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April 25, 2011

Radiation everywhere. Vacations included.

I had everything planned.  A simple relaxing one week vacation on a cruise ship, lots of options for a detoxing week (access to the gym, sauna, steam room, swimming pools, and whirlpool), meditation  in solitude on a quiet spot on the ship’s deck, options of health building food, evening entertainment and quiet restorative sleep in my cabin.  And the best part about this was that the ship was leaving right here from NYC. There would be no hassle of airports and everything that goes with it.

Nope. It wasn’t meant to be. 

The cabin that I was assigned had a heavy smell of cigarette smoke. Hoping to get a change of cabin assignment, I immediately went to the Purser’s desk to see what could be done.  No change was possible at this time, but they would “freshen up’ the room.  They assured me that if there was a problem later; they would change rooms for me then. 

I was doubtful that this “freshening up” would do the trick, but the woman assured me  that it would.

Surprise. Two hours later, my room had not an iota of cigarette smoke, but now smelled chlorine bleach fresh, like a swimming pool.  Not perfect, but definitely endurable. Or so I thought.

After about an hour in the room, both my husband and I  had burning throats, burning eyes, and a bit of coughing to deal with. Actually it was so bad that my husband actually coughed up blood.

Further speaking with the Purser’s desk people revealed that there were now no cabins to switch to for the duration of the cruise, and that I should have said something at the beginning before they set sail. I thought I already did this part. Obviously short term memory is not their forte.

This now left us with 2 options. Either sleep on the deck or get off at the first stop. We opted for the 2nd choice.

While aborting a 7-day vacation on a cruise ship is not an easy choice, for us it was the only choice. We made the most of the remaining week after we disembarked, finding lodgings and relaxation as a last minute plan. One thing I know for sure, there are no great bargains to be had when you are booking everything last minute, including the airline tickets.