OUT- OF- THIS- WORLD CRUISING
On“Star Trek: The Cruise” in the Western Caribbean I was surrounded by Vulcans with pointed ears, angrylooking Klingons, blue Andorians with antennae, green Orions, and Yeoman Rand lookalikes. There was a purpose to this cruise — to let Star Trek fans totally geek out. The crowd of 2,300 on Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Pearl came equipped with costumes and body paint and an uncanny knowledge of all things Star Trek– related. Folks showed off their Star Trek tattoos, paid onboard makeup artists to give them Klingon foreheads, and stood in line for their complimentary photo with William Shatner. Yes, Captain James T. Kirk was on board, along with a dozen other actors from the Star Trek franchise. The fans talked about their attendance at ComicCons and Star Trek conventions. They spoke Klingon. At trivia contests, they displayed skills in remembering the minutest aspects of every show and movie. It was a Trekkie’s wildest fantasy come alive. What’s more is there’s Terry Farrell (Jadzia Dax, the science officer in Deep Space Nine) doing a yoga class; Marina Sirtis ( the half- human, halfBetazoid Deanna Troi in The Next Generation) playing blackjack; and yes, sign me up for the pub crawl with Robert O’Reilly ( Gowron from Deep Space Nine). Norwegian Pearl was so tricked out as a floating ode to super fandom that you could almost pretend you were on USS Enterprise. The elevators morphed into “turbolifts” and Bliss Ultra Lounge was renamed “Leeta’s Lounge,” and hosted a Proxima Centauri Bowling Competition. Some late- night revelers dressed in Starfleet uniforms or sexy alien wear, headed to up to 13 Forward to imbibe in such drinks as Aldebaran Whiskey. You could eat show-themed sushi or chateaubriand. Entertainment and activities took a turn at the next galaxy as well — a Family Feud between Deep Space Nine and The Next Generation was a laugh riot. This was not your typical cruise, but to those • looking to “boldly go,” it was breathtaking. Next year there will be two 6- day Star Trek: The Cruise sailings in January, both on Norwegian Jade and hosted by George Takei (Sulu on the original series).