You know it's saying something when the guy who has never been on a cruise, the guy who has never stepped foot on a sea-faring vessel larger than the car ferry that takes you from Cape May, N.J. to Lewes, Del., and the guy who doesn't know starboard from port, would be the guy who wants cruising back.
Um … that guy would be me.
I myself find it strange that having a journalism career dominated by two sectors that demand travel - sports writer and travel writer - I have never been on a cruise ship. Never been as close to one, in fact, than within a stone's throw while driving the West Side Highway in Manhattan, or walking near the port in Oranjestad, Aruba.
Oh, I have traveled. Several countries and every state in the union except Alaska, Montana, Idaho and Wyoming.
But never on a ship.
It just was never the right time or circumstance, but the whole idea of being out on the open sea has always been intriguing, as has hoping to experience the insane dedication cruisers have. You have your avgeeks who love to fly, and your trainspotters and railfans who love to take the train, but nobody has the level of passion that cruisers do.
That's partly why it's time for the Centers for Disease Control to lift its no-sail order when it expires on Oct. 31.
The CDC edict is understandable, of course. While the cruise industry is not to blame for the spread of the virus, its woes during the early portion of the pandemic certainly didn't help its reputation of being a super-spreader.
Yet cruise lines might have done more than any other travel sector when it comes to health and safety in the wake of the virus. Between limiting capacity to eliminating buffets and everything in between, the industry has done a fabulous job of preparing itself for a return of customers. Now it just needs the permission.
Moreover, cruising is an integral part of the economy in seaside cities across the country, but especially in Florida, where Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Cape Canaveral and Tampa all have thriving cruise industries with tens of thousands of workers. And consumers have shown far more interest in getting back out on the water than they have in taking a flight.
Myself included.
Yes, it's time for me as well. It's time to make the time, to see what everybody else is raving about. Am I worried that a cruise ship is a so-called floating petri dish? No more so than I would worry about going back to a live sporting event or getting on a plane or going to a Broadway show.
The CDC wants to err on the side of caution, and that is understandable and admirable, given the forecast by some that COVID-19 could return in anger during the winter. But at some point our lives need to be lived, our industries from restaurants to travel need to be supported.
Bring it back.
No more extensions.
I promise I'll get on one myself and share my own experiences.
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