March 21, 2026
When the ship’s itinerary takes me somewhere I can see my friends, it puts a huge exclamation point on that port.
I’d gotten to reconnect with my friend Randi (whom I loved working with on the Golden Princess in 2020) twice when I was on the Diamond Princess in 2024. And now I got to see her again!
It was serendipitous that we were there on a weekend, when she wasn’t teaching school, and that she didn’t already have plans. Since we were docked in Melbourne for a couple of days, we had the whole day together – no waiting for the ship to arrive, no drill, and no need for me to rush back at a particular time.
Randi had to drive a couple of hours from where she lives, so I even had time to get my morning work done! I was still getting the feel for my new position, and the owner and CEO of Villa Vie was coming onboard, so I wasn’t sure whether I’d be called upon for something at the last minute. I put Randi on the guest list because I knew she’d want to see the ship (and get all of the gossip about residential cruising).
I went out to get a proper Australian coffee and met Randi so I could walk her in and make sure she was on all the lists at every checkpoint.
We toured the ship, and I gave her a glimpse into my daily life before I finalized and posted the event schedule for the next day. Then it seemed like the coast was clear – we could go play!
We took the tram into the city center.
Randi needed to shop for some birthday gifts, and along the way, she told me about her cruise-themed engagement party. She had met her future husband when he and his family were guests on the Golden Princess while we were working together.
Randi had recently gone on a food tour and raved about it.
You know I love a food tour – but I’d never thought about taking one in a city where I could easily figure out what to eat on her own!
Her strategy was to use the tour to find hidden gems: cool places she could take her out-of-town friends when they came to visit. What a great idea – and I got to benefit from it!
She took me to the place where they’d had a cheese and chocolate pairing.
WHAT?!
I’d paired chocolate with wine and beer before – but cheese?!
When I thought about it, I’d also paired cheese with wine and beer but I hadn’t thought of cheese and chocolate!
The pairing had been specially arranged on the tour, and it wasn’t something they offered on the regular menu.
However, the woman at the counter told us that if we ordered a cheese board, she would throw in some truffles that would pair well with the cheeses.
Sold.
We cut up the truffles into tiny pieces and slowly savored each bite.
Randi said her guide had been so good that she wanted to go on more tours with him. I wanted to as well! I also wanted to book similar tours in every city I could!
If you’re interested, here’s the link: David from https://www.secretfoodtours.com/melbourne/food-tours-melbourne/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=1676364665&gbraid=0AAAAADrnlzsAeJ8f0A3WIQoaOS0Nf33Du&gclid=Cj0KCQjwjIPSBhCCARIsABGyK7vvJeIwFSkDeJ-s7EpgdmJ3vTtLGt2h_6elrHsKHHk_PVJOPa-Vjk0aAu4wEALw_wcB
The city was bustling with people excited about a sports game. I was simply delighted to be hanging out with my friend.
After we’d sufficiently walked off the cheese, we managed to find a table at a restaurant on the water.
Randi’s car was parked near the ship. We tried to find a grocery store where I could stock up on Aussie snacks. We got a little lost, but we enjoyed the scenic route anyway. Luckily we eventually found a convience store that did the trick.
By the time I returned to the ship, my spirit felt renewed. I love exploring new places, but seeing an old friend is like having a massage therapist release a muscle I didn’t even realize was tense. Thanks for the soul massage, Randi!
My views do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer.