Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/94842
Sarasota News Leader November 23, 2012 mouth as wide as it would go to scream my face off, when the Ambien chased by a vod- ka and soda kicked in. Just as I was falling asleep, I heard a final statement from Esther: "Adele says the cruise boat we are going on is her favorite." WTF!? I, too, was on a plane heading to Bar- celona to board a boat. Every single fear sur- rounding the Celebrity cruise I had booked for my boyfriend Seth's 40th raced through my increasingly cloudy mind. The chewing/ talking machine sitting behind me in row 12A was not only going to be on the same ship as me, but so would 3,000 other people just like her. My amygdala fired as I imagined the smells of cafeteria food while we waited in line at the Grande (spelled with an "e" intentionally) Buf- Page 86 fet, our feet sticking to the floor as everyone around us chewed audibly. Fortunately, the "celery lady" was not on our ship. And that was just one of a seemingly endless number of good things to recount from our experience. SPEAKING OF CRUISES … I've never cruised because of the stereotypes associated with cruise lines, but I have since learned that each boat has a personality and clientele of its own. Oceania is awesome if you are comfortable with the median age of passengers being 65. Carnival is a party boat. Royal Caribbean is a family-friendly boat. And Celebrity is the boat that breaks the stereo- type of cruising. It is not your least expensive boat, but it is not the priciest either. It attracts Matt and Seth enjoy one of the sunsets with their 'boat family.' Contributed/Matt Orr