He called Carlos over and they exchanged a few words. Then Carlos headed to the phone located at the other end of the bar to make a call.
He returned a few minutes later and said, “You are all set, señor Ben. You have a reservation for two at eight-thirty this evening.”
“Gracias, Carlos.”
Ben turned to Rob, “I haven’t been to this place for a while but last time I was there, it was wonderful, and Carlos agreed that it’s still great. It’s near the water and we’ll need to take a cab there, but we have a bit of time before we need to leave. Do you want another glass of wine and we can talk about cruises?”
“Yes, please.”
Ben caught the attention of Carlos and pointed at the two now-empty glasses. Carlos nodded and quickly refilled them.
“So,” Rob began, “how long has it been since you were last on a cruise, Ben?”
“About five or six years, I think. It was a seven-day cruise in the Caribbean with my brother and his family.”
“Okay, so a few things may have changed, but not much. Have you downloaded the cruise line’s app to your phone yet?”
“Yes, I downloaded it a few days ago, but I can’t seem to really do anything with it.”
Rob smiled, “It doesn’t really have much functionality until you’re on board. On the ship, you’ll be able to see the various activities going on, make dinner reservations at one of the specialty restaurants, and check your on-board account.
“But there is one thing that I know is new, since it was only introduced by a few cruise lines a little over a year ago,” Rob continued. “A couple of cruise lines teamed up to find a better way to conduct lifeboat drills.”
Ben’s intrigued look was as sexy as hell. “Really? Tell me more since that always seemed like it took such a long time.”
“Yes, it did,” Rob agreed. “But it’s important, so they worked hard and came up with something called MusterPlus. Basically, you can watch a video on the app and then check a box that says you’ve watched it and understand what you have to do in an emergency. The video will also be playing on the televisions in all cabins during embarkation. Once you’ve done that, you head to the muster station indicated on your cruise card and check-in with a safety rep that’s stationed there until the ship sets sail. They check you off a list and you’re done.”
“Wow, sounds great, and so easy. I also got some kind of wristband-thing with the cruise line’s logo on it. My assistant sent it to me since I’ve been traveling, but it was waiting here for me when I arrived. I must confess I really didn’t pay much attention to it and didn’t read any of the paperwork with it,” Ben said, looking a bit embarrassed.
“Ha! No worries,” Rob chuckled. “I’m sure you’re not the only one. That’s your OceanAccess device. There’s a metal disc in the wristband. It’s removable and the ship sells accessories like a necklace and fancy metal wrist bands that you can use with the disc. It pretty much replaces your cruise card. It will automatically unlock your cabin door when you get near it, and bar servers and gift shop staff have devices that can read the disc so you can use it to make purchases. And it works with the app on your phone; you can even order a drink on your phone and the disc knows where you are on the ship, so someone can deliver the drink to you.”
“That’s amazing!” Ben exclaimed. “Cruising has come a long way in the past few years.”
“It sure has,” Rob agreed. He glanced at his watch. “What time do we have to leave for the restaurant?”
Ben checked the time on his phone and said, “We should leave soon.” He signaled Carlos and asked him to put the drinks on his room bill.
“I just want to run up to my room and grab a jacket. I forgot to bring it with me when I came down earlier,” Rob explained.
“No problem, I’ll meet you at the door.”
* * *
They were both quiet on the taxi ride to the restaurant, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. Ben felt like he had known Rob for years instead of just days and he was surprised by how good that felt. He realized that while he had a few close friends and many acquaintances in his life, he hadn’t had anyone special for a long time and part of him hoped that Rob could be that special someone.
When they arrived at the restaurant, Ben paid the taxi driver and Rob headed toward the front door. There was a breeze coming off the water and Rob was glad he’d grabbed his jacket before they left. He held the door open for Ben and they walked up to the host standing near a podium just inside.
“Una reserva para Rockingham,”Ben said.
“Sí,right this way, gentlemen,” the host replied, then led them to a table overlooking the water. They sat and, handing them menus, the host said,“¡Buen provecho!”and walked away.
Rob hadn’t said anything, and Ben was a bit concerned. “Is everything okay, Rob? You seem awfully quiet.”
Rob looked at him and, smiling sadly said, “Yeah, I’m just thinking that the last cruise I was on was two and a half years ago with Alan. I had no idea at the time that would be our last cruise together.”
Ben’s heart hurt for Rob. He reached over and took his hand, “I’m so sorry, Rob. I can’t imagine how difficult this must be for you. Did you want to skip dinner and just go back to the hotel?”
Rob looked into Ben’s eyes and sighed. “No, absolutely not. I’m just being a bit maudlin. Pay no attention to me. If Alan was here, he’d tell me to snap out of it and enjoy myself. He’d say,‘Damn it, Rob. You’re here with a handsome man about to have a great meal so just relax and enjoy yourself. Don’t be an idiot’.” Rob laughed. “And he’d be right. Let’s have some wine and enjoy ourselves. And if I’m not mistaken, we still have a lot more cruise chat to get to.”
