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It's a BFF cruise - no husbands allowed. We will be sailing on the Carnival Magic. Five of us. For four of us this is our third cruise together...the second for the fifth person.

We met the travel agent at lunch.

Drive to Galveston that morning. Sail to Key West, then Nassau Bahamas, then Freeport Bahamas. Then back to Galveston. It's just a shame we have a whole year to wait!!!

(Us in Cozumel last spring.)

Looks like a mischievous bunch, lol

We are a HOT bunch...literally...melting in the humidity in Cozumel that day.

Oh what fun! I was just on a 6 night cruise with my sister. So nice to get away with no husbands. (I do like to travel with DH) Cruising is such a wonderful vacation. Get there unpack and let someone else do everything else.

When we went to Cozumel the first time it was in May. We took a cooking class at one of the resorts and one of our fellow students fainted in the unairconditioned building. Of course it could have been a combination of heat and tequila also.

I love Key West - the last time there we rented bicycles. Previously we did the Trolley tour - off and on so we could visit Hemmingway house, Truman Whitehouse, etc.

Nassau has some interesting stops also, but we've been tons of times over the years. I would love to see Freeport again. I was last there about 1981.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Charming,

Oh, how fun, Sherry! I'll go start packing...

This message has been edited. Last edited by: nance425,

Did you forget that we were also your virtual BFF's? I've never been to Texas, YeeHaw!

How fun!

Hey, where's the big hat?????

We are 2 to a room and 3 to a room - adjoining rooms. nance - there's room for one more!!! Any more and we'll have to get another room...and another suv to get us there.

Come on Charming! Any time you are in Texas anywhere around interstates 20 and 30 give me a call!

Indexlady, I didn't have the big hat then. LOL Besides we're country enough - well - we're country enough that if I had the hat on it wouldn't have made any difference!

Yep. I want to start packing! NOW!

Sure wish we were rich instead of so darn good looking! We cruise every other year. We'd like to cruise EVERY year...and if we had enough money to fly to another port instead of drive to Galveston...oh my the trips we could have!!!

quote:

Originally posted by KeepYouInStitches:
.and if we had enough money to fly to another port instead of drive to Galveston...oh my the trips we could have!!!

I'm going to guess that car ride with you ladies is half the fun! Have a good time next year, February is a great time to visit the Keys!

quote:

Originally posted by KeepYouInStitches:
Yep. I want to start packing! NOW!

Sure wish we were rich instead of so darn good looking! We cruise every other year. We'd like to cruise EVERY year...and if we had enough money to fly to another port instead of drive to Galveston...oh my the trips we could have!!!

Add an extra day at each end and make it a road trip.

LOL Seattle is a bit more than one day - Alaskan cruise.

Have a great time looking forward to it and on the cruise. Our cruise to Hawaii out of L.A is right around the corner.It is a 15 day trip and my dream to celebrate 50 years of married bliss.

Sounds like a blast! I'll bet you'll have the best time!

We ALWAYS do! Four of us are married - the other is widowed. None are "looking." We can be goofey but not stoopid.

Temperaments are similar. Three cruises and no one has been tossed overboard...yet. I'm sure they've been tempted to push me...I mean push one of the others...but it hasn't happened...as I already type...YET!

There's one who wants lights out and television off before two of us are ready...so we stick her in the other room. I read, Nancy falls asleep to the television. When I get through reading I turn the television and light off and go to sleep.

Looks like lots of fun, are you all long time friends?

Two of us have been BFFs since 5th grade.

In the big chair, she's front left in the red with white ferns top - Earlene.

I'm back right, white top...Don't I look like the youngest of the group?! ...Younger than Earlene by 11 months.

Her older sister, Beckle, is directly behind her.

Far right, white shirt with pale blue flowers, Nancy, and BFF both worked for the city for several years (two different locations) and became very good friends.

Earlene still works for the city as the town's librarian.
Nancy is the executive administrative assistant for the county sheriff.
I am administrative assistant for the county judge.

Front center, Rosemary, is a dispatcher at the sheriff's office. Rather, was. She started work for a different county just this week.

Nancy, Beckle, Rosemary share the same birth year! For a group of random women I think that's a neat coincidence! But they're going to be mad at me and threaten - again - to toss me overboard for blabbing that I'm the youngest.

Oh..Beckle is retired.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: KeepYouInStitches,

That is so neat! I can't imagine still hanging around with my friend from the 5th grade....was that the real deal or what? LOL!
My best friend from high school, I haven't seen or heard from her in 20 years. Maybe I should try and find her.

KYIS, What is your nearest major airport, Houston or Dallas? Cruise lines have some great Air/Sea Packages where the airfare is included at a fraction of the cost you would usually pay. You might check them out for your next adventure ~ that is after the one currently planned!

About long-time friends? I first met one of my BFFs in 1st grade but the longest one? Well, she was born on May 13th and I was born 6 weeks later on July 3rd ~ our parents lived next door to each other ~ so we've been friends LITERALLY all of our lives!

DFW (Dallas-Ft Worth) is the closest. We may have to look into that option. We are also talking about driving trips in the future...to Fredricksburg TX, Hot Springs AR, Vicksburg MS, New Orleans LA (NOT during Mardi Gras!).

LOL We've been looking at the deals for people who have cruised on the same cruise line repeatedly. There are some really good buys this week for sailing in two weeks - going to Jamaica and Belize, etc. We may be doing this again in 2016. We will check into the fly-cruise deals.

How wonderful and exciting!!! I've been to Freeport and loved it; went on a daylong luau thing that had the most wonderful Caribbean food!!!!!!!!!!

Watch out for the 'Bahama Mamas' cocktails

Ooooh! We'll have to look in into the Caribbean food thing!

Don't worry...I'll keep a close eye on the Bahama Mamas - as long as I can keep them open.

When I was in Freeport - centuries ago, the hotel had a version of the Junkanoo festival. Huge buffet of Caribbean foods and Junkanoo entertainers. I still have photos - it was our first time at such an event and made quite an impression.

Sooo, still going on your cruise after this mess with the Carnival ship in the Gulf?

I replied earlier today, but it got eaten...

I want to eat Caribbean foods. Buy Junkanoo crafts. And see Junkanoo entertainers! I stumbled across that term just last week.

ga.karen. Yes! My 2012 cruise was on the Triumph. The ship was in bad need of complete revamping then. My niece and her family were on it in December...she had the same opinion. It is a really outdated ship. Our travel agent friend was on the Triumph the week before we booked our 2014 cruise. He said that they were supposed to make two stops, but the ship had mechanical problems and made only one stop before returning to Galveston.

In 2014, we will be on the Magic which first sailed in 2011. I think it's the newest Carnival ship. We are in more danger of being involved in a vehicle accident driving to Galveston or returning home than we are in a cruise incident.

quote:

Originally posted by KeepYouInStitches:

In 2014, we will be on the Magic which first sailed in 2011. I think it's the newest Carnival ship. We are in more danger of being involved in a vehicle accident driving to Galveston or returning home than we are in a cruise incident.

KYIS, So true ~ accidents with cruise ships seldom happen but when they do, they make the news!

DH and I have been cruising since the late 70's when we were the youngest passengers on board. It's a great way to see the world although our choice of cruise lines tends to smaller ships than today's mega-liners. Our favorites are long gone - Carras Lines with the "Danae," Orient Lines with the "Marco Polo" and Sun Lines with the beloved "Stella Solaris" ~ sigh ~ we'll never see that class of cruising again but it is still a wonderful way to travel.

Idaho - we cruised on the "Marco Polo" a few years back - 21-day cruise from London to France - Portugal, Spain, South of France, Italy. We took every single tour - and saw so much - many ports of call - it was fabulous. We were celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary.

Oh IR and Seaborne!!! You both make me so jealous. For monetary reasons our cruises must depart Galveston.

I can always dream though!

DH and I did enjoy an Alaskan cruise in 2008 - his son paid for it. Very generous. DH found that he really didn't like cruising. He didn't participate on anything aboard ship...just roamed the ship. He likes to drive but they wouldn't let him on the bridge.

The problems this time...to not cruise again...

Look at the people who live on the coast and deal with hurricanes (which affect more people)...or like me who live in "tornado alley" and had tornado drills all through school but never a tornado to worry about here...look at the number of bus accidents lately but people still ride buses...airplane malfunctions and accidents...

I watched the local news this morning as they interviewed several locals (northeast Texas/northwest Louisiana) who had just gotten off the Triumph. Two women had had their hot shower and hot meal and were grinning ear-to-ear. Yes conditions were terrible, but the majority of the passengers and all of the crew worked together to make the best of it.

I guess what I'm trying to say is - it depends on YOU and how YOU cope with something like this. To a certain extent you can decide how you are going to face an abnormal situation. Either cave and moan and groan...or make the best of it.

I do seriously pray for those with health issues made worse or stemming from the situation on the Triumph.

quote:

Originally posted by KeepYouInStitches:
The problems this time...to not cruise again...

Look at the people who live on the coast and deal with hurricanes (which affect more people)...or like me who live in "tornado alley" and had tornado drills all through school but never a tornado to worry about here...look at the number of bus accidents lately but people still ride buses...airplane malfunctions and accidents...

I watched the local news this morning as they interviewed several locals (northeast Texas/northwest Louisiana) who had just gotten off the Triumph. Two women had had their hot shower and hot meal and were grinning ear-to-ear. Yes conditions were terrible, but the majority of the passengers and all of the crew worked together to make the best of it.

I guess what I'm trying to say is - it depends on YOU and how YOU cope with something like this. To a certain extent you can decide how you are going to face an abnormal situation. Either cave and moan and groan...or make the best of it.

I do seriously pray for those with health issues made worse or stemming from the situation on the Triumph.

Totally agree, my husband is the type of person you never hear a foul word or negative statement out of his mouth, he only sees the good in people or the situation... being stranded in a foreign country b/c the airline schedule is not like ours means we get to take a walk through the airport and learn new things. So... traveling with this man is a real learning experience as well as a development in character...

Husband, his wife before me, and their two kids were in Europe (I forget which country) waiting to board their flight home. There was a delay of some sort. The kids were whiny, but he and ex got them settled down. He watched as passengers swarmed the desk wanting information now! Eventually, he did approach the desk and asked if they had any idea how much longer...he was given an approximate length of time and thanked for his understanding.

Time to board came...as the waiting area cleared out, he again approached the desk with concern...he was told that they would be taken care of soon. Well - taken care of meant that since he hadn't shown his behind in demanding to be placed on the flight immediately...the entire family was bumped to 1st class! Being nice pays!!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: KeepYouInStitches,

quote:

Originally posted by Seaborne:
Idaho - we cruised on the "Marco Polo" a few years back - 21-day cruise from London to France - Portugal, Spain, South of France, Italy. We took every single tour - and saw so much - many ports of call - it was fabulous. We were celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary.

Seaborne, Then you were very fortunate ~ the "Marco Polo" and Orient Lines was one of the best lines afloat! I loved the way they included airfare, pre/post hotel stays and always had the very best tours including both cultural enrichment and adventures for those so inclined!

DH and I are so glad that we scrimped and saved to travel when we were quite young and the "Marco Polo" was simply a ship that we will never see again. Did you know that it was originally built in 1956 as an ice-reinforced breaker for the Russians with a double hull before it was transformed into a passenger ship?

We literally traveled all over the world courtesy of it ~ Europe, the Baltics, South America, Antarctica and several Trans-Atlantic trips but, even then, things didn't always work perfectly. We were on board when it got "stuck" in the Kiel Canal in Germany as well as when it was involved in an accident in Antarctica ~ causing us to have to cross the dreaded Drake Passage twice in a couple of weeks when most people, in their right minds, would only do it once!

Oh, and we were caught in a hurricane between the Med. Sea and the Rock of Gibraltar for 3 days aboard the Stella Solaris on a three continent adventure one time ~ don't believe the old saying of "any port in a storm." Ships can't dock in such weather ~ you just have to ride it out on the open seas.

But it never discouraged us from cruising - far from it. My point is that disasters can occur anytime when traveling and I think cruise lines are as safe, if not safer, than any other modes of travel. Just have to go with the flow; no pun intended!

PS. Seaborne, did you realize your name is the same as a cruise line?

IR - we do consider ourselves very lucky to have had our 21-day cruise on the Marco Polo - and all the sights we saw as a result. My DH had never been to Europe prior to that first cruise on the MP, so it was a good introduction for him. (I had been to Europe with my brother a couple of times without DH.) We stayed in London for 3 days at the beginning of the trip and in Rome for 3 days at the end. Then, we went on from there via rail to Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, and Germany - spending 6 weeks - we also rented a car finally to tour Austria / Bavaria. We had hoped that we would be able to sail again with the Orient Lines on the Marco Polo II - but sadly, to the best of our knowledge, they are no longer in operation.
You have really seen it all, IR. Good for you. We have also sailed on the Royal Clipper Line - th 5-masted sailing ship - fabulous experience - about 300 passengers - we sailed the Med and the Caribbean on that ship. Otherwise, I've flown to Europe to visit my Croatian relatives, where my family home is on an island off the Dalmatian Coast (on the Adriatic Sea). And I've traveled to South Africa on a memorable trip with my daughter. And we, too, traveled widely when we first retired - knowing that we should "go" while we were "able."