Day 19: Past Halfway

As we departed Cape Town, we reached a significant milestone in our journey: the second leg has begun.  

  • Turning Northward:  We crossed the southernmost point of our route. From here, every mile takes us closer to the northern hemisphere.  
  • Time Flies: We’ve now spent over half of the journey onboard.  
  • Milestone Achieved: Approximately half the sea mileage is behind us.  
  • Changing Faces: Of the 2,200 passengers who started, more than 1,000 disembarked in Cape Town. In their place, 300 new passengers have joined. The dynamic onboard is noticeably different, with fresh faces and a new atmosphere. 

Encounters Along the Way  

We’ve met some fascinating people along the way. A Swiss-Malaysian couple who live in Switzerland joined us in Cape Town, triggering a flood of memories from our own time in the Swiss Alps. There’s also a 60-year-old IT consultant from Germany who recently made a bold move to Cyprus, adding new energy to our dinner group. Conversations at the table have taken on a new liveliness, spiced with diverse experiences and perspectives.

Spending many days surrounded by nothing but endless blue has a way of encouraging introspection. The tranquility invites meditation, clears the mind, and plants the seeds for fresh ideas. One question has been consuming me lately:

How can TUI manage to offer cruise packed with unlimited food and drinks, entertainment, swimming pools, a spa, and global transportation—all for less than the cost of living in a senior home?

Sure, one might argue that senior homes include medical support. But is this the real cost driver? The contrast is striking. Imagine if a wealthy county like Starnberg partnered with TUI to provide seniors with a quality of life they could only dream of in traditional care facilities: warm sunshine, vibrant social life, and dignified living—on a cruise!

Admittedly, the serenity of the sea may sometimes play tricks on me. Perhaps the occasional bout of seasickness has sparked these peculiar, half-hallucinatory musings. But isn’t the very purpose of a journey to let the mind wander freely, unmoored from the usual constraints?

Impressions

99 Luftballons

Advent, Advent

Serenity

Logbook

Position: 29°28.60' S, 39°54,58' E
South of Madagascar
Timezone: GMT+3

Speed: 30km/h. Wind: 43km/h. Heading: 66°
Time to next port: 2 days

Risk of sea sickness: NONE
Risk of hallucinations: MEDIUM




Location: Indischer Ozean

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