My sister and I just returned from the 2013 Soul Train Cruise. We are still so electrified by the whole experience; I can’t wait to tell you all about it, as promised. You may recall that last week you got no article, just a lame letter from me explaining that I was so busy packing my dancing shoes that I had NO time to write a real article. Actually, that was not the complete truth. I was just so busy getting prepared at work to be gone for a week and trying to get myself ready, I actually didn’t have much to write about. You should be grateful I didn’t yammer on about what I was doing. It’s not that writing descriptions for the new holiday items and analyzing sales is not fascinating to tell you about or that the tale of my trip to the vet to get my dog her meds for the dog sitter is not interesting, it’s just that I love my readers too much to bore the snot out of you. But I was going on the SOUL TRAIN cruise and nothing I could write about the week before was worth typing.
I don’t think I have had this much fun ever before. I am older now and don’t remember everything I have done, but from what I can recall, this cruise was clearly the most fun you can have with your clothes on. It was a chartered event on the Holland America line and the entire week was all about the music I love most in the world, R&B/ Soul/Funk. Just in case you are curious, my next favorite music is classical, gospel, anything by Edith Piaf, Willie Nelson, or Elvis. OK, I’m weird... but I like to think of myself as eclectic.
“ We always bring 3X the amount of clothing that we would need if we were going on the QE2 for a month.”
Going on a cruise is pure heaven for me. I can be easily contacted in an emergency, but once on the water, there is no phone or computer at my fingertips to distract me. I have to completely concentrate on the tasks at hand: resting, sunning, being pampered at the spa, overeating, sleeping as long as I want, gambling, shopping in port, and being entertained. My cabin guy cleans up after me, brings me fresh towels, and leaves chocolate on my pillow at night. I can see why celebrities become brats when life is like this every day. I think you appreciate it more when it’s only for a week.
I watched Soul Train and American Bandstand faithfully for all the years that they were on. I wanted to go on this cruise because the line-up was so amazing and because losing both Dick Clark and Don Cornelius in the same year was really hard on this old girl. I have fond memories of blasting Soul Train on the TV every Saturday while I did my housework as a young bride. I had to turn it up so I could hear it over the Hoover as I pushed the it down the hallway dancing all the way, the star of my own Soul Train dance line. I would always rest when the groups came on and then go back to “getting down” with the dancers while I cleaned and dusted. You would be amazed how much work I could accomplish in that hour. I was always alone during that time, so the “dance like no one is watching” rule was always in effect when Soul Train was on.
The talent on board the ship was “old school” Soul and Funk. Every night after dinner there would be an amazing concert. Jeffrey Osborne... Earth, Wind, and Fire... Gladys Knight, just to name a few. The music was non-stop and fabulous. I did have a cathartic moment during the concerts, however. The music was intoxicating and it was hard to sit. I jumped up with the rest of the audience and danced my butt off as I have always done. I am a dancing fool. This time it was different. Getting older has given me a funky knee and a troublesome rotator cuff. It turns out that shaking my “groove thing” was painful, at times, but I didn’t let it spoil my fun. Thank goodness I still had enough mobility in my shoulder to motion to the cocktail waiter to order drinks. Ordinarily, I really don’t drink very much, but it is easy on a cruise ship. You don’t have to drive home!
I don’t know if I could ever go on a regular cruise again. Oh sure, there is entertainment, but it’s just not as exciting as having musical legends entertain you. On a regular cruise, the shows are mini-extravaganzas and the talent tries hard to deliver a first class show. The difference is that your waiter at lunch could very well be dancer #7 in the ship's production of "A Chorus Line" after dinner.
On the Soul Train Cruise, the entertainers gave small group private lessons on things that were also their passions. Sister and I attended cooking class with Gladys Knight and a drum seminar with Jeffrey Osborne (he started out as a drummer). Very fun! Gladys was charming and adorable and cooked up a yummy, healthy pudding that she makes for her grandbabies and I am certain that my drum playing has improved considerably since last week. Thank you, Jeffrey!
The best part of the cruise, by far, was the people we met. Sister and I met fabulous folks from all over the world. Our tablemates at dinner will most certainly be our friends for life. Every moment we spent with them was filled with laughter and joy. They are from Trinidad and, the last time I checked, that’s pretty far from California. I have no doubt that our paths will cross again, because we will all work on making it happen. You know what it’s like when you meet people and it feels like you have known them your whole life? That’s how it felt with Gillian and Junior. Love at first site is not just for romance. Hugs to both of you.
Sister and I have been on at least a half a dozen one-week cruises and we haven’t gotten much better at either packing a sensible amount of clothing or finding our way around the ships. We always bring three times the amount of clothing that we would need if we were going on the QE2 for a month. I doubt that I will ever break that habit because I need the flexibility of having my wardrobe choices match my moods. If the day ever comes that I need a walker or a wheel chair on my cruises, I can probably whittle down my clothing to those zip up house dresses and one pair of sneakers with Velcro closures. If that time ever comes, I will probably have cut my long blonde hair short and let it go gray. I have to stop this talk... it’s not making me happy. Until then I am ready for anything from scuba diving to a masquerade ball and the world and the cruise lines will have to deal with me and my luggage.
Finding our way around the ships is still baffling to both Sis and I. I tend to follow her because she is Marco Polo and Christopher Columbus on dry land. On a ship, her sense of directions blows wind, but she still has the courage of her convictions, so I follow. It usually takes us until the last day to get our bearings, but then it doesn’t matter. Even though we study the ship's maps by the elevators and pay attention to the “you are here” arrows, we never seem to wind up at our destination on the first try. It’s probably better that we are lost most of the time. We end up walking off at least some of the calories from the 15 desserts we wolfed down the day before.
So there you have it. We had an absolutely wonderful time. I truly wish all of you were there. Why don’t we all go together on the next one in 2014? Think about it and let me know. For now I will close and wish all of you the same thing it says on the T-shirt I bought. It’s the same thing that Don Cornelius said every week at the end of the show:
Wishing you all...
