Gofirstclass
Well-Known Member
OK, we all have a bucket list. You know--those things we've always wanted to do before we kick off the proverbial bucket. I guess I'm no different except for one thing--my bucket list items tend toward the large end.
Many years ago my then-wife (now ex-wife) and I took a few day cruise out of San Diego, down to Ensenada, out to an island somewhere off the coast then back to San Diego. When you cruise you are assigned to a dinner table for all your meals, and they try to put a member of the ship's staff at your table to enlighten everyone.
We were lucky to have the Staff Captain assigned to our table. He's the second in command of the ship and we enjoyed having him and his wife at our table. During the course of conversation one evening I asked him if I could get a personal tour of the bridge, separate from the "cattle call" tour where they rush people through by the hundreds. He agreed and our tour was the next morning.
So we did our tour and while there I half-jokingly asked him if I could take the helm. He smiled then reached over, shut off the autopilot and turned it over to me. So, for about a half hour I got to play with the steering system (there was no wheel), made a few turns then he took it back and reactivated the autopilot.
Here's a shot from many years ago with me at the controls of the Norwegian cruise ship we were on.
That was another thing I could check off my bucket list. I've been fortunate to be able to check off several things:
--fly a 4 engine plane (C-130) when I was in the USAF
--get a ride in a jet (F-4 Phantom)
--drive a mile-long train
--get some "ocean time" in a boat I was skippering (2 times)
I still have a few more to go but I've been fortunate in getting in as many as I have.
What's on your bucket list?
Many years ago my then-wife (now ex-wife) and I took a few day cruise out of San Diego, down to Ensenada, out to an island somewhere off the coast then back to San Diego. When you cruise you are assigned to a dinner table for all your meals, and they try to put a member of the ship's staff at your table to enlighten everyone.
We were lucky to have the Staff Captain assigned to our table. He's the second in command of the ship and we enjoyed having him and his wife at our table. During the course of conversation one evening I asked him if I could get a personal tour of the bridge, separate from the "cattle call" tour where they rush people through by the hundreds. He agreed and our tour was the next morning.
So we did our tour and while there I half-jokingly asked him if I could take the helm. He smiled then reached over, shut off the autopilot and turned it over to me. So, for about a half hour I got to play with the steering system (there was no wheel), made a few turns then he took it back and reactivated the autopilot.
Here's a shot from many years ago with me at the controls of the Norwegian cruise ship we were on.
That was another thing I could check off my bucket list. I've been fortunate to be able to check off several things:
--fly a 4 engine plane (C-130) when I was in the USAF
--get a ride in a jet (F-4 Phantom)
--drive a mile-long train
--get some "ocean time" in a boat I was skippering (2 times)
I still have a few more to go but I've been fortunate in getting in as many as I have.
What's on your bucket list?
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