48 10-4 Magazine / February 2026 enjoyable, and the scenery was much more agreeable. I mean, who doesn’t like bikinis poolside with some cold refreshments? Once again, it’s all about logistics. From the very start, we left our luggage on the dock staging area before we parked in an offsite parking garage, then the cruise line transported us back to the ship at our convenience. Having never been onboard a floating recreational community like this, I had no idea where to go or how to get there. I felt like a lost package at Christmastime in the local UPS terminal. Surprisingly, our bags found the right rooms and were in place before we were. I was informed that the ship lines have an eight hour window, from the time they arrive until they depart, with a new load of passengers. During that time, they need to offload all of the departing passengers and reload the new ones, along with refilling the ship with fuel, supplies, and making personnel exchanges. I mentioned how the luggage found its way to the berth before we did, and that was because our steward (Hans) had found and relocated all the bags and prepped our rooms clean enough to pass any military inspection. He later told me he was responsible for 37 rooms on our deck (floor), plus the common area. On the very first day, Hans had memorized all our names and the names of every passenger in his group of rooms. If that wasn’t enough, he also knew us on sight and called us by name, even the children. You might ask why that is important. He said that after 27 years of service, he had learned children come and go to the pool often, so they need extra towels and personal items. There is limited storage space in the rooms, so he needed to stock and restock these as needed. It’s all about logistics – having the right thing when you need it, even if you didn’t know you were going to. I would equate the service Hans provided us to that of a truck driver’s responsibility. He came and went in the shadows, seldom seen, quiet and without fanfare. His personal service, much like the products on the store shelves where you shop, just happened (everything we needed or wanted was on hand when we reached for it). It wasn’t luck of the Irish or leprechauns that made things just magically appear, it was logistics – that slow and methodical process – from start to finish. We are all part of a much bigger picture. Each of us plays a role in the seamless process that makes the world go around. And even if you don’t love logistics, you still have to love what it does for us, right? Aye, aye, captain, and a big 10-4 to everyone else! n
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