The autoland feature gives many commercial aircraft the ability to completely computerize the landing with the use of the ILS (Instrument landing system.) It isn’t used that often, as most pilots like to land the aircraft themselves, at least the final approach, with the use of the ILS alone. I would say the majority of the times it is used is for training. I would suspect that was the case on Steve Uno’s flight. The autoland feature is used in very low visibility. There may be times that you need to land, that under normal situations you would divert the flight to another airport.
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We eat mostly CS on our aunnal WDW trips and also find this set-up less than ideal. Especially since my husband began using an ECV, I have to be the sole food runner, although my son is now old enough to help carry. We try to avoid the busiest times anyway, and that has helped at SS particularly. Our resort food court can be a real nightmare, so I often find out what the guys want and then choose something from that line for myself as I am not particularly fussy about most meals. Still sometimes I make two or more trips to get everyone’s food.I understand Disney is experimenting with touch screen ordering, which we use all the time at our regional gas station/food places like Sheetz and WaWa. This would be a really good way for one person to order their group’s food, especially if you have a pretty straight-forward order and are using DP or KTTW to pay. They could still have live CMs to assist or take the orders the regular way, particularly for folks who are paying cash.
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Thank you Steve for the kind words. I am thankful we all made it safely. I like your blog and can’t wait to hear more about your travels. It was great to meet you! Safe travels!
Hey Steve! I just tried posting a comment and I don’t know if it posted so I’m trying again…
Thank you for your kind words! I am so thankful that we landed safely. I like your blog and can’t wait to hear more about your travels! It was great to meet you! Safe travels!
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The Peabody hotel was aal’s layover hotel in mem when we still had stretch limo’s instead of vans. How many changes-they probably use motel 6 now.
Enjoy your trip. Hugs always, Ed
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THIS IS GREAT. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF PICTURES THAT SHOW A SHIP WITH AN “X” ON THE SMOKESTACK. THAT WAS THE CHANDRES LINE THAT BECAME CELEBRITY IN TIME. THANKS FOR SHARING THE GREAT MEMORIES.
Thanks so much for the “Memories”..loved all he Pictures..We went on our First Cruise on The Veracruz we have our on Board Picture with the Name on the bottom of Picture..but no date? We are trying to find out the date that it first sailed out of Tampa,Florida? We usually buy the first picture getting on board the ship..also..but now they have dates on bottom.. Anyway ,like you..we enjoyed it so much..fixing to go on our62
Congratulations Carrie on your upcoming 62nd cruise! We’ve been on a comparable amount as well, and can honestly say we’ve never had a bad cruise, although a couple were less memorable than others. There’s something about being at sea that allows you to leave the world behind for a few days, truly relax, and be pampered for a bit. While the ships have gotten much, much bigger (to big in my opinion) and grander, they still offer the beauty of the world as seen from a deck chair or a stroll around the deck. Today that even includes balconies, unlike the tiny Veracruz of years ago! Thanks for commenting!
WHAT A GREAT OLD SHIP. SHE WAS SO FAST THAT THE GERMANS DID NOT SINK HER WHILE SHE WAS TAKING TROOPS FROM US TO UK DURING WW2.
I AM SO GLAD THAT LONG BEACH HAS TAKEN GOOD CARE OF THIS GREAT OLD SHIP.
THANKS FOR SHARING.
Do you know if you can extend the trip on the Ha Long Bay junk? I am a travel agent with clients travelling on AMA Waterways. They want to extend the Ha Long Bay 1-2 nights. It is not offered by AMA, and I am wondering if they can do it on their own?
I would think not, only because the Ha Long Bay is in the middle of the cruise tour, and AMA and others charter the boat (actually 3 boats due to the group size) for the junk sailing. They could do Ha Long Bay prior to or after the AMA cruise/tours on their own provided they get their own transportation there. We did notice on the ‘junk boat’ we used they have 1 and 2 day sailings, you could try and contact the line to see when they have openings or not being chartered. www.indochinasails.com
Your comments are another example of the honest and professional person you are and why you are so highly respected in the travel world. Thanks for your thoughtful insight and for showing that cruisers and be travelers, too. Will you ever try a river cruise in Europe?
Thank you for your comments. Yes, we’ve actually done two river cruises in Europe; the first was from Vilshefon Germany to Budapest, and the second was from Lyon, France to Arles, France (ending with a bus transfer to Barcelona). We have taken AMA Waterways each time, and highly recommend them for their all inclusiveness, service, reliability and quality. We are taking them once again next May 2017 as part of an African safari cruise and tour.
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HAPPY TO SEE THAT YOUR MOM IS GETTING BETTER, AND YOU WERE ABLE TO TAKE HER HOME FOR THANKSGIVING. JENNI IS LOOKING HAPPY AND YOUNGER THAN EVER.
I UNDERSTAND HOW YOUR DAD MUST FEEL, LOST WITHOUT YOUR MOM TAKING CARE OF THINGS, MY DAD WENT THRU THE SAME THING WHEN MOM PASSED, BUT HE HAD TO LEARN TO PAY THE BILLS, AND EVEN LEARNED TO COOK QUITE WELL.HE WILL BE OK.
BE HAPPY TO HAVE THEM BOTH.
Thanks Ed. Family is everything, and we have to appreciate every moment we have together. It was nice talking to Aunt Gladys over Thanksgiving. Hope all is well with you.
Del Frisco s never disappoints, and this date night was no exception. The food was delicious. Our server recommended the crab cake, and I m still thinking about how good it was.
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HI UNO,
LOOKS LIKE YOU WERE FLYING “US SCARE” NOT THE REAL AMERICAN.
HOPE YOU ENJOYED SANTA BARBARA, WHEN YOUNG, I USED TO DRIVE THERE ON THE WEEKENDS. NICE PLACE.
Hi Ed, I didn’t know you lived out near there in your younger years! I had only been once before, but it is a beautiful place to visit or live. Writing up our winery visits now, which I’ll post next. Thanks!
Thanks Ed. I used to collect airplane models; the small plastic ones. I love travel nostalgia and it was fun looking thru all the old planes (and airlines) past and present.
Dos had a terrific time, Ed! So much so we are heading to Beijing in October. I’ve never been to the Great Wall, so really looking forward to it. The next post is for Valentine’s, and I have some pics of you and Aunt Gladys in it. Thanks!
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FAA REQUIRES PLASTIC GLASSES FOR PRE DEPARTURE BEVERAGES. SOME AIRLINES DO NOT FOLLOW THAT RULE.
SOUTH AMERICANS LIKE TO EAT OVER COOKED BEEF. SOME NUMBER 5’S JUST BURN THEM TO DEATH I NEVER DID BECAUSE YOU CAN RECOOK, BUT ONCE IT’S OVERDONE, YOU CAN’T REVERSE IT. FROM AMS TO CLT I ASKED THE PURSER HOW THE STEAKS WERE COOKED, AND SHE SAID WELL DONE, SO I HAD CHICKEN.
Thanks Ed. I did not know of the FAA requirement; not a big deal. Going back I will ask if I can get mine more rare; is that possible or do they all come out the same way?
WHOEVER DID YOUR TABLE SETTING DID IT BACKWARDS.
DRINKS ON YOUR RIGHT .
BREAD AND BUTTER TOP LEFT.
SALT AND PEPPPER TOP CENTER
ROLLED UP UTENCILS ON THE RIGHT.
Ed, you’re awesome! As a former international Flight Attendant, I love your perspective and tips!
On the return flight I will watch to see how the table is set and report back!
YOU ARE SO FORTUNATE TO HAVE DORIS AS A GUIDE.
LOVE THE FRUIT MARKET PHOTOS, ALMOST LIKE A MOVIE SET.
GLAD YOU FELT SAFE, AND HAPPY YOU HAD A GREAT TIME. YOU DID MANY THINGS ON SUCH A SHORT TRIP.
HAPPY FOR YOU.
Hi Doris, thank you again for such a wonderful tour! It’s people like you that is what we enjoy so much in our travels. I’m glad you liked the photos and blog. We will definitely come back to beautiful Saõ Paulo and other places in Brazil. Muito obrigado Doris!
THE F/A’S NEED BETTER TRAINING. AGAIN TABLE SETTING WAS WRONG, AND THE TOOLS ARE THERE NOT TO FORGET SOMETHING AS EASY AS SOUP.
WELL DONE MEAT SHOULD NOT BE. IT IS BOARDED SEARED ON THE OUTSIDE AND BLOOD RARE ON THE INSIDE. THE FRENCH WOULD BE REALLY UPSET.
THE DILLARD FAMILY,
BACK IN THE OLD DAYS IN TEXAS, I HWAS INVITED TO DINNER WITH BOTH BROTHER AND SISTER OF THE STORES.
SHE WAS QUITE, AND HER BROTHER BBQ GREAT CHIX WINGS.
THE PARTY WAS NEARLY ALL NIGHT.
THE DILLARDS ARE VERY NICE AND SIMPFULL
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HI UNO,
DON’T EXPECT MUCH FROM THE MD 80′ THEY ARE SCHULED TO BE RETIRED SOON.
THE ORININAL ONES WERE ORDERED BY ALITALIA. THEY COULD NOT AFORD THEM SO AMERICAN GOT THE FOR NEARLY NOTHING. IN 1984 IT WAS THE MOST ECONOMICAL, QUITEST PLANE ON EARTH. NOW THEY ARE OLD AND TIRED.
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DEAR UNO,
HOPE YOU BOTH HAD A GREAT TRIP. WISH I COULD HAVE SEEN YOU BOTH IN MIA,MY TOOTH WAS NOT ONLY HURTING, BUT HALF MY FACE LOOKED LIKE A CHIPMUNK.
YOUR OLD 757 IS MOST LIKELY ONE OF THE NEWER ONES, IT NEEDS A NEW PAINT JOB AND A C CHECK TO REDO THE INTERIOR. TELL DOS THAT 757 DID NOT EXIST. THE 70’s WERE THE 707 AND 747’s.
enjoy your trip, HUGS, E.
Hi Patrick,
Yes we are having a wonderful time! We are now on the river cruise and the internet is non-existent, but the scenery is awesome. Really amazing trip! Thanks, Steve
THE FRONT ROW ON AAL WAS ALSO THE FAVORITE OF JACKIE KENNEDY. PRIVACY.
THE ONLY PROBLEM WITH HER IS THAT ROW 1 WAS NON SMOKING, AND SHE INNSISTED ON AN OCATIONAL CIG. WE NEVER ARGUED WITH HER.
DEAR STEVE,
THE PICTURES WERE VERY NICE, AND THE STORIES ARE BETTER.
I SAW A FAN ON ONE OF THE PICS—NOT SURE I COULD DEAL WITH THAT, A/C IS A MUST.
THESE PICS DID NOT MAKE ME SALIVATE OVER THE FOOD.
The boat and all are hotels were air conditioned. I do like having a ceiling fan as well, as we do at home. Food was African-themed as expected on the boat. It was good, but I’m a simple meat and potatoes guy, while DOS can eat anything.
I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU BOTH FOR TAKING THIS INCREDIBLE TRIP.
THE PICTURES ARE GREAT FUN, AND MAKE ME HAPPY TO SEE BOTH OF YOU HAVING SUCH A GREAT TIME.
KEEP ENJOYING.
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An AmaWaterways river cruise is about more than just the destination – it’s the journey. Our ships are inspired by luxury yachts so that you can enjoy an array of great features as you cruise along from one stunning place to the next. Because it’s not just about where you go. It’s how you get there that matters.
Thanks for your comments, so true – life itself is a constant journey. This was our fourth AMA Waterways cruise and every one of them has been OUTSTANDING – totally surpassing our expectations. To journey with them is not only a wonderful journey, but thought-provoking and educational as well.
You’re pictures are amazing and you seem like such a fun duo! I came across your blog from a forum and like you, I will be traveling to Easter Island in August. Who did you use as a tour guide? I’m a solo traveler but would like to book at least one tour. I will be there 6 night 7 days so I have plenty of opportunity to explore. I figured if I was traveling that far, I might as well make it worth it!
Hi Erin,
You will love Easter Island! We did not use a tour guide per se, as the tours were included in our hotel stay. We booked directly with www.hangaroa.cl/en/ the Hotel Hangaroa Eco Village and Spa, and they did everything from meet us at the airport and return, meals, and twice daily tours. The island is not that big however, so where ever you stay your hotel should be able to arrange a local tour for you. I’m sure all of the local tour guides are fine, and as ours told us communicate with each other so they don’t all congregate at the same places at the same time. Easter Island is quite quaint, and if you’re staying near the town of Hangaroa you can easily walk into town and see several tour companies you can choose from. Whatever you do, it will be a trip you will remember for a lifetime! Depending where you are flying from, you may need to spend the night in Santiago the night before you fly to Easter Island, and then the night you return back, depending on flight schedules, as there is normally only one flight a day to Easter Island. Enjoy!
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Thanks Ed! I don’t normally go into this much detail on a trip; but this trip was so wonderful I wanted to share it with everyone, in hopes they may go one day. Since I’ve been back, I’ve constantly urged people who are ‘on the fence’ about traveling, to do it NOW! Now one knows what the future holds, and you really do need your health; i.e. walking ability for trips such as this. I know you know this, but for others, don’t delay until your too old to get around is my best advice. Thanks for responding.
When the helicopter landed on the helipad the people inside exited and made their way into the building. Why is Victoria Falls Special? Although it is considered the largest waterfall in the world, it does not hold the title of being the tallest nor the widest.
While not the tallest or widest, (it is twice as high as Niagra) and twice the width of Horseshoe Falls, it’s considered one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The sheer volume of water cascading over it projects a foam cloud you can see from miles away. You truly can’t appreciate the magnitude of the falls unless hiking thru the park; it’s not just one Falls; it’s a continuous stream of different and connected Falls all spraying their water – the force of nature at its best! The helicopter takes you not only over the falls, but over the national park as well where you can see wildlife; giraffes etc. If you haven’t done it, you should!
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Thanks for the compliment. I started blogging 2 1/2 years ago on a whim. I used to keep a hand written journal years ago, pre-internet, but now the web makes it much easier. While not hard, it does take some time to write entires and post photos (i.e. exporting the photos to a smaller resolution, and then uploading them.) It’s a labor of love though, and i like sharing our experiences with others in hopes they can enjoy these destinations too! Thanks for writing! Steve
Hey there would you mind letting me know which webhost you’re using? I’ve loaded your blog in 3 completely different web browsers and I must say this blog loads a lot quicker then most. Can you suggest a good internet hosting provider at a honest price? Kudos, I appreciate it!
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Wow! This blog looks just like my old one! It’s on a completely different subject but it has pretty much the same page layout and design. Excellent choice of colors!
Hi Steve,
I really enjoyed reading your blog … great tips, photos and information.
It looks to me that you have posted one day of tour so far. Since you were there for 4 nights, and Hotel Hangaroa offers a daily tour with its all-inclusive package, what other tours did you take? Were you given a choice of tours?
There weren’t many excursions posted on the hotel’s website.
Hi Robin,
The complimentary tours from the hotel were setup by the hotel, but each one was different, that is they took you to a different site each time. We were always in small groups, I think the most we had was six people plus the driver and tour guide, but we were there off-season. I don’t think you would do any better with the local (paid) tours in town, which is a short walk from the resort. Our guide told us as it’s a small community all of the guides talk with each other and try to space out their tours so they don’t overlap with other tours, which was why it felt so uncrowded. We really covered a lot of the island in the short time we were there; of course the main archeological sites, but also the beach (with ruins there), the caves, and the Orongo visitor center and park and more. The tours are broken up into half day tours, which makes it comfortable for sightseeing, and you have a nice break back at the hotel for lunch. You will love it! They do not offer tours the day of your departure or arrival, so keep that in mind. We used that time to walk around town.
Since I’m going in high season (next March), there is no complimentary tour from the hotel. There are Bed & Breakfast package with no tours and All-inclusive package that includes tours.
The information you provided is very helpful. Thank you very much.
Robin.
You’re welcome Robin; I’m glad the info was helpful. The tours were excellent and left right from the hotel so they were convenient too. I would still take these from the hotel with the all-inclusive package for convenience, having the same guide and group, and no duplication in sights. Please let me know how you liked it! Thanks again! Steve
Oh my goodness! Amazing article dude! Thanks, However I am having
troubles with your RSS. I don’t know why I am unable to join it.
Is there anybody else getting identical RSS problems?
Anyone that knows the answer can you kindly respond?
Thanks!!
ALL THE FOOD LOOK GREAT.
I THINK THAT THE LOUD MOUTH PAX HAS NEVER SEEN PEOPLE FLYING FROM ONE SIDE THE OTHER ON A 747 OR CARTS GOING UP IN THE ON 777 DURING TURBULANCE.
KEEP HAVING FUN, HUGS ED
Tom is always funny. In that photo of DOS drinking from the wine bottle (just for the photo, not really) if you look closely you can see Tom to the left of DOS imitating him! Funny!
MY FAVORITE HOTELS IN ORLANDO-HILTON AND HYATT.
I MISS YOU BOTH.
TAKE CARE OF YOUR MOM AND SEND TOM MY BEST WISHES.
GOING TO HNL TOMORROW TO SEE MY FRIEND WHO HAD A STROKE LAST WEEK.
DEAR STEVE,
THANK YOU FOR THE PICTURES AA191. ONE OF THEM SHOWS THE NAME JAMES DE HART, HE WAS THE PURSER ON BOARD AND MY ROOM MATE DURING TRAINING IN 1973. THERE IS ALSO A MEMORIAL IN SAN DIEGO’S BALBOA PARK THAT HAS BEEN THERE FOR MANY YEARS DUE TO THE FACT THAT EIGHT OF THE F/A’S WERE BASED IN SAN. 2 F/A’S WERE RETURNING MOTHERS BASED IN LAX AND THE COCKPIT WAS ALSO LAX BASED. THE SAN BASE WAS ONLY FOR F/A’S AND TOTAL NUMBER WAS AROUND 170 PEOPLE AND THEY WERE A SMALL FUN FAMILY.
JIM DE HART HAD JUST RETURNED TO FLYING AFTER BEING SHOT AT CONVENIENCE STORE AFTER A TRIP. HE HAD BEEN OFF FOR THREE MONTHS RECUPERATING, AND THEN 191.
THE MECHANIC IN ORD THAT HAD WORKED ON THE ENGINE CHANGE COMOTED SUICIDE.
OMG Ed! Thank you for the rest of the story. To those reading this, Ed is a great friend of ours and a retired FA for American. He has lots of great (and unfortunately like this) not so great stories to share. Wow – you were roommates in training school. Thanks for the update; I need to get you to post some photos and pics on here sometime.
Hi
I love the wall tapestry you bought of Halong Bay & almost bought it myself. Now that I’m back home in Australia I really want it. Where did you buy it & do you think I could order one on line? Many thanks.
Jeanette
I’m sure there are copies you can buy online somewhere. This was an original handmade silk tapestry we bought at a roadside factory on the way to Halong Bay. Sorry I don’t have the name of it, but it was actually part of a rest area complex off the main freeway to Halong Bay. Our guide had told us ahead of time they have genuine quality, handmade products there, and you could see some workers there doing the tapestries.
LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE HAPPY WITH YOUR CHINA EXPERIENCE, I AM VERY GLAD FOR YOU BOTH. I LIKE CHINA VERY MUCH.
LAST TIME I WAS THERE, I BOUGHT TWO BAMBOO PILLOWS IN A VERY NICE MALL, AND I STILL HAVE THEM—BETTER THAN DOWN AND WASH VERY WELL.
KEEP ENJOYING!!!!!
Hi Ed,
We had a WONDERFUL time in Beijing. I don’t know what I expected exactly, but it far surpassed my expectations. The city was clean, safe, and full of life!
I simply want to say I am new to blogging and site-building and truly savored you’re web blog. Most likely I’m likely to bookmark your blog post . You actually come with terrific posts. Regards for sharing with us your blog site.
I think I would probably fall in love with Singapore as my parents did many years ago. They they loved it and that was probably perhaps 30 years ago so it must be much nicer now and it looks much nicer than . So next next trip will probably be Singapore for me I am so impressed with the photos that you sent and also the food in the photos, very clean very appetizing looking and I think that I can do it on my own if Gladys doesn’t want to go. Thank you for sharing this it really impressed me, and I am not easily impressed by cities. Thank you both for sending this I really enjoyed seeing the photos hugs from Ed
Hi Ed,
I’m not a big city person either, even though I travel to lots of them, but Singapore was wonderful. It’s easy (and safe) to get around anywhere via their extensive subway and bus system, and enjoyed going thru the different neighborhoods. The official business language is English so that makes it easy, and it’s amazingly clean with the tap water safe to drink, as well as food from street vendors. Even food court restaurants post the sanitation rating, and if it’s not an A or a B, no one will eat there, so it keeps things in check. Hope you can get over there Ed, and if possible for the Chinese New Year.
MY GOODNESS, THE HILTON IN MIAMI WAS WHERE AL AND STAYED WHEN LOOKING FOR AN APARTMENT BACK IN 1991. VEERY NICE PLACE. CELEBRITY CRUISE LINES HAD THEIR HEADQUATERS NEAR BY, BUT WHEN RCCL BOUGHT THEM, HEADQUATERS WENT TO MIAMI PORT.
THE RESTAURANT YOU BOTH WENT TO, WAS A PLACE THAT AUNT GLADYS USED TO GO TO WITH HER FIRST COUSIN AND HER HUSBAND.
I WISH YOU HAD CALLED ME WHILE IN MIAMI. TO BE HONEST, I DID NOT FEEL ALL THAT WELL.
I KNOW THAT YOU ARE BOTH HAVING A GREAT TIME…
HUGS AND KISSES TO YOU BOTH. ED
Hi Steves, loved your report about the wineries in Caasablanca, and I´m especially touched with the description of your experience with us at Attilio & Mochi.
Hope you have lots of fun in your next adventures and hope to see you again soon.
Angela Mochi
Angela, thank you again for such a wonderful tour! Your passion and strive for quality wines, is best summed up by your ‘passionate winemakers’ label on your wines. Thanks again! Steve and Steve
GOOD LORD, THOSE INDIVISUAL PIZZAS WERE ENOUGH TO FEED A FAMILY. WOW.
I WISH I HAD YOUR PALATE FOR WINE, BUT I JUST NOT. IF BAD, I KNOW IT.OTHERWISE, I DO LIKE CHATHOW NEWF DU PAPE. IT WAY TOO MUCH MONEYIN THE PLASES EVEN SERVE IT.
LOVE YOU ALWAYS.
I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU WITH THEE NEW AUDI.
THEY ARE SUCH GREAT CARS, AND THEY ARE MUCH FUN TO DRVE.
GLAD YOU PICKED THE RE, IT IS A CLASIC COLOR.
MY BEST TO YOU, ED
THAT TRIP SOUNDS LIKE NIGHTMARE.
NEXT TIME SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPENS, ASK FOR A WHEAL CHAIR, OR A CART TO TAKE FROM GATE TO GATE.
TAKE GOOD CARE OF YOUR FOOT.
It really was a long and tiring day. I didn’t really see any of those moving carts though at the late hour of the flight; didn’t think to ask for a wheelchair.
Thanks Ed. It was an awesome weekend! Wish you and Gladys could have been here with us. We’re staying at Hyatt Grand Cypress this week for my actual birthday. Hugs, UNO
SO GLAD YOU WENT TO BERN’S, MY SECOND BEEF RESTAURANT IN THE WORLD.
MY FIRST IS TOO FAR TO TRAVEL TO, BECAUSE IT IS IN MADRID. THE HOUSE WINE IS VERY TO ME, BECAUSE I DON’T HAVE YOUR GREAT PALATES.
IF, SOMEDAY WE CAN GO TO MAD, I WILL TAKE YOU THERE.
THE FACK THAT GERMANS THID NOT DESTROY IN 1934, MAKES IT AND THEIR FOOD VERY SPECIAL TO ME. QUARTO I MITAD
Every roofing project is going to be noisy. There will be dust and debris. The crew will clean up every day, but the entire work site will be a mess while they’re working. No matter what the estimated completion time is, there is always a chance for weather-related delays. It’s nice to know that you’ve handled the inconveniences.
Thanks Alice. I expected it would be noisy and dusty so I planned accordingly and had a mini-vacation as a result. I am so relieved now that I have a new roof as we have daily thundershowers here in the Orlando Florida area. The roofers did a great job, and the local owner even came by after the project was done to see how it went! They really did a quality job.
I HAVE SEND YOU BOTH SOME TEXT MAIL TODAY, BUT IT DOES NOT WORK FOR SOME REASON. LOVE THE PICTURES ON YOUR BLOG, I DO HAVE A FEELING THAT THAT PLACE FOR PEOPLE OVER 50 IS NOT REALLY IDEAL FOR YOU GUYS. THAT IS MY OPENION. DOES NOT MEAN MUCH.
I HOPE AND WISH YOU BOTH A GREAT TRIP TO AFRICA. MY VERY BEST TO BOTH OF YOU, MY DEAR FRIENDS.
SOMETHING IS STRAGE WITH MY NEW PHONE, AND I WILL TAKE CARE OF THAT, BECAUSE YOU BOTH HAVE NOT GOTTEN MY TEX MY COUSIN DID NOT EITHER, SO SOMETHING IS WRONG. WISH I COULD HAD SPENT SOME TIME WITH YOU BOTH IN MIAMI, NOT AN OPTION TODAY. MY HUGS TO YOU BOTH. WITH LOVE TOO
SO HAPPY FOR BOTH OF YOU.
THE HILTON IS A VERY NICE CHOICE AT THE AIRPORT, I STAYED THERE ONCE BEFORE TRANSFERING TO MIA. THE LAKE THERE IS WHERE CELEBRITY HAD THEIR HEADQUATERS AND AUNT GLADY’S SON MIKE USED TO HAVE HIS OFFICE, ALSO AMERICAN CREDIT UNION HAS ONE OF FOUR MIAMI LOCATIONS. THE RESTAURANT YOU BOTH GO TO, IS APLACE THAT GLADYS HAS BEEN TO MANY TIMES.
THE AAL AIRPLANE ORDERS WERE PLACED A COUPLE OF YEARS BEFORE THE MERGER WITH US AIR. THINK THAT AT THE END THEY WILL HAVE PREETY NEW PLANES…1,000.
HAVE A WONDER TIME. KEEP THE BLOG GOING… HUGS. WISH I HAD BEEN ABLE TO SEEYOU BOTH IN MIAMI.
SORRY YOU HAD THE WATER PROBLEM, I HAD THE SAME THING HAPPEN TO ME A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO. THANK GOODNESS I HAD PUT A BLUE TABLET IN THE TANK, SO I WAS ABLE TO SHUT IT DOWN AND PUT A BUCKET TO CATCH THE REST. JUST NEED A PLUMER TO FIX IT.
THE FOOD LOOKS WONDER BUND
+
I AM SO IMPRESED. AND HAPPY FOR YOU. THANK YOU FOR SHARING.
I AM GOING TO TRY TO SHARE THIS BLOG WITH MY DEAR FRIEND MONIA WHO IS AN ANIMAL LOVER. I HOPE THAT THAT IS OK WITH YOU. I KNOW THAT THE PICS OF THE WILD ANIMALS WILL BE LIKED BY MONICA. I HOPE THAT IS OK WITH YOU.
KEEP HAVING FUN. HUGS TO YOU BOTH
Yes this is really nice! I know both of the Steves will have a wonderful time! I frequently watch a live safari from South Africa and Kenyan Masai Mara that’s broadcast twice a day, 365 days/year, so the shots of the safari look very familiar to me! Would love to go for real! Enjoy!
Hi Monica, Thanks for replying. I’m trying to update some gallery photos, but it’s a bit slow internet connection out here in the bush. We’ve taken hundreds, so I’m starting a gallery and will add to it periodically. It’s truly amazing here between the wild animals and the star lit skies at night; literally a world away from everything.
Wow a fellow Veracruz passenger! It was my first cruise as well and ended up taking it three times. Small, pre-balcony, pre-specialty dining, pre-rock climbing wall etc – but it was wonderful – truly how cruising used to be!
Thank you for sharing all the wonderful time we had during Thanksgiving. Your parents look wonderful your brother and art look terrific. Give them my best please. Hugs to all of you, Ed
The Amtrak fares are variable based on time of year, availability, direction going, day of week, advance reservations etc. You pay a base far for the car, and then a base fare for each passenger. After that there is an optional uncharge for the sleeper accommodations; it can be a bit pricey but is definitely worth it for an overnight trip. You can easily calculate your specific charge on the Amtrak website. I put in a date for this Saturday for example and it’s $438 – $538 for the train and 2 people in coach, to $616 for a tiny roomette, to $1205 for the superliner bedroom, which is what we had. Not this is the cost for 2 people; not per person. Hope you can experience it!
Thanks for the images. In 1981 and 1982 I was a proofreader at Dittler Brothers in Atlanta, GA, which printed all the timetables in the country at the time (system and for each individual city), except for American, or maybe it was United. I arrived there just as airline deregulation was kicking in and People Express began changing their fares monthly and weekly. All the timetables like Delta and Eastern that used to print every six months were now printing monthly, and all the cities’ timetables, sometimes no more than a flyer, also had to be updated monthly. Dittler also developed the four-color scratch-off technology that allowed games, so we were also proofreading the first generations of McDonald’s games and lottery tickets for foreign markets. Great training for me, and obviously a very busy time at the plant. Thanks again. If you ever want to know about airline timetable production in the early 1980s, let me know. We were proofreaders, but we basically touched everything from when the typesetting tapes came in from the airlines to when the printed copy rolled off the press.
Hi Bob,
Thanks for the excellent feedback! I never took People Express but I remember looking at their timetable when they first started going to London. So many things have changed in the airline industry due to technology, cutting cost etc, and timetables are missed part of that. Even as a little boy I would dream about all the places I’d love to one day go looking thru them, and I would look up the flights that had ‘Royal Service’, a movie, or even 2 movies! I’m so glad I saved many of these. Thanks again for responding. Steve UNO
I found this googling Vera Cruz Shop. I believe I sailed to Cancun on this ship back around same time frame… prob couple years earlier…’85? I can’t recall exact year. There was a group of college kids that wreaked havock aboard ship. They even put Vaseline on our door knob to our cabin LOL I remember getting a bit sea sick. I’m about to go on my 2nd cruise, Rock Lehends Cruise in February, A few friends talked me into it. I know it is a much larger ship and it sounds like it might be an altogether different experience. The previous cruise it was all about the Destination for me …this coming RLC cruise I’m not even sure I’ll get off when we dock! LOL My main hope is that I do not get seasick! I do remember we had baked Alaska on the Veracruz and I do remember the wait staff was very attentive and it was cozy 🙂
OMG! I looked up your cruise and it sounds wonderful! It’s on the Independence of the Seas – HUGE ship! While I haven’t been on that ship, I have been on the sister and basic twin ship to that – The Freedom of the Seas. You could probably put the Veracruz in the main dining room on the Freedom! LOL! I love the bands playing on this sailing; too bad it’s sold out already or we might consider it. Yes, it will be a different (not bad, just different; i.e. much more grand and tons of stuff to do, bigger cabins, pool, shows – basically everything) than the Veracruz. I have fond memories of the Veracruz, and that tiny first ship I took got me hooked for life on cruising. One thing that has changed (in addition to just about everything else) is the additional dining options, which were not available back in the early days of cruising. While you can still have all your meals in the dining room, buffet area etc, do try and go at least one night to one of the specialty dining rooms. There is an extra cost in doing so, but depending what you like, “Chops” for awesome steaks is one of our favorites. Haven’t tried IZUMI, but if you like Sushi that may be good too. Definitely the shows, (ice skating, main theater .. .) list goes on. Write again when you get back and let me know your thoughts! Merry Christmas and Bon Voyage! Steve
Unlike the various replies to your memory of the veracruz cruise ship, out of Tampa, mine was not as favorable. I was suffering from food poisoning and fell victim to bring sea sick the entire sailing The rooms were non discript. My sleeping arrangement was a mirror on the wall that doubled as a pull down bed. I swore off cruises until the Royal Caribbean cruise line gained popularity. Royal Caribbean is now my cruise line of choice.
Hi Jim, sorry you had a bd experience on the Veracruz. Just curious what year and approximately what month you sailed. Yes it was a tiny ship; a tugboat compared to today. While I didn’t have food poisoning, on my first cruise ever I did get a bit of sea sickness the first night only. I had never sailed before, so didn’t know what to expect – just thought the sea sick bags every three feet on the railing was normal! Turns out there had been a hurricane within the last week, and the seas were still very rough; even the crew was getting sick. For such a tiny ship (some 10,000 tons compared to today’s mega liners, some of which are 20 times as big – 200,000 tons!) it’s easy to see how the ship could get a bit topsy turvy. I made it thru the first day, and the seasickness hasn’t bothered me since. That said, even on the small Veracruz, it had the ocean liner traditions that remain to this day (although many more alternatives now in entertainment, dining etc), and it got me hooked on cruising. Thanks for writing!
Hi Susan, and Felix Navidad! We so enjoyed our time at Pizzorno; truly felt like part of the family. Of course you may reach out any time. This is an amateur site; not professional but glad to share my adventures with others. Merry Christmas!
WHAT GREAT PICTURES, YOU GUYS OUTDID YOUR SELVES.
ARCHTECTOR IS WONDERFUL, AND THE DECO FOR X-MAS IS SO BEAUTIFUL THAT I AM SHARING THIS WITH AUNT GLADYS. SHE LOVES TO DECORATE FOR X-MAS.
Hi Chris, there are four versions of the BA 747. On ours, there were two lavatories behind First Class used only for First Class passengers. World Traveler Plus was located behind First Class on our flight, and they had their own lavatory at the rear of their cabin, but before Club World. Thanks, Steve
SO GLAD THAT YOU ARE SO MUCH IN LIKE WITH THESE ANIMALS.
I HAVE WANTED TO GO THERE FOR MANY YEARS, BUT I DID NOT WANT TO GO ALONE.
STEVE, I HOPE YOUR KNEE IS GOING TO BE WELL.[VERY IMPORTANT] TO ME.
TAKE CARE AND WHEN YOU CAN , KEEP IN TOUCH.
I HAVE ONLY BEEN THERE ONE TIME ON LAYOVER WHEN BASED AT LAX, AND I FOUND THE PEOPLE VERY NICE AND EASY GOING. LOOKS LIKE YOU ENJOYED YOUR STAY, AND I AM GLAD.
ON YOUR PERSONAL LINE I WILL TELL YOU ABOUT THE FONZ, AND EVEN HIS MOM.
HE IS A GOOD PERSON.
Hi Jim,
So nice to meet you too. What a wonderful trip that was on the Yangtze Explorer. I’m behind a bit in posting, but am home and will post the cruise and Hong Kong soon.
Hi guys, great meeting you both on our China trip. Your blog is great! If you get to Fort Lauderdale please give us a call. Happy Travels!
Dominick and Garrie
Hi Dominick and Garrie! It was so nice to meet you both on the Yangtze Explorer in China. It was really an incredible trip! Will look you up next time we’re in Ft. Lauderdale, and if you’re up in the Orlando area, please contact us as well. Take care, Steve and Steve (Steve Uno and Steve Dos)
Steve and Steve, We did a day tour in Uruguay in 2018 (Pizzorno Winery) with you and value your opinion. We are going to be in Franschhoek South Africa with a extra day to tour. We are staying at Babylonstoren and doing local tours and diner there. Saw a lot on your site with J.J. and wondered if you had contact info….or recomendation for local restaurants and tours.
Hi Doug and Susan,
Nice to meet up again online! We sure enjoyed the tour and lunch at Pizzorno Winery and meeting you both. Sounds like we both have touring wineries and good food in common! When we toured with J.J. he was doing tours exclusively for 21 Roux Street, but I think he has branched out a bit as I saw this on Trip Advisor. The link to his website was not working, but you can try the phone number on the website: www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g469391-d17675896-Reviews-JJ_Tours-Franschhoek_Western_Cape.html We toured Babylonstoren, but did not stay there. You will love it though. I made a short video of the Franschhoek area and touring with J.J. and some of the wineries we toured. Franschhoek Wineries
Hi Ed,
Thanks for the kind words. You are right, the bandage looks much worse than the scar. I have the bandage off now, and my forehead is healing back fairly quickly. I still keep the cap on my head though to shield it from the sun.
Thanks Dave. I’m definitely slowing down for a couple months, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I’ve been rushing, traveling, working, repeat for so many years I’m taking a recovery break now, and will appreciate travel even more, hopefully in Spring when I’m up for it. Happy New Year to you!
Hi David,
That’s awesome! There’s something about the very first cruise one takes, and the Veracruz was mine. Compared to today’s mega ships, the Veracruz was a tugboat but a fun party boat with all of the traditions in its day. Did the ship assign you your own cabin for the 3 months you worked it? Did you go to other ships after that? Sounds like an awesome way to work at sea! Thanks, Steve
SO VERY HAPPY TO SEE YOU IN THE NEW NECK BRACE!
I WAS SO SCARED WITH THE FIST ONE, I COLD NOT SEND A COPY AUNT GLADYS BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT SHE WOULD GET REALLY UPSET.
NOW I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU. THANK THE LORD FOR BEING SO KIND TO YOU.
This is the first time I’ve read your blog and it is awesome! You two seem to really enjoy life! I love your style. My boyfriend and I are going to Chile in a few weeks and have one day in Colchuga. Do you have any thoughts on Neyen or on lunch at Vik vs. Clos Apalta.
Hi Maria,
Glad you found this blog interesting. We do love to travel, and now that I’m retired hope to do more so (that is once my broken neck gets healed!) All three of what you listed are outstanding! We loved the private tasting we had at Neyen, and have had lunch at both VIK (Twice) and Clos Apalta. Unless you’re staying at VIK’s property, however, I would have a luxurious food and wine pairing lunch at Clos Apalta. You have to visit VIK – it’s definitely over the top in luxury and size. The first visit there was part of a private tour and it was before the bigger (and public) restaurant was finished. While it was excellent, we much preferred the intimacy and view of the restaurant overlooking the infinity pool and valley, which is now reserved only for guests of the resort or special arrangement. Clos Apalta was outstanding , and the day we were there (off season winter) we had a private room for lunch which was incredible. Any of the above though are a must visit. We have used Uncorked Wine Tours with Jose several times for private tours, and have visited Clos Apalta and Vik twice now, and love how Jose customizes the experience. Happy tasting and dining! Thanks, Steve
I was the boarding agent for the Veracruz when it sailed from Tampa in 1982. I handled the ship for 8 months in Tampa when I worked for Eller & Company located on Hookers Point. The ship would then head north during the summer months and sailed the St. Lawrence River. The captain of the ship was from Germany and his name was Captain Jens Thorn and Purser was George who lived in Orlando. At the time the SS Veracruz was the only cruise ship that sailed from Tampa until Holland America started sailing from Tampa a year later. I had the opportunity to cruise aboard the Veracruz twice and Bahama Star offered me the port suite both times which was essentially two standard rooms with the bathroom in between that actually had a tub. One room was the bedroom and the other room was a sitting parlor. The ship sailed to Playa del Carmen, Cozumel and Key West. It was an awesome experience as I was in my early twenty’s and had free roam of the entire ship.
Hi, Bill. I was one of the cruise assistants on the SS Veracruz from 1981 to 1985. I remember working with you during embarkation days. Seems like a lifetime ago!! So many memories-Loved that ship
Hi Steve — I found your website while going in search of some info on some of the cruise ships I worked on … including the Veracruz. I was lined up to work in the gift shop during the summer of 80, but the ship ran into engine trouble from FL to Puerto Rico, and it wound up in dry dock for months. By the time it was ready to set sail again, I was less than a month out before having to go back to colege, so I didn’t join up again. I did wind up back on the ship during the summer of 82 when it cruised from NY to Montreal and Quebec. What a fun and crazy time that was. I was not a fan of the captain at all – I thought he was a bit of a creep, but was good pals with the shop director Sylvie; the photographers (I think they were Jeff and Craig), and Suzanne – who was one of the cruise assistants. (I don’t remember you, Cindy, but it sounds like we probably overlapped, even though I wasn’t there long; it was a summer job for me while I was in college.)
I still have my staff pin, ID, and my crew station card! (Bimini deck; main cabin. And my job was to assist passenger onto lifeboat 7…)
Wow thanks for the feedback! I was in college at that time as well, but didn’t have nearly the excitement you must have had working summers aboard! What an awesome summer job cruising from NY to Montreal and Quebec! Nice souvenir with the staff pin and ID card; I think I would frame it with some photos of your working days aboard. Thanks for keeping us safe and not having to board lucky lifeboat 7. 😀 Thanks for writing!
Hi! I’ve been going through my parent’s travel scrapbooks and came across one of their cruises to Alaska in 1979 on the Veracruz with Jens Thorn as captain. The paper daily programs are also in there. They have made many friendships on board. Like you, they also buy the “on board” photo! 🙂
Our first cruise was also on the Veracruz, in 1985. I loved it and would travel on it again. I liked the dining arrangement. We enjoyed each meal with our tablemates. The food was so delicious and exciting.
Several people were sea sick for the early part of the cruise. I learned the first morning that if I went up on deck and stayed outside I felt fine. I left our cabin as soon as I heard the neighboring passengers barfing.
On that cruise I went snorkeling for the first time. I had within the previous year or two gotten over my fear of water and learned to swim. The Lord took away my fear when I trusted Jesus Christ as my Savior. I vividly remember looking at the fish through my goggles and say, “Wow!”
I worked for Bahama Cruise Line in Tampa doing reservations. My Mother is one of the pioneers who help bring the Veracruz to Tampa. She ran the BCL operation from 1979-1987. Great memories. I still have a picture of the ship hanging over my desk at home.
I did carpet work on this ship in the seventys thorn was staff capitan we were going in the Caribbean. For a few weeks then thru Panama canal with a few stops then then Vancouver a inside passage of Alaska I had my wife and a couple of people that worked wit me
Hello and thank you for the great post Just a quick question, You didn´t have any problem as you had a rented car? We plan to do the Auto train next summer but we will also be renting a car, and I was reading that maybe that is a problem for the Rentar Company
We didn’t have any problems taking a rental car on the train. To be honest, we didn’t see that in the contract, but we did ask how much the drop charge would be which can be a factor taking a car back to a different location, especially out of state. We normally take our own car, but needed the bigger car to haul things back from my parents estate. Amtrak is very careful loading the cars, and in fact photograph and video the car prior to loading it in case there is a problem with damage. We have taken this multiple times and never had a problem. We were actually more worried about the glass cabinets inside the car breaking, but we had no damage at all. They are well balanced however they do it. Thanks for writing!
Love bed the Vera Cruz! Went on a cruise from Tampa to Cozumel and playa de Carmen in ‘88 the captain was Roger Bono, photographer was named Oaul and bartender was Cheppy… such fond memories!
Anyone that work on the vera Cruz ship from 1986 to end of 1987 I would like to reach out to you. I was the bell boy . I remember the chief Stewart John potier. Still gat my ship ID card.
Hi Steve. I enjoyed reading about your trips. I was having nostalgic thoughts about cruises I’ve taken in the past. ‘I wonder where the Veracruz is now’ came to mind. My mom and I took a 2 week Caribbean cruise on the Veracruz in 1980. What an experience I’ll never forget! My daughter and I went on a cruise in 2018 on a huge ship. I was hoping to experience the same magic but it wasn’t the same, I think because it was too big for one thing.
Anyway, Veracruz was one of the best times of my life!!
Hi Michael, unfortunately at this time the Auto Train does not allow pets. I looked this up today on Amtrack’s website, and while they allow pets on many of their trains, the Auto Train is not one of them.
“Travel with pets in Canada not available on Adirondack, Maple Leaf and Amtrak Cascades; not available on Auto Train, Keystone Service, Pennsylvanian, San Joaquins, Capitol Corridor Pacific Surfliner or Thruway Connecting Services.”
The “yacht like” Veracruz was how it was billed. Living in St Petersburg, I wanted to try a cruise and it was the easiest and cheapest way to try one. My first was the weekend cruise to nowhere, $99 inside plus port tax. The dining room was great and we wore jacket and tie! The room was tiny with exposed pipes and campground like bathroom. I liked it enough to try the 5 day cruise to Cozumel where we docked near the Caribe, which became the Regal Empress, another Tampa Bay early favorite. Friends onboard, older of course, were Holland America cruisers, and influenced me to try a better ship and line. In 2003, I tried the old Noordam and have been quite loyal to HAL since. Unfortunately, HAL may not return to Tampa after 36 years
of winter season cruise from Here.
Hello how are you doing my name is Elijah eugene I work on the ship from 1986 to late 1987 as a bell boy .what was your aunt name. The hospital was on the back of the ship port side.
Hi Steve & Steve! My husband Jason and I met you at the inside bar at Lago Mar.
Love the website and how thorough your posts are! Hope you’re somewhere special this December. You guys are so sweet and fun. Any vacation spot would be lucky to have you two!
Aubree
Hi Steve and Steve! It’s Gail, from the Enchanted Princess cruise – we met at Sabatini’s for breakfast and chatted before the “court case” in Princess Live.
That was a wonderful cruise, wasn’t it? In fact, we booked to go again in February!
Hi Gail, Thanks for posting. It was so nice to meet you all as well. It was a wonderful cruise! Hope you had a good trip back to NJ. Will hopefully see you on another cruise. We’re taking the ‘Love Boat’ cruise on Feb 26 out of LA on the Majestic.
My wife and I had the pleasure of sitting at the Captain’s table on our honeymoon cruise aboard Veracruse. I have the photo if you’re still interested. It was November, 1977.
James That’s awesome! You’re up to what your 44th year anniversary now? Congratulations! Sure I’d love to see your pic, and I could post with your permission. Like I said, the tiny Veracruz got me hooked on cruising for life. I know it must hold a special place in your heart too since it was your honeymoon. Cruising is still awesome, although much different than the earlier times such as the late 70s, when only a very few people had ever sailed; no such thing as a balcony or specialty dining, strangers (but soon friends) dining together every night of the cruise, midnight buffets were standard, after-dinner fun was looking thru the photo gallery of fellow passengers, the Captain actually shook your hand in the receiving live of the Captain’s cocktail party, and of course the Baked Alaska parade was a highlight! We went on the Princess Enchanted recently on November 10th, and while it was a spectacular (WOW!) inaugural cruise, the Veracruz is what started my love of cruising; so different today, bigger, grander, etc, but still has some of the same “We’re all in the same boat” type of feeling. Hope you are still sailing to this day, although with COVID it’s been a bit of a setback for everyone. Thanks for writing, and all the best this holiday season! Steve
Steve and Steve, this is the couple you found at the Wakeview Bar, M and M. We got home a week ago and now it’s time to e-mail the pictures I took of you at the Chef’s Table. The second 10 days were just as great as the first ones, about 400 more people but you still felt “alone”. We missed talking to both of you….look out for an e-mail with the subject “Enchanted Princess”
so much fun meeting you both, stay healthy and happy and maybe we see you again…
our next cruise Dec 20 to Jan 4 on the Grand (Mexican Riviera)
We had a WONDERFUL time meeting you as well. Sailing with only 954 passengers on the Enchantment on a 4,000 passenger ship may have gotten us spoiled a bit in these COVID times. LOL! Looking forward to sailing with you on our cruise in April as well. Happy Holidays and best wishes for continued health and cruising in 2022!
Anyone that work on the vera Cruz ship from 1986 to end of 1987 I would like to reach out to you. I was the bell boy . I remember the chief Stewart John potier. Still gat my ship ID card.
Hello Steve. I worked on the ship gat lots of stores and memories. I was the bell boy from 1986 to late 1987. Great experience I met alot of friends while working there.also great passenger, s I still have my ship ID card.feel free to email me.thanks
Boris and I had an amazing time on the Enchanted. Was great meeting the both of you and spending time together having fun,
We really enjoyed the the concierge lounge with the two of you. This is a great site. Glad to see you are enjoying yourselves. We are planning our work exit strategy :))
Hi Lidia! We so enjoyed meeting you and Boris as well! Hope you had a good trip home without any issues (COVID test, flight delays etc). We loved the Concierge Lounge as well as breakfasts in Sabatini’s; both were great suite perks and it felt like our own little country club with friends. I have a few pics I’ll email to you later on; we’re out touring around Maui right now. We would love to see you guys on another cruise as well.
Boris and I really enjoyed meeting the two of you. We had so much fun spending time together.
We are thinking of where to travel to next as well as planning out work exit strategy.
I would like to talk to anyone who worked on the veracruze in the late 70 when the ship left the Caribbean and went tru Panama canal headed to LA Vancouver Canada and inside passage of Alaska I was putting new carpet at that time
If we had known what a detailed review of the cruise you were going to provide we could have skipped going.
However, if we had missed the cruise we would have missed meeting you.
We hope to cross paths in the future you are enjoyable people
Hi Mike, thanks for replying. While I did mention the property as a Marriott now, when I was first there on an America Hawaii Cruises in the early 1990’s it was a Westin at the time. I still have fond memories of it as a Westin, and the pool is just how I remember it from over 20 years ago, even though it’s now a Marriott. I googled just now to see when Marriott took it over (as Marriott bought the Starwood Chain with Westin and Sheraton Hotels among others) back in 2016, and they are all under the Marriott umbrella portfolio now. This Maui “Westin” property in Lihue, however was actually acquired by Marriott way back in 1995, years before the Starwood purchase. Wow my age is starting to show! I’m 59 and holding tight for my big 6-0 birthday in August. Thanks for writing! Source: Travel Weekly 1998 article www.travelweekly.com/Destinations2001-2007/Marriott-to-buy-Kauai-property-closed-since-92
We went on our first cruise 1975 on Veracruz. Not our first ship travel because we had travelled to and from Australia in the late 60 s. We had a great time our stateroom was an i side one and when the light was out it was DARK. we spent very little time in The stateroom. The cruise was two weeks in the Caribbean plus flights from Calgary starting g at $900. I think the drinks were included. The ship had a few problems like broken stabilizers. Cheapest best cruise I ever took.
It’s caused a re-do of sorts, but it’s all good! We got off the ship today and are staying in San Francisco the next couple of nights, and then on to LAX for five nights before taking the Discovery Princess a week from today. We had an awesome cruise! It was nice meeting you and your husband; that was really a fun excursion in Cabo! Safe travels to you!
Thank you for giving me a walk down memory lane! I spent 2 weeks in Hawaii on my honeymoon during September 1988. While in Kauai, we actually stayed at the Coco Palms. It was a little seedy by then, but the lure of Blue hawaii was just too much. The bedrooms had giant clam shells as sinks. We walked over to the beach, but after the beautiful sliver of Waikiki beach that is (or at least was) exclusive to the Hilton Hawaiian Village, it wasn’t the cleanest, and we didn’t go in the water. We drove to the Westin Kauai just to have a nose- it was new then, and stunning- and too rich for our blood! I remember the sculpture of the horses in the reflecting pool, and was blown way by the 5 sections of the main swimming pool, each with private small pools under each pillar. I thought there were waterfalls shielding the smaller pools from prying eyes. I remember saying to myself that one day I would come back there as a guest, but now it’s just the pools. All the opulence is no more.
Glad this post helped recreate some happy memories for you. My partner Steve (DOS) used to fly to Hawaii as a pilot for work years ago, and has fond memories of the Coca Palms. At home in Florida we sometimes light our tiki torches by the pool and it always brings back memories to him of the Coco Palms Tiki Lighting ceremony each evening. Yes times do change, and especially during the last couple years with COVID I think we’ve all had to adjust expectations. That’s why I love taking so many photos – “The way we were!” Thanks for writing!
I just spotted details of your blog on FB and what a joy it is. I love the photos as you are always both always so obviously happy and living life to the full.
Please carry on sharing your exploits as they always bring a smile to my face too.
I’m also glad to see you are enjoying your trip to London, a man who is tired of London, is tired of life! If you make a future trip to the UK, you might get to see some more of the rest of our great country.
Hi Peter, we are absolutely loving our time here in London! We are staying here a week before the Norway cruise out of Southampton, and have done a different itinerary each day. We will definitely return, and hopefully see you guys on a future visit. We would love to head out to different parts of the country, exploring new things each time. We had a wonderful day on a day trip from London to Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, and Oxford, which I’ll write about in the next day or so. All the best! Steve and Steve
I so love reading these posts, love the details and the adventures you have. Can’t wait to see the Norway posts and hear about those experiences, we are maybe going there this fall if it works out. If not, then early next year. For reference, Lars is from Fauske, little south of Tromso so I’ve only been to the northern part along the coast.
Question for you- we’re leaving tomorrow on another Celebrity cruise to celebrate anniversary (34 years, can’t believe it’s been that long ago we worked together) and birthday. You guys do a lot of Princess, how would you compare the two? We’ve looked at Norwegian as an option, but of course building points on Celebrity at this point.
Hope you continue to have fun in London, it’s been a few years since we were there, but so fun to explore
Happy Anniversary Yvonne! Wow 34years- time flies! Congratulations! We are doing the Northern Arctic Circle route on this Princess Cruise. We have sailed to Tromso before and loved it, and we are also going again this time. We are going to the North Cape at Honnigsvog again as well and it should be close to 24 hours of daylight. We were supposed to cruise all the way to Spitzbergen, but that port was canceled a couple weeks ago, probably due to environmental issues and the size of the ship. Celebrity vs Princess? Both are wonderful. We’ve actually sailed Celebrity the most. Of the two Celebrity is more chic and modern (awesome specialty dining), but changed a few years ago to more casual (no formal nights) probably to attract younger trendy people. Since the Pandemic we’ve been sailing Princess mainly due their easy change policy, small deposits, and world-wide itineraries. Of the two Princess is more traditional with Formal nights; people still wear tuxes (not everyone, but at least a suit or jacket for men). Celebrity has changed to almost a two class ship now with the Retreat area; you pretty much have to book a Junior Suite or above to get the better dining room and access to the retreat. Celebrity has nicer Suites, and for a real splurge take the Penthouse Suite on the M-class Celebrity ships (Constellation, Millennium, Summit, or Infinity). They are older ships, but those suites are amazing; 1,400 square feet and nearly a 1,000 foot aft balcony. Hope you’re having a great trip, we can chat or email direct when you get back. Thanks! Steve
Hey Steve’s! Jason and Lu from London here! We loved hanging out with y’all! We will be in Orlando at the Hyatt Regency 7/20-7/23. Going to the English soccer game. It would be cool to see you!
(325)227-5988
You guys are awesome. Love seeing your Norway cruise pics! Norway for us was great.
Hey Steve’s! Jason and Lu from London here! We loved hanging out with y’all! We will be in Orlando at the Hyatt Regency 7/20-7/23. Going to the English soccer game. It would be cool to see you!
(325)227-5988
You guys are awesome. Love seeing your Norway cruise pics! Norway for us was great.
Hey Jason and Lu, sorry for the delay in responding; ended up being in the hospital for a week when I got home, and needed a pacemaker! Possibly a delayed infection from my open heart valve replacement surgery last year. Anyway happily recovering at home now. Would love to see you all, but will see how the next few days go. We love that Hyatt and stay there a fair bit, usually at least a couple times for the Generous Pour at the Capital Grille right up the street. Thx, and all the best. Steve
I too visited the Westin hotel during a cruise back before the 1992 hurricane. I’m staying at a Marriott resort there now (2022) and am trying to remember details from the hotel back then. Any idea how I can get pictures of the “Before” – especially the lagoon area? I remember taking a lagoon boat tour and thinking this was the most beautiful places I’ve been to.
While walking around the property now, I see a couple of old deserted buildings and was just curious if they could be leftovers from way back then?
Hi Mary, thanks for the response and I’m hoping you’re having a wonderful stay there now. I’m off of town myself this week for my 60th birthday, but when I get home I’ll look thru some of my old photos and see what I have from that pre-hurricane era. Thanks.
Hi Jason, thanks for the comments, although after the very next post I don’t look so great. I ended up being airlifted off our Princess Alaska cruise due to a heart condition; my aortic valve that was replaced last year suddenly failed. Scary stuff, but I’m back home now. All trips thru April 2023 are off for us; will have to look beyond then. Glad you made it to Argentina!
Steve, I was trying to find out how many rooms the S.S. Veracruz had. I ran across your website. Then I was researching my files and found the brochure, including the layout of the ship. So funny! If there is a way to send them to you, I would be glad to do that. We cruised on the Veracruz in 1984.
Hi Donna, and Happy New Year! Thanks for your feedback! I’ll send you a private email you can email the brochure back (assuming it can be scanned) otherwise I’ll send my address. As I’ve been at home recently recovering from heart surgery, I’ve been going thru literally boxes and boxes of old cruise brochures, photos, and other travel information and I know I have more photos and information on the Veracruz and other ships somewhere, which I’ll update as time allows. I found a 1987/88 edition of “On Deck”, and it listed the Veracruz as 10,595 Gross Registered Tons, and had a total of 363 cabins. It was 487 feet long by 64 feet wide and had 8 passenger decks. Plus ONE elevator too! The cabin breakdown was 2 Outside Suites, 180 inside cabins, and 181 outside cabins, and zero balconies. Quite a change from today with the mega-liners this size of a small city, but the Veracruz will always be special to me being the first cruise I took, and still had some of the same traditions today.
Hi Donna, I have been reading all the comments on the Vera Cruz with interest.It was our very first Cruise ..out of Tampa ,Florida…The one that got us started on cruising…Love Cruising! We have been on most of the major lines out of Florida..Do you by any chance know what year she first sailed out of Tampa? We have our boarding picture with the name on it but no date..Would love to find out the date? I think it was one of the first Cruises out of Tampa…Looking forward to your answer..Carrie Porter….Thanks..
Hello Steves! This is Blaise Bellows from the ER in Ketchikan. I am so happy to see that you are recovering. It sounds like it has been a very long journey, and I was worried about you. The ER was absolutely delighted to receive your Christmas card and we hung it up in the nurse’s station over the holiday. I look forward to following your further adventures! Take care!
Hi Dr. Bellows! It is so good to hear from you – you made both our days! (Sorry for the delayed response, somehow the message ended up in the SPAM folder.). We are so thankful to you and your team for everything you did for me, and placing me with the right people from Cardiac Echo and consultation with Bellingham, to the air-vac to Bellingham, and your (and everyone’s) care and compassion ultimately sending me to Seattle for two months. We think of the caring team of medical professionals every single day and all that you do for everyone. Happy Valentine’s Day, and from my (our) heart to your’s and the team, may you have the most blessed day. We hope to get back to Alaska later in the year if all goes well, and ‘finish’ the cruise as well as get to Denali as we haven’t been there yet. Thanks again!
My wife and I took a cruise to nowhere from Tampa in 1987ish, it was $99. The a/C died and our room turned into a sauna. we got buckets of ice and had fun wrestling the cubes into each other’s clothes. A fun weekend that I’d love to do again.
I was the sales and operations manager for the SS Veracruz from 83-86 when it sailed out of Tampa doing 2 day to nowhere cruises and 5 days to Mexico cruises
Hi Mark, did you work land-based out of Tampa, or aboard the ship at least some of the time? That was definitely in the infancy of the “new days” of cruising – how exciting! I loved that small ship and have such fond memories today. I never took the 2 day cruises, but loved the 5 day cruises way back then before Cozumel and Playa del Carmen got so discovered by other ships.
Hi, Steve! I found your blog and read about the cruise. My son and I sat beside you and Dos in Jamie”s at lunch on Mothers Day. I’m glad I found you two again and look forward to reading about many more of your adventures!
-Sharon
Hi Sharon, great to hear from you! I trust you had a wonderful time as we did on the Mariner. We gained a little bit of weight, but that’s what exercise is for! I’m still writing up a couple more sections of the blog to be posted soon; still haven’t made it to Coco Cay yet on the blog but that’s next. Also another post on misc including the ice show and farewell show. (Love that Farewell song they’ve been doing for years!). Take care, and thanks for following us!
Steve (Uno)
Veracruz was my wife’s and my first 2 cruises…it was ‘85 and ‘86. 5 day itinerary from Tampa to Playa Del Carmen and Cozumel. Room was small and walls were paper thin…neighbors hated my snoring. Food was outstanding. Now 50 cruises later, we often talk about how much fun we had on the Veracruz.
TOM, Glad you could experience this gem; a true blast from the past. Yes, THE Veracruz was tiny but the service was traditional and great in the dining room. Back in the pre-balcony days, and it was either a small inside or outside room! With only the main dining room, where dinner was a highlight of the day sharing stories with your fellow table-mates. Yes it’s different today many cruises later but I have such good memories of my ‘starter cruise’ that got me hooked on cruising. We’re taking a short 4 day cruise this week on Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady; should be totally different than any we’ve been on, so we shall see! I’ll write about it later this week. Happy Cruising!
Likewise, it was so nice to meet you as well! We had a blast on the Scarlet Lady, and booked an 8 day cruise on Virgin for late January. We’re in Sarasota now, and just downloading all my pics. Will update the blog with a Virgin review in a couple days. Safe travels, and see you in Orlando sometime hopefully!
We sailed on the Vera Cruz on May 28, 1985, this was our 1st cruise for our honeymoon. We just celebrated our 38th Anniversary and about double that amout of cruises. Love living in Florida close to all the ports!
Congratulations on 38 years together! The first cruise is always so memorable, especially for a honeymoon! We just got back from our first Virgin Voyage’s cruise on The Scarlet Lady; adult’s only, and quite a bit different from even cruises today. Will write about that in a couple days. The Veracruz was always special to me as it got me hooked on cruising way back in 1987. The ships have gotten so much bigger (not so good) that the Veracruz today would seem like a lifeboat! LOL! Likewise we love living in the Orlando area, and it’s so close to Port Canaveral, which is now the largest cruise port in the US. We’re really exciting about the Brightline Train starting in September from Orlando to West Palm, Ft. Lauderdale, and Miami for even more cruise port accessibility. Happy Cruising!
Hi guys, Anik and I wanted to say that we thoroughly enjoyed meeting you both. Sharing dinner in the Mexican restaurant was a highlight of our trip. We would love to stay in touch with you and get together for dinner during our next Orlando trip. Be well.
Thanks Gary! We really enjoyed meeting you and Anik as well! We loved the food in Pink Agave (as well as the company) and especially the cheese covered rib-eye there and chocolate tacos! We’re in Sarasota until Sunday and then home in Orlando all of August, and then late Sept and Oct. Email us your schedule when you’re going to be around in MCO and we would love to get together. Safe travels!
Thanks Manuela! It was a bit more detailed than I normally do, but I tried to include all of the questions we had before going on it. Initially we didn’t consider it because it had the (unfounded) reputation as being too “risqué” which was not at all the case. So glad we tried it, and we’re going to take an eight night cruise on her sister ship, The Valiant Lady in January.
Check out this old video I made from 1988. It was my first cruise as well.
Not the best video, I know, but I had just bought a camera and was learning to use it.
Anyway, might bring back some memories.
Wow Mark! Thanks so much for sharing your video of the Veracruz! I love so much about it; the retro everything from 35 years ago. We’re about the same age (although I’m 4 years older), so like me, you started cruising early on in the infancy of cruising as compared to toady. So many things bring back good memories; the waiters in the dining room (only 1 dining room back then) who knew your name and preferences within a day or so, their formal night parade with Baked Alaska and you were seated with other passengers for either main or late dining (no anytime or specialty dining), greeting the Captain at the Welcome Aboard Party (when the ship was small enough everyone could meet him and shake his hand and get their photo taken with him), the photo gallery area was a big thing too as it was the only way to view photos back then, and it was fun looking at other passengers photos on display. Today while there’s still a photo gallery it’s mostly on the app or view it on the in-room TV. Oh yeah, back then we didn’t have a TV in the rooms! The simple parking lot at the Tampa terminal, unlike the mega garages today . . . so many things have changed, but the Veracruz is always a special memory for me, and as your video shows, it provides a nostalgic blast from the past. I hope you are still cruising today. Thanks so much for sharing!
Steve,
Fun read and I too sailed out of Tampa with a buddy to go scuba diving in Cozumel on the Veracruz in August of 1987. On day two of five, 36 years ago I met the love of my life. We have been married nearly 34 years and have been blessed with 3 amazing children and four grands so far. Fun memories and we speak of it often. It was great seeing your pics and reflecting back on some really great memories.
Wow – the Veracruz was really “The Love Boat!” What a wonderful story – it sounds like an episode from the TV show, but it was the real thing! (I nostalgically watch “The Love Boat” on the Pluto channel, where you can watch it 24 hours a day if you like. LOL!) Congratulations to you on your 36 years together and your kids and grandkids! Thanks for sharing and best wishes to your family for many more years of happiness.
May 1979, four weeks, from Santo Domingo in Dominican Republic to Alaska and ending in Vancouver. Deluxe. I was 27. Ship found me two roomies, three weeks to Vancouver, one week Alaska. Nice senior ladies.
Hi Steve, I worked on the Vera Cruz approximately 1982(ish) – 1985(ish). I then got promoted to work on all three Bahama Cruise Line ships (which changed name to Bermuda Star Lines). I have a few pictures and a few stories I’d love to share. How can I communicate best with you? Thank you.
Sindy (Sadler) Moon
Hi Sindy, thanks for reaching out. I remember the Veracruz, Bermuda Star, and am not familiar with the third ship? I sent you an email you can contact me personally if you like. Thanks so much! Steve
When traveling from Colon to Panama City is there a preferred side of the train to sit on. Also when traveling by bus to Colon is there a preferred side of the bus to sit on?
Hi Roger, sorry for the delay in responding. We just got back from our first MSC cruise this afternoon, and stayed in the Yacht Club which was amazing. Will write that up this week. As far as the bus train/question, we did the opposite way from Panama City to Colon. We were seated on the bus on the right hand side, and had decent views on the ride to Colon. At least on the bus, we made a couple stops, so we could get off the bus and tour the Aqua Clara Visitor Center, which looks over the New Locks. Highly recommended! On the return trip to Panama (again this will be opposite for you), we sat on the left side, however I would have preferred the right side on the train ride for the better views from Colon to Panama City. The bus ride didn’t see to make as much a difference as we had a couple stops, but the train was nonstop back. The nice thing on the train though is you can wonder throughout the car (there’s a small sitting area in the front by the bar), and towards the back of the car there is an outdoor platform (between the cars) you can stand on for an great view without being blocked by the windows or glare. Either way you go, it’s really a great excursion.
Found you!!! It was so lovely to meet the both of you on this cruise. Thank you so much for the wonderful conversations and giving my husband and I some very useful “tips of the trade” as we are just beginning our cruise/traveling adventures. You’ve left such an impression on us and we hope to be fortunate enough to cross paths again with the traveling Steves one day:) beautiful pictures and what a fantastic blog
Hi Robert and Stephanie! It was so nice to meet you both on the MSC cruise! I’m so glad you found your cruising passion as much as we have had over the years, and were so glad you are already looking at your next cruises. Would love to cross paths again one day somewhere in the world, be it cruising, Orlando, Seattle wherever! Hope you had a good trip home with no issues. I just finished up my review as the next post. It’s quite long and I probably should have shortened by half, but has lots of pics and a few short videos too. Enjoy and welcome home!
My first cruise, 1978, Caribbean cruise. I was 18. Cartoonist Ben Wicks and his family were on it, his son Vince was working as entertainment host. They had a talent night, I was juggling apples 🍎 from the dinning room. I won a big bottle of Mumm champane shared it with a girl i met on the trip. Mostly Canadians, I had a blast
Hi Vince, juggling apples from the dining room! WOW that must have been exciting to watch! Congratulations on winning the Champagne way back when. Great memories for sure! Thanks for sharing. Steve
Hi Steve & Steve! Thank you for the extremely kind and beautiful card! I have it hanging in my office. I love the pictures! I am glad to see you are doing great and onto new adventures. It was wonderful to meet you both. I’ll keep following your blog to see where you’re traveling! All my best and happy holidays!
Wow – so nice hearing from you Betsy! Thank you again for your assistance! I’m doing much better and we are actually in Greece today on a Seabourn cruise to Singapore. I did take a high altitude flight simulation test before we left and I did fine, as well as on the flights to Istanbul/Athens. Thanks again, and Happy Holidays to you as well! Steve
Hi Steve and Steve! Love your blog! Quick question – my husband and I are interested in doing the chocolate and wine tasting and I was wondering if you could share the name of the location you went? It looked fantastic!
Thanks Jen! We booked this as a shore excursion on Princess, but I googled this and several other lines stop there as well. It’s called Chocolate and Piñata seaside workshop, and is located on Stingray Beach, maybe a ten minute drive or so from the port. Our group met at the port and then drove us to the chocolate workshop. You will love it! Different than the usual booze cruise and snorkeling excursions. Have fun and thanks for writing.
Hi Tour Guide Su,my nephew’s chinese tutor is visiting Singapore from Yangon,Myanmar for the extremely first time. Would you kindly engage her in a private tour guide with you similar to that of Steve and Danial?
Steves, thank you so much for taking the time to write this exhaustive description of your experiences. It is chock full of useful information that I will make good use of.
Hi Guys, it has taken me some time to read the blog of your experiences after our cruise. We’ve been quite busy but will go to Cape Town tonight and will contact you from there. Good to see that the trip in SIN came to a good end and I’m sure you both are fine now.
Sending hugs 😘😘Hans & Wolfgang
Hi Hans nd Wolgang! It was so nice to meet you on the Seabourn Cruise. Yes, our Singapore ending up with the Dengue Plaque was not ideal, but we got thru it and are home now. Enjoy your trip to Capetown! We will catch up soon! All the best, Steve
Hi both
We are booked on MSC SEASHORE which I presume is mostly identical in October. Yacht Club….. I can’t wait for this top notch experience. Your review brought it to life especially the private island. Your writeup of the boarding experience was very informative and will mean hopefully we wont wait in the wrong queue with no fizz!
Excellent and thanks
Hi Graham, glad you enjoyed my post on the Yacht Club. While we haven’t taken the Seashore, from what I’ve read (as it’s based in North America) it should be a very similar experience. As the Yacht Club is such an intimate and enhanced experience, you’ll meet many of your fellow YC passengers there, and everyone we met said they would only do the YC on MSC again it was so wonderful! Enjoy your trip on the Seashore!
We went on our first cruise with the Veracruz in 1988 out of tampa. We have such fond memories. I remember at the end of the cruise, the entire staff sang ” we are saling”. I heard the song tonight 2-14-24 in a restaurant and my wife and I immediately smiled at each other thinking of the years gone by and the wonderful time we had on the Veracruz. The a/c died on the first night and many of us took our mattress’es and slept outside. If you were on this cruise with us, there also was a small fire in the engine, but not to worry we were all safe. If any of this sounds familiar please let me know
Hi Charles, what wonderful if not uncomfortable memories sleeping outside due to the A/C going out. No I wasn’t on that cruise with you, but it would have been the approximate time frame; 1987/1988. So much has changed since then with the mega cruises and now the crowded ports, but way back then it was really a special time that few people (compared to today) had ever experienced. I was told on one of the cruises back then that only about 3% of Americans had taken a cruise; wow compare that to now! Thanks for writing, and hope you’re still sailing somewhere today! Cheers!
Thank you so much for this really detailed review. We were suggested Yacht Club by our travel agent but we haven’t yet made a final decision based on so many negative reviews of both MSC and the Yacht Club. Your review makes me much more likely to give it a try this coming October!!
You will love the Yacht Club if you do it. Yes, MSC itself has had some negatives; mainly due to the ‘nickel and diming’, required reservations for shows etc in the basic MSC lower, non YC cabins.. The Yacht Club, however is in a totally different league. There are only about 200 passengers in the YC, and it feels like a “country club” setting. You are free to explore the ship ship anywhere, however it feels so special coming back “home” to the YC. I really think you will like it. We’ve sailed many cruises on many lines, and we were quite impressed with the level of service and attention to details. Enjoy!
We have been dedicated Celebrity cruisers for a few years now. One of our sons got employed by MSC last Fall, and we took advantage of a “Family & Friends” program to cruise on MSC SEASHORE in March for four nights. Balcony cabin was nice, ship was beautiful, staff was great, but certainly not Celebrity level.
We are going back on SEASHORE in June for ten nights in The Yacht Club, then on Seaside in November out of Miami, and SEASHORE again next April. All Yacht Club, which we can do for the price of a regular balcony on Celebrity.
Really enjoyed this great review, and really looking forward to the MSC Yacht Club.
We have enjoyed the upscale Celebrity experience as well over the years, and are going on the Beyond for the first time in August. We were quite impressed with the service level on MSC’s Yacht Club, and felt it was more personal than many ships we’ve sailed. For the price point you’re absolutely right; the YC is less than a balcony on Celebrity, plus for the Caribbean itineraries at least, many offer an overnight at MSC’s private island which is wonderful! Enjoy your upcoming cruises!
Great trip. Did the Tampa to Mexico cruise with my future wife, I think fall of ‘85. Storms in Atlantic rolled us all the there and back. Didn’t matter, hung out at Deck Bar with fun people like the Dating Game Bunch and the Meteorologist from Tampa area. Very nice ladies as table mates.
That was last time on one, first was the Andrea Doria ( before it sank)
Wow – you went on the Andrea Doria! What an experience that must have been on a true and historic Trans-Atlantic liner. Glad you had a great experience on the Veracruz as well. Cruising is all about good times, meeting people, and lifelong memories!
Wow this was great! My senior class about 12 of us went for senior trip. It was April 20-27 1987 (Easter) we had a blast I was looking at old cruise trips and found my picks from the Vera Cruz we had so much fun!
Wow love this review. I hear the msc ships are beautiful and prices can be good but not much else positive. You have about convinced me I need the YC for my sept bday cruise now off to research! We always cruised carnival for convenience then tried celebrity and they won us over and our last cruise celebrity didnt work out tried princess and had a wonderful experience similar to celebrity but a few extras. YC seems like the way to go thanks so much for the post. What has been your favorite cruise based on the experience not the ports? Staying overnight sounds nice. Thanks!
Hi Donna, we love the Yacht Club on MSC and are looking forwarding to taking it again, this time on the MSC Seashore in late October. The slightly larger Seashore replaces the Seaside out of Port Canaveral, which we had taken last year. As far as favorite cruise ship (not taking the ports or location into account), that is a tough call to make. The MSC Yacht Club “area” rates as among the best service we’ve had at sea, and makes for a similar experience to even the ultra deluxe lines such as Seabourn.
Some of the other best times aboard ship were on the older Celebrity “Millennium Class” ships, such as the Constellation, Millennium, Infinity, and Summit (all 4 basically twins with slight in decor and the specialty restaurants. I think we liked the smaller size from the mega-liners of today, less crowds, a bit more formal (at least years ago, not now), easier meeting people and seeing them again on the ship, favorite waiters etc. Although you said to not mention ports, these “Panamax” sized ships were (and still are) ideal for a Panama Canal transit, as they can still fit thru the old Panama Canal locks, with only 1 foot or so to spare on either side of the ship. You can literally touch the side of the canal you are so close! The newer and bigger ships must transit the new locks, which while interesting are much bigger and lack the historical context of the original old locks. Other ships: Love Seabourn Encore for its much smaller size and boutique, country club casual like atmosphere and service. Celebrity Beyond – even a mega ship, it has something for everyone, but still a bit to big for us. I’m writing a post on our recent experience, so check back in a couple days. Your question also got me thinking of doing a post on then vs now. I started cruising in 1987 and how it’s changed over the years for better and sometimes not so better, but all good. Thanks for writing Donna!
What a fun informative and positive post. We are sailing on the Emerald in Feb on the Pamana Canal cruise and in Oct of 2025 on the new Star Princess from Barcelona. Maybe we will meet up with sometime we love meeting new people on our cruises.
Thank you very much! We love sailing thru the Panama Canal; love the history there, not to mention the distance it saves ships. We haven’t booked the Star yet, although it will be coming to Florida at some point next year, I believe after the Med season in Europe. We are taking the Sun Princess in late November this year and are really looking forward to it. Spellbound sounds “magical”! Enjoy your upcoming cruises!
Thanks Kelly, we love to have fun!😀. We’ve only taken Virgin once, but are booked on the Scarlet Lady again on Feb 8, 2025 for 8 nights to the Southern Caribbean over Valentines. We’ve got a couple 7 day cruises booked this year; one on Oct 27 on MSC Seashore (Yacht Club) and Nov 30 on the new Sun Princess. While we like doing different and unusual itineraries, with so many new ships out there, it’s nice to try different ships, just for the ship itself. Virgin Cruises is definitely both new and unique!
We’re happily partnered for nearly 20 years thanks! Steve (DOS) was a Pilot for a major airline, while I traveled for work as an I.T. field engineer for a communications company mostly throughout the US, some international. We got along so well I think as we both have a love of travel, and living in the Orlando area, the theme parks too. Thanks for writing! We love Australia and the people there are wonderful friendly!
wonderful website ! Thanks for sharing your memories and travels!
The autoland feature gives many commercial aircraft the ability to completely computerize the landing with the use of the ILS (Instrument landing system.) It isn’t used that often, as most pilots like to land the aircraft themselves, at least the final approach, with the use of the ILS alone. I would say the majority of the times it is used is for training. I would suspect that was the case on Steve Uno’s flight. The autoland feature is used in very low visibility. There may be times that you need to land, that under normal situations you would divert the flight to another airport.
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So glad you have started this! I look forward to following along! I miss you, Steves!!!
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We eat mostly CS on our aunnal WDW trips and also find this set-up less than ideal. Especially since my husband began using an ECV, I have to be the sole food runner, although my son is now old enough to help carry. We try to avoid the busiest times anyway, and that has helped at SS particularly. Our resort food court can be a real nightmare, so I often find out what the guys want and then choose something from that line for myself as I am not particularly fussy about most meals. Still sometimes I make two or more trips to get everyone’s food.I understand Disney is experimenting with touch screen ordering, which we use all the time at our regional gas station/food places like Sheetz and WaWa. This would be a really good way for one person to order their group’s food, especially if you have a pretty straight-forward order and are using DP or KTTW to pay. They could still have live CMs to assist or take the orders the regular way, particularly for folks who are paying cash.
You can always tell an expert! Thanks for cotnniburitg.
Awesome work love the zip line shot and the fire effect when rnuning around with the torch. I may have to call you up for my own promo video once i get my act together on re-branding.
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Hey there would you mind letting me know which web host you’re utilizing? I’ve loaded your blog in 3 completely different internet browsers and I must say this blog loads a lot quicker then most. Can you suggest a good web hosting provider at a reasonable price? Thanks a lot, I appreciate it!|
I use Green Geeks for a hosted solution. They’ve been very professional and are easy to use. I’m still learning the basics of blogging, but I would definitely recommend them.
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Thank you Steve for the kind words. I am thankful we all made it safely. I like your blog and can’t wait to hear more about your travels. It was great to meet you! Safe travels!
Hey Steve! I just tried posting a comment and I don’t know if it posted so I’m trying again…
Thank you for your kind words! I am so thankful that we landed safely. I like your blog and can’t wait to hear more about your travels! It was great to meet you! Safe travels!
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ALLO !!!
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You give me a card and I send my best regards to you nice people.
Ola’! Yes of course I remember! We had a wonderful New Year’s stay at the Hyatt and the New Year’s dinner was special. I hope you had a wonderful time as well and good trip home. Happy New Year and best wishes to you all.
Great to be traveling with you two on the AMADARA!
OMG. We had the same experiences as you, my new loves, did, the hot shower being the operative word!!!!!
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That would be good Eddie; maybe that Saturday before the conference?
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A suprise birthday party – an event to remember! Hear what one recent guest had to say about her experience here at the Jekyll Island hotel.
phl, clt, phx, have not merged with the old American. not a good thing after all this time.
some of their f/a’s still wear us scare uniform items.
Hi Ed, they actually just switched fleet wide (this week I think) to the new uniforms. They are very professional looking, and even the Admiral’s Club is wearing them. I agree, it didn’t look good having mixed uniforms from US/AA; and the service was noticeable between the two.
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The Peabody hotel was aal’s layover hotel in mem when we still had stretch limo’s instead of vans. How many changes-they probably use motel 6 now.
Enjoy your trip. Hugs always, Ed
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SO MUCH FUN.
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DEAR STEVE,
THIS IS GREAT. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF PICTURES THAT SHOW A SHIP WITH AN “X” ON THE SMOKESTACK. THAT WAS THE CHANDRES LINE THAT BECAME CELEBRITY IN TIME. THANKS FOR SHARING THE GREAT MEMORIES.
Thanks so much for the “Memories”..loved all he Pictures..We went on our First Cruise on The Veracruz we have our on Board Picture with the Name on the bottom of Picture..but no date? We are trying to find out the date that it first sailed out of Tampa,Florida? We usually buy the first picture getting on board the ship..also..but now they have dates on bottom.. Anyway ,like you..we enjoyed it so much..fixing to go on our62
Congratulations Carrie on your upcoming 62nd cruise! We’ve been on a comparable amount as well, and can honestly say we’ve never had a bad cruise, although a couple were less memorable than others. There’s something about being at sea that allows you to leave the world behind for a few days, truly relax, and be pampered for a bit. While the ships have gotten much, much bigger (to big in my opinion) and grander, they still offer the beauty of the world as seen from a deck chair or a stroll around the deck. Today that even includes balconies, unlike the tiny Veracruz of years ago! Thanks for commenting!
WHAT A GREAT OLD SHIP. SHE WAS SO FAST THAT THE GERMANS DID NOT SINK HER WHILE SHE WAS TAKING TROOPS FROM US TO UK DURING WW2.
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Thinking of your mom.
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DID DOS EAT THE WHOLE CHICKEN?
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GLAD YOU HAD FUN.
This actually replied my issue, thank you!
Do you know if you can extend the trip on the Ha Long Bay junk? I am a travel agent with clients travelling on AMA Waterways. They want to extend the Ha Long Bay 1-2 nights. It is not offered by AMA, and I am wondering if they can do it on their own?
I would think not, only because the Ha Long Bay is in the middle of the cruise tour, and AMA and others charter the boat (actually 3 boats due to the group size) for the junk sailing. They could do Ha Long Bay prior to or after the AMA cruise/tours on their own provided they get their own transportation there. We did notice on the ‘junk boat’ we used they have 1 and 2 day sailings, you could try and contact the line to see when they have openings or not being chartered. www.indochinasails.com
Your comments are another example of the honest and professional person you are and why you are so highly respected in the travel world. Thanks for your thoughtful insight and for showing that cruisers and be travelers, too. Will you ever try a river cruise in Europe?
Thank you for your comments. Yes, we’ve actually done two river cruises in Europe; the first was from Vilshefon Germany to Budapest, and the second was from Lyon, France to Arles, France (ending with a bus transfer to Barcelona). We have taken AMA Waterways each time, and highly recommend them for their all inclusiveness, service, reliability and quality. We are taking them once again next May 2017 as part of an African safari cruise and tour.
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I AM SURE YOU ALL HAD AGREAT DAY.
MISS ALL OF YOU
LOOKS LIKE YOU ALL HAD A GOOD TIME
HAPPY TO SEE THAT YOUR MOM IS GETTING BETTER, AND YOU WERE ABLE TO TAKE HER HOME FOR THANKSGIVING. JENNI IS LOOKING HAPPY AND YOUNGER THAN EVER.
I UNDERSTAND HOW YOUR DAD MUST FEEL, LOST WITHOUT YOUR MOM TAKING CARE OF THINGS, MY DAD WENT THRU THE SAME THING WHEN MOM PASSED, BUT HE HAD TO LEARN TO PAY THE BILLS, AND EVEN LEARNED TO COOK QUITE WELL.HE WILL BE OK.
BE HAPPY TO HAVE THEM BOTH.
Thanks Ed. Family is everything, and we have to appreciate every moment we have together. It was nice talking to Aunt Gladys over Thanksgiving. Hope all is well with you.
Del Frisco s never disappoints, and this date night was no exception. The food was delicious. Our server recommended the crab cake, and I m still thinking about how good it was.
SO NICE TO SEE ALL MY FRIENDS HAVING A GOOD TIME!
I always spent my half an hour to read this webpage’s posts every
day along with a mug of coffee.
Love the whole thing.
Miss you both.
LOOKS LIKE YOU ALL HAD GREAT FUN,
HAPPY FOR YOU ALL.
Hello i am kavin, its my first occasion to commenting anyplace, when i read this piece of writing
i thought i could also create comment due to this sensible article.
STEVE,
SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAD A TOUGH WEEK. TRY TO GET SOME REST.
HUHGS, E
HI UNO,
LOOKS LIKE YOU WERE FLYING “US SCARE” NOT THE REAL AMERICAN.
HOPE YOU ENJOYED SANTA BARBARA, WHEN YOUNG, I USED TO DRIVE THERE ON THE WEEKENDS. NICE PLACE.
Hi Ed, I didn’t know you lived out near there in your younger years! I had only been once before, but it is a beautiful place to visit or live. Writing up our winery visits now, which I’ll post next. Thanks!
GLAD YOU HAD SUCH A NICE TIME.
HUGS, E
Now if only we could get a Tesla!
GREAT PICTURES.
THAT IS A GREAT PART OF CALIFORNIS
GREAT MODELS
Thanks Ed. I used to collect airplane models; the small plastic ones. I love travel nostalgia and it was fun looking thru all the old planes (and airlines) past and present.
I LIKE SHANGHAI. HOPE DOS IS HAVING FUN.
Dos had a terrific time, Ed! So much so we are heading to Beijing in October. I’ve never been to the Great Wall, so really looking forward to it. The next post is for Valentine’s, and I have some pics of you and Aunt Gladys in it. Thanks!
SUCH SWEET MEMORIES
Ah yes they were great memories! We will have to go again sometime with Aunt Gladys, or at least meet in Miami for a weekend soon. Thanks!
Hello my loved one! I want to say that this post is amazing, nice written and include almost all
vital infos. I would like to see extra posts like
this .
HAVE A GREAT TIME!
DON’T FORGET TO ASK FOR PAJAMAS, AND TURN DOWN SERVICE IN F/C.
BOA NOITE
This site truly has all of the information I needed concerning this
subject and didn’t know who to ask.
FAA REQUIRES PLASTIC GLASSES FOR PRE DEPARTURE BEVERAGES. SOME AIRLINES DO NOT FOLLOW THAT RULE.
SOUTH AMERICANS LIKE TO EAT OVER COOKED BEEF. SOME NUMBER 5’S JUST BURN THEM TO DEATH I NEVER DID BECAUSE YOU CAN RECOOK, BUT ONCE IT’S OVERDONE, YOU CAN’T REVERSE IT. FROM AMS TO CLT I ASKED THE PURSER HOW THE STEAKS WERE COOKED, AND SHE SAID WELL DONE, SO I HAD CHICKEN.
HOPE YOU HAD A GREAT TIME! HUGS, E
Thanks Ed. I did not know of the FAA requirement; not a big deal. Going back I will ask if I can get mine more rare; is that possible or do they all come out the same way?
WHOEVER DID YOUR TABLE SETTING DID IT BACKWARDS.
DRINKS ON YOUR RIGHT .
BREAD AND BUTTER TOP LEFT.
SALT AND PEPPPER TOP CENTER
ROLLED UP UTENCILS ON THE RIGHT.
LOOK AT YOUR PICTURES.
Ed, you’re awesome! As a former international Flight Attendant, I love your perspective and tips!
On the return flight I will watch to see how the table is set and report back!
so glad you asked the concierge. they know best.
glad you enjoyed the chasruqueria.
Having read this I believed it was really enlightening.
I appreciate you finding the time and energy to put this information together.
I once again find myself spending a significant amount of time both reading and commenting.
But so what, it was still worth it!
YOU ARE SO FORTUNATE TO HAVE DORIS AS A GUIDE.
LOVE THE FRUIT MARKET PHOTOS, ALMOST LIKE A MOVIE SET.
GLAD YOU FELT SAFE, AND HAPPY YOU HAD A GREAT TIME. YOU DID MANY THINGS ON SUCH A SHORT TRIP.
HAPPY FOR YOU.
Hello Steves!!!
I am so happy to read and see the photos! It was a great pleasure to show my beloved
city to you, and thank you for reproducing the information so correctly!
I hope you come back to enjoy other interesting places you could not see this time!
I am very touched by your report! And very happy! Thank you very much!!
Muito obrigada meninos!! Um beijão!!
Hi Doris, thank you again for such a wonderful tour! It’s people like you that is what we enjoy so much in our travels. I’m glad you liked the photos and blog. We will definitely come back to beautiful Saõ Paulo and other places in Brazil. Muito obrigado Doris!
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THE F/A’S NEED BETTER TRAINING. AGAIN TABLE SETTING WAS WRONG, AND THE TOOLS ARE THERE NOT TO FORGET SOMETHING AS EASY AS SOUP.
WELL DONE MEAT SHOULD NOT BE. IT IS BOARDED SEARED ON THE OUTSIDE AND BLOOD RARE ON THE INSIDE. THE FRENCH WOULD BE REALLY UPSET.
WHAT A TREE!
THE DILLARD FAMILY,
BACK IN THE OLD DAYS IN TEXAS, I HWAS INVITED TO DINNER WITH BOTH BROTHER AND SISTER OF THE STORES.
SHE WAS QUITE, AND HER BROTHER BBQ GREAT CHIX WINGS.
THE PARTY WAS NEARLY ALL NIGHT.
THE DILLARDS ARE VERY NICE AND SIMPFULL
Wow Ed – you never told me that story! Sounds like a fun night with a very nice family! We love their stores.
Hi,I log on to your blogs named “Deck the Halls at Disney Springs! – The Traveling Steve’s” like every week.Your humoristic style is witty, keep up the good work! And you can look our website about proxy list.
GLAD YOU ENJOYED SAN DIEGO.
San Diego was fun. Even better I’m going back there again next week for business, this time staying in the Gas Light district.
HI UNO,
DON’T EXPECT MUCH FROM THE MD 80′ THEY ARE SCHULED TO BE RETIRED SOON.
THE ORININAL ONES WERE ORDERED BY ALITALIA. THEY COULD NOT AFORD THEM SO AMERICAN GOT THE FOR NEARLY NOTHING. IN 1984 IT WAS THE MOST ECONOMICAL, QUITEST PLANE ON EARTH. NOW THEY ARE OLD AND TIRED.
WHAT GREAT FUN.
YOUR MOM,S NEW HAT IS GREAT.
It’s challenging to find well-informed individuals on this topic, but you
seem like you comprehend what you’re talking about!
Thanks
so happy to see you and your family.
your mom looks great!
We had a great visit. Mom is doing better each day, and is walking more and more, but still using her walker for safety.
Just desire to say your article is as astonishing. The clarity
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DEAR UNO,
HOPE YOU BOTH HAD A GREAT TRIP. WISH I COULD HAVE SEEN YOU BOTH IN MIA,MY TOOTH WAS NOT ONLY HURTING, BUT HALF MY FACE LOOKED LIKE A CHIPMUNK.
YOUR OLD 757 IS MOST LIKELY ONE OF THE NEWER ONES, IT NEEDS A NEW PAINT JOB AND A C CHECK TO REDO THE INTERIOR. TELL DOS THAT 757 DID NOT EXIST. THE 70’s WERE THE 707 AND 747’s.
enjoy your trip, HUGS, E.
GLAD TO HEAR THAT DAVE AND HIS WIFE WERE WORKING. I HAVE KNOWN DAVE SINCE I TRANSFERED TO MIA IN 1991. THEY ARE BOTH SO NICE.
ENJOY AFRICA, HUGS ED
I asked Dave if he knew you and of course he did. They were both truly outstanding FA’s!
Wow that BA 747 looks like a dream! Hope you both are having a fantastic time!
Hi Patrick,
Yes we are having a wonderful time! We are now on the river cruise and the internet is non-existent, but the scenery is awesome. Really amazing trip! Thanks, Steve
THE FRONT ROW ON AAL WAS ALSO THE FAVORITE OF JACKIE KENNEDY. PRIVACY.
THE ONLY PROBLEM WITH HER IS THAT ROW 1 WAS NON SMOKING, AND SHE INNSISTED ON AN OCATIONAL CIG. WE NEVER ARGUED WITH HER.
YOU BOTH LOOK SO HAPPYIN YPUR PICTURES.
ENJOY,ED
GREAT PICTURES AND FUN READING ALL THE INFO.
ENJOY!
FOOD LOOKS SO GOOD, MY MOUTH IS WATERING.
YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE ME FATTER. ALL THESE PICTURES OF WONDERFUL FOOD AND WINE!
YOU ARE ENJOYING THIS TRIP.
I AM SO HAPPY. ED
DEAR STEVE,
THE PICTURES WERE VERY NICE, AND THE STORIES ARE BETTER.
I SAW A FAN ON ONE OF THE PICS—NOT SURE I COULD DEAL WITH THAT, A/C IS A MUST.
THESE PICS DID NOT MAKE ME SALIVATE OVER THE FOOD.
ENJOY ALL, ED
The boat and all are hotels were air conditioned. I do like having a ceiling fan as well, as we do at home. Food was African-themed as expected on the boat. It was good, but I’m a simple meat and potatoes guy, while DOS can eat anything.
I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU BOTH FOR TAKING THIS INCREDIBLE TRIP.
THE PICTURES ARE GREAT FUN, AND MAKE ME HAPPY TO SEE BOTH OF YOU HAVING SUCH A GREAT TIME.
KEEP ENJOYING.
Greetings! This is my first visit to your blog! We are a team of volunteers and starting a new initiative in a community in the same niche.
Your blog provided us useful information to work on. You have
done a outstanding job!
Glad you enjoy the blog,and it could provide some helpful info for you. Best wishes with your volunteering endeavors!
An AmaWaterways river cruise is about more than just the destination – it’s the journey. Our ships are inspired by luxury yachts so that you can enjoy an array of great features as you cruise along from one stunning place to the next. Because it’s not just about where you go. It’s how you get there that matters.
Thanks for your comments, so true – life itself is a constant journey. This was our fourth AMA Waterways cruise and every one of them has been OUTSTANDING – totally surpassing our expectations. To journey with them is not only a wonderful journey, but thought-provoking and educational as well.
Hi there!
You’re pictures are amazing and you seem like such a fun duo! I came across your blog from a forum and like you, I will be traveling to Easter Island in August. Who did you use as a tour guide? I’m a solo traveler but would like to book at least one tour. I will be there 6 night 7 days so I have plenty of opportunity to explore. I figured if I was traveling that far, I might as well make it worth it!
Thanks,
Erin
Hi Erin,
You will love Easter Island! We did not use a tour guide per se, as the tours were included in our hotel stay. We booked directly with www.hangaroa.cl/en/ the Hotel Hangaroa Eco Village and Spa, and they did everything from meet us at the airport and return, meals, and twice daily tours. The island is not that big however, so where ever you stay your hotel should be able to arrange a local tour for you. I’m sure all of the local tour guides are fine, and as ours told us communicate with each other so they don’t all congregate at the same places at the same time. Easter Island is quite quaint, and if you’re staying near the town of Hangaroa you can easily walk into town and see several tour companies you can choose from. Whatever you do, it will be a trip you will remember for a lifetime! Depending where you are flying from, you may need to spend the night in Santiago the night before you fly to Easter Island, and then the night you return back, depending on flight schedules, as there is normally only one flight a day to Easter Island. Enjoy!
THE TRAIN IS VERY NICE.
BY THE FOOD I SAW, I CAN SEE WHY YOU HAVE BOTH LOST WEIGHT.
KEEP ENJOYING.
MY HUGS ALWAYS. ED
LOOKS LIKE A VERY HAPPY TRIP FOR BOTH YOU.
KEEP ENJOYING. ED
WELCOME HOME!
SORRY THE ADVENTURE IS OVER.
HUGGS, ED
It was an awesome adventure! But as always it’s good to be home too. It was really a trip of a lifetime!
I have read so many content on the topic of the blogger lovers except this post is truly a
fastidious piece of writing, keep it up.
I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU BOTH, ENJOYING THE GREAT TRIP.
WELCOME HOME.
HUGS, ED
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THIS HAS BEEN YOUR MOST INTERESTING TRIP.
Thanks Ed! I don’t normally go into this much detail on a trip; but this trip was so wonderful I wanted to share it with everyone, in hopes they may go one day. Since I’ve been back, I’ve constantly urged people who are ‘on the fence’ about traveling, to do it NOW! Now one knows what the future holds, and you really do need your health; i.e. walking ability for trips such as this. I know you know this, but for others, don’t delay until your too old to get around is my best advice. Thanks for responding.
When the helicopter landed on the helipad the people inside exited and made their way into the building. Why is Victoria Falls Special? Although it is considered the largest waterfall in the world, it does not hold the title of being the tallest nor the widest.
While not the tallest or widest, (it is twice as high as Niagra) and twice the width of Horseshoe Falls, it’s considered one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The sheer volume of water cascading over it projects a foam cloud you can see from miles away. You truly can’t appreciate the magnitude of the falls unless hiking thru the park; it’s not just one Falls; it’s a continuous stream of different and connected Falls all spraying their water – the force of nature at its best! The helicopter takes you not only over the falls, but over the national park as well where you can see wildlife; giraffes etc. If you haven’t done it, you should!
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Wow, awesome weblog layout! How lengthy have you been running a blog for? you make blogging look easy. The entire glance of your website is wonderful, as smartly as the content material!
Thanks for the compliment. I started blogging 2 1/2 years ago on a whim. I used to keep a hand written journal years ago, pre-internet, but now the web makes it much easier. While not hard, it does take some time to write entires and post photos (i.e. exporting the photos to a smaller resolution, and then uploading them.) It’s a labor of love though, and i like sharing our experiences with others in hopes they can enjoy these destinations too! Thanks for writing! Steve
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GREAT FUN!
You bet it was! Awesome trip!
LOVE THE WINE BARREL.
HOPEYOU ARE ENJOYING MENDOSA, HUGS ED
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AGAIN NICE FOOD, AND NICE PICTURES OF YOU BOTH.
It was an awesome trip! Everyone was so friendly, and the food and wines were excellent!
Hi Steve,
I really enjoyed reading your blog … great tips, photos and information.
It looks to me that you have posted one day of tour so far. Since you were there for 4 nights, and Hotel Hangaroa offers a daily tour with its all-inclusive package, what other tours did you take? Were you given a choice of tours?
There weren’t many excursions posted on the hotel’s website.
Thank you & best regards,
Robin.
Hi Robin,
The complimentary tours from the hotel were setup by the hotel, but each one was different, that is they took you to a different site each time. We were always in small groups, I think the most we had was six people plus the driver and tour guide, but we were there off-season. I don’t think you would do any better with the local (paid) tours in town, which is a short walk from the resort. Our guide told us as it’s a small community all of the guides talk with each other and try to space out their tours so they don’t overlap with other tours, which was why it felt so uncrowded. We really covered a lot of the island in the short time we were there; of course the main archeological sites, but also the beach (with ruins there), the caves, and the Orongo visitor center and park and more. The tours are broken up into half day tours, which makes it comfortable for sightseeing, and you have a nice break back at the hotel for lunch. You will love it! They do not offer tours the day of your departure or arrival, so keep that in mind. We used that time to walk around town.
Hi Steve,
Since I’m going in high season (next March), there is no complimentary tour from the hotel. There are Bed & Breakfast package with no tours and All-inclusive package that includes tours.
The information you provided is very helpful. Thank you very much.
Robin.
You’re welcome Robin; I’m glad the info was helpful. The tours were excellent and left right from the hotel so they were convenient too. I would still take these from the hotel with the all-inclusive package for convenience, having the same guide and group, and no duplication in sights. Please let me know how you liked it! Thanks again! Steve
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ALL THE FOOD LOOK GREAT.
I THINK THAT THE LOUD MOUTH PAX HAS NEVER SEEN PEOPLE FLYING FROM ONE SIDE THE OTHER ON A 747 OR CARTS GOING UP IN THE ON 777 DURING TURBULANCE.
KEEP HAVING FUN, HUGS ED
DEAR STEVE,
I AM VERY HAPPY THAT YOU HAD A GREAT BIRTHDAY.
LOVE TO SEEING PICS OF OLD FRIENDS—MOSTLY TOM AND HIS BREAD PICTURE.
AGAIN HAPPY YOU HAD SUCH A GOOD TIME.
LOVE TO YOU, ED
Tom is always funny. In that photo of DOS drinking from the wine bottle (just for the photo, not really) if you look closely you can see Tom to the left of DOS imitating him! Funny!
MY FAVORITE HOTELS IN ORLANDO-HILTON AND HYATT.
I MISS YOU BOTH.
TAKE CARE OF YOUR MOM AND SEND TOM MY BEST WISHES.
GOING TO HNL TOMORROW TO SEE MY FRIEND WHO HAD A STROKE LAST WEEK.
Thanks Ed. Safe travels to you, and hope for a speedy recovery for your friend.
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DEAR STEVE,
THANK YOU FOR THE PICTURES AA191. ONE OF THEM SHOWS THE NAME JAMES DE HART, HE WAS THE PURSER ON BOARD AND MY ROOM MATE DURING TRAINING IN 1973. THERE IS ALSO A MEMORIAL IN SAN DIEGO’S BALBOA PARK THAT HAS BEEN THERE FOR MANY YEARS DUE TO THE FACT THAT EIGHT OF THE F/A’S WERE BASED IN SAN. 2 F/A’S WERE RETURNING MOTHERS BASED IN LAX AND THE COCKPIT WAS ALSO LAX BASED. THE SAN BASE WAS ONLY FOR F/A’S AND TOTAL NUMBER WAS AROUND 170 PEOPLE AND THEY WERE A SMALL FUN FAMILY.
JIM DE HART HAD JUST RETURNED TO FLYING AFTER BEING SHOT AT CONVENIENCE STORE AFTER A TRIP. HE HAD BEEN OFF FOR THREE MONTHS RECUPERATING, AND THEN 191.
THE MECHANIC IN ORD THAT HAD WORKED ON THE ENGINE CHANGE COMOTED SUICIDE.
THANKS FOR SHARING THE ORD MEMORIAL, ED
OMG Ed! Thank you for the rest of the story. To those reading this, Ed is a great friend of ours and a retired FA for American. He has lots of great (and unfortunately like this) not so great stories to share. Wow – you were roommates in training school. Thanks for the update; I need to get you to post some photos and pics on here sometime.
Hi
I love the wall tapestry you bought of Halong Bay & almost bought it myself. Now that I’m back home in Australia I really want it. Where did you buy it & do you think I could order one on line? Many thanks.
Jeanette
I’m sure there are copies you can buy online somewhere. This was an original handmade silk tapestry we bought at a roadside factory on the way to Halong Bay. Sorry I don’t have the name of it, but it was actually part of a rest area complex off the main freeway to Halong Bay. Our guide had told us ahead of time they have genuine quality, handmade products there, and you could see some workers there doing the tapestries.
HAVE A GREAT TIME IN CHINA, YOU SHOULD HAVE INTERENET AT THE HOTEL. WE DID AND THAT WAS MANY MOONS AGO.
HAVE FUN, FUN,FUN, HUGS, ED
YYZ IS A NICE CLEAN CITY. GLAD YOU HAD A GOOD TIME.
ENJOY PEK,
LOOS LIKE YOU HAD A GREAT TRIP OVER. WHY DID YOU GO TO YYZ?
YOU WILL ENJOY YOUR STAY.
HUGS
We flew paid Business Class, and it was about a third the cost to go thru YYZ than leaving from MCO. Plus it was a nice one night layover.
LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE HAPPY WITH YOUR CHINA EXPERIENCE, I AM VERY GLAD FOR YOU BOTH. I LIKE CHINA VERY MUCH.
LAST TIME I WAS THERE, I BOUGHT TWO BAMBOO PILLOWS IN A VERY NICE MALL, AND I STILL HAVE THEM—BETTER THAN DOWN AND WASH VERY WELL.
KEEP ENJOYING!!!!!
Hi Ed,
We had a WONDERFUL time in Beijing. I don’t know what I expected exactly, but it far surpassed my expectations. The city was clean, safe, and full of life!
LOVE CHINA…
GREAT PICTURES, KEEP ENJOYING.
SO GLAD THAT YOU ARE ALL THERE TAKING CARE OF THEM. THEY ARE FORTUNATE TO GLAVE SUCH GREAT CHILDREN.
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Hi Steve, Daniel
Nice Blogs!!!
Thanks Su! It was such as pleasure to meet you and giving us such a VIP tour! Happy New Year!
I think I would probably fall in love with Singapore as my parents did many years ago. They they loved it and that was probably perhaps 30 years ago so it must be much nicer now and it looks much nicer than . So next next trip will probably be Singapore for me I am so impressed with the photos that you sent and also the food in the photos, very clean very appetizing looking and I think that I can do it on my own if Gladys doesn’t want to go. Thank you for sharing this it really impressed me, and I am not easily impressed by cities. Thank you both for sending this I really enjoyed seeing the photos hugs from Ed
Hi Ed,
I’m not a big city person either, even though I travel to lots of them, but Singapore was wonderful. It’s easy (and safe) to get around anywhere via their extensive subway and bus system, and enjoyed going thru the different neighborhoods. The official business language is English so that makes it easy, and it’s amazingly clean with the tap water safe to drink, as well as food from street vendors. Even food court restaurants post the sanitation rating, and if it’s not an A or a B, no one will eat there, so it keeps things in check. Hope you can get over there Ed, and if possible for the Chinese New Year.
WELCOME HOME TO BOTH OF YOU.
HAPPY TO SEE ALL THE HAPPY FACES.
THANKS FOR SHARING. ED
GLAD YOU ENJOYED YOUR TRIP. LOOKS WONDERFUL.
FUN PHOTOS.
THANKS FOR SHARING, ED
what storm!
glad to see that your roof is being repaired.
Ed
welcome home
welcome hhme glad to see that you roof being repaired.
glad to see your roof is being repaied.
welcome home
NICE PICTURES AS ALWAYS
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AS ALWAYS, GREAT PICTURES.
MY GOODNESS, THE HILTON IN MIAMI WAS WHERE AL AND STAYED WHEN LOOKING FOR AN APARTMENT BACK IN 1991. VEERY NICE PLACE. CELEBRITY CRUISE LINES HAD THEIR HEADQUATERS NEAR BY, BUT WHEN RCCL BOUGHT THEM, HEADQUATERS WENT TO MIAMI PORT.
THE RESTAURANT YOU BOTH WENT TO, WAS A PLACE THAT AUNT GLADYS USED TO GO TO WITH HER FIRST COUSIN AND HER HUSBAND.
I WISH YOU HAD CALLED ME WHILE IN MIAMI. TO BE HONEST, I DID NOT FEEL ALL THAT WELL.
I KNOW THAT YOU ARE BOTH HAVING A GREAT TIME…
HUGS AND KISSES TO YOU BOTH. ED
HOW MANY BARRELS OF WINE THID YOU CHECK IN?
GLAD YOU HAD GOOD TIME.
Hi Steves, loved your report about the wineries in Caasablanca, and I´m especially touched with the description of your experience with us at Attilio & Mochi.
Hope you have lots of fun in your next adventures and hope to see you again soon.
Angela Mochi
Angela, thank you again for such a wonderful tour! Your passion and strive for quality wines, is best summed up by your ‘passionate winemakers’ label on your wines. Thanks again! Steve and Steve
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GOOD LORD, THOSE INDIVISUAL PIZZAS WERE ENOUGH TO FEED A FAMILY. WOW.
I WISH I HAD YOUR PALATE FOR WINE, BUT I JUST NOT. IF BAD, I KNOW IT.OTHERWISE, I DO LIKE CHATHOW NEWF DU PAPE. IT WAY TOO MUCH MONEYIN THE PLASES EVEN SERVE IT.
LOVE YOU ALWAYS.
I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU WITH THEE NEW AUDI.
THEY ARE SUCH GREAT CARS, AND THEY ARE MUCH FUN TO DRVE.
GLAD YOU PICKED THE RE, IT IS A CLASIC COLOR.
MY BEST TO YOU, ED
THAT TRIP SOUNDS LIKE NIGHTMARE.
NEXT TIME SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPENS, ASK FOR A WHEAL CHAIR, OR A CART TO TAKE FROM GATE TO GATE.
TAKE GOOD CARE OF YOUR FOOT.
It really was a long and tiring day. I didn’t really see any of those moving carts though at the late hour of the flight; didn’t think to ask for a wheelchair.
I DO KNOW THAT YOUR BIRTHDAY IS AUG 2. HAPPY PRE BIRTHDAY WEEKEND.
ED
Thanks Ed. It was an awesome weekend! Wish you and Gladys could have been here with us. We’re staying at Hyatt Grand Cypress this week for my actual birthday. Hugs, UNO
SO GLAD YOU WENT TO BERN’S, MY SECOND BEEF RESTAURANT IN THE WORLD.
MY FIRST IS TOO FAR TO TRAVEL TO, BECAUSE IT IS IN MADRID. THE HOUSE WINE IS VERY TO ME, BECAUSE I DON’T HAVE YOUR GREAT PALATES.
IF, SOMEDAY WE CAN GO TO MAD, I WILL TAKE YOU THERE.
THE FACK THAT GERMANS THID NOT DESTROY IN 1934, MAKES IT AND THEIR FOOD VERY SPECIAL TO ME. QUARTO I MITAD
Every roofing project is going to be noisy. There will be dust and debris. The crew will clean up every day, but the entire work site will be a mess while they’re working. No matter what the estimated completion time is, there is always a chance for weather-related delays. It’s nice to know that you’ve handled the inconveniences.
Thanks Alice. I expected it would be noisy and dusty so I planned accordingly and had a mini-vacation as a result. I am so relieved now that I have a new roof as we have daily thundershowers here in the Orlando Florida area. The roofers did a great job, and the local owner even came by after the project was done to see how it went! They really did a quality job.
I HAVE SEND YOU BOTH SOME TEXT MAIL TODAY, BUT IT DOES NOT WORK FOR SOME REASON. LOVE THE PICTURES ON YOUR BLOG, I DO HAVE A FEELING THAT THAT PLACE FOR PEOPLE OVER 50 IS NOT REALLY IDEAL FOR YOU GUYS. THAT IS MY OPENION. DOES NOT MEAN MUCH.
I HOPE AND WISH YOU BOTH A GREAT TRIP TO AFRICA. MY VERY BEST TO BOTH OF YOU, MY DEAR FRIENDS.
SOMETHING IS STRAGE WITH MY NEW PHONE, AND I WILL TAKE CARE OF THAT, BECAUSE YOU BOTH HAVE NOT GOTTEN MY TEX MY COUSIN DID NOT EITHER, SO SOMETHING IS WRONG. WISH I COULD HAD SPENT SOME TIME WITH YOU BOTH IN MIAMI, NOT AN OPTION TODAY. MY HUGS TO YOU BOTH. WITH LOVE TOO
SO HAPPY FOR BOTH OF YOU.
THE HILTON IS A VERY NICE CHOICE AT THE AIRPORT, I STAYED THERE ONCE BEFORE TRANSFERING TO MIA. THE LAKE THERE IS WHERE CELEBRITY HAD THEIR HEADQUATERS AND AUNT GLADY’S SON MIKE USED TO HAVE HIS OFFICE, ALSO AMERICAN CREDIT UNION HAS ONE OF FOUR MIAMI LOCATIONS. THE RESTAURANT YOU BOTH GO TO, IS APLACE THAT GLADYS HAS BEEN TO MANY TIMES.
THE AAL AIRPLANE ORDERS WERE PLACED A COUPLE OF YEARS BEFORE THE MERGER WITH US AIR. THINK THAT AT THE END THEY WILL HAVE PREETY NEW PLANES…1,000.
HAVE A WONDER TIME. KEEP THE BLOG GOING… HUGS. WISH I HAD BEEN ABLE TO SEEYOU BOTH IN MIAMI.
LOOKS LIKE YOU BOTH HAVING SO MUCH FUN.
I AM HAPPY FOR YOU BOTH.
HUGS
SORRY YOU HAD THE WATER PROBLEM, I HAD THE SAME THING HAPPEN TO ME A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO. THANK GOODNESS I HAD PUT A BLUE TABLET IN THE TANK, SO I WAS ABLE TO SHUT IT DOWN AND PUT A BUCKET TO CATCH THE REST. JUST NEED A PLUMER TO FIX IT.
THE FOOD LOOKS WONDER BUND
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Can’t wait to see all the pictures and hear how the rest of the game drives go! Had a blast meeting you both!
Thanks Emily and Tim! Likewise it was so nice going on the Safaris with you. Safe and happy travels home, and keep in touch!
I AM SO IMPRESED. AND HAPPY FOR YOU. THANK YOU FOR SHARING.
I AM GOING TO TRY TO SHARE THIS BLOG WITH MY DEAR FRIEND MONIA WHO IS AN ANIMAL LOVER. I HOPE THAT THAT IS OK WITH YOU. I KNOW THAT THE PICS OF THE WILD ANIMALS WILL BE LIKED BY MONICA. I HOPE THAT IS OK WITH YOU.
KEEP HAVING FUN. HUGS TO YOU BOTH
Yes this is really nice! I know both of the Steves will have a wonderful time! I frequently watch a live safari from South Africa and Kenyan Masai Mara that’s broadcast twice a day, 365 days/year, so the shots of the safari look very familiar to me! Would love to go for real! Enjoy!
–Ed’s friend Monica
Hi Monica, Thanks for replying. I’m trying to update some gallery photos, but it’s a bit slow internet connection out here in the bush. We’ve taken hundreds, so I’m starting a gallery and will add to it periodically. It’s truly amazing here between the wild animals and the star lit skies at night; literally a world away from everything.
Ah my first and only Cruise! Thanks for the memories (2/85). Would cruise again if I could a ship that small!
Wow a fellow Veracruz passenger! It was my first cruise as well and ended up taking it three times. Small, pre-balcony, pre-specialty dining, pre-rock climbing wall etc – but it was wonderful – truly how cruising used to be!
Hello Steve I work on the Vera Cruz ship as the bell boy I still have my ship ID
I was 18 yrs old at that time in 1986
Thank you for sharing all the wonderful time we had during Thanksgiving. Your parents look wonderful your brother and art look terrific. Give them my best please. Hugs to all of you, Ed
Thanks Ed. Happy post-Thanksgiving to you, and pre-Merry- Christmas!
Whatabuger in Texas is pretty good!
How much would a pilot Honda suv cost on the auto train to Florida with 2 adults?
The Amtrak fares are variable based on time of year, availability, direction going, day of week, advance reservations etc. You pay a base far for the car, and then a base fare for each passenger. After that there is an optional uncharge for the sleeper accommodations; it can be a bit pricey but is definitely worth it for an overnight trip. You can easily calculate your specific charge on the Amtrak website. I put in a date for this Saturday for example and it’s $438 – $538 for the train and 2 people in coach, to $616 for a tiny roomette, to $1205 for the superliner bedroom, which is what we had. Not this is the cost for 2 people; not per person. Hope you can experience it!
Thanks for the images. In 1981 and 1982 I was a proofreader at Dittler Brothers in Atlanta, GA, which printed all the timetables in the country at the time (system and for each individual city), except for American, or maybe it was United. I arrived there just as airline deregulation was kicking in and People Express began changing their fares monthly and weekly. All the timetables like Delta and Eastern that used to print every six months were now printing monthly, and all the cities’ timetables, sometimes no more than a flyer, also had to be updated monthly. Dittler also developed the four-color scratch-off technology that allowed games, so we were also proofreading the first generations of McDonald’s games and lottery tickets for foreign markets. Great training for me, and obviously a very busy time at the plant. Thanks again. If you ever want to know about airline timetable production in the early 1980s, let me know. We were proofreaders, but we basically touched everything from when the typesetting tapes came in from the airlines to when the printed copy rolled off the press.
Hi Bob,
Thanks for the excellent feedback! I never took People Express but I remember looking at their timetable when they first started going to London. So many things have changed in the airline industry due to technology, cutting cost etc, and timetables are missed part of that. Even as a little boy I would dream about all the places I’d love to one day go looking thru them, and I would look up the flights that had ‘Royal Service’, a movie, or even 2 movies! I’m so glad I saved many of these. Thanks again for responding. Steve UNO
I found this googling Vera Cruz Shop. I believe I sailed to Cancun on this ship back around same time frame… prob couple years earlier…’85? I can’t recall exact year. There was a group of college kids that wreaked havock aboard ship. They even put Vaseline on our door knob to our cabin LOL I remember getting a bit sea sick. I’m about to go on my 2nd cruise, Rock Lehends Cruise in February, A few friends talked me into it. I know it is a much larger ship and it sounds like it might be an altogether different experience. The previous cruise it was all about the Destination for me …this coming RLC cruise I’m not even sure I’ll get off when we dock! LOL My main hope is that I do not get seasick! I do remember we had baked Alaska on the Veracruz and I do remember the wait staff was very attentive and it was cozy 🙂
OMG! I looked up your cruise and it sounds wonderful! It’s on the Independence of the Seas – HUGE ship! While I haven’t been on that ship, I have been on the sister and basic twin ship to that – The Freedom of the Seas. You could probably put the Veracruz in the main dining room on the Freedom! LOL! I love the bands playing on this sailing; too bad it’s sold out already or we might consider it. Yes, it will be a different (not bad, just different; i.e. much more grand and tons of stuff to do, bigger cabins, pool, shows – basically everything) than the Veracruz. I have fond memories of the Veracruz, and that tiny first ship I took got me hooked for life on cruising. One thing that has changed (in addition to just about everything else) is the additional dining options, which were not available back in the early days of cruising. While you can still have all your meals in the dining room, buffet area etc, do try and go at least one night to one of the specialty dining rooms. There is an extra cost in doing so, but depending what you like, “Chops” for awesome steaks is one of our favorites. Haven’t tried IZUMI, but if you like Sushi that may be good too. Definitely the shows, (ice skating, main theater .. .) list goes on. Write again when you get back and let me know your thoughts! Merry Christmas and Bon Voyage! Steve
Unlike the various replies to your memory of the veracruz cruise ship, out of Tampa, mine was not as favorable. I was suffering from food poisoning and fell victim to bring sea sick the entire sailing The rooms were non discript. My sleeping arrangement was a mirror on the wall that doubled as a pull down bed. I swore off cruises until the Royal Caribbean cruise line gained popularity. Royal Caribbean is now my cruise line of choice.
Hi Jim, sorry you had a bd experience on the Veracruz. Just curious what year and approximately what month you sailed. Yes it was a tiny ship; a tugboat compared to today. While I didn’t have food poisoning, on my first cruise ever I did get a bit of sea sickness the first night only. I had never sailed before, so didn’t know what to expect – just thought the sea sick bags every three feet on the railing was normal! Turns out there had been a hurricane within the last week, and the seas were still very rough; even the crew was getting sick. For such a tiny ship (some 10,000 tons compared to today’s mega liners, some of which are 20 times as big – 200,000 tons!) it’s easy to see how the ship could get a bit topsy turvy. I made it thru the first day, and the seasickness hasn’t bothered me since. That said, even on the small Veracruz, it had the ocean liner traditions that remain to this day (although many more alternatives now in entertainment, dining etc), and it got me hooked on cruising. Thanks for writing!
Steve and Steve,
Nice to see our faces at your trip to Pizzorno Estates., Uruguay
Happy holidays to you both ..we enjoyed your company!
Could Susan reach out to Steve (Uno) at work…let us know
Hi Susan, and Felix Navidad! We so enjoyed our time at Pizzorno; truly felt like part of the family. Of course you may reach out any time. This is an amateur site; not professional but glad to share my adventures with others. Merry Christmas!
THANK YOU FORSHARING THESE PICTURES WITH ME. I HOPE YOU BOTH HAD A WONDERFUL TIME.
MELEKANIKIMAKA, ED
WHAT GREAT PICTURES, YOU GUYS OUTDID YOUR SELVES.
ARCHTECTOR IS WONDERFUL, AND THE DECO FOR X-MAS IS SO BEAUTIFUL THAT I AM SHARING THIS WITH AUNT GLADYS. SHE LOVES TO DECORATE FOR X-MAS.
AND A VERY HAPPY AND HEALTHY 2019 TO YOU.
YOU ALL LOOK VERY HAPPY ENJOYING ALL THE DECO AND FOOD FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
One question for you Steve, are the first class toilets used by the economy plus seats in the cabin behind. Thanks, CT
Hi Chris, there are four versions of the BA 747. On ours, there were two lavatories behind First Class used only for First Class passengers. World Traveler Plus was located behind First Class on our flight, and they had their own lavatory at the rear of their cabin, but before Club World. Thanks, Steve
HI GUYS,
THANKS FOR SHARING THE 90TH BIRTHDAY PARTY. SHE DOES LOOK HAPPY!
LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE BOTH HAVING A GREAT TIME.
THANK GOODNESS YOU TOOK WARM CLOTHES WITH YOU, I CAN ALMOST FEEL THE AIR.
KEEP HAVING FUN…
WHAT A GREAT GROUP OF PICTURES AND ARTIFACTS. WISH I KNEW MORE ABOUT THEM.
SORRY YOUR VACATION IS OVER, BUT I AM GLAD YOU ARE BACK.
LOOKS LIKE YOU BOTH HAD A GREAT TIME!
MISS YOU BOTH
It was awesome! I’m still catching up on the posts from it. More to come . . .
Snowmobiles are so much fun. I’m glad you didn’t joyed it too.
GREAT PICS AS ALWAYS.
ENJOY YOUR WEEKEND.
SO GLAD THAT YOU ARE SO MUCH IN LIKE WITH THESE ANIMALS.
I HAVE WANTED TO GO THERE FOR MANY YEARS, BUT I DID NOT WANT TO GO ALONE.
STEVE, I HOPE YOUR KNEE IS GOING TO BE WELL.[VERY IMPORTANT] TO ME.
TAKE CARE AND WHEN YOU CAN , KEEP IN TOUCH.
Dr. & Mrs. Webb may you Rip…..
A memorial wall…honoring all the people who had died on the AA DC 10 crash in May 25 1973 will also be remembered…..
TIME TO CALL YOU LAVERN AND SHIRLEY
I HAVE ONLY BEEN THERE ONE TIME ON LAYOVER WHEN BASED AT LAX, AND I FOUND THE PEOPLE VERY NICE AND EASY GOING. LOOKS LIKE YOU ENJOYED YOUR STAY, AND I AM GLAD.
ON YOUR PERSONAL LINE I WILL TELL YOU ABOUT THE FONZ, AND EVEN HIS MOM.
HE IS A GOOD PERSON.
DANIELLE LOOKS SO HAPPY WHILE PUTTING THE WINE IN THE DECANTER.
SO MUCH FOOD!
hi steve& steve, jim touching base home in perth enjoyed meeting you on yantse explorer. keep smileing.
Hi Jim,
So nice to meet you too. What a wonderful trip that was on the Yangtze Explorer. I’m behind a bit in posting, but am home and will post the cruise and Hong Kong soon.
Steve
Hi guys, great meeting you both on our China trip. Your blog is great! If you get to Fort Lauderdale please give us a call. Happy Travels!
Dominick and Garrie
Hi Dominick and Garrie! It was so nice to meet you both on the Yangtze Explorer in China. It was really an incredible trip! Will look you up next time we’re in Ft. Lauderdale, and if you’re up in the Orlando area, please contact us as well. Take care, Steve and Steve (Steve Uno and Steve Dos)
GLAD YOU BOTH HAD A GOOD TIIME.
NEXT TIME ASK THEM NOT TO BURN THE EMPANADAS.
GLAD YOU WERE ABLE TO STAY AT THE HOLIDAY INN AT THE AIRPORT.
Steve and Steve, We did a day tour in Uruguay in 2018 (Pizzorno Winery) with you and value your opinion. We are going to be in Franschhoek South Africa with a extra day to tour. We are staying at Babylonstoren and doing local tours and diner there. Saw a lot on your site with J.J. and wondered if you had contact info….or recomendation for local restaurants and tours.
Hi Doug and Susan,
Nice to meet up again online! We sure enjoyed the tour and lunch at Pizzorno Winery and meeting you both. Sounds like we both have touring wineries and good food in common! When we toured with J.J. he was doing tours exclusively for 21 Roux Street, but I think he has branched out a bit as I saw this on Trip Advisor. The link to his website was not working, but you can try the phone number on the website: www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g469391-d17675896-Reviews-JJ_Tours-Franschhoek_Western_Cape.html We toured Babylonstoren, but did not stay there. You will love it though. I made a short video of the Franschhoek area and touring with J.J. and some of the wineries we toured. Franschhoek Wineries
THE SOON TO BE SCAR IS NOT AS SCARY AS THE BANDAGE, THANK GOODNESS.
LOOKS LIKE YOU HAD A GOOD TIME. KEEP ENJOYING.
HUGS TO YOU BOTH
Hi Ed,
Thanks for the kind words. You are right, the bandage looks much worse than the scar. I have the bandage off now, and my forehead is healing back fairly quickly. I still keep the cap on my head though to shield it from the sun.
Ugh! So sorry about that Steve. Life has a way of screwing up our well thought out plans!
Thanks Dave. I’m definitely slowing down for a couple months, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I’ve been rushing, traveling, working, repeat for so many years I’m taking a recovery break now, and will appreciate travel even more, hopefully in Spring when I’m up for it. Happy New Year to you!
I worked as the magician on the Veracruz in the Fall of 1985. I lived on the ship for 3 months. I loved it!
Hi David,
That’s awesome! There’s something about the very first cruise one takes, and the Veracruz was mine. Compared to today’s mega ships, the Veracruz was a tugboat but a fun party boat with all of the traditions in its day. Did the ship assign you your own cabin for the 3 months you worked it? Did you go to other ships after that? Sounds like an awesome way to work at sea! Thanks, Steve
SO VERY HAPPY TO SEE YOU IN THE NEW NECK BRACE!
I WAS SO SCARED WITH THE FIST ONE, I COLD NOT SEND A COPY AUNT GLADYS BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT SHE WOULD GET REALLY UPSET.
NOW I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU. THANK THE LORD FOR BEING SO KIND TO YOU.
MY LOVE TO YOU BOTH, ED
This is the first time I’ve read your blog and it is awesome! You two seem to really enjoy life! I love your style. My boyfriend and I are going to Chile in a few weeks and have one day in Colchuga. Do you have any thoughts on Neyen or on lunch at Vik vs. Clos Apalta.
Thanks!
Maria
Hi Maria,
Glad you found this blog interesting. We do love to travel, and now that I’m retired hope to do more so (that is once my broken neck gets healed!) All three of what you listed are outstanding! We loved the private tasting we had at Neyen, and have had lunch at both VIK (Twice) and Clos Apalta. Unless you’re staying at VIK’s property, however, I would have a luxurious food and wine pairing lunch at Clos Apalta. You have to visit VIK – it’s definitely over the top in luxury and size. The first visit there was part of a private tour and it was before the bigger (and public) restaurant was finished. While it was excellent, we much preferred the intimacy and view of the restaurant overlooking the infinity pool and valley, which is now reserved only for guests of the resort or special arrangement. Clos Apalta was outstanding , and the day we were there (off season winter) we had a private room for lunch which was incredible. Any of the above though are a must visit. We have used Uncorked Wine Tours with Jose several times for private tours, and have visited Clos Apalta and Vik twice now, and love how Jose customizes the experience. Happy tasting and dining! Thanks, Steve
Hi, Steve
I was the boarding agent for the Veracruz when it sailed from Tampa in 1982. I handled the ship for 8 months in Tampa when I worked for Eller & Company located on Hookers Point. The ship would then head north during the summer months and sailed the St. Lawrence River. The captain of the ship was from Germany and his name was Captain Jens Thorn and Purser was George who lived in Orlando. At the time the SS Veracruz was the only cruise ship that sailed from Tampa until Holland America started sailing from Tampa a year later. I had the opportunity to cruise aboard the Veracruz twice and Bahama Star offered me the port suite both times which was essentially two standard rooms with the bathroom in between that actually had a tub. One room was the bedroom and the other room was a sitting parlor. The ship sailed to Playa del Carmen, Cozumel and Key West. It was an awesome experience as I was in my early twenty’s and had free roam of the entire ship.
Hi, Bill. I was one of the cruise assistants on the SS Veracruz from 1981 to 1985. I remember working with you during embarkation days. Seems like a lifetime ago!! So many memories-Loved that ship
Hey Bill! This is a voice from the past, those were the days my friend!
Hi Steve — I found your website while going in search of some info on some of the cruise ships I worked on … including the Veracruz. I was lined up to work in the gift shop during the summer of 80, but the ship ran into engine trouble from FL to Puerto Rico, and it wound up in dry dock for months. By the time it was ready to set sail again, I was less than a month out before having to go back to colege, so I didn’t join up again. I did wind up back on the ship during the summer of 82 when it cruised from NY to Montreal and Quebec. What a fun and crazy time that was. I was not a fan of the captain at all – I thought he was a bit of a creep, but was good pals with the shop director Sylvie; the photographers (I think they were Jeff and Craig), and Suzanne – who was one of the cruise assistants. (I don’t remember you, Cindy, but it sounds like we probably overlapped, even though I wasn’t there long; it was a summer job for me while I was in college.)
I still have my staff pin, ID, and my crew station card! (Bimini deck; main cabin. And my job was to assist passenger onto lifeboat 7…)
Thanks for the trip down memory lane. Steve.
Wow thanks for the feedback! I was in college at that time as well, but didn’t have nearly the excitement you must have had working summers aboard! What an awesome summer job cruising from NY to Montreal and Quebec! Nice souvenir with the staff pin and ID card; I think I would frame it with some photos of your working days aboard. Thanks for keeping us safe and not having to board lucky lifeboat 7. 😀 Thanks for writing!
WHAT A NICE GENTLE PLACE TO BE IN .
YOUR NECK BRACE LOOKS BETTER THAN THE FIRST ONE.
SORRY TO SEE YOUR DAD IN HOSPICE. I WHICH HIM WELL, AND THAT THE REST OF THE FAMILY IS AT AS MUCH PEACE AS POSSIBLE.
BEST TO ALL OF YOU, ED
Hi! I’ve been going through my parent’s travel scrapbooks and came across one of their cruises to Alaska in 1979 on the Veracruz with Jens Thorn as captain. The paper daily programs are also in there. They have made many friendships on board. Like you, they also buy the “on board” photo! 🙂
I AM SO SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS, MY BEST TO THE WHOLE FAMILY.
YOUR FRIEND, ED
beautiful place… we loved it
Our first cruise was also on the Veracruz, in 1985. I loved it and would travel on it again. I liked the dining arrangement. We enjoyed each meal with our tablemates. The food was so delicious and exciting.
Several people were sea sick for the early part of the cruise. I learned the first morning that if I went up on deck and stayed outside I felt fine. I left our cabin as soon as I heard the neighboring passengers barfing.
On that cruise I went snorkeling for the first time. I had within the previous year or two gotten over my fear of water and learned to swim. The Lord took away my fear when I trusted Jesus Christ as my Savior. I vividly remember looking at the fish through my goggles and say, “Wow!”
I worked for Bahama Cruise Line in Tampa doing reservations. My Mother is one of the pioneers who help bring the Veracruz to Tampa. She ran the BCL operation from 1979-1987. Great memories. I still have a picture of the ship hanging over my desk at home.
I did carpet work on this ship in the seventys thorn was staff capitan we were going in the Caribbean. For a few weeks then thru Panama canal with a few stops then then Vancouver a inside passage of Alaska I had my wife and a couple of people that worked wit me
Ha! spoken too soon. Now we have riots at our capital. LOL
Glad to see you and Dos are well. Happy New Year, Steve! Miss ya bud…
Thanks Dave! Happy New Year to you as well. Cheers to 2021!
Looks like you had fun. I really enjoy Monticello.
Hello and thank you for the great post Just a quick question, You didn´t have any problem as you had a rented car? We plan to do the Auto train next summer but we will also be renting a car, and I was reading that maybe that is a problem for the Rentar Company
Regards
We didn’t have any problems taking a rental car on the train. To be honest, we didn’t see that in the contract, but we did ask how much the drop charge would be which can be a factor taking a car back to a different location, especially out of state. We normally take our own car, but needed the bigger car to haul things back from my parents estate. Amtrak is very careful loading the cars, and in fact photograph and video the car prior to loading it in case there is a problem with damage. We have taken this multiple times and never had a problem. We were actually more worried about the glass cabinets inside the car breaking, but we had no damage at all. They are well balanced however they do it. Thanks for writing!
This was very helpful. Thank you.
Love bed the Vera Cruz! Went on a cruise from Tampa to Cozumel and playa de Carmen in ‘88 the captain was Roger Bono, photographer was named Oaul and bartender was Cheppy… such fond memories!
Anyone that work on the vera Cruz ship from 1986 to end of 1987 I would like to reach out to you. I was the bell boy . I remember the chief Stewart John potier. Still gat my ship ID card.
Hi
Would be great to hear from you
Roger
Hi Steve. I enjoyed reading about your trips. I was having nostalgic thoughts about cruises I’ve taken in the past. ‘I wonder where the Veracruz is now’ came to mind. My mom and I took a 2 week Caribbean cruise on the Veracruz in 1980. What an experience I’ll never forget! My daughter and I went on a cruise in 2018 on a huge ship. I was hoping to experience the same magic but it wasn’t the same, I think because it was too big for one thing.
Anyway, Veracruz was one of the best times of my life!!
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Any accommodations or suggestions for a person traveling with a small dog? If that is possible
Thanks
M Spinell
Hi Michael, unfortunately at this time the Auto Train does not allow pets. I looked this up today on Amtrack’s website, and while they allow pets on many of their trains, the Auto Train is not one of them.
“Travel with pets in Canada not available on Adirondack, Maple Leaf and Amtrak Cascades; not available on Auto Train, Keystone Service, Pennsylvanian, San Joaquins, Capitol Corridor Pacific Surfliner or Thruway Connecting Services.”
The “yacht like” Veracruz was how it was billed. Living in St Petersburg, I wanted to try a cruise and it was the easiest and cheapest way to try one. My first was the weekend cruise to nowhere, $99 inside plus port tax. The dining room was great and we wore jacket and tie! The room was tiny with exposed pipes and campground like bathroom. I liked it enough to try the 5 day cruise to Cozumel where we docked near the Caribe, which became the Regal Empress, another Tampa Bay early favorite. Friends onboard, older of course, were Holland America cruisers, and influenced me to try a better ship and line. In 2003, I tried the old Noordam and have been quite loyal to HAL since. Unfortunately, HAL may not return to Tampa after 36 years
of winter season cruise from Here.
My aunt was the nurse on the Veracruz. I don’t know the year.
Hello how are you doing my name is Elijah eugene I work on the ship from 1986 to late 1987 as a bell boy .what was your aunt name. The hospital was on the back of the ship port side.
So blessed to have met the Steves !! Such wonderful kind people.Happy Trails!
Thank you Barbara! It was so nice to have met you and John as well in Sarasota last week. Happy Trails to you as well!
Hi Steve & Steve! My husband Jason and I met you at the inside bar at Lago Mar.
Love the website and how thorough your posts are! Hope you’re somewhere special this December. You guys are so sweet and fun. Any vacation spot would be lucky to have you two!
Aubree
Hi Steve and Steve! It’s Gail, from the Enchanted Princess cruise – we met at Sabatini’s for breakfast and chatted before the “court case” in Princess Live.
That was a wonderful cruise, wasn’t it? In fact, we booked to go again in February!
Hope to see you on another Princess cruise.
Hi Gail, Thanks for posting. It was so nice to meet you all as well. It was a wonderful cruise! Hope you had a good trip back to NJ. Will hopefully see you on another cruise. We’re taking the ‘Love Boat’ cruise on Feb 26 out of LA on the Majestic.
My wife and I had the pleasure of sitting at the Captain’s table on our honeymoon cruise aboard Veracruse. I have the photo if you’re still interested. It was November, 1977.
James That’s awesome! You’re up to what your 44th year anniversary now? Congratulations! Sure I’d love to see your pic, and I could post with your permission. Like I said, the tiny Veracruz got me hooked on cruising for life. I know it must hold a special place in your heart too since it was your honeymoon. Cruising is still awesome, although much different than the earlier times such as the late 70s, when only a very few people had ever sailed; no such thing as a balcony or specialty dining, strangers (but soon friends) dining together every night of the cruise, midnight buffets were standard, after-dinner fun was looking thru the photo gallery of fellow passengers, the Captain actually shook your hand in the receiving live of the Captain’s cocktail party, and of course the Baked Alaska parade was a highlight! We went on the Princess Enchanted recently on November 10th, and while it was a spectacular (WOW!) inaugural cruise, the Veracruz is what started my love of cruising; so different today, bigger, grander, etc, but still has some of the same “We’re all in the same boat” type of feeling. Hope you are still sailing to this day, although with COVID it’s been a bit of a setback for everyone. Thanks for writing, and all the best this holiday season! Steve
Steve and Steve, this is the couple you found at the Wakeview Bar, M and M. We got home a week ago and now it’s time to e-mail the pictures I took of you at the Chef’s Table. The second 10 days were just as great as the first ones, about 400 more people but you still felt “alone”. We missed talking to both of you….look out for an e-mail with the subject “Enchanted Princess”
so much fun meeting you both, stay healthy and happy and maybe we see you again…
our next cruise Dec 20 to Jan 4 on the Grand (Mexican Riviera)
take care M and M
That was such an amazing cruise made all the better by meeting you guys. See you in April.
We had a WONDERFUL time meeting you as well. Sailing with only 954 passengers on the Enchantment on a 4,000 passenger ship may have gotten us spoiled a bit in these COVID times. LOL! Looking forward to sailing with you on our cruise in April as well. Happy Holidays and best wishes for continued health and cruising in 2022!
Anyone that work on the vera Cruz ship from 1986 to end of 1987 I would like to reach out to you. I was the bell boy . I remember the chief Stewart John potier. Still gat my ship ID card.
Hello Steve. I worked on the ship gat lots of stores and memories. I was the bell boy from 1986 to late 1987. Great experience I met alot of friends while working there.also great passenger, s I still have my ship ID card.feel free to email me.thanks
Hello Steve you should try to connect the crew of the ship back again .appreciate it
Hello Steve and Steve
Boris and I had an amazing time on the Enchanted. Was great meeting the both of you and spending time together having fun,
We really enjoyed the the concierge lounge with the two of you. This is a great site. Glad to see you are enjoying yourselves. We are planning our work exit strategy :))
Lidia and Boris
Hi Lidia! We so enjoyed meeting you and Boris as well! Hope you had a good trip home without any issues (COVID test, flight delays etc). We loved the Concierge Lounge as well as breakfasts in Sabatini’s; both were great suite perks and it felt like our own little country club with friends. I have a few pics I’ll email to you later on; we’re out touring around Maui right now. We would love to see you guys on another cruise as well.
Hello Steve and Steve
Boris and I really enjoyed meeting the two of you. We had so much fun spending time together.
We are thinking of where to travel to next as well as planning out work exit strategy.
Hope to see you both soon on another cruise.
Lidia
I would like to talk to anyone who worked on the veracruze in the late 70 when the ship left the Caribbean and went tru Panama canal headed to LA Vancouver Canada and inside passage of Alaska I was putting new carpet at that time
If we had known what a detailed review of the cruise you were going to provide we could have skipped going.
However, if we had missed the cruise we would have missed meeting you.
We hope to cross paths in the future you are enjoyable people
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This is a picture of the Marriott Kauai Beach Club Resort.
Hi Mike, thanks for replying. While I did mention the property as a Marriott now, when I was first there on an America Hawaii Cruises in the early 1990’s it was a Westin at the time. I still have fond memories of it as a Westin, and the pool is just how I remember it from over 20 years ago, even though it’s now a Marriott. I googled just now to see when Marriott took it over (as Marriott bought the Starwood Chain with Westin and Sheraton Hotels among others) back in 2016, and they are all under the Marriott umbrella portfolio now. This Maui “Westin” property in Lihue, however was actually acquired by Marriott way back in 1995, years before the Starwood purchase. Wow my age is starting to show! I’m 59 and holding tight for my big 6-0 birthday in August. Thanks for writing! Source: Travel Weekly 1998 article www.travelweekly.com/Destinations2001-2007/Marriott-to-buy-Kauai-property-closed-since-92
We went on our first cruise 1975 on Veracruz. Not our first ship travel because we had travelled to and from Australia in the late 60 s. We had a great time our stateroom was an i side one and when the light was out it was DARK. we spent very little time in The stateroom. The cruise was two weeks in the Caribbean plus flights from Calgary starting g at $900. I think the drinks were included. The ship had a few problems like broken stabilizers. Cheapest best cruise I ever took.
Is this the Steve Penlin That used to run
Great Barrier Reef Pub in Daytona Beach back in 1991?
Hi Doug, sorry I’m not the Steve Penlin from the Pub you’re thinking of. Do go to Daytona a fair bit though, as I live in nearby Orlando area.
Thanks for including us! We had a blast and look forward to seeing you guys soon!
Kevin (& Craig)
Hi. Hope your altered itinerary is to your liking. Wow!
It’s caused a re-do of sorts, but it’s all good! We got off the ship today and are staying in San Francisco the next couple of nights, and then on to LAX for five nights before taking the Discovery Princess a week from today. We had an awesome cruise! It was nice meeting you and your husband; that was really a fun excursion in Cabo! Safe travels to you!
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Thank you for giving me a walk down memory lane! I spent 2 weeks in Hawaii on my honeymoon during September 1988. While in Kauai, we actually stayed at the Coco Palms. It was a little seedy by then, but the lure of Blue hawaii was just too much. The bedrooms had giant clam shells as sinks. We walked over to the beach, but after the beautiful sliver of Waikiki beach that is (or at least was) exclusive to the Hilton Hawaiian Village, it wasn’t the cleanest, and we didn’t go in the water. We drove to the Westin Kauai just to have a nose- it was new then, and stunning- and too rich for our blood! I remember the sculpture of the horses in the reflecting pool, and was blown way by the 5 sections of the main swimming pool, each with private small pools under each pillar. I thought there were waterfalls shielding the smaller pools from prying eyes. I remember saying to myself that one day I would come back there as a guest, but now it’s just the pools. All the opulence is no more.
Glad this post helped recreate some happy memories for you. My partner Steve (DOS) used to fly to Hawaii as a pilot for work years ago, and has fond memories of the Coca Palms. At home in Florida we sometimes light our tiki torches by the pool and it always brings back memories to him of the Coco Palms Tiki Lighting ceremony each evening. Yes times do change, and especially during the last couple years with COVID I think we’ve all had to adjust expectations. That’s why I love taking so many photos – “The way we were!” Thanks for writing!
Hi Steve and Steve.
I just spotted details of your blog on FB and what a joy it is. I love the photos as you are always both always so obviously happy and living life to the full.
Please carry on sharing your exploits as they always bring a smile to my face too.
I’m also glad to see you are enjoying your trip to London, a man who is tired of London, is tired of life! If you make a future trip to the UK, you might get to see some more of the rest of our great country.
Peter and Peter
Hi Peter, we are absolutely loving our time here in London! We are staying here a week before the Norway cruise out of Southampton, and have done a different itinerary each day. We will definitely return, and hopefully see you guys on a future visit. We would love to head out to different parts of the country, exploring new things each time. We had a wonderful day on a day trip from London to Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, and Oxford, which I’ll write about in the next day or so. All the best! Steve and Steve
I so love reading these posts, love the details and the adventures you have. Can’t wait to see the Norway posts and hear about those experiences, we are maybe going there this fall if it works out. If not, then early next year. For reference, Lars is from Fauske, little south of Tromso so I’ve only been to the northern part along the coast.
Question for you- we’re leaving tomorrow on another Celebrity cruise to celebrate anniversary (34 years, can’t believe it’s been that long ago we worked together) and birthday. You guys do a lot of Princess, how would you compare the two? We’ve looked at Norwegian as an option, but of course building points on Celebrity at this point.
Hope you continue to have fun in London, it’s been a few years since we were there, but so fun to explore
Happy Anniversary Yvonne! Wow 34years- time flies! Congratulations! We are doing the Northern Arctic Circle route on this Princess Cruise. We have sailed to Tromso before and loved it, and we are also going again this time. We are going to the North Cape at Honnigsvog again as well and it should be close to 24 hours of daylight. We were supposed to cruise all the way to Spitzbergen, but that port was canceled a couple weeks ago, probably due to environmental issues and the size of the ship. Celebrity vs Princess? Both are wonderful. We’ve actually sailed Celebrity the most. Of the two Celebrity is more chic and modern (awesome specialty dining), but changed a few years ago to more casual (no formal nights) probably to attract younger trendy people. Since the Pandemic we’ve been sailing Princess mainly due their easy change policy, small deposits, and world-wide itineraries. Of the two Princess is more traditional with Formal nights; people still wear tuxes (not everyone, but at least a suit or jacket for men). Celebrity has changed to almost a two class ship now with the Retreat area; you pretty much have to book a Junior Suite or above to get the better dining room and access to the retreat. Celebrity has nicer Suites, and for a real splurge take the Penthouse Suite on the M-class Celebrity ships (Constellation, Millennium, Summit, or Infinity). They are older ships, but those suites are amazing; 1,400 square feet and nearly a 1,000 foot aft balcony. Hope you’re having a great trip, we can chat or email direct when you get back. Thanks! Steve
Hey Steve’s! Jason and Lu from London here! We loved hanging out with y’all! We will be in Orlando at the Hyatt Regency 7/20-7/23. Going to the English soccer game. It would be cool to see you!
(325)227-5988
You guys are awesome. Love seeing your Norway cruise pics! Norway for us was great.
Hey Steve’s! Jason and Lu from London here! We loved hanging out with y’all! We will be in Orlando at the Hyatt Regency 7/20-7/23. Going to the English soccer game. It would be cool to see you!
(325)227-5988
You guys are awesome. Love seeing your Norway cruise pics! Norway for us was great.
Hey Jason and Lu, sorry for the delay in responding; ended up being in the hospital for a week when I got home, and needed a pacemaker! Possibly a delayed infection from my open heart valve replacement surgery last year. Anyway happily recovering at home now. Would love to see you all, but will see how the next few days go. We love that Hyatt and stay there a fair bit, usually at least a couple times for the Generous Pour at the Capital Grille right up the street. Thx, and all the best. Steve
I too visited the Westin hotel during a cruise back before the 1992 hurricane. I’m staying at a Marriott resort there now (2022) and am trying to remember details from the hotel back then. Any idea how I can get pictures of the “Before” – especially the lagoon area? I remember taking a lagoon boat tour and thinking this was the most beautiful places I’ve been to.
While walking around the property now, I see a couple of old deserted buildings and was just curious if they could be leftovers from way back then?
Hi Mary, thanks for the response and I’m hoping you’re having a wonderful stay there now. I’m off of town myself this week for my 60th birthday, but when I get home I’ll look thru some of my old photos and see what I have from that pre-hurricane era. Thanks.
I went on the Veracruz to Alaska sailing out of Vancouver. The ship was small and introduced me to cruising.
You guys look great! No fast food! Lu and I are planning Italy and Greece in June/July. What are your travel plans?
Just got back from Argentina. Amazing country – terrible food LOL.
Hi Jason, thanks for the comments, although after the very next post I don’t look so great. I ended up being airlifted off our Princess Alaska cruise due to a heart condition; my aortic valve that was replaced last year suddenly failed. Scary stuff, but I’m back home now. All trips thru April 2023 are off for us; will have to look beyond then. Glad you made it to Argentina!
Steve, I was trying to find out how many rooms the S.S. Veracruz had. I ran across your website. Then I was researching my files and found the brochure, including the layout of the ship. So funny! If there is a way to send them to you, I would be glad to do that. We cruised on the Veracruz in 1984.
Hi Donna, and Happy New Year! Thanks for your feedback! I’ll send you a private email you can email the brochure back (assuming it can be scanned) otherwise I’ll send my address. As I’ve been at home recently recovering from heart surgery, I’ve been going thru literally boxes and boxes of old cruise brochures, photos, and other travel information and I know I have more photos and information on the Veracruz and other ships somewhere, which I’ll update as time allows. I found a 1987/88 edition of “On Deck”, and it listed the Veracruz as 10,595 Gross Registered Tons, and had a total of 363 cabins. It was 487 feet long by 64 feet wide and had 8 passenger decks. Plus ONE elevator too! The cabin breakdown was 2 Outside Suites, 180 inside cabins, and 181 outside cabins, and zero balconies. Quite a change from today with the mega-liners this size of a small city, but the Veracruz will always be special to me being the first cruise I took, and still had some of the same traditions today.
Hi Donna, I have been reading all the comments on the Vera Cruz with interest.It was our very first Cruise ..out of Tampa ,Florida…The one that got us started on cruising…Love Cruising! We have been on most of the major lines out of Florida..Do you by any chance know what year she first sailed out of Tampa? We have our boarding picture with the name on it but no date..Would love to find out the date? I think it was one of the first Cruises out of Tampa…Looking forward to your answer..Carrie Porter….Thanks..
Hello Steves! This is Blaise Bellows from the ER in Ketchikan. I am so happy to see that you are recovering. It sounds like it has been a very long journey, and I was worried about you. The ER was absolutely delighted to receive your Christmas card and we hung it up in the nurse’s station over the holiday. I look forward to following your further adventures! Take care!
Hi Dr. Bellows! It is so good to hear from you – you made both our days! (Sorry for the delayed response, somehow the message ended up in the SPAM folder.). We are so thankful to you and your team for everything you did for me, and placing me with the right people from Cardiac Echo and consultation with Bellingham, to the air-vac to Bellingham, and your (and everyone’s) care and compassion ultimately sending me to Seattle for two months. We think of the caring team of medical professionals every single day and all that you do for everyone. Happy Valentine’s Day, and from my (our) heart to your’s and the team, may you have the most blessed day. We hope to get back to Alaska later in the year if all goes well, and ‘finish’ the cruise as well as get to Denali as we haven’t been there yet. Thanks again!
My wife and I took a cruise to nowhere from Tampa in 1987ish, it was $99. The a/C died and our room turned into a sauna. we got buckets of ice and had fun wrestling the cubes into each other’s clothes. A fun weekend that I’d love to do again.
I was the sales and operations manager for the SS Veracruz from 83-86 when it sailed out of Tampa doing 2 day to nowhere cruises and 5 days to Mexico cruises
Hi Mark, did you work land-based out of Tampa, or aboard the ship at least some of the time? That was definitely in the infancy of the “new days” of cruising – how exciting! I loved that small ship and have such fond memories today. I never took the 2 day cruises, but loved the 5 day cruises way back then before Cozumel and Playa del Carmen got so discovered by other ships.
Hi, Steve! I found your blog and read about the cruise. My son and I sat beside you and Dos in Jamie”s at lunch on Mothers Day. I’m glad I found you two again and look forward to reading about many more of your adventures!
-Sharon
Hi Sharon, great to hear from you! I trust you had a wonderful time as we did on the Mariner. We gained a little bit of weight, but that’s what exercise is for! I’m still writing up a couple more sections of the blog to be posted soon; still haven’t made it to Coco Cay yet on the blog but that’s next. Also another post on misc including the ice show and farewell show. (Love that Farewell song they’ve been doing for years!). Take care, and thanks for following us!
Steve (Uno)
Veracruz was my wife’s and my first 2 cruises…it was ‘85 and ‘86. 5 day itinerary from Tampa to Playa Del Carmen and Cozumel. Room was small and walls were paper thin…neighbors hated my snoring. Food was outstanding. Now 50 cruises later, we often talk about how much fun we had on the Veracruz.
TOM, Glad you could experience this gem; a true blast from the past. Yes, THE Veracruz was tiny but the service was traditional and great in the dining room. Back in the pre-balcony days, and it was either a small inside or outside room! With only the main dining room, where dinner was a highlight of the day sharing stories with your fellow table-mates. Yes it’s different today many cruises later but I have such good memories of my ‘starter cruise’ that got me hooked on cruising. We’re taking a short 4 day cruise this week on Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady; should be totally different than any we’ve been on, so we shall see! I’ll write about it later this week. Happy Cruising!
It was nice to meet you both last night on Virgin Scarlet cruise leaving the Keys
We might cross again in Orlando!
Have a lovely trip!
Likewise, it was so nice to meet you as well! We had a blast on the Scarlet Lady, and booked an 8 day cruise on Virgin for late January. We’re in Sarasota now, and just downloading all my pics. Will update the blog with a Virgin review in a couple days. Safe travels, and see you in Orlando sometime hopefully!
We sailed on the Vera Cruz on May 28, 1985, this was our 1st cruise for our honeymoon. We just celebrated our 38th Anniversary and about double that amout of cruises. Love living in Florida close to all the ports!
Congratulations on 38 years together! The first cruise is always so memorable, especially for a honeymoon! We just got back from our first Virgin Voyage’s cruise on The Scarlet Lady; adult’s only, and quite a bit different from even cruises today. Will write about that in a couple days. The Veracruz was always special to me as it got me hooked on cruising way back in 1987. The ships have gotten so much bigger (not so good) that the Veracruz today would seem like a lifeboat! LOL! Likewise we love living in the Orlando area, and it’s so close to Port Canaveral, which is now the largest cruise port in the US. We’re really exciting about the Brightline Train starting in September from Orlando to West Palm, Ft. Lauderdale, and Miami for even more cruise port accessibility. Happy Cruising!
Hello 👋🏻 to both of you!
It has been a pleasure to cross your path on Scarlet Lady! Omg it was an immediate love 💕
Hoping you made it back home safely my friends
We may have the pleasure to meet you again in Orlando!
Will follow your blog !
Hi guys, Anik and I wanted to say that we thoroughly enjoyed meeting you both. Sharing dinner in the Mexican restaurant was a highlight of our trip. We would love to stay in touch with you and get together for dinner during our next Orlando trip. Be well.
Thanks Gary! We really enjoyed meeting you and Anik as well! We loved the food in Pink Agave (as well as the company) and especially the cheese covered rib-eye there and chocolate tacos! We’re in Sarasota until Sunday and then home in Orlando all of August, and then late Sept and Oct. Email us your schedule when you’re going to be around in MCO and we would love to get together. Safe travels!
Did the Vera Cruise have any swimming pools on it?
Yes! The Veracruz had one outdoor pool on it for passengers.
Great review
Thanks Manuela! It was a bit more detailed than I normally do, but I tried to include all of the questions we had before going on it. Initially we didn’t consider it because it had the (unfounded) reputation as being too “risqué” which was not at all the case. So glad we tried it, and we’re going to take an eight night cruise on her sister ship, The Valiant Lady in January.
Check out this old video I made from 1988. It was my first cruise as well.
Not the best video, I know, but I had just bought a camera and was learning to use it.
Anyway, might bring back some memories.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlKhY-NRqOA&t=5sv
Wow Mark! Thanks so much for sharing your video of the Veracruz! I love so much about it; the retro everything from 35 years ago. We’re about the same age (although I’m 4 years older), so like me, you started cruising early on in the infancy of cruising as compared to toady. So many things bring back good memories; the waiters in the dining room (only 1 dining room back then) who knew your name and preferences within a day or so, their formal night parade with Baked Alaska and you were seated with other passengers for either main or late dining (no anytime or specialty dining), greeting the Captain at the Welcome Aboard Party (when the ship was small enough everyone could meet him and shake his hand and get their photo taken with him), the photo gallery area was a big thing too as it was the only way to view photos back then, and it was fun looking at other passengers photos on display. Today while there’s still a photo gallery it’s mostly on the app or view it on the in-room TV. Oh yeah, back then we didn’t have a TV in the rooms! The simple parking lot at the Tampa terminal, unlike the mega garages today . . . so many things have changed, but the Veracruz is always a special memory for me, and as your video shows, it provides a nostalgic blast from the past. I hope you are still cruising today. Thanks so much for sharing!
Steve,
Fun read and I too sailed out of Tampa with a buddy to go scuba diving in Cozumel on the Veracruz in August of 1987. On day two of five, 36 years ago I met the love of my life. We have been married nearly 34 years and have been blessed with 3 amazing children and four grands so far. Fun memories and we speak of it often. It was great seeing your pics and reflecting back on some really great memories.
Wow – the Veracruz was really “The Love Boat!” What a wonderful story – it sounds like an episode from the TV show, but it was the real thing! (I nostalgically watch “The Love Boat” on the Pluto channel, where you can watch it 24 hours a day if you like. LOL!) Congratulations to you on your 36 years together and your kids and grandkids! Thanks for sharing and best wishes to your family for many more years of happiness.
May 1979, four weeks, from Santo Domingo in Dominican Republic to Alaska and ending in Vancouver. Deluxe. I was 27. Ship found me two roomies, three weeks to Vancouver, one week Alaska. Nice senior ladies.
85+ husband and wife
Hi Steve, I worked on the Vera Cruz approximately 1982(ish) – 1985(ish). I then got promoted to work on all three Bahama Cruise Line ships (which changed name to Bermuda Star Lines). I have a few pictures and a few stories I’d love to share. How can I communicate best with you? Thank you.
Sindy (Sadler) Moon
Hi Sindy, thanks for reaching out. I remember the Veracruz, Bermuda Star, and am not familiar with the third ship? I sent you an email you can contact me personally if you like. Thanks so much! Steve
When traveling from Colon to Panama City is there a preferred side of the train to sit on. Also when traveling by bus to Colon is there a preferred side of the bus to sit on?
Hi Roger, sorry for the delay in responding. We just got back from our first MSC cruise this afternoon, and stayed in the Yacht Club which was amazing. Will write that up this week. As far as the bus train/question, we did the opposite way from Panama City to Colon. We were seated on the bus on the right hand side, and had decent views on the ride to Colon. At least on the bus, we made a couple stops, so we could get off the bus and tour the Aqua Clara Visitor Center, which looks over the New Locks. Highly recommended! On the return trip to Panama (again this will be opposite for you), we sat on the left side, however I would have preferred the right side on the train ride for the better views from Colon to Panama City. The bus ride didn’t see to make as much a difference as we had a couple stops, but the train was nonstop back. The nice thing on the train though is you can wonder throughout the car (there’s a small sitting area in the front by the bar), and towards the back of the car there is an outdoor platform (between the cars) you can stand on for an great view without being blocked by the windows or glare. Either way you go, it’s really a great excursion.
Found you!!! It was so lovely to meet the both of you on this cruise. Thank you so much for the wonderful conversations and giving my husband and I some very useful “tips of the trade” as we are just beginning our cruise/traveling adventures. You’ve left such an impression on us and we hope to be fortunate enough to cross paths again with the traveling Steves one day:) beautiful pictures and what a fantastic blog
Hi Robert and Stephanie! It was so nice to meet you both on the MSC cruise! I’m so glad you found your cruising passion as much as we have had over the years, and were so glad you are already looking at your next cruises. Would love to cross paths again one day somewhere in the world, be it cruising, Orlando, Seattle wherever! Hope you had a good trip home with no issues. I just finished up my review as the next post. It’s quite long and I probably should have shortened by half, but has lots of pics and a few short videos too. Enjoy and welcome home!
My first cruise, 1978, Caribbean cruise. I was 18. Cartoonist Ben Wicks and his family were on it, his son Vince was working as entertainment host. They had a talent night, I was juggling apples 🍎 from the dinning room. I won a big bottle of Mumm champane shared it with a girl i met on the trip. Mostly Canadians, I had a blast
Hi Vince, juggling apples from the dining room! WOW that must have been exciting to watch! Congratulations on winning the Champagne way back when. Great memories for sure! Thanks for sharing. Steve
I enjoyed your detailed fun article. We are going to be on the Emerald next week. Thanks much
Hi Betty, Enjoy your cruise on the Emerald Princess!
Hi Steve & Steve! Thank you for the extremely kind and beautiful card! I have it hanging in my office. I love the pictures! I am glad to see you are doing great and onto new adventures. It was wonderful to meet you both. I’ll keep following your blog to see where you’re traveling! All my best and happy holidays!
Wow – so nice hearing from you Betsy! Thank you again for your assistance! I’m doing much better and we are actually in Greece today on a Seabourn cruise to Singapore. I did take a high altitude flight simulation test before we left and I did fine, as well as on the flights to Istanbul/Athens. Thanks again, and Happy Holidays to you as well! Steve
Hi Steve and Steve! Love your blog! Quick question – my husband and I are interested in doing the chocolate and wine tasting and I was wondering if you could share the name of the location you went? It looked fantastic!
Thanks!
Jen
Thanks Jen! We booked this as a shore excursion on Princess, but I googled this and several other lines stop there as well. It’s called Chocolate and Piñata seaside workshop, and is located on Stingray Beach, maybe a ten minute drive or so from the port. Our group met at the port and then drove us to the chocolate workshop. You will love it! Different than the usual booze cruise and snorkeling excursions. Have fun and thanks for writing.
Hi Tour Guide Su,my nephew’s chinese tutor is visiting Singapore from Yangon,Myanmar for the extremely first time. Would you kindly engage her in a private tour guide with you similar to that of Steve and Danial?
Thank you so much Steve! Have a wonderful New Year and holiday season!
Steves, thank you so much for taking the time to write this exhaustive description of your experiences. It is chock full of useful information that I will make good use of.
My pleasure! We enjoy sharing our experiences and tips with others. Thanks for your comments!
Thank you. Very informative article. Learned some important info. Will read again and take notes!
Awesome pics!
Hi Guys, it has taken me some time to read the blog of your experiences after our cruise. We’ve been quite busy but will go to Cape Town tonight and will contact you from there. Good to see that the trip in SIN came to a good end and I’m sure you both are fine now.
Sending hugs 😘😘Hans & Wolfgang
Hi Hans nd Wolgang! It was so nice to meet you on the Seabourn Cruise. Yes, our Singapore ending up with the Dengue Plaque was not ideal, but we got thru it and are home now. Enjoy your trip to Capetown! We will catch up soon! All the best, Steve
Hi both
We are booked on MSC SEASHORE which I presume is mostly identical in October. Yacht Club….. I can’t wait for this top notch experience. Your review brought it to life especially the private island. Your writeup of the boarding experience was very informative and will mean hopefully we wont wait in the wrong queue with no fizz!
Excellent and thanks
Hi Graham, glad you enjoyed my post on the Yacht Club. While we haven’t taken the Seashore, from what I’ve read (as it’s based in North America) it should be a very similar experience. As the Yacht Club is such an intimate and enhanced experience, you’ll meet many of your fellow YC passengers there, and everyone we met said they would only do the YC on MSC again it was so wonderful! Enjoy your trip on the Seashore!
We went on our first cruise with the Veracruz in 1988 out of tampa. We have such fond memories. I remember at the end of the cruise, the entire staff sang ” we are saling”. I heard the song tonight 2-14-24 in a restaurant and my wife and I immediately smiled at each other thinking of the years gone by and the wonderful time we had on the Veracruz. The a/c died on the first night and many of us took our mattress’es and slept outside. If you were on this cruise with us, there also was a small fire in the engine, but not to worry we were all safe. If any of this sounds familiar please let me know
Hi Charles, what wonderful if not uncomfortable memories sleeping outside due to the A/C going out. No I wasn’t on that cruise with you, but it would have been the approximate time frame; 1987/1988. So much has changed since then with the mega cruises and now the crowded ports, but way back then it was really a special time that few people (compared to today) had ever experienced. I was told on one of the cruises back then that only about 3% of Americans had taken a cruise; wow compare that to now! Thanks for writing, and hope you’re still sailing somewhere today! Cheers!
Thank you so much for this really detailed review. We were suggested Yacht Club by our travel agent but we haven’t yet made a final decision based on so many negative reviews of both MSC and the Yacht Club. Your review makes me much more likely to give it a try this coming October!!
You will love the Yacht Club if you do it. Yes, MSC itself has had some negatives; mainly due to the ‘nickel and diming’, required reservations for shows etc in the basic MSC lower, non YC cabins.. The Yacht Club, however is in a totally different league. There are only about 200 passengers in the YC, and it feels like a “country club” setting. You are free to explore the ship ship anywhere, however it feels so special coming back “home” to the YC. I really think you will like it. We’ve sailed many cruises on many lines, and we were quite impressed with the level of service and attention to details. Enjoy!
We have been dedicated Celebrity cruisers for a few years now. One of our sons got employed by MSC last Fall, and we took advantage of a “Family & Friends” program to cruise on MSC SEASHORE in March for four nights. Balcony cabin was nice, ship was beautiful, staff was great, but certainly not Celebrity level.
We are going back on SEASHORE in June for ten nights in The Yacht Club, then on Seaside in November out of Miami, and SEASHORE again next April. All Yacht Club, which we can do for the price of a regular balcony on Celebrity.
Really enjoyed this great review, and really looking forward to the MSC Yacht Club.
We have enjoyed the upscale Celebrity experience as well over the years, and are going on the Beyond for the first time in August. We were quite impressed with the service level on MSC’s Yacht Club, and felt it was more personal than many ships we’ve sailed. For the price point you’re absolutely right; the YC is less than a balcony on Celebrity, plus for the Caribbean itineraries at least, many offer an overnight at MSC’s private island which is wonderful! Enjoy your upcoming cruises!
Great trip. Did the Tampa to Mexico cruise with my future wife, I think fall of ‘85. Storms in Atlantic rolled us all the there and back. Didn’t matter, hung out at Deck Bar with fun people like the Dating Game Bunch and the Meteorologist from Tampa area. Very nice ladies as table mates.
That was last time on one, first was the Andrea Doria ( before it sank)
Wow – you went on the Andrea Doria! What an experience that must have been on a true and historic Trans-Atlantic liner. Glad you had a great experience on the Veracruz as well. Cruising is all about good times, meeting people, and lifelong memories!
Wow this was great! My senior class about 12 of us went for senior trip. It was April 20-27 1987 (Easter) we had a blast I was looking at old cruise trips and found my picks from the Vera Cruz we had so much fun!
HI Steves, I wonder would it be possible to reproduce one of your photos?
You can reach me at the email below.
Many thanks,
Robert
Sure, I will send you a message at your email. Thanks. Steve
Wow love this review. I hear the msc ships are beautiful and prices can be good but not much else positive. You have about convinced me I need the YC for my sept bday cruise now off to research! We always cruised carnival for convenience then tried celebrity and they won us over and our last cruise celebrity didnt work out tried princess and had a wonderful experience similar to celebrity but a few extras. YC seems like the way to go thanks so much for the post. What has been your favorite cruise based on the experience not the ports? Staying overnight sounds nice. Thanks!
Hi Donna, we love the Yacht Club on MSC and are looking forwarding to taking it again, this time on the MSC Seashore in late October. The slightly larger Seashore replaces the Seaside out of Port Canaveral, which we had taken last year. As far as favorite cruise ship (not taking the ports or location into account), that is a tough call to make. The MSC Yacht Club “area” rates as among the best service we’ve had at sea, and makes for a similar experience to even the ultra deluxe lines such as Seabourn.
Some of the other best times aboard ship were on the older Celebrity “Millennium Class” ships, such as the Constellation, Millennium, Infinity, and Summit (all 4 basically twins with slight in decor and the specialty restaurants. I think we liked the smaller size from the mega-liners of today, less crowds, a bit more formal (at least years ago, not now), easier meeting people and seeing them again on the ship, favorite waiters etc. Although you said to not mention ports, these “Panamax” sized ships were (and still are) ideal for a Panama Canal transit, as they can still fit thru the old Panama Canal locks, with only 1 foot or so to spare on either side of the ship. You can literally touch the side of the canal you are so close! The newer and bigger ships must transit the new locks, which while interesting are much bigger and lack the historical context of the original old locks. Other ships: Love Seabourn Encore for its much smaller size and boutique, country club casual like atmosphere and service. Celebrity Beyond – even a mega ship, it has something for everyone, but still a bit to big for us. I’m writing a post on our recent experience, so check back in a couple days. Your question also got me thinking of doing a post on then vs now. I started cruising in 1987 and how it’s changed over the years for better and sometimes not so better, but all good. Thanks for writing Donna!
What a fun informative and positive post. We are sailing on the Emerald in Feb on the Pamana Canal cruise and in Oct of 2025 on the new Star Princess from Barcelona. Maybe we will meet up with sometime we love meeting new people on our cruises.
Thank you very much! We love sailing thru the Panama Canal; love the history there, not to mention the distance it saves ships. We haven’t booked the Star yet, although it will be coming to Florida at some point next year, I believe after the Med season in Europe. We are taking the Sun Princess in late November this year and are really looking forward to it. Spellbound sounds “magical”! Enjoy your upcoming cruises!
You two are so much fun! Great writing — I was browsing and ended up reading ALL of your Virgin reports. I want to hang with you guys!
Thanks Kelly, we love to have fun!😀. We’ve only taken Virgin once, but are booked on the Scarlet Lady again on Feb 8, 2025 for 8 nights to the Southern Caribbean over Valentines. We’ve got a couple 7 day cruises booked this year; one on Oct 27 on MSC Seashore (Yacht Club) and Nov 30 on the new Sun Princess. While we like doing different and unusual itineraries, with so many new ships out there, it’s nice to try different ships, just for the ship itself. Virgin Cruises is definitely both new and unique!
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Just wondering our you two married – boy friends or just good friends? Just think it’s awesome that you seem to have great times traveling together.
We’re happily partnered for nearly 20 years thanks! Steve (DOS) was a Pilot for a major airline, while I traveled for work as an I.T. field engineer for a communications company mostly throughout the US, some international. We got along so well I think as we both have a love of travel, and living in the Orlando area, the theme parks too. Thanks for writing! We love Australia and the people there are wonderful friendly!