From The Deck Chair: Sunrise, Sunset

I had a tough time coming up with a blog for today. Truth be told, I spent a lot of time searching my photo-library, looking for a shot that would inspire me to write something.

Then I found it: one of the best things for me on a cruise are the sunrises and sunsets.

I usually get up ridiculously early so I can catch the sunrise - it's usually breathtaking, and there's something quiet and peaceful about the ship before everyone else is up and milling about - not to mention the lines at the buffet are far, far better. So I usually grab a coffee and wander out on deck to enjoy the show.

Sunset is just as impressive. On a cloudless day, the setting sun turns the gleaming-white superstructure of the cruise ship a soft orange color. Everything sparkles - polished wooden railings, steel bulkheads, even the lifeboats take on a lustrous sheen. There's nothing else quite like it - certainly nothing on land. If you're lucky, and conditions permit, you may actually see a 'green flash' as the sun dips below the horizon and the sea.

So here on From The Deck Chair, to wrap up the week, I present some of my favorite shots. Just looking at them makes me want to hop aboard a cruise ship again right now; I hope it does likewise for you.