50th Class Reunion

I finially got around to updating this Blog and added our last cruise pictures. It was for our High School 50 year reunion. How time flies when you are having fun. We had a Friday and Saturday get together in Orlando and then on Monday we headed to Miami for the cruise for those who wanted to go. It was a great week, between the Friday and Saturday events then the Monday through Friday on the ship. We had the largest turnout for the two nights in Orlando which was great. The only problem is we have lost two more classmates since then.

Tampa, FL - Long-term cruise parking fees raised

The Tampa Port Authority board approved a $1.00 a day increase to $15.00 for long-term cruise parking at its Channelside garage on Tuesday, August 16, 2011. This increase will match parking fees at all Florida cruise ports except Miami, which is $20.00 a day.

Back to cruising.

Now that we are both retired, done some traveling and visiting our children it is time to get back to cruising. We are booked on a Christmas Cruise out of Tampa. This will be the first time we have cruised during Christmas, with Christmas Day as a fun day at sea.

This cruise is an 8 day cruise and instead of the normal 7 day Western Caribbean out of Tampa it will include a couple of Eastern Caribbean Ports. It includes Key West, Florida; Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos; Ocho Rios, Jamaica and Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands.

We are both looking forward to getting back on a ship, especially going to new ports and one more day of cruising.

Retired as of September 1, 2010

As of September 1st I am now retired. No more tied to a computer or phone. Time to start traveling without having to worry about anything. Time for more cruises, trips to see our children and grandchildren and to see more of our great country.

New June 1, 2009 Passport Requirements.

June 1st has come and passed. The new passport requirements are now in effect. There is one exception for a "closed-loop" cruise, which is one that departs and returns to the same US Port.

From what I read on the government web page, even after June 1, cruise passengers can travel "closed-loop" cruises from US ports to the Caribbean, Mexico and Canada without need of a passport. In these cases, the old requirements still hold, ie, a certified birth certificate and photo ID.

I still recomment the Passport, not the Passport Card. You cannot return home from one of the islands if something should happen as cannot fly home without a Passport. If you are injured, sick or someone at home is injured or sick the only way back on a plane is with at Passport. The Passport Card will not allow air flights, nor will a cerified birth certificate and photo ID.

Disney Online Cruise Night

Come Join us for a special online Disney Cruise Night Webinar.
February 3, 2009 at 7:00 PM EST.

High School Reunion Cruise

I just came back from our 45th High School Reunion. This time the class wanted a cruise. Last Saturday we had a get together at a hotel in Orlando for those that could not make the cruise. Then Sunday morning we headed to Port Caaveral to board the Carnival Sensation for our 4-Night Bahamas Cruise and Reunion.

This was one of the best reunions we have had. Instead of a Friday and or Saturday night get together and dinner we had 4 nights to visit our old classmates in a relaxed environment. At dinner we had tables close to each other, and some even switched tables each night to visit with others at dinner. Some went to the shows together, went on shore excursions together or whatever they wanted as we all knew we would see each other usually at breakfast, lunch and of course dinner or make arrangements to spend more time with each other as we wished.

A group cruise sure is the way to go today. Once the cruise is paid for the only out of pocket expenses are for gifts, drinks on board, sightseeing, etc. No meals to pay for, no shows to pay for, just a relaxed reunion. Already some have said they want the next one, our big '50th', to be on a cruise, and maybe even a longer cruise. We had some first time cruisers in the group and they are now sold on cruising. They just needed a push to get them on their first cruise and were very glad they did.