radio to another ship which was headed for Georgetown. The captain told the other ship that we were headed for Montego Bay, Jamaica. There were several things to do there and Sarah and I had signed up to go rafting on the Martha Brae River. I was a little apprehensive about rafting down a roaring river but it turned out to be a very slow moving river and the ride was rather leisurely. The captain of our raft had a long pole which he used to move us for the best views and close to some of his friends along the bank who were selling crafts to the tourists as they drifted by. During the slower parts of our trip our captain was carving on a hollowed out gourd which he presented to us, for a fee of course.

The rest of our day was spent shopping in Montego Bay for some souvenirs. I wasn't too thrilled to go shopping but in spite of that I enjoyed myself by being with Sarah. I learned one valuable lesson in life. Do not get in the way of a girl who wants to go shopping. Fortunately, dad had fixed me up with a credit card for 'incidentals' and I was sure that shopping was just that.

Our next stop was the Grand Cayman Island where we got to go down in the Atlantis submarine. The views of brilliantly colored tropical fish and coral gave me plenty of opportunities to take pictures. The water was as clear as glass but only one in ten of my pictures came out worth a darned. One picture that did come out well was of an old rusting anchor from an old sailing ship. That evening the ship held the amateur talent show. I had been working for a couple of days putting my material together so I could put on a good show. I ended my performance with a little song made popular by Dean Martin titled Goodbye. I of course changed the words to: