41 Days Until Cruise Time: Checked In Emotionally, Still Single Officially

Royal Caribbean has informed me that my cruise is 41 days away and online check-in is available.

Finally, a relationship moving forward.

There it is on my screen: four nights in the Western Caribbean aboard Radiance of the Seas, October 29 through November 2. A balcony cabin on Deck 9. And under “Guests,” a little circle containing my initials: NF.

Naturally Fabulous.

No Fiancée.

Negotiations Failed.

Interpret that however you like.

Last time I checked, the countdown said 50 days. Now it says 41. Nine days have passed, and I’m pleased to report that my vacation planning has progressed from staring at the reservation on my phone to staring at it on a larger screen.

That’s called taking a broader view.

The website offers two buttons: “Plan my cruise” and “Manage reservation.”

I appreciate the confidence. I’m still trying to manage what’s in my refrigerator, but apparently I’m qualified to coordinate an international maritime adventure.

At least the cabin decision is settled: a balcony on Deck 9.

This gives me a private place to drink coffee, watch the ocean, and gaze thoughtfully into the distance as if I’m contemplating something deeper than whether breakfast is still being served.

A balcony also provides the perfect setting for romance. Ocean breeze. Beautiful sunsets. Two people sharing a quiet moment.

Currently, the second person is a chair.

We’re taking things slowly.

Yes, the search for my future ex-wife continues. I’ve secured the scenery, arranged the accommodations, and selected a departure date. At this point, I feel I’ve done more than my share of the relationship planning.

Ideal candidates should enjoy travel, appreciate sarcasm, and understand that “Would you like dessert?” is a logistical question about which dessert, not whether we’re having any.

Meanwhile, I still have the transportation puzzle: a 5 a.m. flight from Charleston to Tampa through Miami, or about seven hours of driving.

The flight requires leaving home around 3:30 a.m., when the only thing I want to connect with is my pillow.

And Miami? I’m trying to get to Tampa. The airline apparently thinks I should preview the rest of Florida first.

Driving remains tempting. I get my own seat, unrestricted access to snacks, and no possibility of my suitcase deciding to spend the weekend somewhere more interesting than I do.

I haven’t made the final call yet. Fortunately, I have 41 days to revisit the same calculations and arrive at the same level of uncertainty.

As for Radiance, yes, she’s an older ship. So what? I’m increasingly fond of things with a little mileage that still know how to have a good time.

I don’t need my ship to be the newest thing afloat. I need a comfortable bed, good food, an ocean view, and a schedule where “do absolutely nothing” is a legitimate afternoon activity.

This cruise also includes Halloween, which opens up some costume possibilities.

I could go as a well-rested man.

Or someone who packed appropriately.

Or a guy whose future ex-wife actually showed up.

Some costumes require more imagination than others.

After this, there’s MSC in January and Utopia of the Seas out of Port Canaveral in April. My calendar has a healthy social life. I’m hoping to catch up with it eventually.

For now, the countdown continues. The balcony is booked. Online check-in is open.

And Royal Caribbean keeps asking me to manage my reservation when, frankly, finding someone to occupy the other balcony chair would be a much more impressive service.

Forty-one days to go. Future ex-wife applications remain open. Please include availability, snack preferences, and your position on unnecessary layovers.

More Ships, Fewer Excuses: My Travel Plans for Late 2026 and 2027

My calendar is starting to look like I’m avoiding being home. I kinda am.

There’s Las Vegas. There’s Cozumel on Halloween. There’s a fraternity alumni holiday gathering with a name that covers several celebrations at once. And there are cruises, because apparently my preferred way to unpack once is to have the entire hotel move.

I get to live this life—the only one I have—and I’m putting a few more things on the calendar worth looking forward to.

First up: Las Vegas, with a Filipino accent

In early October, I have a Saturday ticket to Pinoy Fest in Las Vegas. I love the Filipino culture, the food, and the people, so this was an easy decision.

Just Saturday. I’m trying to show some restraint in this travel schedule.

Halloween in Cozumel

At the end of October, I’m sailing on Royal Caribbean’s Radiance of the Seas: leave Tampa, spend a day at sea, stop in Cozumel on Halloween, enjoy another day at sea, and return to Tampa.

I’ve taken a Halloween cruise before. It was interesting. On a cruise, you already spend some time wondering about people’s wardrobe decisions. Halloween adds the question, “Is that a costume, or just his vacation shirt?”

Radiance is a smaller, more classic ship, without all the newer attractions—the water slides, ice-skating rink, Johnny Rockets, and so on. That suits me. I don’t need every vacation to include an amusement park and a waiver.

A ship, the ocean, and time to enjoy both will do nicely.

ChrisKwanukah and the $30 pancake

December 13, 2026, is the Tau Epsilon Phi, Phi Chi Alumni Club ChrisKwanukah event.

I went last year, flying into HPN, where a bit of snow wreaked havoc. Somewhere in that experience, I ended up with a $30 pancake and Diet Pepsi.

For that price, I felt the pancake should at least have helped with my luggage.

Still, I’m planning to return. Seeing people matters. Shared history matters. Apparently, I’m also willing to give winter air travel another opportunity to test my personality.

Trying MSC in January 2027

In early January, I’m taking an MSC cruise from Miami to the Bahamas. MSC will be new to me.

I’ve read the good reviews and the bad ones. The ships are supposed to be beautiful, while the food and service can apparently be hit or miss. I’m going with an open mind and will form my own opinion.

Reading cruise reviews is its own voyage. Two people can get off the same ship convinced they visited entirely different planets.

Utopia, with a road trip attached

There’s also the three-day Royal Caribbean trip on Utopia of the Seas from Port Canaveral that I’ve written about before.

I plan to drive to that port. Put the bags in the car, get myself there, and board the ship. That’s a travel day I can appreciate.

My car hasn't charged me extra for a suitcase yet.

Yesterday’s booking: back to Celebrity Reflection

Yesterday, I booked Celebrity Reflection for July 30 through August 2, 2027—a three-night Key West and Bahamas cruise, with a balcony on Deck 10.

I’ve been on this ship twice, stopping in Key West both times. I’d also visited Key West twice before those sailings, so we’re reasonably well acquainted.

This trip includes Grand Bahama, and I have absolutely no intention of getting off the ship.

I like the ship. I liked the staff on my last two voyages. I liked the experience. That’s enough reason to go back.

I'm not required to turn every port stop into a field trip. Sometimes the destination is the balcony I already paid for.

If anyone needs me, I’ll be conducting a thorough inspection of the ocean from a seated position.

Yes, there’s room for a future ex-wife

There is a spot for a future ex-wife. A sense of humor would be helpful, along with an appreciation for cruising and my occasional decision to visit a country without actually stepping onto it.

Passport not required for eligible U.S. citizens on qualifying round-trip U.S. cruises; a certified birth certificate and valid government-issued photo ID can do the job. We’ll check the specific sailing’s requirements before packing. Romance is one thing; being denied boarding is another. Celebrity’s travel-document requirements

Let’s start with a cruise and see whether we can agree on dinner before involving attorneys.

Why I’m doing all this

I was told that a lot of amputees and dialysis patients end up sitting around and disengaging from life. I know what withdrawing feels like because I did it myself.

Everyone’s circumstances are different. I can only speak for mine: I decided I wanted to take some risks and enjoy more of the little part of the universe I get to occupy.

Being an amputee and being on dialysis are parts of my life. Travel takes planning. Some things require more effort. But I still want experiences, people to meet, familiar faces to see, and stories to bring home.

Even if one of those stories involves a financially ambitious pancake.

I get to live this life. I want to be present for it—with a few boarding passes, some Filipino food, Halloween in Cozumel, and a balcony waiting somewhere ahead.

50 Days Until Paradise. Travel Companion Position Still Open.

My cruise app tells me I set sail in 50 days, 9 hours, 34 minutes, and 44 seconds.

I appreciate the precision. Apparently, Royal Caribbean knows exactly when my vacation begins, while I’m still trying to figure out how to get to Tampa without needing a vacation from getting to Tampa.

I’m booked on Radiance of the Seas for a four-night Western Caribbean cruise, October 29 through November 2. Four nights of ocean views, someone else making dinner, and pretending that walking to the buffet counts as a fitness program.

First, however, there’s the transportation situation.

My flight leaves Charleston at 5 a.m. and goes to Tampa through Miami. Because apparently, to get to the vacation, I must first fly past the vacation and circle back after the airline has had time to think about it.

To make that flight, I figure I’d leave home at 3:30 a.m., arrive at the airport around 4, and give myself an hour before departure.

That’s my current calculation, anyway. It assumes security cooperates and I can operate pants at 3 in the morning.

A 5 a.m. flight isn’t an early flight. It’s an overnight emergency you paid for.

Meanwhile, driving to Tampa takes about seven hours. By the time I add the airport trip, security, boarding, flying south, sitting in Miami questioning my choices, and flying back north, I could practically be there in my own car.

In the car, I control the temperature. My luggage travels with me. And if there’s a delay, I can usually identify the cause: I stopped for snacks and accidentally bought lunch, fudge, and a decorative item.

Yes, driving involves traffic. But flying involves traffic too—only someone announces it over a speaker while I sit strapped to furniture.

So I’m leaning toward driving, preferably heading down the day before. Give me a reasonable buffer, a hotel bed, and a departure time that doesn’t require negotiating with the undead.

Then there’s the ship.

Radiance is an older ship, which is fine. I’m not exactly a fresh delivery from the shipyard myself. At this stage, I respect anything that still travels well and has functioning air-conditioning.

I’ve also learned Tampa has limits on the size of cruise ships it can accommodate. Relatable. I can no longer accommodate certain things either, including drama and dinner reservations after 8:30.

Besides, I have an MSC cruise in January and Utopia of the Seas out of Port Canaveral in April. My vacation calendar is developing nicely.

My romantic calendar remains a blank document with excellent formatting.

The reservation currently says “1 Adult.”

A little judgmental, Royal Caribbean. You could have written “Independent Traveler.” “Man of Mystery.” “Still Accepting Applications.”

But no. 1 Adult.

And even that feels like an optimistic assessment of someone considering seven hours behind the wheel to avoid waking up early for a flight.

There is, as yet, no future ex-wife joining me. The position remains open. Ideal qualifications include a sense of humor, enthusiasm for cruising, and the ability to say, “Let’s just drive,” before I spend three evenings comparing transportation options.

Until then, I have a cabin, a countdown, and several vacations booked.

Love may be unpredictable, but at least my next relationship with a buffet has a confirmed start date.