I want to march with the penquins.

Over a venti solo latte Richard announced that for his next vacation he did not want to cruise the Caribbean; been there, done that.
I've become used to these discussions and refer to our time over tea and scones or at the local diner or neighborhood Starbucks as our "cruise cafe".
Richard no sooner returns from one cruise when he begins planning the next. His photos of each ship and island become a blur of palm trees and midnight buffets. Here's Richard on deck, here's Richard in his tux at the captain's dinner.

Penguins? Well, you'd have interesting photos!
Richard explained he had watched the DVD "March of the Penquins" for about the third time and decided he must to go to Antarctica. But will his travel agent be able to help? Richard was concerned that he wouldn't find a four star hotel. Duh.
Why not a cruise ship?
The idea that a cruise ship could be bound to anywhere but the Caribbean hadn't occurred to him.

I reminded Richard that he had done the Grand European tour once and came back grousing about the long,security check-in lines ("off with the shoes again"), packing and unpacking,and trips to the ATM because the euros were always running out. This was why he began cruising in the first place. Like most of us, Richard likes to be pampered.

A petite woman in a business suite and Nike tenners with a Coach bag and Vera Bradley tote, cappuccino in hand, stopped to announce her parents had just returned from a wonderful cruise to St. Petersburg, Russia. Antarctica: go for it!

Yeah dude, my girlfriend and I are planning a shipboard wedding in Tahiti.
Several other eavesdroppers added encouragement or related their cruise adventures to fascinating ports of call.
After all, two thirds of the earth is covered by water and cruise ships, freighters,ocean liners and river barges ofter wonderful itineraries for travelers with diverse tastes and budgets.

Richard ordered a tall latte with extra whipped and headed off to his travel agent to ask about cruises to Alaska and Antarctica.
I can't wait to see the photos at our next cruise cafe!

Learn more about this author, Gwenyth Padow.
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