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kelz66
Funnel Deck Cruiser
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Posted: Mon Jan 22nd, 2007 01:46 pm | 1st Post |
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Fantasy 01/08/2007
Saturday
Personal Driver Service arrived early and had us on our way to PHL at 8:30 am. We arrived at the airport by 9:00 am and took advantage of USAir’s curbside check-in where we found out that we were assigned seats in different rows. When we got inside we checked with customer service to see about having our seats changed so we’d be together. The agent wasn’t able to do that for us since we were more than an hour before our flight, so Paul asked if any first class seats were available. There were two seats in first class, so we upgraded (Margie was very happy!) and then went to Jet Rock for breakfast and bloody marys. We boarded our plane at 10:45 and we were off to the Big Easy at 11:15. Paul and I both napped and read during the flight which was just over two and a half hours. When we arrived at MSY there was a short walk to the baggage claim area and we waited about 15 minutes for the baggage to start coming out. The first and third bags to come out were ours (how cool is that?), but our last bag took much longer to surface. After we had our bags we went out to the taxi stand and got a cab to our hotel, the Holiday Inn on Royal Street, where we checked in and dropped off our belongings. Since we hadn’t eaten besides bagels at 9:30 am and cookies on the plane we were famished so we asked the front desk to direct us to Mother’s. Mother’s was recommended to us from the great people on cruise critics, so we walked over (about 10 minutes from the hotel). Mother’s serves Po’Boys, gumbo and other regional favorites. Paul ordered a Ferdi Po’Boy which has roast beef, debris (bits and pieces that fall off the roast when cooking), ham and cheese on a soft long roll with shredded cabbage, pickles, mayonnaise and two different mustards. I ordered roast beef one which is the same thing minus the ham and cheese. Our sandwiches were delicious, messy, but truly wonderful. While we were finishing up lunch Randy, Chris, Zone, Meredith, Shelby and Jenny from our group arrived. While they were finishing up lunch, we gave them my cell number and asked them to call us to tell us which bar to meet them at. Paul and I walked back to the hotel, stopped at a little shop to get beads and magnets and then up to our room to freshen up. Shelby called and told us to head for Razzoos on Bourbon Street. Walking down Bourbon Street was when it really sunk in that we were in New Orleans. The bright neon lights and bar after bar was exactly what I thought it would be about. We got to Razzoos and met up with the crew from cruisecritics who now included Lynne & PeeWee as well as Brenda. Everyone took advantage of their three drinks for the price of one special. They had a great plasma screen so we watched the Dallas Cowboys lose to the New England Patriots in one of the wildcard games. We saw lots of interesting sights (including a very drunk woman in her fifties who tried to earn some beads on the dance floor if you know what I mean). Dan and Melissa from the board who are residents in the New Orleans area arrived at the bar. Dan had on a beautiful white jacket with tails and a hat that had the word Selucrey embroidered upon it. I asked him what it meant and he told me it has something to do with returning to strength and that it spells Hercules backwards with a y instead of an h. Later in the evening Heatheranne and Russ (who were driving from Atlanta) arrived at the bar. Not too long after they arrived the music went from rock to dance to hip-hop. Since that music did not interest any of us, we went across the street to get a slice of pizza, then into a jazz club where we heard beautiful music and enjoyed a cocktail. After the short walk back to the hotel we agreed to try to hook up Sunday morning to see some more of the sites of this great city.
Sunday
Sunday morning came and Paul and I got up early and decided to go to the breakfast buffet in the hotel’s restaurant. The food was standard buffet fare and was good. After breakfast we went to Walgreens to pick up those items that were left back in Philadelphia that we needed, i.e. sun block. Later that morning we met up with Heatheranne (Russ was still on Russ time so he’d meet up with us later) and we walked down Royal Street in search of beignets towards Louis Armstrong Park. Along the way we admired the buildings and in particular the ornate iron work. We happened upon Café Beignet and went inside to place our order. Over our very early lunch we got to learn a little about each other. When we finished up eating we continued to walk toward the park. To say that it was humid is a vast understatement. The air was almost thick, but we were in no hurry so we kept walking. Some of the porches had so many beautiful plants that it made me really envy them. Russ caught up with us around the time we made it to the park only to find that it was closed. We don’t know if it is closed for repairs or if it is closed to the public on Sundays. I was disappointed that we couldn’t check it out, but we enjoyed so much else along the walk. On our way back to the hotel Heatheranne and Russ told us they were probably going out for oysters that evening. Paul and I aren’t that adventurous, so we passed. We went back to the hotel and I changed from pants and a long sleeve top to a guaze type dress with a short sleeve jacket. I was much more comfortable. Paul and I decided to go out and find another three for one and landed at Bourbon Street Blues Company. I noticed that on the walls of the bar there were t-shirts from a variety of EMS and law enforcement agencies all over the country tacked up. I don’t know if that was related to Katrina assistance or if the owner is a retired EMS or law enforcement worker, but it was interesting to see all the different shirts. The music at the bar was a good mix of rock and the announcer (I don’t think she was a dj, rather a beautiful young girl who got people up to dance) was a Philadelphia Eagles fan, so we at least had one alliance for the second game. We hung out there for a while and saw our other cruise critics folks walking down the street to a variety of other establishments. Heatheranne and Russ were at Razzoos in the courtyard so after they confirmed that there we tvs in the courtyard we wandered down there to hang with them for a bit. Sometime during the fourth quarter of the game Heatheranne and Russ left the bar we found two seats at the bar directly in front of one of the plasma screens and watched the end of the game. We are both Eagles fans, but to say they don’t make it easy to be their fans is the truth. The end result was a win, but it was not easy. To make matters worse we were surrounded by Giants fans. After the Eagles won we decided to head back but stop somewhere to eat (mind you we hadn’t done so since our beignets). We decided to have dinner at Tony Moran’s which is a small Italian restaurant. The service was okay, but the food was great. We shared fried calamari. Paul’s entrée was Veal Saltimboca and mine was Penne with Italian Sausage. For dessert Paul had Tiramisu and I had Praline Cheesecake. After we finished up it was back to the hotel for bed.
Monday
We got up and decided to go back to get beignets again, but once we got outside and felt the cold front that had blown in the restaurant in the hotel won out again. If we had been wearing long sleeves we probably would have toughed out the cold air, but that wasn’t he case. Since it was not a weekend we were able to order off of the regular menu. The food off of the regular menu was good too. The poor waiter had to take care of all the tables by himself, but he did so with a smile. After breakfast we made another pit-stop in Walgreens then back to the room to repack and get ready to head to the pier. When we got downstairs to the lobby it was already being overtaken by purple saints and sinners shirts and scads of suitcases. Paul and I heard lots of stories about everyone’s last evening of debauchery in the Big Easy. I don’t know how they can manage to party like that and be functioning the next day; I know those days are way behind me, but more power to everyone. A variety of cabs came to the hotel and picked everyone up. The trip to the Port of New Orleans was quick and the wait inside the terminal went very fast. Before noon we were on the Lido deck eating lunch and having our first Fun Ship Cocktails. At about 1:15 we went to see if our room was ready; it was so we put stuff in our safe and went back to the Lido pool area to join everyone else. We went back to the room to check on luggage and it had started to arrive so I started to unpack. Paul went back to join the others, but I decide to get our room set up for us. After I finished up I went to catch up with Paul and the others and then we had the muster drill. While that is a terribly boring exercise, it is necessary so I don’t mind it too much. After the drill Paul took our life jackets back to the room and I went to take some pictures during the sail-away. Paul joined the other folks from our group and I made plans to go the spa for a pedicure. When my pedicure was done, I met Paul back in our room where he was changed for dinner and resting. I woke him up and we headed out to dinner. We were seated at a table in the Jubilee dining room. Once we got our sign and sail cards I was concerned about our table mates since no one from our group seemed to be seated at our table. When the wait staff showed us to our table we discovered that not only was no one from our group assigned to our table, but that we had been seated with two couples in their late fifties or early sixties who had a problem with “that group of purple shirt people”. Of course we are from that same group, but since we had changed for dinner we did not have on our shirts. Besides bash our group as a whole they were making comments about specific folks in the group as well. Paul and I were both uncomfortable, and Paul wanted to get up and leave. We had already placed our orders for dinner, so I didn’t know what we could do about our situation for the first night. Besides their rude comments about our group, the others at our table were not very out-going to us and they were potentially going to be sharing meals with for the entire vacation. This did not sit well with either of us. Paul and I quietly agreed to leave the dining room and head for the Lido deck for dinner, but first we wanted to talk to the Maitre d about the problem. The maitre d was so apologetic for our discomfort and was able to offer us another table in the dining room for the rest of the cruise. We followed him over to the table where we found Heatheranne and Russ along with two other couples. What a relief! The other two couples both turned out to be ministers and their wives. I made a mental note to be on my best behavior. After we introduced ourselves we quickly ordered dinner and told our story about dinner to our new meal-mates. After dinner we went to the Majestic Bar and watched a good part of the National Championship between the University of Florida Gators (Go Gators!) and the Ohio State Buckeyes with Vicki. It was lots of fun hollering Go Gators in the bar, especially since there were Buckeyes fans seated right next to Vicki. After it was obvious that Florida had the game in the bag, Vicki turned in and Paul and I were not too far behind her. In case you live under a rock, Florida totally dominated Ohio to the tune of 41 to 14 (GO GATORS!!!)
Tuesday
Tuesday was a fun day at sea. The weather was not sunny and was windy. After breakfast we met in the Atrium lobby wearing our purple shirts for the group photo. I am told that there were approximately 100 people in our group, but for the group photo about 40 showed up. The photographer took about four shots and everything was over quickly and painlessly. After the photo shoot, I puttered around the ship and went to the internet café to get started on this review. Paul ever the trooper went up on deck and listened to music while trying to catch some rays. After a while Paul threw in the towel and took it easy on the lido deck and enjoyed some cocktails with some Saints and Sinners. Eventually we both made it back to our cabin and took naps. When we woke up I discovered that during our slumber, a gift basket was delivered to our state room. The gift came from a friend of ours, Matt, that was on board and included two carnival t-shirts, two carnival visors, two champagne flutes, a carnival beach towel, a bottle of champagne, drink coupons and a photo credit. This was such a nice surprise. Matt was traveling with his family on this cruise and did not need to send the gift to us, but it was very much appreciated. Besides the surprise of the gift, it was also a surprise to us to find out that our cabin steward (who we never met) was able to enter our stateroom and deliver the gift to us without disturbing us. Whoever our steward was, he took great care of us during our stay and obviously he never got in our way. Tuesday was our formal night, so after we got dressed for dinner, we went to the Captain’s Cocktail Party in the Universe Lounge for some drinks and hors d’oeuvres. When the party was over we headed for dinner and stopped for a portrait along the way (it didn’t turn out well). We joined our table mates and had a wonderful dinner. The ship rocked back and forth a lot during the whole week and formal night was no different, so after dinner we went back to our stateroom to get changed (I made sure to put on flat shoes) and met some of our folks at a lounge area near the Majestic Bar. I hung out with everyone until 11:30 because I wanted to get some snapshots of the midnight gala buffet. It is amazing what they do with food to make it look like flowers and animals, etc. I got lots of pictures to share with the in-house caterer I work with at the firm so maybe some of the things I saw can be included in some of our receptions and will take me back to this incredible vacation. After the buffet snaps I rejoined Paul and the group at the lounge area then we moved over to the disco. I was really tired and after one drink Paul and I went back to the stateroom to get some sleep.
Wednesday
Wednesday we arrived in Costa Maya. After breakfast we joined a group of Saints & Sinners on deck and after a while we made our way down to exit the ship and enjoy our day in port. The port of Costa Maya has a nice shopping area with some restaurants and bars as well as a huge pool with its own swim up bar. Paul and I had visited Costa Maya in May 2006 and on that visit we toured Mayan ruins. This time we decided to take it very easy and explore the little village of Mahajual which is still rather undeveloped at least where construction is concerned. It is a short inexpensive cab ride from the port to the village. Either side of the dirt road that runs the length of the town has vendors set up selling typical Mexican wares. These folks are anxious for tourists to purchase their items and are willing to negotiate with you. I didn’t purchase anything from these vendors since I knew we were heading back to the port and would have time to shop there before re-boarding the ship. We walked down the road until we got to Pez Quandro where we grabbed a table and some beer & nachos, etc. The group we traveled with included Heatheranne , Russ, Donna, Dan, Vicki, Brenda, Richard, Jan and Da Boyz. After enjoying the water view, several beers and nachos we walked back down the dirt road where we picked up another taxi to take us back to the port. After some shopping we headed over to the pool area where we found our group next to the pool while Chris, Meredith, Shelby and Lynne were swimming. Obviously they had been doing laps back and forth to the swim up bar. A good time was being had by all. Outside of the pool we found Randy, John and PeeWee. They were enjoying the view of our ladies in the pool and probably the cute coeds that were pole dancing over by the bar. The water was far too cold for me, but Paul (ever the adventurer) jumped in and tried to convince me that it was warm and that I should come on in. I held my ground and just watched the goings on. I chatted with Donna and Dan and enjoyed a rainbow margarita. When the bathing beauties were all pruned up we all walked back to the ship and got ready for the evenings events. After dinner that evening I headed back to our cabin for bed since I needed to get up early the next day for my shore excursion. Paul tried to hook up with our crew, but was unsuccessful (probably because they were wiped out from the port pool) so he joined me in the stateroom and we were off to bed.
Thursday
Thursday we woke up in Cozumel. I ordered room service for breakfast since I needed to join my group in the Majestic Lounge at &:45. The excursion I selected was a Mexican Cuisine Workshop & Tasting which was held at the Playa Mia Beach Resort. Playa Mia is about 15 minutes from the port at Cozumel and located right next door to Paradise Beach. Paradise Beach is where Paul and the gang from cruisecritics went for the day. Since there were about seven ships in port at Cozumel we had to tender there. Tendering is not my favorite part of a cruise. This time the tender had an actual gangway so getting from the ship to the tender was not a problem at all. In the past I have had to jump from the ship to the boat all the while certain that I would fall between both of them and then be crushed to death as they slam against each other (what an imagination). This time navigating was not a problem at all. I got a seat on the top level and got to enjoy some much welcomed sun for the ride over to the pier. I got some snapshots of our ship and the pier as well as the former pier that was still being excavated from the sea. The former pier was destroyed in the hurricanes recently. At the pier the shops were not all open yet, so I just tried to find a place to rest while waiting for our group to assemble and get to the resort. The group was made up of several other cruise ships besides ours. Once we got to the resort we still had to wait for another part of our group, but the drinks were flowing, so waiting was not a problem. The area where we cooked was in a section of an outdoor restaurant on the resort's property. There were about 10 workstations set up which could each accommodate four "chefs". The people at my station were Marie and Jerrie who both work with the Boy Scouts of America and were on the ship for a conference and Robbie a flight attendant. At each station there were four chef's toques (hats), aprons and labels. On the labels we had to write our names and stick them on our toques. Our chef was Luis. Luis was very handsome and personable. He is 23 which was initially a turnoff for some participants (they thought he would not be experienced enough to teach us anything). Besides his traditional chef gear, Luis also had on a Madonna boom mic so he was able to walk around all of our workstations while directing us and could be heard by the whole group. Luis asked us what he first step was before you start to cook and naturally everyone answered "wash your hands". Luis' response was "No, this is Mexico the first thing we do is drink". Javier came around and took drink orders from all of us. This was the first drink of many during the actual cooking class. Rest assured, the second step was washing our hands. Once we were all scrubbed up we got down to business. Since I had researched this excursion I knew it was not going to be too difficult, so I wasn't expecting to really learn anything, but I am proud to say I learned how to make a n easy rice pudding. The food we were preparing was also the food we would be eating. Unlike the cooking shows like Top Chef, etc. all of the prep work was done for us. There was no measuring or chopping, simply assembly. I was fine with that because I know how to chop and measure. If you are hoping for more hardcore cooking skills, do it stateside. If you are looking for fun in the kitchen this is the excursion for you. We started with dessert which was going to be a tower of rice pudding, cookies and strawberry sauce. The ingredients for each step of each course were delivered to our workstations very efficiently by Javier and other assistants. Dry ingredients were delivered in little plastic cups that snapped onto a tray at the end of two sides of each cooking station, wet ones were delivered on disposable styrofoam plates (like what you get in the meat department at your supermarket). We had to place our pre-measured cooked rice and raisins into a pan and add some milk (not too much, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan, but not so much so that the rice would be floating). We also had to add some sugar and a cinnamon stick. We had to bring the pudding up to a light boil and then stir until the liquid got absorbed into the rice and/or evaporated. Once done they took that part of the dessert away and brought out four balls of cookie dough to us that we had to flatten with a tortilla making machine. Once we completed that step the cookies were taken from us so they could be cooked in the real kitchen. Our next step was working on our entree which was grouper in a mango salsa served with stuffed banana peppers. The most important part of the meal was decorating our plates so that we would be certain to get our own creations when the meal was served. This was done with a squeeze bottle full of a pink paste made of cornstarch, water and food coloring. Luis showed us some fun techniques, but I just went with a simple loop design and a fancy Margie at the top of the plate. For the grouper we had to salt and pepper both sides of the fish and cook each side in EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil). When this was done we were each given two new styrofoam plates for our fish (the second one served as a lid for our fish). Our next step was browning the banana peppers. The peppers were sliced in half and had been seeded and de-ribbed. While they were browning on the cook top, in a skillet we had to sauté in EVOO some onions. After about two minutes we were told to add the zucchini blossoms and corn. Once they were stuffed we had to leave them on the grill (whose flame was extinguished) then get started on the mango sauce. All we needed to do was add some seasoning to the sauce (which also had some chunky pieces of mango) and reduce it for a little bit. After it had reduced we were told to place some of the sauce in the lower portion of our plate, place the grouper on top and then place the stuffed pepper in the top half. Once all of our plates were assembled Javier and his assistants came around and collected them and they were taken back to the kitchen where they were finished off. Now we jumped back to dessert. This time we were working with two squeeze bottles. Once was filled with some cream and the other the strawberry sauce. We were told to write our names with the cream and then Luis showed us how to decorate our plates by using the strawberry sauce and adding dollops of cream which could be drug through the sauce to look like spider webs and stars, etc. After our plates were decorated it was time to assemble. We started with a cookie, then some rice pudding, cookie, rice pudding and finally the stick of cinnamon (if desired). We were also given some cinnamon to sprinkle on our plates. After assembly we had to take our desserts to the sub zero where they were chilled until it was time for them to be served to us. The last part of our prep work was our first course, which were Mexican Sopes (pronounced sopas). The first thing we needed to do was take the balls of corn dough and flatten them to the thickness of a finger with the tortilla make. After browning them on both sides we needed to use a paper towel to pinch the sides and create a sort of well in the center to hold the filling. After pinching the sopes were placed back on the grill to stay warm. For the filling our first step was to heat the combination of Spanish sausage and small cubed potatoes in a skillet. While they were warming up we put some refried beans in the sopes which were topped with the sausage and potato mixture. Next we added some shredded lettuce and crumbled cheese. For some artistic design we took the cream that we used to decorate our dessert plates and went Jackson Pollok over our sopes. They were taken away from us and our class was over. We all gave a round of applause to Chef Luis and took our seats at the tables reserved for our group. Javier took drink orders and then the courses were served. With each course of lunch a different wine was offered. Each one was very good, but I did not record the names (I guess it was all the pina coladas I had leading up to the wine). During lunch a pretty girl came around selling group photos that were taken with Chef Luis and each team. You could buy the photo only for one price, or the photo and a cute decorated frame for not much more. I of course chose the latter. Lunch was delivered quickly, but not at all too rushed. The cooking got started at 9:30 and we finished up our lunch at 12:15. The bus that we were taking back to the pier was leaving the resort at 1:00 p.m., so I didn’t have too much time to sit on the beach. Rather than risk the chance of falling to sleep on the beach and missing the last tender back to the ship I just hung out by the pool and did some people watching. I wandered over to the bus a little before 1 pm and got back to the pier by 1:20. After brief shopping it was onto the tender and back to the ship where I went up to the adult only pool area and read for a little bit. When Paul and the crew made it back from Paradise Beach it was back to the stateroom for us to take yet another nap. We got up and dressed for dinner, remembered that it was the past guest cocktail reception so we swung by the Universe Lounge first, then made it to dinner. After dinner we went to bed.
Friday
Today is our last fun day at sea. Paul was up very early (as usual) and I slept in until about 10:30. While I was sleeping Paul was up on deck sunning himself. After I got my act together Paul found me grabbing some lunch and he joined me. When we were finished we went back up on deck to catch some rays and that was when the wind kicked up so we didn’t make it too long there. Back to the stateroom to lay down for a bit. After a brief nap we went to the photo gallery to select the photos that we wanted to purchase and then Paul went to hook up with the gang. I went back to the stateroom to pack and to watch General Hospital since it was Friday and anything can happen on Friday! At 5:00 that afternoon we had our Saints & Sinners private cocktail reception in the piano bar. I had lots of rum punch and smiled for lots of photos. After the party it was back to the stateroom to shower and dress for dinner. At the end of dinner I told our table mate (Reverend Duplantis) who was wearing a New Orleans Saint “Who Dat?” shirt that if something terrible happened on Saturday and the ending of the game was not favorable for Philadelphia that I would get behind the Saints and route for them for the rest of the season. The good reverend agreed to do the same if things didn’t go the right way for his team. Of course, once again the Eagles broke my heart; GO SAINTS!! After dinner we said goodbye to our table mates and headed back to the stateroom to freshen up. Paul headed out to the disco for the “Glowing Home” party while I completely finished packing. After I finished up it was off to the disco for me. When I got there most of our group was decorated with neon somewhere on their upper torso. Chris gave me a necklace which I used as a headband. The music was not at all my speed so after one drink and about six songs that I hated we turned in. I made sure to hang our room service order on the doorknob before we went to sleep for the night.
Saturday
Today is disembarkation. Paul and I chose to take advantage of the self disembarkation for two reasons. First, we were on the Empress deck which is the deck where everyone needs to go to in order to disembark the vessel and second, we were scheduled to get a 1:00 pm flight home which we wanted to try to move up to anything earlier. This was the easiest disembarkation ever! We were off the ship and to the airport by 8:30 am so we were able to switch to the earlier flight (11:15 am) and we also upgraded to first class forth flight home. When all was said and done we were home from our trip before 4:00 pm Saturday.
Summation
Paul and I had another great vacation. We loved all the components of this trip, New Orleans, the great ship we were on, the ports of call we enjoyed, but most the great folks we got to meet and hang out with on this trip. To say that I was leary about meeting all of these new people is an understatement. Paul was 100 percent right about how nice everyone was. The group we traveled and partied with on this trip was as diverse as they come, but they were all very friendly and welcoming to each other and to all of us “newbies”. I am excited to see many of them on our next cruise which is about nine months away. But even before we go on that trip, Paul and I (and I’m not really sure who else) have plans for a quick weekend trip back to New Orleans in June. This time around, however we are going to get some history and culture under our belts during the day and save the three for ones for the nights. If you have ever thought about going to New Orleans and scrapped the idea after Katrina you should definitely rethink that decision. New Orleans is definitely a great place to spend some time and money. After all, Brad and Angelina can’t be wrong!!!
____________________
Founder & President of the CBG
"I have flying monkeys.....and I am not afraid to use them!"
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Catnip
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Posted: Mon Jan 22nd, 2007 01:58 pm | 2nd Post |
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Great review!!!!!!!!!
Did you ever see your first tablemates again? DId they say what kind of problems they had with the purple shirted group?????
____________________
33 previous cruises..
Next up: Celebrity Solstice 1-09/Jewel of the Seas 3-09/ QM 2 11-09/ Queen Victoria 1/10
**Triangles Are For Losers!**
When only cops have guns, it's called a "police state"
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kelz66
Funnel Deck Cruiser
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Posted: Mon Jan 22nd, 2007 02:11 pm | 3rd Post |
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Catnip wrote: Great review!!!!!!!!!
Did you ever see your first tablemates again? DId they say what kind of problems they had with the purple shirted group?????
Oh we saw them walk in right past us every night...but they failed to aknowledge us like the did the first night.
The did not say anoything specific while we were at the table...just alot of "those people" comments...LOL...mixed in with how they hated Carnival...and this was the first night...LMAO...I wondered why the hell the booked the cruise if they had those kind of feelings about the cruise line....well they were just a speed bump in my good time....things could not have worked out better for us and we had a marvelous time!!
____________________
Founder & President of the CBG
"I have flying monkeys.....and I am not afraid to use them!"
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Catnip
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Posted: Mon Jan 22nd, 2007 02:17 pm | 4th Post |
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That's a great attitude, Paul!!!!!! Sounds like it was a blast!
____________________
33 previous cruises..
Next up: Celebrity Solstice 1-09/Jewel of the Seas 3-09/ QM 2 11-09/ Queen Victoria 1/10
**Triangles Are For Losers!**
When only cops have guns, it's called a "police state"
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kelz66
Funnel Deck Cruiser
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Posted: Mon Jan 22nd, 2007 02:21 pm | 5th Post |
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Catnip wrote: That's a great attitude, Paul!!!!!! Sounds like it was a blast!
Yep...Only "I" can ruin my vacation...LOL
____________________
Founder & President of the CBG
"I have flying monkeys.....and I am not afraid to use them!"
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BAMA X 2
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Posted: Mon Jan 22nd, 2007 03:11 pm | 6th Post |
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"The Purple shirt group" I love it!
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hstrybuf
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Posted: Tue Jan 23rd, 2007 12:06 am | 7th Post |
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| Tell Margie thanks for doing that review!! I have to get one of those Po' Boys. They sound delicious! And good for you guys for not letting the weird tablemates put a damper on the beginning of your cruise.
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Deb
"In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." - Thomas Jefferson
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gurlwithbaggage
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Posted: Tue Jan 23rd, 2007 12:47 am | 8th Post |
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Great review!! It sounded like you two had a blast!
I'm trying to talk the DH into S&S 3!!
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Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans~~John Lennon
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seawitches
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Posted: Tue Jan 23rd, 2007 01:04 am | 9th Post |
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| fantastic review... and thankyou Margie... damn you made me hungry. Do you like cooking?? I hate fish, but that grouper sounded good......
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goincruisin
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Posted: Tue Jan 23rd, 2007 03:48 pm | 10th Post |
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Paul, this is to Margie!!
Great review Margie!! Makes me want to do it all over again!!! It was great meeting you and Paul!! Looking forward to seeing you guys again soon!!!
~Proud Purple Shirt Wearerer 
____________________
http://www.myspace.com/goincruisin
Next!
Destiny B2B 10/30 & 11/3/08
Splendor 4/26/09
Legend 10/18/09
Dream 4/24/10
"Because change is not a destination, just as hope is not a strategy" -Rudy Giuliani
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kelz66
Funnel Deck Cruiser
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Posted: Tue Jan 23rd, 2007 09:13 pm | 11th Post |
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goincruisin wrote: Paul, this is to Margie!!
Great review Margie!! Makes me want to do it all over again!!! It was great meeting you and Paul!! Looking forward to seeing you guys again soon!!!
~Proud Purple Shirt Wearerer
I'll make sure she gets over here and sees all of this!
Chris..I just wanted to thank you for making us both feel welcome....everyone was wondeful and friendly , but it was you who was the first to welcome us and give us a hug in Mothers then in Razoos and made sure everyone knew who we were...You guys knew me from the boards but you really made Margie feel comfortable and welcome and she totally enjoyed the trip and meeting everyone.
Now when she leaves me to run off with Zone I may be singing another tune...LOL
____________________
Founder & President of the CBG
"I have flying monkeys.....and I am not afraid to use them!"
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mrskelz
Cruiser
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Posted: Tue Jan 23rd, 2007 10:18 pm | 12th Post |
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seawitches wrote: fantastic review... and thankyou Margie... damn you made me hungry. Do you like cooking?? I hate fish, but that grouper sounded good......
Yes, seawitches, I love to cook. The grouper was very good, but he same recipe can also be done with chicken. There were two land lovers in our group and they substituted with chicken.
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mrskelz
Cruiser
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Posted: Tue Jan 23rd, 2007 10:23 pm | 13th Post |
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kelz66 wrote: goincruisin wrote: Paul, this is to Margie!!
Great review Margie!! Makes me want to do it all over again!!! It was great meeting you and Paul!! Looking forward to seeing you guys again soon!!!
~Proud Purple Shirt Wearerer
I'll make sure she gets over here and sees all of this!
Chris..I just wanted to thank you for making us both feel welcome....everyone was wondeful and friendly , but it was you who was the first to welcome us and give us a hug in Mothers then in Razoos and made sure everyone knew who we were...You guys knew me from the boards but you really made Margie feel comfortable and welcome and she totally enjoyed the trip and meeting everyone.
Now when she leaves me to run off with Zone I may be singing another tune...LOL
Chris,
Paul is on the money about how great it was to feel so welcome straight-away at the beginning of the cruise. Everyone was so friendly, but the first impression someone makes with you is the one that counts the most. Your greeting made me feel so comfortable. I am really looking forward to October!
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kelz66
Funnel Deck Cruiser
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Posted: Tue Jan 23rd, 2007 11:03 pm | 14th Post |
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mrskelz wrote: kelz66 wrote: goincruisin wrote: Paul, this is to Margie!!
Great review Margie!! Makes me want to do it all over again!!! It was great meeting you and Paul!! Looking forward to seeing you guys again soon!!!
~Proud Purple Shirt Wearerer
I'll make sure she gets over here and sees all of this!
Chris..I just wanted to thank you for making us both feel welcome....everyone was wondeful and friendly , but it was you who was the first to welcome us and give us a hug in Mothers then in Razoos and made sure everyone knew who we were...You guys knew me from the boards but you really made Margie feel comfortable and welcome and she totally enjoyed the trip and meeting everyone.
Now when she leaves me to run off with Zone I may be singing another tune...LOL
Chris,
Paul is on the money about how great it was to feel so welcome straight-away at the beginning of the cruise. Everyone was so friendly, but the first impression someone makes with you is the one that counts the most. Your greeting made me feel so comfortable. I am really looking forward to October!
hhhmmmmmmmmmmm....funny how you just skirted the subject of running away with Zone...LOL
 
____________________
Founder & President of the CBG
"I have flying monkeys.....and I am not afraid to use them!"
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mrskelz
Cruiser
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Posted: Wed Jan 24th, 2007 01:01 am | 15th Post |
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I'm still waiting for Zone to tell me when we are going on his free cruise.......
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hstrybuf
Founders
| Joined: | Sat Jun 17th, 2006 |
| Location: | Kansas |
| Posts: | 21061 |
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Posted: Wed Jan 24th, 2007 01:49 am | 16th Post |
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| Margie, you did a great job with the review! Now don't be a stranger! Free cruise?
____________________
Deb
"In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." - Thomas Jefferson
My pics: http://community.webshots.com/user/hstrycrsr
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mrskelz
Cruiser
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Posted: Wed Jan 24th, 2007 02:53 am | 17th Post |
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hstrybuf wrote: Margie, you did a great job with the review! Now don't be a stranger! Free cruise?
On our cruise one of the people in our gtoup, Zone, won a free cruise. I had been hinting around tot Zone that he should take me with him. Hey, the squeaky wheel is usually the one that gets the oil.
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grinningramps
Founders
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Posted: Wed Jan 24th, 2007 02:58 am | 18th Post |
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Paul and Margie are a great couple! They were a real pleasure to be around and I am glad they are in my memories of this vacation! I am hoping to get back over to NOLA for the reunion in June so I should have more good memories then!
<-----for Margie
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mrskelz
Cruiser
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Posted: Wed Jan 24th, 2007 03:19 am | 19th Post |
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grinningramps wrote: Paul and Margie are a great couple! They were a real pleasure to be around and I am glad they are in my memories of this vacation! I am hoping to get back over to NOLA for the reunion in June so I should have more good memories then!
<-----for Margie
Right back at you Richard! It was our pleasure to meet you on the cruise too. I hope you are able to make it over to NOLA in June; it would be great to get together with you again!
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gurlwithbaggage
Founders
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Posted: Wed Jan 24th, 2007 03:20 am | 20th Post |
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mrskelz wrote: I'm still waiting for Zone to tell me when we are going on his free cruise.......
Hon, I'm STILL waiting!!LOL Zone is such a sweetheart....he sure would make some lucky gal a great husband!:D
____________________
Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans~~John Lennon
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Adios
Charter Member
| Joined: | Fri Jun 16th, 2006 |
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| Posts: | 2687 |
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Posted: Wed Jan 24th, 2007 03:55 am | 21st Post |
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| Very nice review. Sounds like everyone had a good time. I have been on the Fantasy four times now. Once from Miami and three times from Pt. Canaveral. That is the most for me on any ship.
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JustBeingMe
Charter Member
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Posted: Fri Jan 26th, 2007 09:05 pm | 22nd Post |
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Great review Margie. Can't wait to see you again in Nola. We'll be able to move around more & see more things with a smaller group in June.
Paul: I could sure use a couple of Corona 3fers about now.....couldn't you?
Zone posted eariler today while he was waiting on his return flight from his latest cruise........he was only one number away from winning another free cruise. Lucky Dog! Couldn't happen to a nicer guy though.
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mrskelz
Cruiser
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Posted: Sat Jan 27th, 2007 01:24 am | 23rd Post |
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JustBeingMe wrote: Great review Margie. Can't wait to see you again in Nola. We'll be able to move around more & see more things with a smaller group in June.
Paul: I could sure use a couple of Corona 3fers about now.....couldn't you?
Zone posted eariler today while he was waiting on his return flight from his latest cruise........he was only one number away from winning another free cruise. Lucky Dog! Couldn't happen to a nicer guy though.
Brenda,
I a, really looking forward to NOLA in June. There is so much for us to see and learn. It was relly very nice meeting you on our most recent cruise!
Margie
:D
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clgcruiser
Funnel Deck Cruiser
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Posted: Mon Jan 29th, 2007 02:25 pm | 24th Post |
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| Wonderful review, Margie-sure hope I get a chance to meet you and Paul someday on one of these group cruises! And some of the other people on these boards, too! I wanna be a purple shirt person. . . with the CBGLA logo imprinted on it, as well!
____________________
Cindy
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