By Bob Van Leer

(AT SEA, RED SEA, Monday, April 10, 2000) - Our ship, Legend of the Seas, is sailing northeast n the Red Sea between Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

   Yesterday we left the Arabian Sea, going into the Gulf of Aden. Just after midnight we made almost a square right turn through the narrow Strait of Mandeb and entered the Red Sea. This is the second of three days at sea between Salalah, Oman and Aqaba, Jordan.

   The Red Sea is a long, narrow body of water that runs north and a little east. At its top end it splits into two gulfs, almost like rabbit ears, with the Sinai Peninsula between them. First we are going up the eastern gulf, Gulf of Aqaba, to the city of Aqaba, Jordan, at the head of the gulf. Israel also has the port of Eilat at the head of the gulf.

   After a day at Aqaba we will turn south to Sharm el Sheikh, at the southern tip of Egytian-owned Sinai. Near there is Mt. Sinai, where Moses is believed to have received the Ten commandments. After visiting Sharm el Sheikh, we will go north through the Gulf of Suez and pass through the Suez Canal.

   On this leg of the cruise the largest number of passengers is from the U.S., not Great Britain. There are 379 from the U.S., 279 from Britain and 192 from Germany. Other countries with 50 or more passengers are: Australia, France, Luxembourg and Switzerland. There is a group of 28 from the Philippines, the largest group from an Asian country on either leg of the cruise. Of the passengers, 267 are carryovers from the cruise from Singapore to Dubai.

   There are 1442 passengers aboard, slightly less than the last leg of the cruise. This ship can carry 2000 passengers. The light load makes it nice for us passengers. There is room everywhere, no crowding and no waiting. But it isn't very good for the cruise line. Next year Royal Caribbean has a similar cruise scheduled, but it takes a different route farther south and stops at different ports.

   Livening up the ship is a group of 22 girls aged from 18-21. They are all from South and Central America and are attending a girls' finishing school in Montreux, Switzerland.
I spoke to Fritz Sidler, the head master of the school, Surval Mont-Fleuri, who is shepherding his flock, along with some help.

   He said the school is a three-term course which allows the students to compose a program, ". . .in anticipation of their future studies or to be prepared for the challenges of life as a young lady". M. Sidler does not consider his school expensive, but says the cost for a school year is about $30,000.

   Some of the courses the girls take are: languages, French, English and German; cookery; etiquette; design/painting; and business courses are also included. Classes are broken up with weeks of skiing; excursions to such places as Geneva, Paris, Milan, Prague; and cultural trips such as this cruise. This is life at the top.

   Some other observations we have made: there are not as many widows on this cruise as we have seen on others. One woman commented, "I told my husband he would take me on this cruise or I'd take it later alone on his life insurance money".

   One thing on shore excursions that takes a little getting used to, particularly for women, is some of the sanitary facilities. In some of the places we have visited in Asia, instead of the sit-down toilets we are used to there is an elongated hole in the floor with foot rests alongside of the hole for proper positioning. In some places, instead of paper there is a bucket of water. This is always used with the left which is why it is considered it an insult in some countries to offer your left hand in a greeting.

   During these days at sea, life is peaceful on the ship and you can be as busy as you want to be or do nothing.