Ankorage resident’s adventure around the world is a dream come true.

Sela Baker recently landed in Anchorage after a spectacular international adventure. Although she has not traveled around the world technically, she has no doubt been on her way from country to country.

“I have traveled to 140 countries,” she told me. “The first thing I do is learn to say ‘hello’ and ‘thank you’ in the local language. I think we have traveled to 46 countries.

The bakery trip began last November in Aruba. She was employed by Oceania Cruz to take cruises around the world. But the ship, Insignia, was saved during the COVID outbreak. Part of her job was to prepare the ship again.

“We were passing Jules Vern,” she said. But in 80 days we have added another 100 days instead of traveling the world.

Built in 1999, the Incinia is 594 feet long and holds 656 passengers and 400 crew members. After returning to Aruba, the ship left for New York on December 21, 2021.

The baker is the “Ambassador of the Ocean Club” on the ship. She sells future cruises to guests on the ship, runs a loyalty program, and conducts port visits. Some guests on the ship make the entire 180-day voyage, while others travel through parts of the voyage.

“This is my retirement,” she said. “I retired two years ago and went to sea!”

Oceania Cruz has been touring the world since 2015. “We have some guests who have stayed six times,” Baker said.

“We knew exactly COVID on the ship but there were protocols that were constantly changing on the beach.”

Those “ever-changing protocols” led some to change direction in the middle of their journey.

After leaving Los Angeles on January 6, he made his way to France, Polynesia, before moving to Inchinia. Many Asian ports are still closed to shipping.

“We did a round in Tahiti,” Baker said. We returned through the Panama Canal and spent a month in the Caribbean. From there we traveled to Europe, Israel, the eastern Mediterranean, the Greek islands, Italy, France, Spain, and Gibraltar. Then we sailed to the Baltic. ”

The baker easily remembers the current travel trends and all the plans for the flight.

“When you have an epidemic, you have to be flexible. You can’t decide what to expect. ”

But the new port call has brought some amazing experiences.

“We were one of the first ships allowed in Istanbul,” Baker said. “During Ramadan, I made a night visit to the Blue Mosque. We have seen families come and spread out a 100-acre[100 ha]garden for holiday. It was celebrated every night (during Ramadan). ”

Another adventure in which Tuscany was hunted in Tuscany, Italy. “We went out with two men and their dogs. And yes, it is what the dogs dug. ”

Roaming the Atlantic Ocean, the so-called Fendel, Madera. The island off the coast of Africa is controlled by the Portuguese and is known for its wine.

Baker went with a group on a cable car from the top of a mountain on the island. They got up, returned to their seats, and sat down. “It was so much fun,” Baker said. “Each slide had two gondola riders on the steep roads.”

The Cruz line of Montenegro, in northern Albania and south of Croatia, is set to visit the olive grove. When they arrived, the farmer found them and tasted olive oil on the field. The group then went to the farmer’s house to taste the wine.

Other dining arrangements were exaggerated. “We ate dinner under the sea,” Baker said. “We went to the lower level of the National Aquarium in Copenhagen,” she said.

“Most of the guests are in their 60s and 70s,” Baker said. “Some of the 250 sailors in the world were a mother and daughter couple and some recently retired guests. Also, there were some who sold everything and decided to travel around the world. Others sold their home, put everything in storage, and used the trip as a Sabbath.

The guests on the plane came from 15-20 countries, according to Baker. The crew is from 30-50 countries. “It’s like a little bit of a United Nations boat.

Ever since she started working in the travel business, Wanderlust has always been part of Baker’s story. This includes work in recreational areas, travel agencies, and shipping lines. “This is a great retirement. I get paid in a way that you can’t see the world. And that makes it even more fun,” she said.

What’s next? Well, Baker is scheduled to work on the 2023 Oceania Travel Program. “We are going to Antarctica next year,” she said. “Next year will be my third trip around the world. A.D. In 2020 the cruise was canceled and we had to do one round this year.

The 2023 voyage also includes some Alaska ports: Dutch Harbor, Junuwa and Ketchican. Oceania will launch its 198 day travel program on Christmas Day, December 28, 2022 from Miami. State units are available for $ 47,199 per person.