My Cruise. My Last Cruise


    This is not so much a Travelogue as a picture gallery. I know how exciting coming over to someone's house and looking at pictures of their vacation can be, so I warn you ... this is not very interesting.

    First, here's a photo of me during life boat drill. Every passenger is supposed to take part in this drill which includes going to a bar (which is not open for the only time from the moment we stepped on board until the moment we left that this was the case), listening to the captain make a recorded speech about safety ("If you should see someone fall over the side, shout 'Man Overboard' and throw anything that can float," is an exact quote), and then trying on your life vest:


    I think this is a photo me me trying on my vest and demonstrating the appropriate method of covering one's mouth and nose before "stepping off, not jumping off" the side of the sinking ship.
    It might also be my attendance during the ship's flatulence contest which, after long years of practice, my brother won.

    The deck chair situation is demonstrated below. Here is a photo of the deckchairs just after dawn. They are neatly lined up, patiently awaiting 2,600 butts. Or is that 5,200?


    And here's what they look like about two hours later:


    Had enough? No? Ok, here's some more.

    Here's a photo of The Lad taking a photo of The Dad:


    Everything in the Islands is promoted as being at a discount. "This," whatever this might be, "would cost 20 percent more in the States," you are told. Here is an extreme example of discounting. Twenty percent off the number of nuts necessary to hold a wheel on a car in St. Thomas:


    This is not a photo of the Golden Princess


    This is a photo of the Golden Princess


    As an example of never not being around a lot of other people, this is what the deck looked like during the ice sculpture exhibition (mc'd by our cruise director, "Alister!")


    This doesn't signify anything except I'm not absolutely certain this guy is THE Jimmy Buffett, but maybe he is:


    This is St. Thomas at either sunrise or sunset, I forget:


    This is the dock at St. Maarten at sunset. I'm sure of it:


    There is something about being on a ship at sea with a camera which makes you need - need to take pictures of sunrises and sunsets. Herewith ...

    The obligatory sunrise


    ... and the obligatory sunset

    This is a photo of the Princess Cay (pronounced Key, I was told by a very precocious six-year-old) which does not fully tell the story of the deceit and treachery which resides on shore.


    And finally, we arrive back in Ft. Lauderdale at 6:00 am. I counted seven cruise ships in port at the same time. It was like getting off the E train at 179th Street in Jamaica, Queens.

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