Rev. Donna Vande Kieft
Rev. Donna Vande Kieft
Road Scholar (RS) is a non-profit travel agency whose mission is to promote and coordinate lifelong learning travel opportunities. RS guides and lecturers are professional experts in their fields. This headline came out in the US Business Insider on 3/20/25, Day 63, while at sea with a RS group for 102 days:
Cruise Told Passengers to Turn Off Lights as Ship Entered Pirate Hot Spot
“Cunard’s Queen Anne on its maiden voyage urged passengers to draw their curtains, turn off lights and avoid the deck in the Salu-Celebes Sea in entering a pirate hot spot.”
This sensational news blurb turned out to be a mere warning non-event but prompted a lot of Facebook response, including the question: “Who are these people who cruise for 102 days?”
We are a diverse group with commonalities including most being well-seasoned travelers with a passion for travel, for seeing the world, meeting people from other cultures and countries, lifelong students with high standards for quality. Roula from Greece and Dave from England, RS professional tour guides, travel with us the entire time. They coordinate excursions, herd us, advocate for us, and take good care of us. Not an easy task. Constantly counting heads in 19 countries and 28 ports with lines for document scanning and customs checks.
We feel as if we have been living in a “bubble” along with the other nearly 3,000 passengers and crew onboard since we left New York on Jan. 18. Our group is comprised of nine married couples, two sisters, and 27 solo travelers. Our ages average somewhere between 59 and 91. So much wisdom and life experience! Some retired a long time, one just three weeks before embarking on the Queen Anne. Three are still working. Our lot includes a fun, scholarly, and professionally successful group—three librarians, several teachers, two PhDs in neuro psych, caregivers, a judge, nurses, a chaplain, attorneys, a social worker, several veterans and retired military, financial planners, business entrepreneurs, a medical lab tech, and a public health administrator. We are from the US, Canada, England, Aruba, and Greece.
Solo travelers include two males and 25 females—strong independent classy women. We are a hodge-podge of widows, divorced, never married, and married but single on this trip—all very brave and resourceful to travel solo for three months. Some are trying to figure out who we are now as we go through various life transitions. Cruising is comfortable with rest days at sea between busy days in 28 ports in 19 countries.
There are active party people, shoppers, and some of us more introverted, avid readers, day dreamers who just enjoy gazing at the sea. Great entertainment, lecture venues, amenities include cocktail parties, happy hour, room service, 4-course dinners, high tea, crafts, spas, pools, casino. What’s not to like?
As of April 6, we are now on our way to ports in Africa and Tenerife, Spain. On Day 102, April 27, we will disembark in London with great memories, friendships, and mementos. Our lives enriched, enhanced, enlivened, and ready for our next adventure, wherever in the world that will take us.