DAY 22 MARCH 4 DARWIN, AUSTRALIA

The tropical tip of the Northern Territory is a lush, ancient landscape and for thousands of years it has been home to large numbers of Aboriginals.  It's capital, Darwin, is small and colourful.    Charles Darwin's (biologist) friend Captain John Lort named the town after his buddy.   Pleep thought this very cool and is trying to figure out how to get a town named after him?  He would even settle for a nice village in Bali.  After seeing Eat, Pray and Love Pleep can hardly wait to get to BALI!







 Darwin was established in 1869 and has endured isolation and devastation over the years-bombing attacks by the Japanese in WWII, Cyclone Tracy in 1974 are two.  Now it is linked by highway to Alice Springs, Adelaide and Melbourne.  Many of Darwin's best attractions are not in Darwin but located a short drive away. And away we went-in the rain-to see Croc's Jumping!




CROC'S JUMPING
This poor fellow only had one leg.  The other three were lost at "war".  Yes, Yes and a hokee tourist stop was a part of the day.  Bubba was in charge of choosing all excursions...WHAT WAS I THINKING.  Nuff said.

AND WHAT ABOUT THOSE DARWIN AWARDS???

The Darwin Awards are a tongue-in-cheek honor, created by US scientist Wendy Northcutt to recognize those who have contributed to human evolution by exceptionally negative means.

"In the spirit of Charles Darwin, the Darwin Awards commemorate individuals who protect our gene pool by making the ultimate sacrifice of their own lives. Darwin Award winners eliminate themselves in an extraordinarily idiotic manner, thereby improving our species' chances of long-term survival."

Accidental self-sterilization also qualifies. However: "Of necessity, the award is usually bestowed posthumously." But the candidate is disqualified if "innocent bystanders", who might have contributed positively to the gene pool, are killed in the process.

The Darwin Award books state that an attempt is made to disallow known urban legends from the awards, but some older "winners" have been 'grandfathered' to keep their awards. The Darwin Awards site does try to verify all submitted stories, but many similar sites, and the vast number of circulating "Darwin awards" emails, are largely fictional.

Northcutt has stated five requirements for a Darwin Award:

Inability to reproduce

• Nominee must be dead or rendered sterile.
• Sometimes this can be a matter of dispute. Potential awardees may be out of the gene pool due to age; others have already reproduced before their deaths. To avoid debates about the possibility of in-vitro fertilization, artificial insemination, or cloning, the original Darwin Awards book applied the following "deserted island" test to potential winners: If the person would be unable to reproduce when stranded on a deserted island with a fertile member of the opposite sex, he or she would be considered sterile. Winners of the award, in general, are either dead or become unable to use their sexual organs.

• Astoundingly stupid judgment.

The candidate's foolishness must be unique and sensational, likely because the award is intended to be funny. A number of foolish but common activities, such as smoking in bed, are excluded from consideration.^[5] In contrast, self-immolation caused by smoking after being administered a flammable ointment in a hospital and specifically told not to smoke^[6] is grounds for nomination. One 'Honorable Mention' (a man who attempted suicide by swallowing nitroglycerine pills, and then tried to detonate them by running into a wall) is noted to be in this category, despite being intentional and self-inflicted, which would normally disqualify the inductee.

Self-selection

• Cause of one's own demise.

Killing a friend with a hand grenade would not be eligible, but killing oneself while manufacturing a homemade chimney-cleaning device from a grenade would be eligible.^[8] To earn a Darwin Award, the candidate must have killed him- or herself, rather than a third party.

Maturity

• Capable of sound judgment.

The nominee must be at least past the legal driving age and free of mental defect (Northcutt considers injury or death caused by mental defect to be tragic, rather than amusing, and routinely disqualifies such entries). After much discussion, there also exists a small category regarding deaths below this age limit. Entry into this category requires that the peers of the candidate be of the opinion that the actions of the person in question were above and beyond the limits of reason in their opinions.

Veracity

• The event must be verified.

The story must be documented by reliable sources: e.g., reputable newspaper articles, confirmed television reports, or responsible eyewitnesses. If a story is found to be untrue, it is disqualified, but particularly amusing ones are placed in the urban legend section of the archives. Despite this requirement, many of the stories are fictional, often appearing as "original submissions" and presenting no further sources than unverified (and unreliable) "eyewitnesses". Most such stories on Northcutt's Darwin Awards site are filed in the Personal Accounts section.

FEEL FREE TO PLACE YOUR VOTE  WWW.DARWINAWARDSOY YOY!

DAY 21 MARCH 3 CRUISING THE ARAFURA SEA TO DARWIN

The Arafura Sea lies west of the Pacific Ocean overlying the continental shelf betwen Australia and New Guinea.  Who knew so many Seas out here?






The Pleepmeister endears himself to the crew and once again he is escorted from the kitchen.  His picture is posted at all work stations on the ship- on the VIP List.  Initially he was very pleased to be included on such a list.  But then he was told it was the special VIP List- VERY IMPOSSIBLE PLEEP.

Pleep is  also banned from taking the stair case.....he said he was just helping keep the rails nice and shiny.

AND ON THE 8TH DAY GOD CREATED CHOCOLATE

Boca spends most of the day in the Canyon Ranch Spa- hope springs eternal!  

 MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA CAN I LICK IT WHEN YOU'RE DONE?

THE HUNGRY AND THE THIRSTY

We attended Chateau Tanunda's Dinner with the Andersons and the Jones.  Hosted by Mr. John Geber, owner of Chateau Tanunda in Australia's Baroosa Valley, a majestic Bavarian-style chateau and in its prime the largest winery in the Southern Hemisphere, built in 1888.  While Chateau Tanuda won the World's Best Shiraz as well as the World's Best Red Wine with Grenache poor Mr. Geber didn't know what he was up against with our Dr. Wineology, Larry.  Who knew a Reisling could taste delicious?  The revolution in wine making in the 1970s firmly established dry wines made from international grape varieties on the Australian table.  We learned Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and more recently Viognier and Pinot Gris are all popular over here.  Australia's benchmark red is Penfold's Grange, the creation of the late vintner Max Shubert.  Due to his work SHIRAZ (one of Pleeps favorites) has established itself as Australia's premium red variety.

AND A GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL. CHEERS!

DAY 20 MARCH 2 THURSDAY ISLAND

IF ITS WEDNESDAY IT MUST BE THURSDAY ISLAND
Just off the tip of Cape York, at the far north of Queensland lies Thursday Island, in the Torres Strait Islands.   The Torress Strait is the body of water between Australia and Papua New Guinea where the Pacific and Indian Oceans meet and where there are 133 islands, sandy cays and rocky outcrops of which 38 are inhabited.  The population for the Torres Strait at the last census totalled 8,679 people. Thursday Island  is a pleasant little place, home to Torres Strait Islanders, one of the indigenous people of Queensland.  Not Aborigines, these are Melanesian people and related to their neighbors in Papua New Guinea, just to the north.  This region, with lots of little islands, is sparsely inhabited has beautiful blue seas and very tropical vegetation.  The original inhabitants lived, fished and traded with the Europeans around 1600 upon their first arrival to T.I.  Thursday Island is the "capital" of the 20 islands in this area and was once the center of the local pearling industry.

Floating into Thursday Island at dawn...quite a sight.









The tenders take us to this little island

Such a beautiful and remote part of the world.  Bubba checks out the Cultural Center.  Not much to "do" in town...just sit back and enjoy the remoteness of T.I.  Not really a big hit with my fellow cruisers.
I guess we could go back to the ship and play some board games- oh yes BORED GAMES.  Right up Boca's.....

So back to the ship we went(very hot and humid on Thursday Island) for lunch.   My darling "Pudge" said, "Hey Boca, this looks like this is right up your Serbian alley."  Good job Pudge- yes I do like Pig.  MMMMM

And we all had a good giggle out of elegant and low keyed Pat and the manicure she received that morning.  Talk about Psychedelic- you go Patty with that Texas Orange.  Hook'em!

We met a new set of Texans- Marianne and Leo Lawler- from Horseshoe Bay, Texas.  Boca shard that she was putting together the annual DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS get together soon.  The Lawlers liked the idea of getting together with the "good" folk-fellow Texans.  They couldn't quite understand why BOCA was organizing the TEXAS get together???
As Boca explained,  "Honey I am a TEXAS EX and Bubba is a TEXAS WANNABE".  Nuff said.

Day 19 March 1 CRUISING THE CORAL SEA

The Coral Sea is a marginal sea off the northeast coast of Australia. It is bounded in the west by the east coast of Queensland, thereby including the Great Barrier Reef, in the east by Vanuatu (formerly the New Hebrides) and by New Caledonia, and in the north approximately by the southern extremity of the Solomon Islands. It merges with the Tasman Sea in the south, with the Solomon Sea in the north and with the Pacific Ocean in the east. On the west, it connects with the Arafura Sea through the Torres Strait.

The sea is characterised by its warm and stable climate, with frequent rains and tropical cyclones. It contains numerous islands and reefs, as well as the world's largest reef system, the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1981. All previous oil exploration projects were terminated at the GBR in 1975, and fishing is restricted in many areas. The reefs and islands of the Coral Sea are particularly rich in birds and aquatic life and are a popular tourist destination, both nationally and internationally.

]

While the Great Barrier Reef with its islands and cays belong to Queensland, most reefs and islets east of it are part of the Coral Sea Islands Territory. In addition, some islands west of and belonging to New Caledonia are also part of the Coral Sea Islands in a geographical sense, such as the Chesterfield Islands and Bellona Reefs

Still floating over the Great Barrier Reef, this Northern Queensland area is sparsely populated, backed by the Great Dividing Range.    The York Peninsula is one of the last untouched wildernesses in the world covering 77,220 sq miles-roughly the same size as Great Britain.  Lots of national park up this way.  I bought a postcard yesterday of an outline of Australia fitting all of Europe inside the outline with a lot of land left over.  Think about it- the size of the US (population 250 million) with a population of 21 million in Australia.

Bubba's favorite thing to do on sea days....

Then time for a cocktail...and a weenie???  The idea of drinking before dinner has its roots in the Prohibition era. When the 18th Amendment and the Volstead Act were passed banning alcohol consumption, citizens would host “cocktail hours”, also known as “happy hours”, at a speakeasy (an illegal drinking establishment) before eating at restaurants where alcohol could not be served. Cocktail lounges continued the trend of drinking before dinner.  So where did the term Happy Hour come from?  The NAVY!


Dr. Wineolgy, Larry, has been teaching Bubba how to put his beak in the glass for a sniff.  Actually, the technical term for the study of wine and wine making is oenology or enology.  Bubba is going for his advanced study of the grape. It is estimated that there are 10,000 different Australian wines on the market at any given time.   So lots to chose from Bubs.   I on the other hand am glad that JESUS made water into wine- and in my book provides the best of wine and has provided wine for his followers to drink- yeah Jesus and Amen!  Keep the sniffing up Bubs, I know you will catch on soon with the good professor Dr. Wineology.

DAY 18 FEB 28 CAIRNS, AUSTRALIA

MOUNTAINS MEET THE SEA

Captain James Cook sailed up the North Queensland coast on his first voyage of Discovery in 1770 and mapped the future site of Cairns, naming it Trinity Bay.  This town is a jumping off spot for the Great Barrier Reef and one of the most difficult waterways in the world to navigate.  The land belonged to the Walubarra Yidinji people, who still recognize local indigenous property rights and interests in this area.  Cairns (pronounced( CANZ) was founded in 1876, hastened by the need to export gold discovered on the tablelands.  The railway opened up land that was later used for agriculture and helped establish Carins as a port city.  During WWII, Cairns was used by the Allied Forces as a staging base for operations in the Pacific.  After WWII, Carins slowly reinvented itself as a center for tourism.  And what a delightful and very tidy town it is!  We had been here 5 or 6 years ago when we visited (snorkeled) the Great Barrier Reef.  Boca couldn't wrap her head around the correct pronunciation of Cairns....remember it's pronounced CANZ Boca!

Skyrail A Beautiful Rainforest Experience.

Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, Cairns, is a world class ride in environmental tourism taking us on an amazing experience over Australia’s World Heritage listed Tropical Rainforest canopy and deep into the forest.

The Skyrail experience, spanning 7.5kms over pristine rainforest, allowed us to explore the wonders of an ancient tropical rainforest and learn about one of the most botanically fascinating and diverse areas on earth.

Gliding just metres above the rainforest canopy in comfortable six-person gondola cabins, the Skyrail journey immersed us in an intimate rainforest experience where we saw, heard, smelled and become part of the tropical rainforest environment.

We enjoyed the stunning rainforest scenery, panoramic views of the Cairns’ tropical region and the glittering waters of the Coral Sea. Alighting at Skyrail’s two rainforest mid-stations, Red Peak and Barron Falls, where we explored this amazing environment from the forest floor on boardwalks, scenic look-outs and in the state-of-the-art Rainforest Interpretation Centre.

Eucalyptus  woodlands with an understorey of primitive fern like plants some many hundreds of years old dominate this part of our Skyrail experience.This vine clad rain forest is awesome!

A stop off at the Kuranda village for a look see of souvenirs.  And Bubba found the perfect T Shirt souvenir.  No shopping for Boca so far.  The prices in Australia are about 30% more than US pricing give or take certain items, restaurants, hotels...other than wine, the hard liquor and beer is quite pricey.  A case (24 bottles) of beer in Sydney ran from $40 to $45!  George Heidkamp would have to become a wino in the down under as the Budweiser's price are out of sight!

Dinner is always an experience on the Voyager.  Using a new belt notch Bubs?  Boca has been sticking with the pull on pants as well.  We have been learning quite a bit about wine from our Canadian friend Larry.  He is quite the connoisseur.   Bubba's hands started to tremble when he looked closely at a bottle of Petrus 1997 that Larry was drinking.  Boca didn't get it so when she was back in her suite looked up Petrus pricing on the net....holy moly.  Thinking- drinking that wine would have to be close to a hallucinogenic experience. I guess everybody has their little "passion"- Bubba enjoys his guns and Boca has fun with her baubles. Way to hit it out of the park Larry our Dr. of Wineology.

DAY 17 FEB 27 TOWNSVILLE, AUSTRALIA

Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Australia, in the state of Queensland-adjacent to the central section of the Great Barrier Reef.  It is considered the unofficial capital of North Queeensland.  It is known for it's fine coastal surfing beaches and inland, some of the richest farming land in Australia- we are talking beef and sugar cane.  And again gold helped build this region as well.  Also know as the southern gateway to the Great Barrier Reef.  This area is also known as the Sunshine Coast boasting on average 300 sunny days a year.

BILLABONG SANCTUARY
They suffered major damage from Cyclone Yasi/Feb and is closed to the public for now but were kind enough to open them for us.   This 25 acres of natural tropical North Queeensland bush is home to all kinds of native mammals, birds and reptiles.  It was sad to see the decimated sanctuary and they told us having us visit really lifted their spirits and morale.  So Bubba what's the difference between a Cyclone and a Hurricane?  The Hurricane spins clockwise and the Cyclone spins counter clock wise.

Feeding the Kangaroos was a lot of fun!  This marsupial, from the macropodidae-meaning large foot, is endemic to Australia.  They are not farmed but shot for meat, leather hides, sport and to protect cattle.  This national symbol of Australia are fun to play with at the Sanctuary.  Pleep convinced the ranger that it was ok to have a ride in the Pouch.  Move over Joey, the   Pleepmeister is here!

We are talking a laid back wombat-raised at the sanctuary.  Another marsupial-short legged and muscular.  The name comes from the Aboriginal community.  They have a backward pouch which comes in handy when digging, no dirt covers the young.  It takes them 14 days to digest their chow- now we understand why they move oh so slowly.  No eat and run here!

A resemblance?

Visions of a handbag.

Our ranger Rocs the Croc!   Mainly ambush hunters.  Pleep heard croc embryos do not have sex hormones and unlike humans, their sex is not determined genetically.  It is determined by temperature, with females being slightly hotter/higher.  He was happy to hear that the males do grow bigger than the ladies.  Pleep heard we have a few Crocs in Florida and felt it necessary that he purchase a Crocodile Dundee hat to authenticate his Australian experience.

BATTERED AND BRUISED BUT BOUNCING BACK
www.billabongsancturary.com.au

DINNER IS SERVED
Pleep enjoys his evening glass of Champagne.  He is developing quite the palate thanks to Larry and John's tutelage. " Oh joy" said Bubba, "one more expensive habit for the Pleepster, just what I need.
Thank God he hasn't found the spa."

Another great meal at Prime 7 with the gang- the Andersons from Houston and the Jones from Toronto.  With Boca's back ailment she has excused herself from the daily exercise the others do.  Pajama strings loosened as a result of the delicious chow and libations. Some say she is milking this "ailment".  Imagine that.  It is fun to share the various excursions we did during the day- some went to the Aquarium, some walked the meticulously groomed Strand, some The Billabong and some to Magnetic Island...Pleep tried to convince us the reason he was late getting back to the ship that he was locked in a MAGNETIC GRIP and wasn't released with the rest of the guests....we heard he found the Coconut Bar on the Beach....that darn Monkey-specialises in Mayhem.

DAY 16 FEB 26 CRUISING AUSTRALIAN COAST/GREAT BARRIER REEF

QUEENSLAND AT A GLANCE

Australia's second-largest state encompasses some 667,000sq miles and is also the second most popular tourist destination due to it's tropical climate.  As mentioned, Brisbane is the state capital with city skyscrapers and the southern coastline is a haven for surfers and the beach culture.  Further north is the Great Barrier Reef, one of the natural wonders of the world but inland cattle stations and copper mines generate Queensland's wealth.

Today the Great Barrier Reef is the largest reef system in the world, covering 1250 miles from Budaberg to the tip of Cape York.  Between the outer edges of the reef and mainland, there are more than 2000 islands and almost 3000 separate reefs of different types.  More than 2000 species of fish and innumerable species of hard and soft coral are found in the waters off the Reef.  The diversity of life forms is extraordinary such as sea urchins, crustaceans, sponges, invertebrates, 12 species of sea grasses and 500 types of algae!  Truly a spectacular view and experience to see.  If you haven't already seen it and experienced it put it on the old bucket list.  I know my parents had the very best time at Hayman Island Resort several years back-one of the 20 islands that cater to tourists.  I have to hand it to Pa Po, he and Yia Yia rented a car in Australia and spent 6 weeks driving and touring the country....all by driving on the "wrong" side of the road....of course Mitzie commented on the several dents and dings the car had when they turned it in to the rental agency.

A PORTRAIT OF AUSTRALIA

What a marvelous country to explore by sea.  Bubba wants to make another trip to see that Ayers Rock stuck out there in the middle of nowhere and that far away West Coast.  Uh oh....one of Bubba's Road Trips???  But honey, every man's got to see the Outback-the heart of Australia.   Can you see Boca out there in that dry dry desert on a camel and pitching a tent under a lone tree?  The Opal Mining did get my attention.   The world's oldest continent, inhabited for more than 60,000 years by Aborigines, settled by the British in 1788 transformed from a colonial outpost to a thriving nation today.  What about those Aborigines?

ABORIGINAL CULTURE

Far from being one homogeneous race, at the time of European settlement in the 18th century, the estimated 750,000 Aborigines in Australia had at least 300 different languages and a wide variety of lifestyles, depending upon where they lived.  The dreamtime (or Dreaming) is the English term for the Aboriginal system of laws and beliefs.  Its basis is a rich mythology about the earth's creation.  "Creation ancestors" such as giant serpents are believe to have risen up from the earths core and roamed the world, creating valleys, rivers and mountains....in addition creating man.  The belief in the Dreamtime is, in essence a religious ideology for all Aborigines, whatever their tribe and forms the basis of Aboriginal life. Every Aborigine is believed to have two souls-one mortal and one immortal,linked with their ancestral spirit.  Each family clan is descended from the same ancestral being.

TODAY'S ABORIGINAL ISSUES

Although few Aborigines now maintain a traditional nomadic lifestyle, the ceremonies, creation stories and art that make up their culture remain strong.  I learned from my friend George Kline to appreciate Aboriginal Art- reflecting daily Aboriginal life as well as religious beliefs.  The right to own land has long been an issue for present day Aborigines- they believe thy are responsible for caring for the land entrusted to them at birth.  The Land Rights Act of 1976 has done much to improve these rights.  The Act established Aboriginal Land Councils which negotiate between the government and Aborigines to claim land for its traditional owners.  White law exits along with  Black law which allows for justice against Aboriginal offenders to be meted out according to tribal law.  Much of this history sounds very similar to our own Native Americans.

WINE TASTING WITH DA GUYS

The wines of Australia have been produced here since the European settlement in 1788.  We had the opportunity to do a wine tasting of grapes from the Barossa Valley.   Since the 1990's Australia has earned an excellent reputation for high quality wines and there are many to select from and taste.  Larry and John try to teach and persuade Bubba that there are other selections besides Mogan David.  These two pals are quite the wine connoisseurs  so Bubba's knees start to shake when he hears about the pricing of some of their vino's.  

CELEBRITY FUN- MY WIDE WORLD OF SPORTS
Jim Nantz is one cool dude.  We enjoyed his lectures and his ever so charming personality.  He and Bubba had a few laughs about some Secret Service fun.
Of course Boca was the only one in the room who didn't know who he was-oops.

DAY 15 FEB 25 BRISBANE AUSTRALIA

Brisbane is the capital of Queensland with a population of 2 million folks.  Third in size, behind Sydney and Melbourne it is situated on the Brisbane River and surrounded by misty blue hills.  Originally used to incarcerate the bad boys in the 1800's, today it is bustling port city.  Founded in 1823 on the banks of the ide, meandering Brisbane River, the former penal colony of Brisbane was thought of as just a big country town.  Today, the Queensland Capitol is also one of Australia's up and coming cities- glittering high rises mark its polished business center and a string of sandy beaches beckon to endless outdoor attractions.  Boo Hoo-I was still quarantined to my room so Bubba did the excursion sans Boca.

SKYWALK
And off they go walking up in the trees at the Mt. Tambourine National Park.  This elevated walkway opened in 2004 was right up Bubba's alley.  Scenic views, piccabeen palm groves, rain forest with tall trees emerging above the surrounding canopy were a feature on this tour.

 Looks like Bubs enjoyed himself in spite of Pleep hanging from tree to tree and eventually  being asked to leave.  That darn Monkey- he promised he would behave!






Followed by a tour of a local winery.  To think Boca missed this one.

Day 14 FEB 24 CRUISING TO BRISBANE A LA INFIRMARY

YEOW!   My aching back!  What the heck?!  Can't get out of a chair or bed.  So a trip to the infirmary I made, for the ship doc to tell me I had a muscle spasm and take these pills after I give you a shot.   I asked the nurse how much for the shot and she said $35.  Not one crazy about needles I said Ok.  Then she gave me the bill-$300!!   $145 for the doctor to ask me a few questions.  $35 for the shot and $12 for the diasomething that is used in the shot.  And $6 to take my blood pressure and the rest for pills.  You told me $35 for the shot?  what where you going to do?  Just stick a plain needle in me?  And six bucks to take my pressure?  Oh no no no no.  Haven't you heard about OBAMA CARE missy!   I am now quarantined to my room.  Bubba said "too much blogging".  Yia Yia Yia. I have never had a back issue and now have an appreciation for those of you who have suffered with a "bad" back.  Ouch!



Flat on my back in the suite poor Charlie Chan got a work out.  I need this, I need that and he could not understand why several bottles of chilled champagne was part of the recovery and healing process.  I then aimed my sights at Bubs and told him to stop breathing near my bed.  Good ol' Bubs tried to stay away as much as possible.  I am not known for being a "good" patient or any kind of patient for that matter.  I can now understand why Rush Limbaugh sent his Maid out to the hood to get him some Oxycontin for his back.    Have you ever had a back problemo?

DAY 13 FEB 23 ALL ABOARD THE REGENT VOYAGAR

So looking forward to getting on the ship.  Truly the easy   way of seeing and experiencing a lot of places and people.  Regent is our favorite cruise line and  it really does feel like home.  Over the years we have spent many family vacations on Regent ships.  Mitzie so loved to do that slot machine routine. The Voyageur holds 700 people and we have a little over 500 on this leg of the World Cruise.  As mentioned in the calendar below we started in Sydney and get off in Bejing-then on to a separate land tour of China.  One flight plus one boat equals lots of different locations-no need to pack and unpack, no plane hopping or meal planning and lots to do before the next location docking.  We love the thrill and surprises we find in cruising.  Entertainment, interesting lectures, exciting excursions, relaxation, fabulous cuisine and lots of "potential" for a little  bit of romance!  Yes Bubba, a very good reason to haul anchor.  A couples massage?  Room big enough?

They really know how to welcome you aboard. Bubba is still grumbling about all of the luggage but truth be told he brought more "stuff" than me!  Who knew, my little Bubba- could be oh so GQ.  But then the ever so fabulous Charlie the Butler showed up to calm Bubba's nerves and did the unpacking and organizing.

  

Nothing says welcome like Chocolates and Champagne.  Thank you Charlie Chan! We know several of the crew.  They certainly remember our family and all of the "experiences"....including "football boy Nicholas" running up a bar tab, while in high school mind you, that cost more than his cruise.   Apparently, he was enamored with buying  drinks for the other underage kids.   GRRRRRRRRR.


And the best part of getting on board is meeting up with"old" friends.  We visited John and Pat from Houston at their   Maine home last summer.
And there is our darling "Pudge" and Larry Jones.  These Canadians also spend the winter in Ft. Lauderdale so we have enjoyed their company quite a few times at home as well.  Making new friends is absolutely the best part of cruising for the Collins.  It reminds me of going to camp!



 And of course Pleep is in 7th Heaven.