It's a small world after all

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

Several years ago when I was doing a 12-night cruise around Italy starting and ending in Barcelona on Royal Caribbean, I went to a flamenco show the night I arrived in Barcelona to stay awake until "regular" bedtime (I know my body - I adjust better that way). The couple seated at the table next to me were from Long Island, she was also a teacher, and they were going on the same cruise. We saw each other several times on the ship and were on the same flight home.

[Kartgv]

Back in 2016 we flew to England and boarded a ship for a 28 night cruise around the British Isles, Norway, Iceland, ending in New York.  The first night dinner service was the usual madhouse for anytime dining.  We were tired and decided not to wait for a table for 2, so were seated at a large table for 10.   As we all sat down, I looked across the table and thought the woman looked familiar - it turned out to be a realtor who lives and works in our little San Diego county senior community of 1600 homes.    By the time we all got settled, we learned that everyone at the table lived within about 20 miles of us.   

[Pinboy]

6 hours ago, Hearthosesteeldrumsplayin said:

Thanks for a fun topic while we await better cruise times!

LOL--- I just can't read anymore about :

How long will the refund take --- 10 pgs  ( Who knows, work on it yourself. Nobody on CC can do it for you )

MSC not tolerating, etc, etc -------  7 pgs   ( They set the rules, so, follow them or face the consequences )

Would you wear a mask ------------  5 pgs   ( Simple--- Yes or No )

Please, please don't reply with " If you don't like it , get off of CC ".

 

[paulh84]

We got into an Uber SUV headed to Port Everglades from Miami a few years ago. After a few minutes, we realized it was the exact same driver that drove us from Fort Lauderdale to Port of Miami the year before. The guy didn’t believe me until I pulled up my ride history and showed him. 
 

My mother’s ex-husband was also on a cruise with us a few years back. I don’t communicate with him so I had no idea he was on the same ship. I live in Chicago and he lives mostly in Barcelona. Of course we ran into him every time we turned around and he sat about 4 tables away from us at dinner.

 

We also typically take a Caribbean cruise in mid-February. It’s almost shocking to see how many people we recognize on subsequent cruises who rotate Eastern and Western itineraries. The last time we cruised I imagine there were at least 20 people we remembered even outside of those we keep in contact with. 
 

 

[davekathy]

On 8/25/2020 at 1:01 PM, Pinboy said:

It's a small world after all.

Thanks, now I've got that stupid song stuck in my head! 🤣

[Pinboy]

Just now, davekathy said:

Thanks, now I've got that stupid song stuck in my head! 🤣

Same here -- But, it's better than reading about MSC, masks, and refunds 

[davekathy]

15 minutes ago, Pinboy said:

Same here -- But, it's better than reading about MSC, masks, and refunds 

Speak for yourself...🤣

[OceanCruise]

Years ago on Celebrity when everyone had to line up outside for the muster drill, we were in our assigned position standing by the lifeboats and the person behind my husband tapped him on the shoulder. My husband turned around and saw that this person was a colleague. This person also had the stateroom right next door to us! We only ended up seeing him once more during the entire cruise though.

[Fouremco]

Most of these "it's a small world" encounters are happy, but a few years ago I experienced one that reminded me of how vulnerable we all are. Waiting at the luggage carousel at FLL, I spied a former colleague with whom I had had worked for over 35 years, but hadn't seen since my retirement some 10 years earlier. I went over and greeted him by name, only to be met with a confused look. I told him my name, but there was still no sign of recognition. I cheated briefly, and determined that we were both heading out on the same cruise the next day, then parted ways. I later found out that he was now suffering from dementia, and that memories of his past colleagues had largely slipped away. 

[cruisequeen4ever]

On one of our cruises, we discovered some aquaintance-friends of our travel mates were onboard. They had never discussed cruising before and learned they all love it! In fact, they had the same routine of doing that cruise every summer! 

[Pinboy]

2 hours ago, davekathy said:

Speak for yourself...🤣

Why such a reply ?? This is intended to be a " fun " thread.

 

[chemmo]

3 hours ago, davekathy said:

Thanks, now I've got that stupid song stuck in my head! 🤣

 

 

Nearly 30 years ago we read in a tour guide that if we visited the ‘It’s a small world..’ ride we would never get the song out of our heads...We visit it as frequently as we can! We have family videos spanning all those years....Love it!

 

Another post-present situation promise is to visit it once again...

 

”It’s a world of laughter, a world of tears,

A world of hopes and a world of fears....”

 

Very poignant lyrics...OP thanks for the post, we are thoroughly enjoying!

 

 

[davekathy]

2 hours ago, Pinboy said:

Why such a reply ?? This is intended to be a " fun " thread.

 

Not to be taken seriously! That's why the laughing Emjoi. 🤣 Raise your hand when you get behind. My post/response was not a negative response.  I was only posting about that horrible song (IMO) ((It's a small world... 🎵)) being stuck in my head, not your thread or it's humor. 

Edited August 27, 2020 by davekathy

[davekathy]

1 hour ago, chemmo said:

 

 

Nearly 30 years ago we read in a tour guide that if we visited the ‘It’s a small world..’ ride we would never get the song out of our heads...We visit it as frequently as we can! We have family videos spanning all those years....Love it!

 

Another post-present situation promise is to visit it once again...

 

”It’s a world of laughter, a world of tears,

A world of hopes and a world of fears....”

 

Very poignant lyrics...OP thanks for the post, we are thoroughly enjoying!

 

 

My post wasn't intended to be taken seriously! That's why the laughing Emjoi. 🤣

Edited August 27, 2020 by davekathy

[Pinboy]

31 minutes ago, davekathy said:

My post wasn't intended to be taken seriously! That's why the laughing Emjoi. 🤣

No worries--

Emojis sometimes don't show on replies on my CC site. All I see is a tiny square as in the above quote.

 

 

[miched]

We had lunch in the dining room.   We were seated at a table for 8.   We introduced ourselves and where we were from.  
 

There was on couple where his wife was hard of hearing and he had to repeat everything to her.  He introduced himself and his wife and where they were from.  A male sitting our table made a comment that he dated a girl form that town many years ago and it was the worst sex he ever had in his life.   His wife screeched what did  he say.  Her husband replied in a loud voice “he thinks he knows you.” 
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[Loracpin2]

Years ago we were on a Med itinerary on the Silhouette. Very active Roll Call for tours. After a while those of us who felt more comfortable began using personal emails to start organizing private tours. One of the couples lived on the West Coast, we  live in the Carolinas.  From conversations back and forth we discovered we both grew up in the same neighborhood in Brooklyn, NY and, although she was eight years younger, we both went to the same Parochial grammar school. Next email I asked her Maiden name. She responded and my immediate reply was.....your brother was my first crush.  She responded the next day with the reply...Paul remembers you.  

 

From that point on there were no longer emails back and forth to make plans just phone calls for not only tours but also dining arrangements. Needless to say, when others on the sailing asked if we always traveled together and we told them the story they were amazed.  We are still in touch as I watch their number of Grandchildren increase and more of ours go off to College.    

[MarLieb]

My son and I once boarded a DCL ship and were walking around the pool deck when we walked right by a very good friend who lives in another state that I hadn't seen in a while.  I had no idea she was on that sailing.  We ended up sitting together at dinner and had a fantastic time.

 

Another DCL cruise - we were doing a Norway b2b with another sailing to Scotland and Iceland.  Close to the end of the first cruise, I noticed an old friend of mine from college had posted on FB that she and her family were heading to Copenhagen to go on their first cruise - turns out it was our second sailing!  We had fun catching up on that cruise.

 

I was once in line for a ride in WDW when I started chatting with the people in front of me.  Turned out we all had gone to the same high school up in PA just a few years apart.  small world.

[landlocked406]

Several years ago, an employee of ours who also happened to live across the street, asked to schedule time off to go on a Holland America cruise out of San Diego.  It was setting sail the same day as a Celebrity cruise we had scheduled sailing from San Diego.  We joked about waving to each other at sea.  

 

When we boarded the ship it was berthed right next to the Holland America ship.  During the sail away we saw our neighbors on deck and did indeed get to wave to each other.

[bobndee]

Many years ago, when our kids were still young, we took them to Disney World from our home in NC. While we were sitting in Liberty Square a girl came up to our daughter and said "Hi!". It was a classmate from her school in Connecticut where we used to live before moving to NC.

[Alushar]

I have a few small world but here are the 2 main ones

 

3 years ago we were on the Silhouette for a Baltics Cruise. First night dinner was a mess and we ended up on a large table. I was talking to the nice American couple next to me and my wife was talking to the 2 people to her right. All of a sudden I got an elbow in my ribs and she leaned over and mentioned I should listen as the couple were from very near us. I started listening and gradually it dawned. My firm had a client who I regularly spoke to and had never met as he lived near my Principal and they used to meet outside office. I'd literally been speaking to the guy for 12 years. He'd told me the week before he was going to Russia I thought for the Soccer World Cup. I got my wife to ask their names and then tell them their faces were a picture!

 

2008 a Nile Cruise journey had been a nightmare straight to bed on day one. We got up for breakfast and were shown to a table of 6 and told that would be our table for the trip. I went to get juices and when I came back my wife was talking to a couple. When they had arrived my wife heard their Welsh accents and had explained I was also Welsh and had got as far as identifying that our home towns were the same. I sat down and the guy nearly dropped his coffee and went pale. He spluttered Peter and I said no that's my brother I'm Alun to which he uttered the immortal and never forgotten worlds of "Baby Alun". He'd been my eldest brothers best friend through junior school before we moved and his last memory of me was out with my brother pushing me in a stroller! 

[Pinboy]

A few years ago a gentleman at a table close by was served a chunk of blue cheese every night with his other appetizers.

The following year we were in a port ( don't remember which one ) and guess who is sitting outside a shop waiting for his wife.

I approached him and asked " Excuse me sir, do you like blue cheese " ? --- You should have seen his face !! We both had a " good laugh " when I told him we were at a table close to his last year. 

( Who knows, he might be on CC and reads this ). 

 

[Germancruiser]

Great topic Pinboy. I was on cruise in the Carribeean- i met a very nice couple from switzerland, we had some nice chats- some drinks together. He had such interessting story´s to tell as a retired Swiss Air ( now Swiss) pilot. The ship was Summit- an we agreed that we loved X.

We said our good bye´s at the end of the journey and lost contact.

A year later while boarding RCI´s Splendour of the Seas I thought a cought a glimpse of said couple - but they vanished out of sight- so I thought I must have mixed them up. Turned out I did not - we met on board and a blast.

Unplaned- from two different countries- on a different ship - even with a different company.

[Germancruiser]

The other one- well no that unusual- on a Transatlantic on board Millenium Pearl Kaufmann ( Pianist- I never heard of her before) preformed in the Theater- the old Lady did that with gusto and aplomb. Her show was a favorite of the Crossing.

While reading in Michaels Club- back then still available to all passengers and a very quite lounge during the day- I sat alone and loved it. Then Mrs. Kaufmann came in- and politley asked if it would disturb me when she played the Piano for practice reasons- of course it did not. So she played along and read along. Wonderful experience. We  had a nice chat about her time in Holywood playing for Blockbusters.

 

Again- a year later she preformed again - this time on board the Infinity- Hawaii- back to back cruise. She remembered our meeting a year before and both had a good laugh about coinsidences... and we mentioned the phrase " Small world"! LOL.

[earlydiner]

Three years ago we were on the Coral Princess ocean to ocean PC cruise.  One night at dinner, we were seated at a table for 12.  Before dinner we were doing the regular introductions.  I asked the couple on my left where they were from. They said "Aurora, Illinois".  Well I told them that I had graduated from Aurora College in 1968.  They had also graduated from Aurora.  Aurora College at that time was a college of about 1000.  Just when I said that it's a small world, the gentleman on my right said "so did I".