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A duck hunt is exactly what I was going to suggest! If you know the line dances , pull them up on You Tube and do them together. If they don’t know them, learn them together.

That’s awesome! I know you’ll have a fantastic time! We did Bermuda last October and had a great trip, too.

Thank you so much for your kind words and for reading along! Which ship are you sailing this summer?

And finally....the conclusion. Wednesday, Feb 8th. - Sea Day As usual Ron and I got cleaned up and headed to Lido for breakfast. Most of the group went to Sea Day Brunch. In retrospect I wish I had done breakfast in the dining room at least once to have gotten some good French toast. (Gang, looks like we need to book another cruise so I can get French toast!) Today was going to be a day of relaxing, playing and doing those “final” things. Emory's breakfast at Sea Day Brunch. I can see I made a mistake in missing that! Bobby at Sea Day Brunch Ron and I went to the Liquid Lounge for Morning Trivia. A lady named Jem Jem was doing trivia. She was probably my least favorite trivia host yet. The morning trivia would have only ten questions and the topic??? Coffee! I know absolutely nothing about coffee. I don’t even drink it. I think it smells good. That’s about the extent of my knowledge. I was there and I was going to play, even if I crashed and burned! We found a birthday duck on the way to play morning trivia I guessed on literally every question. She commented on some of the questions that no one, ever, had gotten them right on her watch. A couple of them I had sort of an idea. Two questions had three multiple choice answers. I always guessed the middle option, whatever that was. Finally, it was time to tally the points. When we started going through the answers, I was shocked that I had gotten half of them correct. I was more shocked when 5 was enough to win the game! I won a round of trivia! Apparently they don’t give out solid gold plastic ships on a stick anymore...or at least not often....so I got a 50th year medallion. When we got back our "get off our ship heart" was waiting. This was really happening. It was almost over. After trivia we grabbed our books and headed up on deck to find a quiet place to relax. Liz joined us. We read a while and watched a little of The Wave on the big screen. Pretty soon it was time to get the Bingo cards that we won during Deal or No Deal. We headed to Ocean Plaza. There was a very long line, so I just got in line, assuming that it was for Bingo cards. I soon learned that it was NOT for Bingo cards but was for luggage tags/zone numbers. On well....I needed that, too! After I finished getting my luggage tags, I got in a different line for Bingo cards. Hanging out on Serenity. Was this her last ice cream cone of the trip?? The girls from our group were scattered in the Bingo line. Every one of us had won free Bingo on Deal or No Deal cards except Frances. She bought a Bingo card anyway. Liz didn’t realize she had won one at first because it was on the card Aaron had been holding but when they checked her name, she was a winner, too. Good deal! Some of our group headed to the casino.... Frances Kim Bobby Since we were already at Ocean Plaza and Harry Potter trivia was beginning we decided to stay and play....or in reality, to cheer Liz on. She’s the expert in that subject! Back on our Sunrise cruise she had gotten every answer right but lost in the tie breaker. She had come home and looked up the answer afterward. That would prove to be helpful! Daryl and Emory in Ocean Plaza We all sat together and started playing the game. Although several of us were filling out answers, we KNEW who was going to win, at least from our group. Sure enough, she again got every answer right. So did two other people. The three of them went up to the front for a tie breaker question. When they asked the question, it was the same tie breaker question they had asked in 2021 on Sunrise that she had went home and looked up! Yes! She won the game and claimed her 50th year medallion. We cheered loudly! You’d have thought the Super Bowl was being played that day! Finally.....justice! Really.....if they’re going to play the same trivia subject they might want to change up the questions occasionally. My last duck The whole group headed up to Cucina/Ji Ji’s for some pasta bar and Mongolian Wok lunch. We snagged the big corner booth in the back. This lunch set-up works for us! It’s really nice to be able to get lunch from basically any of the Lido food options and still eat together. After lunch we split up. The girls all went to play the big $5000 Bingo game. Some of the guys headed for a nap and some to the casino. Derrick was down about $75 by the end of the cruise. He commented that he’d never had so much fun losing money before. That was offset by the $83.22 that Lucinda WON playing her $30 casino credit from Deal or No Deal. Hey, teamwork makes dreamwork, right?? Frances and I met this guy in the elevator Lucinda took a minute to demonstrate how to WIN in the casino! Several days during the cruise Derrick was wearing his WVU (West Virginia University) Mountaineers shirts, hats, etc. Bobby was wearing a WVU lanyard. Lucinda said that several times people from all over would yell “Go ‘eers” to Derrick when they noticed his shirt or hat. She said one of the things she enjoyed most was meeting people from all over the world and chatting like old friends. Ron and I met a couple that we had known from our previous church that were living in the same hallway as us. I guess it truly IS a small world! One of Derrick's WVU shirts So....back to Bingo. We gathered in the Liquid Lounge to play our game. There were quite a few people. We were in the balcony to the left of the stage. Neither Liz nor I are huge Bingo fans, so we had only the free cards that we won on Deal or No Deal. She has won in Bingo before. I never have. This day would be no exception! I didn’t even come close on any game that we played. Kim was pretty close at one point, but they stopped calling her numbers and, no dice, she didn’t win. It was still fun, and we enjoyed playing and laughing together. Bingo Liz and I might have a little bit of trouble paying attention sometimes....maybe.....sometimes.... After Bingo I decided to take a nap. Sitting still in the lounge had made me sleepy. After laying down for a while I found Ron in Ocean Plaza playing “What You Should Have Learned in Grade School” trivia. He won with a perfect score. He must have paid attention in grade school! He also found a birthday duck in the stairwell. It was really cute, and I was having trouble deciding whether or not to bring the pirate or the birthday duck home. In the end, I brought them BOTH home. I had found a square duck in Ocean Plaza earlier in the cruise. I did hide it again, along with my Valentine ducks...one for each day of the cruise. Ron is awarded the distinguished 50 year medallion for paying attention in school It was late afternoon, and we went upstairs to our room to read and get ready for dinner. Tonight, we would be celebrating Lucinda’s birthday. We had been sneaky and purchased a picture of her and Derrick. Her PVP (we think) had sent her a photo album during the cruise as a birthday gift. We thought the picture would be nice in the album. We also passed around a card for everyone to sign. Our amazing waitstaff brought her an extra dessert with “Happy Birthday” written in chocolate sauce on the plate. They made her a candle and rose out of napkins and a napkin bow to wear. They even sang to her. They were awesome! Surprising Lucinda with a towel rose and candle complete with flame to blow out.... ....and a birthday bow to wear! Ron has always enjoyed collecting unusual or foreign money, both bills and coins. While we were in Nassau, he had exchanged some American dollars for Bahamian dollars. He gave each of the guys one to remember their trip. They all seemed to enjoy it and it made a nice souvenir. We had a little time after dinner before Epic Rock was supposed to start so we went back to our cabins to start packing. Boo!!! I can’t believe it was already the last night! We didn’t quite finish before the show but made a good start of it. Aaron's new favorite drink I’d seen Epic Rock before. It’s actually one of my favorite Playlist shows. Unfortunately, they only did the singing and a very small amount of dancing for the 9:30 show. Aaron had glanced into the theatre during the 7:30 show and he said it was the full show. I have no idea why. The sea seemed to be calm but I’m sure there was a reason. The show was still good, the cast was talented, and everyone had a great time. Kim later commented on how much she enjoyed the shows. I said I wished she could have seen the full production show. She said that since it was her first cruise and she didn’t have another point of comparison, so she thought it was great. Fair enough! We need to fix that ASAP! It might have been her first cruise, but I seriously doubt it will be her last! Last show in the theatre The 80’s party was starting in the Atrium right after Epic Rock and most of our group went to the party. I would later learn that Leon poured both water and sugar on himself and participated in a little crowd surfing. He’s all in, I’ll give him that! I was feeling pretty wiped out and we went back to our room to finish packing and go to bed fairly early. I realized the next morning that I had the beginning of a mild head cold, which explains why I was so tired. It’s winter...it happens. I’m just glad it waited until the last night of the cruise to manifest. Not feeling the greatest February 9, 2023 - Debarkation We had to be out of our rooms by 8am. We had checked our luggage the night before, so we only had our backpacks. As usual, we went up to Lido to grab a bite of breakfast. The temperature wasn’t bad at all, so we congregated just beside Guy’s burgers on the outside deck area. I had noticed that we were hearing announcements when we were inside getting breakfast but hadn’t heard any for a long time while we were out on deck. Finally, Ron and I decided to walk down to another waiting area on Deck 5 since we had earlier zone numbers that everyone else. That explains it! So...if you are cruising from Charleston, be aware that you will NOT hear any of the announcements when out on deck! I quickly messaged everyone to let them know that the zone numbers had already been called and they could come down. We're pouting.... We're ALL pouting We walked down with the crowd where we were supposed to board the shuttle to be taken to the parking area. The shuttle wait was going to be about 15 - 30 minutes. We learned that we were allowed to walk back to our cars, and it was about a 10 minute walk. Sign us up! We grabbed our luggage and set out. It wasn’t a bad walk at all to the car. On the way out of town we drove down Rainbow Row, which we had missed earlier. It was so pretty! We then hit the road. We drove until about noon and stopped at a Zaxby’s for lunch. We had no more sat down than Emory and Cami pulled in! Daryl and Frances had ridden home with them. Like I said, it truly is a small world! We finally arrived home in the late afternoon, tired but happy that we’d had such a wonderful cruise with our friends. Our group chat continues! One of the most recent topics of conversation was how much weight we had gained during the cruise. Derrick believes that it happened because his clothes shrunk while passing through the Bermuda Triangle. Emory, always thinking, suggested that we simply take a cruise in another part of the Bermuda Triangle and see if it would reverse itself. I like that idea a lot better than dieting! The most current topic of conversation is not where but WHEN we will cruise again! So...to quote Paul Harvey, "And that is the rest of the Story!'" . Our first group cruise was SO much fun! I loved these wonderful friends before, but those bonds have grown stronger, and we’ve grown closer. They are like my family. It might have been our first group cruise, but it certainly won’t be our last! Ron and I will be headed out again in late November on the Celebration. Until that time, I’ll be lurking here on Cruise Critic to see what all of you are up to and living vicariously through YOUR stories. See you soon!

**A special shout out and photo credit to Lucinda and Derrick for taking ALL of the Blue Lagoon photos for this part of the review! Thanks guys!! So....continued from earlier today........ In the meantime, while we were traipsing around Nassau, yon is a small private island about 30 minutes from where the ship docks. This island is called Blue Lagoon. There are multiple excursions available including interactions with dolphins, stingrays, sea lions and sharks as well as a beach day. A very nice lunch was included. The island has walking trails, a lovely beach, animal enclosures you can visit to see the animals and you can rent things like snorkel gear, stand up paddleboards and water toys. There is an area near the dock that has several large blow-up water obstacles that you can climb and jump. The water isn’t very deep, but it is very clear. The beach is shaded with palm trees and there are plenty of loungers. It’s a neat place that Liz, Aaron, Ron and I had visited in 2021. Boat ride to Blue Lagoon with Cami and Emory... ...Daryl and Frances.... .....and Bobby and Kim. These two are just too stinking cute! Welcome to Blue Lagoon Island!!! The rest of our group had planned a trip to Blue Lagoon on this day. Emory, Cami, Daryl, Frances, Kim and Bobby had all booked a dolphin encounter. Derrick and Lucinda were doing a beach day and exploring. They all had to be on the pier and ready to depart at 9am. It looked like everyone who was going to Blue Lagoon was leaving at the same time regardless of which excursion they had booked. The boat ride to Blue Lagoon is very scenic. As you pull out, you get a good look at the ships that are docked. You sail along the Nassau waterfront, past Atlantis and past a lighthouse. The staff tells some interesting facts about the things you are passing. Derrick, Kim and Cami all mentioned the Michael Jackson suite at Atlantis. The nightly rate was something like $25,000 and there was a four-night minimum stay. If one has the means, then by all means, I guess! Apparently, some DO have the means because Lucinda said it was booked out for two years! As the boat pulled into Blue Lagoon, Bobby said it reminded him of Gilligan’s Island. Clear water, perfect temps and a nice little cove. Everyone enjoyed the dolphin encounter. The dolphin was again named Shaun. I’m not sure if every dolphin is named Shaun or if Shaun the Dolphin is just an extremely hard-working dolphin but Emory and Cami’s son and daughter-in-law had met Shaun in 2020, we had met Shaun in 2021 and now THEY were meeting Shaun! Frances said the Dolphin Encounter was the highlight of her entire trip. Derrick and Lucinda are anxious to return and take their three kids to the island. Bobby and Kim meet Shaun Shaun must love Emory because he's getting a hug And Kim dances with him You can barely see Daryl and Frances in the distance Frances gets a hug, too! Shaun jumps out of the water.... ....and right back in (of course!)! Exploring the wilds. Lunchtime! Conch fritters, maybe?? He looks like he might be running away from home?!?! Island life Taking a dip in the super shallow water One surprising thing is how quickly the Blue Lagoon group was back on board Sunshine. When we had visited a couple of years ago, we were there so long they had to hold the ship for us because we didn’t make our 4:30 departure time. (This is why I like to book excursions with the ship! They WILL NOT leave you if your excursion runs late.) This time our group was back together on the Sunshine in the early afternoon. Apparently, they had arrived, eaten, wandered around a little, visited with the dolphins and then were told it was time to leave. Go figure! Apparently, they DID have conch fritters and Derrick was able to try them after all. Unfortunately, he didn’t enjoy them as much as Aaron did and they apparently didn’t sit as well later in the day. The moral of this story is to get your conch fritters from Mama Gloria instead of Blue Lagoon! Our towel animal was in our room Back on board and lunch acquired, Ron, Liz and I headed to Serenity while Aaron went to get a massage. Ron opted to take his book and read. Liz and I decided to find a hot tub since we were in bathing suits and hadn’t gotten in the water yet. The inferno hot tub was too “peoplely” so we went down a couple of flights of stairs to the Lido hot tub. Much more temperate and only a couple of people. We hung out there for a while and then decided to go shower and find what else we could find to do. Movie Quotes Trivia was being held in Ocean Plaza, so we agreed to meet there to play a game. Afterwards, we went up on deck to watch pier runners. There were four. We were docked beside the MSC Seascape, which is the newest in the MSC fleet. On the other side of the Seascape was Mariner of the Seas. Lots to see and lots to do....it was a good day! MSC Seascape is beside us Mariner of the Seas pulling into port As we were pulling away from Nassau we headed down to our room to get ready for dinner. Headed down to dinner We met in the dining room at our usual table. Frances was really tired from her day at Blue Lagoon, so she didn’t join us that night. Oka and Gusti immediately brought a bread selection and started getting drink and food orders. They were always fast, and the food was always good during this trip. No complaints about the dining room at all. That night, Lucinda danced with the waiters again. I did something that I’ve always wanted to do but had never been brave enough......I got up and danced, too! It was a lot of fun, and I was glad I had finally done it. Lucinda made me brave! I told her, Liz, Cami and Kim that they were helping me. I wore a dress that was sleeveless that night as well. I struggle with poor body image sometimes and my tribe is helping me get over that. Ron has always been helpful...now the girls are helping, too. I’m so blessed to have Ron and such wonderful “friends who have become family.” Me! Believe it or not, I'm dancing! After dinner, Ron, Liz and I went down to buy some pictures. We got pictures of our group as a whole and of the six guys in their matching shirts. (I've already posted pictures of those pictures.) We met everyone except Aaron (he went to the casino) and Daryl and Frances (back to their cabin to rest) in the Liquid Lounge to see Shaun Brown do a Motown/Blues show. He was excellent! He’s a very talented singer and performer. At one point he invited a couple of ladies from the audience to come on stage as his back up dancers and to have a “twist off”. Everyone had a lot of fun. If you have an opportunity to see him, you won’t be disappointed! When the show was finished, we went up to the Lido Deck for the Mega Deck Party. They were doing the normal line dances....Cupid Shuffle, Cha Cha Slide, YMCA, etc. Ron and I danced the whole evening which is unusual for us and typically outside our comfort zone. We’re branching out! We were joined by Liz, Kim, Cami and Lucinda. Remember when I told you in the beginning that Cami had a double knee replacement in December? She was on the dance floor with everyone else for the duration of the party. She’s amazing! After dancing for a while, we found a table inside the Lido dining room and ate an 11pm piece of pizza. (My 55-year-old self would come to regret that decision later in the night. LOL) It was a wonderful day full of fun and new adventures. Just before I turned in, and before the clock ticked over to a new day, I checked my watch and realized that I had almost 9 miles of walking counted throughout the day. 20,000 + steps! I’ll take it! Ron and I planned to sleep late the next morning on our last sea day. Deck party To be concluded this weekend!

Thanks for your kind words and thanks so much for reading along!

(I'm going to attempt to get all of the Nassau story posted today. I'll finish it off when I get back from Mom's late this weekend.) Tuesday, February 7, 2023 – Nassau Morning dawned beautiful and calm. We were going to be able to dock and go into town. This was our 5th trip to Nassau, and we’ve been able to find something unique each time we were there. This day might have been the most unique yet. Towel animal takeover Towel animal takeover Towel animal takeover As usual, breakfast started on the Lido. Nearly our whole group was there together eating and waiting for the ship to dock and for us to be cleared to go ashore. Everyone was excited and ready to get started on the adventure. Four of the couples, Emory and Cami, Kim and Bobby, Daryl and Frances and Derrick and Lucinda were heading out for Blue Lagoon. Aaron, Liz, Ron and I had decided to go on a very long walking adventure to Ardastra Gardens to see the flamingos with a couple of stops each direction. It was an ambitious walk of several miles. Walking is my favorite exercise. Liz and I walk together frequently at home. The guys were fine for the hike, too, so....off we went. Aaron's mother ship....unfortunately it was closed when we go there....too early. Nassau dock - walkway between ships We started out across the pier. The new port area is really starting to take shape and it’s going to be amazing. I snapped a few pictures so you can check out the progress in case you haven’t been there recently. Construction Construction Vendor huts going up in new port area This looks like some sort of amphitheater being built. We turned right off the pier and walked down the main street. We dropped in a couple of shops along the way. Liz had been devastated to learn that there was NO Dr. Pepper on board even though they were serving Pepsi products. We were on the lookout for a store with a pop cooler so she could get her Dr. Pepper fix. Thankfully we were successful before she withered away from lack of Dr. Pepper. Liz had some free roaming service and was able to use Google maps for the day. It was a life saver because our path was a very convoluted one! She took the role of navigator, and we headed off to find West Hill St. In San Juan, La Fortaleza is known as the “umbrella street”. I happened to discover that Nassau ALSO has an umbrella street on West Hill St. Making it to this street was the first goal of the day. Umbrellas in the distance! The umbrellas were out and although they didn’t cover the entire street, they were lovely, and we were thrilled to see that they were there. The umbrellas were red and there were some suspended hearts as well for Valentine’s Day. We took a few pictures and found our way up a somewhat hidden staircase to our second and shortest stop....Graycliffe Chocolatiers. West Hill Street There are tours and activities that you can do at Graycliffe that I may try to do at some point but for today, we simply wanted to try a piece of their famous chocolate. I selected a chocolate and hazelnut combination, and Ron opted a chocolate and sea salt caramel. They were both delicious! They just melted in the mouth. Definitely worth the walk there. Liz consulted her map, and we continued on down West Hill St and turned right. We crossed a few residential streets and walked along beside a large cemetery and a Veteran’s cemetery. We walked past the humane society and a couple of dogs started walking with us. They were very friendly. We tried not to encourage them, but they didn’t need any encouragement and they went right along with us. One was wearing a pink collar, so she obviously had a home. After walking for a while longer, we came to our destination....Ardastra Gardens. We're walking.... ....and walking...... ....still smiling...... .....past the cemetery.... ...and the Veteran's cemetery. Turn here! Almost there!!! Liz and I ran across some information on the “trained” flamingos at Ardastra Gardens when we were searching for what to do in Nassau. The name is familiar to me, and I feel like I might have seen that offered as part of a shore excursion years ago. I may be wrong about that. The bottom line is I love flamingos and I can’t recall ever seeing one up close and personal. This was my chance! We arrived at Ardastra Gardens at 9:54 and waited only six minutes until they opened. We sat down on a bench for a welcome rest and were the first people to enter the Gardens that day. The dogs followed us in but were immediately shooed out. Of course, dogs and birds are NOT a good mix! We made it!! First in for the day Schedule Dogs and birds don't mix so our new friend had to leave. Ardastra Gardens is very interesting and pretty much self-guided. Some of the birds are just out wandering around on their own. We saw Macaws, Lorikeets, peacocks....even a completely white peacock. They were beautiful! There were other animals that seemed strange to me to have in a “zoo” setting because they’re quite common where I live....pigs, chickens, turkeys, rabbits, etc. They may be considered more exotic in the Bahamas where the flamingos are native. I know that swimming pigs are a “thing” in the Bahamas but, to be honest, that doesn’t hold any appeal for me. To each his own, I guess. I’m always very much a “you do you” kind of person. We were told to follow the path at our leisure and the flamingo area was just inside the pink gates. The flamingo show would begin at 10:30. This rooster thought Ron was getting a little too close. Walkways Walking Many of the birds were just loose Walkway Barn owl I can't remember what this guy was called More birds Pretty sure this is a lorikeet??? Macaw Monkey Loose peacock Peacock up close and personal Not sure why this guy was in jail but he's beautiful! Pigs....not exactly exotic! Rabbits??? Is it really a secret if there's a sign?? Turtles White peacock White peacock Wishing well We wandered along the paths looking at the various animals as we went. We found the pink gates and passed through. The flamingos were just wandering around on their own with no enclosures. We walked over to them, and they simply ignored us. They weren’t the least bit afraid. They’re beautiful! I had always heard that flamingos were pink, but these were actually more orange than pink. We wandered among the flamingos for a while taking pictures. These flamingos are trained and do a show. While we were there, their trainer came and called them, and they left us to follow him. We went to the flamingo show area and found a seat. Flamingo sign Through the pink gates Flamingos wandering around loose The show area is an octagon shaped lawn surrounded by a short wooden fence. The flamingos and their “drill instructor” entered the fenced area and walked around stopping at each side of the enclosure so the audience could get a good look at them. Their trainer instructed them to “forward march”, “about face”, “halt” and “pick it up”. The announcer told us a lot about the birds and the conservation efforts there on the island. The flamingo is the national bird of the Bahamas. We were then invited to come inside the enclosure in small groups for photo opportunities. Aaron opted to stay out and be the photographer. I immediately jumped up to go into the pen. The trainer took the birds to each group, and they stood very close to us and basically wandered around. We were told not to touch them and that they didn’t like to be touched. They walked very close to us on their own, completely unconcerned. The announcer instructed each group to assume the flamingo pose....arms out and standing on one leg.....for the picture. When they got to us and we were ready to assume the pose the announcer said, “Man in flamingo pants, you’d better be good at this!”. We all cracked up because none of us had noticed that Ron was wearing his flamingo swimming trunks. We assumed the pose and Aaron took pictures. It was so cool! I loved it! Waiting for the show Up close and personal Flamingo show Flamingo show Flamingos with their drill instructor They are tall with necks extended! Our flamingo pose We always say my girl will meet her death by attempting to pet things that shouldn't be petted. They told her "don't touch" and she didn't although she wanted to very badly! The show ended and we continued on through the gardens, finishing our tour at the gift shop. We purchased some water, and I also got a t-shirt and magnet. We had very much enjoyed our time at Ardastra Gardens, but we were now heading to our next stop, which was Junkanoo Beach. After another mile or so of walking, we arrived at Junkanoo Beach. Although this was my 5th trip to Nassau, I had never been to Junkanoo. It had been my hope and plan to do a little snorkeling. We found a place for our stuff, grabbed snorkel gear and headed to the water. It took my breath away it was so cold! That explains why there were lots of people on the beach but very few in the water! I stood in the surf for a minute or so, hoping I’d adjust, but never got used to the water temperature. I gave up on swimming this cruise. It just wasn’t meant to be. Ron has declared that future cruises will be held later in the year in hopes of milder temps and better weather. Junkanoo Lighthouse in the distance Ships in the distance You can barely read the sign After learning how cold the water was this was as close as I wanted to get! We gathered up our stuff....again.... and headed back toward the ship. We hadn’t gone far when we came upon Mama Gloria’s. It was a tiny little storage-style building with one open side window and it was painted pink. There was a sandwich sign near the sidewalk with their menu. Let me pause here and say that both Aaron and Derrick had really wanted to sample some conch fritters on this trip. They had even scoped out a particular location in Bimini. Obviously, that didn’t happen. They were disappointed but we must try to bear up under the weight of our disappointment and move ahead. Then...right there on the menu was a listing for “conch fritters”. It was a sign! (literally!) Aaron immediately stepped in line. I was glad he would get to try them after being patient enough to walk all the way to Ardastra Gardens for me. He’s a good sport! Mama Gloria's ]Menu First bite Conch fritters One thing you must give Mama Gloria...she doesn’t get in a hurry. It took FOREVER for the conch fritters to be ready. Ron, Liz and I sat on a bench and watched people go by while we were waiting. We even saw a guy get arrested. Still, Mama Gloria knows what she’s doing and will deliver when the time is right and the stars align. Finally, the conch fritters were passed through the window and the moment of truth had arrived. Aaron took his first bite. He pronounced them delicious and fantastic. He offered everyone a sample. I passed. I’m not a seafood eater and I’ve seen those things hanging out of their shells while they’re still alive. They look like really big slugs to me. Ron took a sample and agreed with Aaron that it was really good. Aaron polished those off in no time. I was very glad he’d managed to find some after all in spite of our cancelled port. We continued our walk along the waterfront, veering around a couple of hotel properties, passing Senor Frogs and finally had reached the Straw Market. Straw Market My first visit to the Straw Market was back in 2010. I DID NOT like it! It was in a tent at that time. The aisles of souvenirs were very close and I don’t do well with too many people talking to me at once, especially when they are trying to sell me something that I don’t want to buy. In the Straw Market, if you stop and look at something or make a comment, someone is going to come up and try to talk you into buying it. In 2010 I had gotten out of there as quickly as possible and swore I’d never go back. Fast forward to early 2022. Ron and I were in Nassau on Mardi Gras. We had been diverted to Nassau when our stop in Puerto Rico was cancelled. It was cold that day, too, so we did a walking tour of Nassau and after that tour, we had continued to stroll around on our own. We had stopped in the new Straw Market at that time. It still wasn’t fully reopened from COVID. There were very few vendors, and the aisles were wider. I did OK that time. Liz and Aaron hadn’t visited for a couple of years so they agreed that running in would be a good idea. My mistake! The new Straw Market is just like the old one now....very crowded, narrow aisles and people trying to sell you anything on which you made a comment. I walked into the market, hung a left down an aisle, turned right and went down another aisle and walked straight out of the building. I just couldn’t do it! Liz was ready to pummel one woman who was trying to sell me a dress as I was trying to get away. (Liz is pretty protective of me! I love her. She’s my girl!) Back out into the open air and a little more space I could finally breathe again. We’d eaten chocolate, saw the flamingos, tried the water and Aaron had eaten conch fritters. It was a good day, and it was time to go back to the ship. It was in the afternoon, and we hadn’t eaten lunch, so we were hungry.

It was fantastic! The guys were truly such good sports. It would have never occurred to me to do it. I'm very glad we did. That will be a fun memory for years to come!

And honestly, do I ever really “chastise”? Suggest alternatives, maybe, but chastise? 🙂

Yeah, that whole licking the head business was just….ewwwwww…

Oh wow! That's been a minute!!

Now where was I?? Oh, that's right! The girls were getting ready to prank the guys! The idea was originally proposed by Kim with assistance from Lucinda. Kim (who is brilliant and I’m SO happy I got to know her better on this cruise!) had seen a video of a bunch of guys who wound up wearing the same shirt that was purchased by their wives. Lucinda found a fantastic flamingo shirt and we all agreed it was a great idea. We ordered the shirts for each of the guys. We didn’t tell them that they would all have the same shirt. We simply told them “here’s-a-shirt-I-ordered-for-our-cruise” and left it at that. We used the guise of “Island Night” to get them all to cooperate for the sake of the group. I had a dress with a sort of palm frond print, Liz was wearing one of Aaron’s other Hawaiian shirts, Kim had a shirt that also had flamingos….you get the idea. You'd never expect such treachery from such a beautiful, innocent face, would you?? The only one of us to run into any trouble getting the guys ready was Kim. Bobby had TWO new Hawaiian shirts that he liked very much. One was the matching flamingo shirt, and the other was purple with flowers. (I loved the purple shirt, too!) He was debating between the two shirts and was leaning toward wearing the purple shirt. Kim’s shirt also had flamingos so she finally convinced him to wear his so they would match. Whew! Crisis averted! Little did he know that he definitely WOULD match….but not match Kim. Let me pause here to give you a little background on our room layout. Most of us had booked early on and all of the rooms were in a row together except for Bobby and Kim. They were on the same floor around the corner but when they booked, there were no closer rooms available. For that reason, Bobby didn’t get the initial shock that the rest of the guys encountered. Aaron and Derrick were first out of their rooms. They looked at each other and realized that they were wearing the same shirt. About that time, Emory came out of his room, then Ron and Daryl at about the same time. They all stood there, taking it in, that they were wearing matching shirts. We were all cracking up at this point. The guys took it like champs and thought it was really funny. We headed downstairs to meet up with Kim and Bobby. At this point, Bobby still had no idea. Meeting in the hallway Emory and Daryl We met them in the casino. As the guys started walking in, I heard Bobby say, “Did I miss something?” We were standing beside a photographer with a pirate background so....why not?...they posed for a picture. Everyone that went by complimented them on their shirts. They got compliments all evening! It was so much fun, and they were SUCH good sports! They all seem to actually like the shirts and I know Ron is planning to wear his again at some point. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see something unusual come to the girls on the next cruise! Bobby, seeing everyone else wearing the same shirt Getting ready to pose.... \ The result! Bobby and Kim Aaron and Liz Cami and Emory Frances and Daryl (sh'es not having it for some reason!) Derrick and Lucinda Ron and myself Derrick's selfie...... .....and someone sitting next to us was kind enough to take a picture. Tonight was going to be the Deal or No Deal game in the Liquid Lounge and it started at 7:30 with card sales happening before that. We had been getting out of dinner around 7:30 each night so the girls opted to skip dessert and go to the Liquid Lounge to pick up game cards. The guys stayed for dessert and caught up with us just before the game started. The theatre was pretty full, so we sat up in the balcony. Leon said, "Rub a bald guy's head for luck!" Derrick where are you?!?! LOL The game started. I don’t remember much about the first contestant. If I recall she won about $250. Not bad! The second contestant was the one we all remembered. He was from West Virginia, too. He told Leon at the beginning that he was going to risk it all every time. His first couple of rounds were pretty bad and we didn’t think he’d walk out with much. About three rounds into the game, things started looking up for him. He continued with his “risk everything” policy. When he turned down $300....then $400 we were all screaming at him to take the deal. He kept on. I don't ever recall being so invested in one of these games before! Finally, he got down to just two cases left. They offered him something like $562, and he took it. They opened the last two cases which were his, containing about $30, and the other one which had the $1000. It was the most exciting Deal or No Deal game I’ve seen and probably the biggest pay out. He played it perfectly. As for us, pretty much everyone won a bingo package, and several won some casino credit. It was a lot of fun! We probably owe that good luck to Derrick! After the game we headed to Lido for some ice cream and to hang out a little while as we waited for the Love and Marriage show to get started. One of the things I really enjoyed on this trip was simply the time spent with my friends and getting to know them all better. I will always treasure that time. They deserve ice cream for being such good sports! Jurassic World: Dominion was plying on the big screen. It was a nice night and several people were out watching the movie. Love the night time pics of the ship! Around 9pm we went back down to the theatre for Love and Marriage. Part of our group sat on the main floor and part of us sat in the balcony. I prefer the balcony so there's no chance I'll be called upon to do something. Ron and I don’t always go see the Love and Marriage show because it often has a lot of very cringe worthy moments. This show would be no exception. The selection process was pretty much the same for the most recently and longest married couples. The longest married couple had been married for 62 years. They were volunteered by their children. They were, oddly enough, sitting in the balcony. Hmmmmm.......I may need to rethink my strategy. This looks like cause for someone to be written out of the will if you ask me! They were good sports and as usual, the oldest couple was my favorite. The selection process for the middle couple took a while. Leon went through the theatre looking for the “best kiss”. As you might expect, the kissing got more and more outlandish as it progressed around the theatre. Finally, they narrowed it down and the middle couple was chosen. The game progressed as normal. Many of the questions were the same as previous games and there were some funny answers, some embarassing answers and some answers that just didn’t make much sense. The truly cringe worthy moment came on the last question from the youngest couple. I won’t go into the question or the answer here but, needless to say, I would have died of embarrassment. Leon even said “I can’t read this” when it was time to reveal the answer. This show would be one of those moments where I would have run from the theatre in a panic rather than to stay around and play. Those people are much braver than I would ever be! By this time, it was getting late and even though we’d missed our port, it had been a fun and very full day. Ron and I decided to head back to our cabin to read and sleep. Nassau was the next stop on the next day, and we were crossing our fingers that the weather would cooperate. At least it was no longer cold and windy! To be continued......

Well…kinda lets us know the hurricane wasn’t responsible. It does look like fire damage instead of wind damage.

That makes sense!

Great idea! Do you have a Cricut and like to do crafty things? I love my Cricut! I'll bet you could totally make something wonderful for Bimini...or anywhere else!

Oh wow! I love that! I had just written in the post above that I always get a magnet. I have several magnetic boards on our kitchen wall with magnets through the years. When people come to the house they always spend a couple of minutes looking at that. LOL It's a fun reminder! I think your porch is awesome! Thanks for reading along!

I know that Bimini only become a stop in the last couple of years, which is why I haven't been yet. It's the only one of the Bahamas ports that I haven't visited...most multiple times. I was really looking forward to the Sapona snorkel because I do enjoy snorkeling very much and the videos and such on that are very interesting. You can also climb up and jump off, which is exciting. My typical port purchase is a refrigerator magnet. LOL It isn't much, but I have magnetic boards on the wall of my kitchen with our travel magnets and it's a fun reminder of our trip! I don't know why they didn't have the ship specific magnets. They've had them on all the other ships. OH well, who knows?!?!?

Monday, Feb. 6th - Bimini (or so we thought) Finally! The weather was beautiful, the boat had stopped rocking and Bimini was in sight! We gladly jumped out of bed, cleaned up, put on swimsuits and headed up to Lido for a quick breakfast. The sky was still slightly overcast but there were definitely areas of blue and some white, puffy clouds. This was going to be a great day. I ate my croissant rather quickly because I was anxious to get off the ship and start exploring this new port. Aaron was up early for some sunrise pics and as we were pulling into Bimini. Pretty sunrise Bimini in the distance We met Aaron, Liz, Lucinda and Derrick on Deck 4 to watch the ship dock. Aaron had been on deck since fairly early because he was taking some great sunrise photos (see above). The six of us were all snorkeling together. We were scheduled to snorkel around the Sapona shipwreck, and I’d looked forward to it for months. Bimini was coming closer and closer but then.....it was moving further away. Wait! What’s up with that! We sailed further out and started passing the island. You could see the island RIGHT THERE! What are you doing, Mr. Captain?!??! About that time the captain came on the speaker system and announced that our call at Bimini would have to be cancelled due to unsafe docking conditions. I could have cried! I’m looking at beautiful skies and glassy water. I can SEE the land right there! But alas, it was not to be. We slowly sailed away leaving Bimini behind us, further and further in the distance. It just seems too mean! We would later learn that although the surface of the water appeared calm, there was a strong undercurrent that was pushing the ship away from the dock. Aaron said he had observed this while taking pictures. Every time they approached the dock, the back of the ship would move away. They could not safely extend the gangway because the ship wouldn’t stay in one place. For that reason, we weren’t able to dock. It makes sense but it was still disappointing. Aaron and Liz on deck waiting This looks very much like a plan being hatched! Lots of people were waiting on deck.... ....including Derrick and Lucinda. Always having fun! Pure sass if you ask me! Apparently this is as close as I will come to snorkeling this winter! Ron turned to our little group and said, “Since we’re all dressed to swim, let’s find a hot tub!” We headed up to Serenity and found the hot tub at the top of the waterfall to be nearly empty. We all got in and sat around talking for the next 30 - 40 minutes. One thing about that particular hot tub....it was HOT! You couldn’t stay in it very long. Imagine lobsters boiling in a pot. I was feeling the whole lobster vibe. Although we missed Bimini and were definitely disappointed, we decided to make the best of the day we had and headed to our rooms to change and see what was on the new schedule that had just landed in the HUB app. Our towel animal for the day Lots of trivia was on the schedule so Ron and I joined Liz, Daryl and Frances to go play a couple of games. We didn’t win but it was still fun. After the trivia game was over, we caught up with Aaron and the four of us went to play mini-golf. Mini-golf on the ship is always challenging for me because the ball tends to roll around more than normal. I’m never a good golfer even on a normal day. Liz and Aaron play regularly at home, so I was proud to have a three way tie score with them. Ron had some bad luck with the wind and was a stroke behind the three of us. Aaron, Liz and Ron tee off I look like I'm trying to dance badly...no idea what I was actually doing! I know exactly what was going on here....I lost my ball. Oops! Still a little windy! While we were up on the Sports Deck, we decided to try out the ropes course, which was open. This particular course has a little different support system than the others I’ve experienced. All the other courses on the ships we’ve sailed had a fixed metal bar across the top of the course and your harness hooked into that bar. It didn’t give or sway at all. This one has two braided metal wires that went across each obstacle. It shifted way more than the fixed bar. For me, it was harder to pull myself up since I don’t have a tremendous amount of upper body strength anyway. Aaron preferred this system and was zipping around the course like nobody’s business. At one point I fell and was having trouble getting up on the platform. Aaron pretty much grabbed my harness and lifted me onto the platform. On the other courses it’s usually possible to make multiple laps but that isn’t the case on this course. You must go back down to where you were harnessed by the staff at the end of the course. Aaron and Liz on the course Ropes course finished, we headed down to get some lunch. Ron went to the Mongolian Wok. I got a salad and some pizza. We met up back in the Havana area. On the side of the Havana bar there were four trays. They had Cuban sandwiches (sliders really), pork empanadas, beef empanadas and a dessert that I can’t remember. Ron and I tried the empanadas and the sliders. The slider was the best of the three in my opinion. Both empanadas were a little bland. I noticed later in the week that they switched out the beef empanada for the chicken variety, but I never got around to trying that one. As always, I love the selection of cakes on the Lido during lunch. I think those are my favorite desserts during the entire cruise. They are better and have a larger selection than what is offered in the dining room in the evenings. After lunch we went up to Deck 10 to read. Most of our group went back to their cabins for a nap. We read for a little while but then followed suit as it seemed like a good idea. I had a little trouble going to sleep. I read a while and finally snuck down to Java Blue for a lemon meringue cupcake while Ron was still sleeping. It’s my favorite cupcake and I will get only one per cruise. When I got back to the cabin Ron was awake. Liz and I on deck Ron reading We decided to go see what we could find to do. In the hallway, we ran into Aaron, Derrick and Lucinda. They were going back to the ropes course so we decided to go with them. Liz was in the casino and opted not to join us that time. I knew Lucinda had wanted to try the ropes course, but I was a little surprised by Derrick. I knew he was afraid of heights, but he tackled that thing like a Boss!! I did better, too, this time and Aaron didn’t have to pull me up on the platform. We had a great time! Derrick on the course Lucinda on the course Togetherness! Ron made everyone stop on the same platform for a picture! After we finished with our second round on the ropes course, Ron and I decided to go visit the shops and see if we could find a ship specific magnet. No luck! This surprised me. I’ve never been on a ship that DIDN’T have ship specific magnets. Go figure. Liz told me she had looked for a Bimini t-shirt and couldn’t find that either. Maybe supply chain issues are still a problem? It was getting close to time to get ready for dinner. We had designated tonight as “Island Night”. Several of the guys had wanted to wear a Hawaiian shirt at least one night. Ron had several and always enjoys them. What they DIDN’T know is they were about to be pranked by the girls! To be continued........

That is so true!!

I'd never even been to one before. There are usually other things I prefer to do, but in this case, the timing was just right. I was happy that it was Frances who won. Liz and I have both sailed multiple times, but this was Frances's first and probably only sailing. Daryl says he had fun, but he doesn't want to do it again. He's the only one from our group who ISN'T ready to go again. LOL I wanted her to have a great experience. Thanks for reading along!

Yes, I learned about that noise ordinance after the fact. It was definitely an interesting sail away.

I wound up with a cancellation at work today so I'm going to try to get all of the first Sea Day posted. Here goes,,,,,,,,, Sun, Feb 5th - Sea Day Morning came as it typically does. We had slept in a little and awakened to discover that it was STILL cold and windy. (Ugh, what’s up with that!?!) The seas were rough. The ship was rocking. Water was sloshing out of the pool. Ropes course was closed. Many passengers reported being seasick. We didn’t have anyone in our group who was actively seasick, but several were wearing motion sickness patches and Bobby, especially, was not enjoying the rolling seas. I think he had forgotten to put on his patch earlier. Once he was wearing it, he felt much better. A few more of our group were not completely sick but not feeling great either. Not the best first day we’ve ever had! I had wanted so badly for their first cruise to be perfect in every way, but the weather just refused to cooperate. We still had a wonderful time and most of us were already ready to do it again. Bobby wasn't feeling well but he was still up and about We went to Lido deck for breakfast. If you read my Magic Story you might remember that I mentioned...several times...that the croissants really didn’t have much taste and I was disappointed because they were my favorites. Apparently, I mentioned it enough times that Liz was calling it “croissiantgate”. I am happy to report that the croissants were good, and my faith has been restored. Most of our group opted for the Sea Day Brunch and reported it was quite good. Not being big breakfast eaters, Ron and I usually gravitated to Lido for something quick and relatively light. After breakfast we headed down to Ocean Plaza for our first trivia game of the cruise. We were joined by Aaron, Liz, Daryl and Frances. The subject was General Trivia, and it was, as expected, quite difficult. We didn’t even come close to winning on that one. There was only one trivia game, so Ron decided to go read, Aaron headed for the casino and Liz, Frances and I went to the Fun Aboard, Fun Ashore presentation. Waiting for trivia to begin in Ocean Plaza I had never attended the Fun Aboard, Fun Ashore presentation before. Liz had attended a few and said it was interesting. It was held in the Liquid Lounge. There were quite a few people in attendance, which I’m sure was partly due to the bad weather. We sat in the balcony. As we entered everyone was given a ticket. They highlighted the various stores on the ship and available excursions at the two ports of call. Me, Liz, and Frances at the Fun Aboard, Fun Ashore presentation (I've probably mixed those up at least a couple of times!) They gave away lots of prizes. One of the last prizes available was a Beach Day for Two at Blue Lagoon in Nassau. Ron and I had visited Blue Lagoon in 2021 with Liz and Aaron. Half of our group, Emory, Cami, Kim, Bobby, Daryl and Frances had already signed up to do the Dolphin Encounter at Blue Lagoon. As Leon read off the number of the winner, I looked at my ticket and told Liz that I’d only missed it by one number. Now… you have to understand that Frances is very quiet. She nudged Liz and quietly told her that she had that ticket with the winning number. By this time, they had started to count down and they were going to give the excursions to someone else. I jumped up and started yelling and waving my arms. Frances started laughing at me. Leon yelled that I’d almost missed it because they had started counting down. I told him I was trying and to work with me. It was a big, glorious mess that culminated with Frances walking out with two tickets to a beach day at Blue Lagoon! It was something like nearly $200 in shore excursion value. As we walked along looking for the rest of our group, Frances said she wasn’t sure what to do with the tickets since she was already going to Blue Lagoon. She decided to give them to Derrick and Lucinda because they would have been the only ones in our party who hadn’t been there. We caught up with our friends and Frances told Lucinda that she’d like to give her the tickets. Lucinda was so excited! She gave Frances a big hug. It was a great surprise, and everyone was thrilled at Frances’s good luck and that Lucinda and Derrick would be going along to experience Blue Lagoon. It was lunch time and we headed up to the buffet for lunch. Different people got food from different places, but we ultimately sat in the Havana area to eat. After lunch, Ron and I played one more game of trivia, hid a duck and went to read and take a nap. The constant rocking and rolling WAS rather tiring! Gathering for lunch Lunch cakes are the BEST! (This is actually from the first day because that is Funfetti cheesecake however, there were great cakes EVERY day.) This would be elegant night. We all got dressed up and headed out to find a place that could handle a large group for a picture. I was trying to find our dining room but got turned around and made us walk around unnecessarily. I felt terrible about it! During our yearlong planning session, we had an ongoing group chat. That was a lot of fun. Emory had said I was his "Julie McCoy". Remember Julie from “The Love Boat”? Obviously, my cruise director vibe was way off this time because I totally lost our dining room! We finally were headed in the right direction, thankfully. The first couple of backgrounds we found couldn’t handle the large group. We finally found a setting on top of the stairs and another on the stairs itself that could photograph a dozen people at once. It took some doing but we were happy with the results. I was really glad we made the effort because I really wanted those pictures of our first cruise. (I seriously doubt it will be the last cruise together but still, this one was special.) On to dinner! As I said, tonight was elegant night. Several of our group opted for oysters. Daryl had been talking about oysters on the drive down and now as the time! Derrick had also mentioned oysters and was in full "eat-it-all" mode. Ron and I both had the prime rib. It was very good. The whole evening was a lot of fun. I think the dinners were some of my favorite parts of the trip because we were all together laughing and having a great time. Waiting for dinner to be served After dinner we headed back out to Limelight to see Carl Faulkenberry again. This time Daryl and Frances joined us. Unfortunately, it was the same show we had seen the night before. It was still funny, and we still enjoyed it. I had every intention of trying to make it back for his second show later in the week, but it just didn’t happen. Limelight Lounge After the comedy show we headed to the Liquid Lounge for the production show. It was originally supposed to be “Latin Nights” but due to the weather and the movement of the ship, they changed the show to just singing and did something called “Studio VIP”. It was very good, and we enjoyed it very much. The Playlist cast always does a great job. After the show we got some ice cream. Not long afterward Ron and I headed to bed. We were really looking forward to visiting Bimini since we’d never been there, and we were going to get to snorkel at the Sapona shipwreck. I love snorkeling! Ron and I waiting for the show Ron found a pirate duck! Our second towel animal On to Bimini! (to be continued.........)

Thanks so much for reading along and I hope you have an awesome cruise! Not exactly an "assignment" as much as a surprise! Some of my pics are a little out of order but the story of those shirts will up in an upcoming post along with some more extensive photos. LOL The ladies were quite proud of that achievement!

Sail away was at 4pm. It was cold and windy. (Did I mention that it was cold??) This was one of the stranger sail aways that I can recall. We took our place on the rail on Deck 11, expecting the music and dancing to get started at any time. It wasn’t to be. This was a quiet sail away. Too quiet. No music, no dancing, no blowing the ship’s horn. What’s up with that?? I would later learn that there is a noise ordinance in Charleston, and they cannot do those things that we normally do on a sail away. Go figure! It felt strange. Still....even though it was quiet, cold and windy (did I mention that it was cold??) it was still just as exciting as always. I LOVE that feeling of getting started on a new adventure! At one point Lucinda turned to us and asked, “Does it ever get old?” The answer is no! It never, NEVER gets old. Every cruise and every sail away is just as exciting as the very first cruise in 2010. I love them all! Port of Charleston Port of Charleston Port of Charleston Passing a fort as we sail out As we were standing on the rail, a very drunk man stepped up beside Aaron and started a conversation. He started off by asking if Aaron was drunk, too. The answer was no, not drunk. I don’t think he had even had an adult beverage at that point. The poor guy was on his first cruise and was scared to death. He proceeded to complain about the weather (It was cold and windy, you know.) and how he was nervous about sailing in the storm. At that point, Aaron started feeling a little “nauti”. (That was a terrible pun, I know! I’m ashamed. LOL) Aaron told the poor drunk guy that he had “checked the nautical charts and this would “be bad for the next couple of days.” The guy was dismayed. The wife asked Aaron why he’d told the guy that. The guy was ready to get off the ship immediately. Aaron thought it was hysterical because he had made it all up. He told them he was kidding. Turns out, Aaron was right! It WAS stormy and bad for the rest of the day and all of the next day! Could he have cursed us with his joke?? Hmmm........ Hanging out on the railing Getting ready to sail Lucinda's first duck Ron and I during our cold sail away We all stayed on deck in the COLD and WIND for about 30 minutes watching as we headed out to sea. We passed the little island with the cross. We passed Fort Sumpter. When it became apparent that there wasn’t going to be a party, we headed inside to get warmed up and cleaned up a little for dinner. Ron found a pirate duck on the way to dinner. So cute! I also set out one of my Valentine’s Day ducks. My ducks in a row First duck Dinner every evening with this group was so much fun! We all managed to sit together at a large round table. Our waitstaff consisted mainly of Oka and Gusti. They were awesome! Service was always quick and the food was very good overall. We didn’t have any evening when we felt that service was slow. It was probably one of the best dining room experiences we’ve had on our cruises. I had the chicken parm and finished off which chocolate melting cake (of course!). One aside, Ron and Aaron both had calamari and neither of them thought it was very good this time. Dinner - First night Dinner - First night While we had one of the large round tables, so did another group immediately behind where Bobby sat each night. He sometimes had a little difficulty hearing what we were saying to him because we were in front of him, but he had NO problem hearing what was being said behind him, whether he wanted to know or not! He heard one lady describe how she had worn the wrong undergarments and was having problems with them riding high and a gentleman who gave a detailed....very detailed....recap of his day at the spa. He didn’t relay much of what he heard and refused to give details, but it was definitely a funny quirk of his hearing aids. We love our “friends who have become family”! When the waitstaff did their song and dance the first night, Lucinda joined them. She’s amazing! Her energy and enthusiasm really set off our entire day and made everyone around her smile. The trip was off to a great start! Lucinda's first dance After dinner several of us went to the Limelight Lounge to see Carl Faulkenberry’s comedy act. He was hysterical! He’s definitely one of my top five favorite comedians that we’ve seen on a ship. If you have a chance to see him, I highly recommend it. He is from Texas and has sort of a deadpan style. It worked! We were laughing the whole time. Carl Faulkenberry After the comedy show we went to the Welcome Aboard show and met up with the rest of our crew minus Daryl and Frances who had gone back to their cabin to rest. There are large circular couches with some chairs behind them in the Liquid Lounge. These worked very well for us, and we tried to get one every time we went to a show or event in the theatre. We “met” Leon the cruise director. I loved him! He was so engaging and EVERYWHERE on the ship. They did the typical “shake the balls out of the containers” game and Playlist did an abbreviated show. The funny thing is, this would be the ONLY production show we would be able to catch for the entire cruise. The other nights were singing and a very small amount of dancing, apparently due to weather conditions. I wish those in our group who were on their first sailing could have seen an actual full-length show. Still, these were good. Kim commented at the end of the cruise on how much she had enjoyed the shows. I know she and Bobby plan to sail again so hopefully she’ll be able to catch a full production at some point. Leon, our cruise director, at the Welcome Aboard Show Goofing off....as usual! After the show, we pretty much scattered. Some went back to their rooms, some went to the casino, Ron and I took a stroll on the deck to see if the weather had improved (it hadn’t...still COLD and WINDY), got an ice cream and decided to call it a night. Our first towel animal was there where we got back. To be continued..........

You know that every time I go to FL I can’t stay away from a port. Disney hasn’t “grabbed” me like that. Who knows what the future holds?