KoKoMo?!?!

Aruba, Jamaica, ooh I wanna take you to
Bermuda, Bahama, Come on pretty mama
Key Largo, Montetgo, Baby why don't we go...
Off the Florida Keys, There's a place called KoKoMo
That's where you wanna go to get away from it all-

Ahhh yes Dear Hearts and innocent bystanders, the Fabulous Beach Boys fade softly into the background as they introduce the next EXCITING Adventure [really - she promises it will be] of the ever-lovely Dragon Lady and her erstwhile travel guide the Wacky American Tourist - Chucky. SHE, of that Caribbean Island where time stopped in 1959 has decreed that it’s high time she Relaxed from Grandbaby: Swim Lesson, Summer Reading, Learning Module duty and head down to the Southern Caribbean on a particular Cruise she has longed for - and By all that's Right in her World - SHE's GONNA TAKE IT!!!

Yup, as luck would have it - just the Right cruise - with just the Right itinerary popped up on the Carnival Freedom [same ship as MedCruise 2008] with just the Right Aft Facing Cabin [that's looking rear for you land lubbers] and double-wide Balcony, and of course just a short climb to the Lido deck bar... 

It doesn’t get any better that that!

So Yeah... she's gonna de-stress while sipping cool fruity drinks and watching the Sunset in her wake wash all her cares away... well maybe not all her cares...

In order to book this little escape in July, with the grandsons out of school, their mom's heavy RN Class Schedule and their trip to Columbia with Tia Adriana pushed back till the end of the month... they’ll have to suffer through [yeah right] YMCA Day Camp for a week.  This of course caused a tad bit of guilt to creep into Dragon Chic's psyche, but just a smidgen, not enough to keep her from:

Sandy Beaches,

Pirate Ships,

Sunken Treasure 

Snorkel Tours 

Midnight Buffets &

a Tall Rum Cocktail or two

The itinerary is set, now just a matter of confirming shore excursions and then we'll add it here… or maybe not.  Depends on how ambitious Chucky feels.

Until then, keep you eyes open for the customary ****NOWAT ALERT**** in your email In Box... or your Spam Folder wherever you've designated NOWAT Alerts to drop.

Now where did I put that Travel Hair Dryer... [Oh common now…you know its gonna show up somewhere]

Ciao 4 Now,

Uncle Chuck & ready for Fruity Drinks & toes in the sand
Dragon Lady

AGENDA & TRIVIA

Bodies in the sand
Tropical drink melting in your hand
We'll be falling in love

To the rhythm of a steel drum band

And so it soon begins... but first 

ROLL CALL.

Those of you that remember MEDCRUISE 2008 may recall that we discovered a useful tool on the Cruise Critic website while searching for reviews of various cruises called Roll Call. This is like a chat room or users forum where folks taking a particular cruise can exchange info etc and hook up for excursions, meet and greet drink fests.  Roll Call is where we met the two Peripatetic schoolteachers from Ohio that we toured the Mediterranean with and with whom we still stay in touch.  

Soooo it was only natural to check out the Roll Call for the Carnival Freedom July 13 cruise and lo and behold, we found a really feisty bunch of experienced cruisers, just itching to make friends and share loads of useful details. And of course we're already getting involved with a particular group of Happy Sorts that will most likely get included in this NOWAT [Gawd help their reputations after this]

So here's the agenda so far, subject to adjustments:[click the blue links for details]

7/13  Ft Lauderdale, FL -4pm Embarkation
Meet & Greet Roll Call Mates
7/14  Fun Day At Sea
Just what it says - Drink & Dine - Hey...its a cruise!

7/15  Grand Turk - 7am - 2pm [Short day]
Nothing planned - beach day, Jack's Shak for drinks
7/16  La Romana, Dominican Republic - 9am - 4pm
Seavis Saona Island 
Boat tour, snorkeling, beach BBQ etc 

7/17  Curacao - 1pm - 11pm
Irie East Side Tour, 
Is;and Tour then a stroll 'round town-dinner with locals

7/18  Aruba - 8am - 4pm
Jolly Pirates 
[Dragon Lady Swings from the Yard Arm...Arrgh Matey]

7/19  Fun Day At Sea
Drink & Dine... Dine & Drink, Piano bar or maybe a show, drink... crash

7/20  Fun Day At Sea
More of the same

7/21  Ft Lauderdale, FL - 8am Get rolled off the Bloody Boat!

If you've checked out the Roll Call [I set it to start for you in the middle] you'll see that we have a hardy bunch set for the Seavis Saona Island tour, a smattering for Irie in Curacao and mixed bag for Aruba, although swinging from the Yard arm on Jolly Pirate Ships seems to be the draw for many. Dragon Chic is still skeptical about that one but they have a Bar on the Boat so there might be a little liquid courage involved- in her case… maybe a lot of Liquid Courage will be involved.

Even though I can’t get her to try scuba again - [she cant equalize pressure in her inner ear] - we’re looking forward to the several opportunities we’ll have for snorkeling.  She is a bit leery of using public gear so I broke down and picked us both up our own snorkel sets [my old gear was just that - old and ratty] Fortunately we’re not flying in for this so lugging extra gear isn't too bad and we'll have it when I think the GKids are ready for their own gear and can enjoy diving as well. [We’re already water proofing them at the YMCA] 

That’s about it for now… but you know the shopping saga is just about to begin.  Hopefully it wont be as painful as NOWAT-TOSCANA but hey… its all about the SHOES.

Ciao 4 Now,

Uncle Chuck & The Putting on her Shopping Hat

Dragon Lady

CURSES OF THE NOWAT?!?

... Oooh Baby why don't we go down to Kokomo
We'll get there fast
And then we'll take it slow
That's where we wanna go
Way down to Kokomo

We interrupt the usual Prep-Talk...to bring you an important announcement about the 

"Perils of Special Vocabulary".  

What?!?! You thought we were just gonna get on with it??  Seriously?!?

Soooo… All those that know the Ever-Lovely Dragon Lady well, can attest that she is a Proper Lady and deplores swear words and cursing.  Those who find it necessary to use profanity only reap her look of disdain and the stern admonition. “Tsk-Tsk… LANGUAGE!!!” She is, however known to have her own special vocabulary of Four Letter Words.  Yes, dear hearts, Dragon Chic has Four-Letter-Words, and she’s not afraid to use them at the drop of a hat… or a Credit card if you will.  The words?

[Please escort all children from the area before reading on]

Ok we warned you…

SHOP – MALL – SALE – BOGO – FREE 

50% OFF

 [Ok the last is more than 4 letters]

Yes, anyone following the Adventures of the Ever-Lovely Dragon Lady and Chucky, know that sooner than later, shopping will play a part in the preparation for the trip. And of course at the top of the list is: Yeah, you guessed it:

SHOES. 

There IS however, a bright spot this time around on the very first trip to DSW [Designer Shoe Warehouse] her favorite purveyor of Sadistically Crafted Metatarsal Torture. You will recall that in the past she usually has to make several trips to this vendor of discontinued, overstocked, and/or irregular footwear prior to one of her sojourns only to be blanked and come home shoeless, so to speak.  Whereas Chucky, along just to “carry the water” and “Pay the Lady” winds up scoring at least one pair of replacements for something that may still be sitting in his closet barely used.  Welllllll…

Huzzzaahh Dear Hearts!!!
The Losing Streak has been broken!

First time out she actually scores a delightful pair of stylish slip-on's for the cruise although not the pair for "Formal Night” she was searching for while Chucky on the other hand, not wishing to steal her thunder, declines another new pair of Ecco Sandals – [damn they felt good] since the last pair he scored here are still sitting in the closet, yet to feel a pavement scuff… but will on this trip.

And of course while in Aventura... she just had to stop by her Favorite Ophthalmologist Dr "Z" [a Golf Buddy of Chucky’s] for a new Rx which then required a trip all the way back north to Plantation to pick out New Frames at Costco [the old ones just wont do!!!] deciding its time for prescription Sunglasses as well.  Then of course there was this Darling Bathing suit on special… and oh look “Que Cute” Capri’s… and Ooooohh those spiffy new Water Shoes… and…. And… AND… Did I mention...

“This Chic Can SHOP?!?!” 

Several $$$$ later [to be fair, NOBODY ever gets out of Costco for less that "Several $$$$ later" - funny how that works...] and we finally head home with Mesquite Wings for dinner and a case of Blue Moon to wash them down.  OK, just a few Blue Moon’s for the wings, the rest are for the next time our Boys show up… and they always do now that Blue Moon is on the Beverage Menu at Casa d' Chaos.

Rest assured, this wont be the last of the scavenger trips for this Caribbean Adventure to be sure and if worthy of comment will be reported somewhere below, or probably not depending on how bored Chucky gets.

That’s about it for now.  Chucky has come down with a terrible head cold and the screen is starting to blur,  [2 Grand-kids + always contagious elementary school + snotty little hands and lots of hugs = Sick PaPa] so C YA later dude’s and dudettes. [Humm along now...]
Aruba, Jamaica, ooh I wanna Take Ya...

Ciao 4 Now,

Uncle Chuck & The Scanning the Ads for More SALE’s

Dragon Lady 

YOU HAVE BEEN SELECTED...

We'll put out to sea
And we'll perfect our chemistry
By and by we'll defy
A little bit of gravity

Oh were it only Just-That-Easy, But Dear Hearts - YOU know with THIS pair... Ain't nothing 

“Just That Easy”!

So… Chucky is finally back to normal [if there is such a thing for him] and busy researching shore excursions for this little run away from home and some island trivia for the NOWAT when the Dragon Lady comes in smirking and throws the mail in front of him with:

“Guess what You’ve Got … [snark… giggle…giggle… snort]”

“Don’t tell me smarty… ‘YOU’VE GOT MAIL’  ”

“No Dodo… [snork… giggle]

You’ve Got Jury Duty!!!”

“What… [or as grandson David says about everything lately]  Seriously?!?  

“When – Where… W. T. F. !!!”
{well Ok... David Does Not say WTF!}

”Don’t worry silly, this is for the 30^th, you have plenty of time before the cruise.” She giggles.

Yeah Right… it will be just his luck to be selected for some long drawn out case which will overlap this Cruise date and dontcha just know…

He Paid the Damn Cruise IN FULL LAST NIGHT!!

So here's the deal:

Turns out that since moving to Hollywood 16 years ago, somehow Chucky has escaped being pulled into the Broward County Jury system - but must now report on June 30^th - a  mere two weeks before sail date…

Now he has to scramble to find a way to either get excused - which is probably not likely- but he has been told that there is a possibility of getting his jury service postponed till after the cruise with a good excuse… He’s gotta call the clerks office with proof of the non-refundable cruise info and hopefully his having to lose BIG BUCKS is enough reason for postponement.  He doesn’t mind jury duty, in fact it could be an interesting break from his normal routine [whatever that is] … Just not if it will mess up this trip

Stay Tuned… it will be REALLY Interesting to see how he pulls this one outta the fire.

Not much else to report at this time other than the Roll Call is starting to heat up with new members joining the discussion of whether or not this one or that one can get pressured into swinging from a Pirate ship or would rather be run over by a runaway ATV being driven by another drunken cruise mate or what…

Yeah… this is starting to crank up to be an interesting week for the Wacky American Tourist… now where did I put that summons and what number do I call…. {Hummmmmm...}

Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama...

Ciao 4 Now
Uncle Chuck & The Still Giggling about his Jury Summons
Dragon Lady 

SO - ON THE WAY TO COURT...

Afternoon Delight
Cocktails and Moonlit nights
That dreamy look in your eye
Give me a tropical contact high
Way down in Kokomo

WHILE SORTING THE LATEST ToDo LIST - THE PHONE RANG AND...

"Good Afternoon Mr Mercurio, This is Monica from the Broward County Clerk of the Court's Office."

"Uhhh Hi, Tell me you have good news for me?"

"I'm just returning your call Sir, how may I help you."

"Oh, well, I was just checking on the status of my request to have my Jury Service postponed until after July. Did you get it-My ID Number is xxx-xxx-xxx?"

"Hmmm, oh here it is, but Mr Mercurio, we just got it yesterday and the mail hasn't gone out yet!"

"Oh... sorry about that, I did the online form after 5PM Friday, guess it didn't clear until yesterday, sorry."

"Not to Worry Mr. Mercurio/  I am pleased to inform you that you have been permanently excused and will receive a confirmation in the Mail shortly."

"Permanently??? I just wanted it postponed until after July."

"We understand Sir, however the County Clerk noted that you are over "{fill in the blank}" years old and entitled to a permanent excuse, and he closed your file.   Will there be anything else Sir?"

"Wellll- Uh... No - But thank you and Thank Mr Forman for me. Ciao"

Well now... after researching it a little further, I found that there was 2 choices,

v      Excused this time - postponed for another date 

v      Excused Permanently due to age 

and the Nice Clerk of The Courts made the choice for me, so all is well in Chucky's world and we’re good to go for the cruise.

Nothing much else is shaking around here lately, at least she hasn’t gone into “Panic Mode 3” yet where half the closet winds up on the bed as she starts to sort daily outfits and what not to take.  That will also be the time the Good Will Bag starts to fill up again ‘cause this and that ain’t quite “Que Cute” enough to keep.  Which of course will trigger the start of the “Mall Runs” and you just know there will not be “Just a couple” of those. 

Oh and of course she hasn’t yet headed out for the Formal Night shoes, since she hasn’t figured out which nights they are and what she plans to take… or Buy to take… or  W H A T E V E R!!!

Actually most of her attention has been devoted the Grandsons and Summer Swim Classes –Which they L O V E and Summer Reading/Math homework which is NOT being appreciated by said young boys.  Oh well…. They’ll get over it.

Me?  I'm just idling away in the Bat Cave – my lists have all been done, necessary apparel already selected, [Hey – its swim trunks, flip flops and tee shirts – what else do you need for a Caribbean cruise] and specialty supplies assembled, so I guess its time for a little Scotch…
Well it IS 5 o’clock somewhere J {Hummmmm}

Key Largo, Montego, baby why don't we go?

Ciao 4 Now,

Uncle Chuck & The Just Oblivious to all the Planning..

Dragon Lady 

PANIC LEVELS...

To Martinique, that Monserrat mystique

Ooh I wanna take you down to Kokomo

We'll get there fast
And then we'll take it slow
That's where we wanna go
Way down to Kokomo
Port-au-Prince, I wanna catch a glimpse

So maybe I spoke too soon in the last note.

While sitting around Monday Afternoon reading the paper and enjoying the lovely brunch Chucky prepared, she looks up, shudders and…

     “Uh Oh… I know that Look”, he gulps.

Pre-Trip PANIC MODE!

And not just any Mode dear hearts and innocent bystanders – NO… this one was a full Fledged

LEVEL 8 

as she dashes off to frantically empty the closet on the bed to see what still fits, what doesn't and mentally start planning mall strategy. 

He is convinced he has lost her for the rest of the day.

Mid-way through cleaning up brunch in the kitchen, Chucky is interrupted by a calmer than expected Dragon Chic with a quizzical look:

     “D'Ya think this top will work for one of  the Snorkel days?” 

while modeling a pull over from her latest foray.

     “If So… I’m done.  All I need is a couple Sports Bra’s and maybe Formal Shoes!”

     “Now… have you finished your packing sort yet?

DONE?!?! That Quickly?!?  Call the Newspapers, Alert Channel 10, we have Breaking NEWS!!!!!

I can see the headlines now:

Dragon Lady Beats Own 

Pre-Trip Sorting Record!

OK… I'm getting that sour

“you're gonna pay for your sarcasm” 

look so on with the report.

Yeah, she set a record and as I looked at the bed, I was relieved that she hasn’t gone overboard {not Literally} as she remarked:

    “Like you say… it’s a cruise, how may bathing suits and flip flops do I need”

Sooooo, Chucky sets out to sort his own bed covering closet foray and it doesn’t take long – 

Shorts               Check

Swim Trunks       Check

Assorted Tee’s    Check

Sandals             Check

Dress Slacks       Check

Formal Jacket     Check

He’s DONE!

Ok…ok… there was a bit more trying on and “Sucking It In” than he expected but for the most part his stuff is laid out in no time
- Hey- It’s a Cruise – He’s a Guy – Nuff Sed!

OH… and funny thing happened on the way to the Good Will Bag – Yeah... it's his turn to start filling it up… he’s put a few waistline inches back on since Cancer Treatment weight loss awhile back and swears its time to get back to the Gym.

“Yeah… like that’s gonna happen anytime soon!" She smirks.

“No seriously!” He snaps… “Middle Age Spread is gotten outta hand & I'm way past Middle Age!”

Next Stop, Target to return some stuff too small for the Grandsons and a search for Sports Bras to wear with those sexy Tee’s she got for wandering around the Lido Bar.   And Bingo… that didn’t take long.  He even scored a new casual belt.

Tomorrow is slated for a FORMAL SHOE safari to DSW and probably the Mall after GKid’s swim lessons, or Whatever.

Ironically, Chucky is starting to slide into ToDo List Panic Mode Level 3 - {that means he misplaced the last 2 lists and is starting another}

Oh Wellll…. 5 days and counting...

Hey - isn't it 5 O’Clock somewhere… {hummmmmm}

Ooh I wanna take you down to…

Ciao 4 Now,

Uncle Chuck & The so Happy it all still fits…

Dragon Lady 

THE CLOSET SAFARI

Everybody knows
A little place like Kokomo
Now if you wanna go
And get away from it all
Go down to Kokomo

Well now Dear Hearts and Innocent Bystanders - Wonders never Cease!!!!

Another NOWAT Pre-trip record has been set!

She has NOT made multiple trips for this and that and SHOES etc. this week. In fact, she has been a very good little Dragon Lady and also not done the:

          Put it on the bed

          Put it back in the closet

          Put somethin’ else on the bed
          I put it in the Bag
          She takes it outta the bag

Otherwise known in the past as:

“The Packing Ballet”

No… as it has it,  Mall safari’s have been out of the question {thanks to the constant distraction of two very Hyper Grandsons} she hasn’t had time to do much of anything else in the way of planning for this trip and that’s probably a good thing.

HOWEVER… that leaves all the planning to the Wacky American Tourist and you know what kind of trouble that can get her into . 

[Remember Zip Lines and wobbly Rope Bridges in Alaska?]

NOW... Think Pirate Ships, large quantities of Rum concoctions, a Rope swinging from the yard arm into the bay, lots of shrieking – ooooffffing and eeeeekiing etc…

Yeah, that kinda stuff.

And apparently she wont be alone.  Several hardy souls from the Roll Call have also committed to Jolly Pirates in Aruba and all the above as well as a few other active excursions that will involve snorkels, stingrays, more  rum concoctions and considering the average age of this crowd… this will prove to be VERY interesting. I'm thinking lots of Video, extra Memory Cards and Batteries and YouTube subscriptions.  

Hey - Who Doesn't Want their Birthday Bash on a Pirate Ship posted for the World to snicker....errr... uhhh... enjoy!

AS luck will have it, Yesterday was #2 Grandson Jonathan’s 6^th Birthday – so a little pre-party cake was had just to acknowledge his special day [of course at least ONE present was opened] and a larger Family BBQ is planned for Saturday - Even Tio Brian drove in from Atlanta {albeit to house/dog sit as well}, Tio Henry will be off and who knows who else will be dropping in so it will be a grand day for our Special Little Man. 

Which of course, does not give Chucky much time to get the packing done and double check the multiple ToDo Lists laying around, but hey… what's a Trip without Chaos - and missing hair-dryers.  {oh You know its gonna get asked - its's a ritual}

He may or may not get around to composing posting the Usual Departure Chaos but since we have Priority boarding bought and paid for which has us at the Port at 11:30AM, it may have to come later.  

Which brings up a very important 

*** ADVISORY.***

In the past we have been able to post NOWAT episodes on the fly from where-ever, however, MEDCRUISE 2008 showed us that uploading, editing and adding pictures was a bit of a challenge while on ship with the 

V E R Y   S L O W and V E R Y   E X P E N S I V E Internet connection. And… since most of our time on shore is pretty much accounted for in tours or excursions, there wont be time to locate Internet Access and get it all done there Sooooooo…..

The Departure episode not withstanding - This may be the first – All Composed on the Fly – but Posted after we return NOWAT in Chronological order with pictures etc.

Time will tell and most certainly will He.

Ok… gotta go, she is signaling she has given up the fight, what's on the bed is what goes [for now] so I'll try to get a head start on stuffing the LUGGAGE and see how it goes.

Wish me luck… I just looked at the bed and I'm “Gonna Need a Bigger Boat”  – Errr.. uh.. Suitcase.  {Hummmmmm}

Aruba, Jamaica, Ooh I wanna take ya...

Ciao 4 Now,

Uncle Chuck & The Ready for FruFru Drinks and Sunscreen

Dragon Lady 

WELCOME ABOARD THE FREEDOM

So while searching for just the right embarkation tune for this episode I stumbled on this Classic from The Love Boat... How appropriate since this is the Dragon Lady's Birthday cruise and 

I  L O V E  H E R!!! 

There... that'll do it.

But first a word from our sponsor -

While it may be a bit pre-mature to indicate that we're boarding... still 12 hours away - What's a NOWAT without a little "Pre-Departure Chaos, LLC" which started Saturday afternoon with the whole clan headed in for Jonathan's OFFICIAL Birthday Party and Family BBQ.

Dragon Chic did a nice job getting the house in order while Chucky did the usual kitchen prep and while waiting for the Tio's and friends to wander in, he tried to finish packing.  Yeah... Tried is the operative word here.

You recall last night he thought he might need a bigger Boat - errr...Suitcase?

Well Stubborn Little Italian Man that he is, he's gonna get her stuff in her usual middle sized bag - PERIOD!  Just about the time he thinks he has it worked out...guess who comes into the packing room with the other half of the closet with"

"Oh... I forgot to lay these out... you'll make it fit wont you?" 
as she scurries out of Evil Glare Range.

Ok... maybe we need to get the Big Mama-Jamma down from the Garrage. Now its transfer time from middle sized to Jumbo which is pretty easy with his Military Rolling technique and of course - he not only gets it all in - he has TOO MUCH ROOM NOW - [He WILL NOT tell her this] as she will only find more STUFF.  Now what... loosen up the stuff... move some of his stuff in... eliminate the computer pull toy and stuff the toiletries etc in...

Ahhhh Fuggedaboudit - he figures with a little Chuck Magic, he'll get it all in mid-size and after the BBQ - DOES.

Of course this should be the last of it, but OHHHH NOOOOO.  Who slinks around the corner with more SHOES and "just a few More Tops" 
{Where in the Hell does she think she's going - a 21 day romp around Italy?}

But he's ready for her, knowing that the shoes were missing and the tops were so thin they packed in the creases.

The Usual last check before settling down with a nice Cognac and cup of Coffee doesnt go as smooth as he thought.  Now where is this... oh yeah... now where is that - Aha... left it in the trip closet... and so on.

2 hours later and Cognac and cold Coffee - Thats what micro-waves are for...
and feet up.

The rest of Departure Chaos may or may not get out before the race to the Port, but dont count on it.  He'll probably finish it before the 3PM Roll Call Meet & Greet and spend the precious internet time to get it out before he sails.  {Hummmmm}

Love... Exciting and New - 

Come aboard...We're Expecting You..

Ciao 4 Now,

Uncle Chuck & The already Snoozing

Dragon Lady 

DEPARTURE NON CHAOS

Ok… so there’s no music for this or the ensuing episodes it is being Edited aboard the ship as we sail south and it’s too time consuming – thus costly-  to research and download tunes on the slow ships Satellite WiFi.  Read on.

 “Sorry, but I need to take these shoes too.”

“Why am I not surprised.”

“What?”

“Nothing Dear” {only the third re-opening of the” ready for the car bag”}

“And here’s another top.”

“There aint no friggin room!”

“What?”

“Nothing Dear”

 “Oh… and where is IT?”

“Not Packed.”

“Why not?”

“There is a perfectly good one on the ship.”

“I don’t care… I want mine.”

“Yes Dear.” 
{The two most important words in a happy marriage”

Yeah… we’re still packing and it’s 30 minutes till GO TIME, and Yeah the “IT” is the damn blow dryer – you knew it would show up in a NOWAT, it always does - It’s like her 5^th appendage.

The good thing is that there was really not a lot of the usual chaos on the departure, Chucky had gotten most of it all done the night before but fully aware that there would always be “something else for the bag” just before it goes in the car he didn’t lock them up yet. Aside from  the minor exchange noted above relatively quite until…

That little hang up at the Port Everglades security checkpoint where our line of 4 cabs and us was held up by the front cab with less than desirable folks who spooked the minimum wage guard... that had to call another guy to check out their credentials... who called another guy and… 10 minutes later waved the cab through.

Aside from that the rest of the trip to the Dock was uneventful as we slid into line at the Carnival Freedom… 
only to get behind a Holiday Inn Shuttle with a trailer full of luggage that the cop held up till there was room for him, which held us up another 10 minutes… 
{this was beginning to feel sorta like the line at Publix that you think is a fast line only to get behind the guy with two items that has to write a check -  and then left his ID in the Car!!!}

Otherwise that was our somewhat un-eventful, stress-less ride to the port.

Finally waved into a spot on the curb, we took to unloading the luggage and waved off the porter – we’re gonna lug our own “Luggage” to get it to the cabin faster and because they wanted it unlocked at the curb – Yeah… like Chucky is gonna give some unknown dude an unlocked bag…  A quick hug to Brian and we we’re off to the Priority Line. 
Priority you Ask?

Yeah… not being a Platinum cruiser yet where we automatically get VIFP Treatment {Very Important Fun Person – ya gotta love the branding} so I booked the Fast to the Fun {F2F} as its called and Now Here this!!! 

If you're ever on a Carnival Cruise – and Hate loooooonnnngggg lines… Buy This One. 

At the door, we flashed our F2F ticket -  we were through security in a flash...
[well not that fast… she set off all the bells with her bangle bracelets again… you’d think she’d have learned by now] 
Whisked into the priority line for check in and on board the ship in less than 10 minutes!  All this while a line at least 7 Disney style switch backs and 300 people long waited for the “next open registration slot”.   
The F2F also guarantees priority first off at the ports [which is important since we have some time sensitive tours booked] a dedicated guest services number no wait line at the Guest Service desk or Any Time Dining and, priority disembarkation when we return as well as a few other perks I forget now.  Well worth it.

Of course… lugging your own LUGGAGE can be a tad taxing on certain Dragon Ladies since Chuck booked an Aft Cabin because of the great Balcony and proximity to the Lido Bar. 

Sooooo you get on the boat mid-way to the front on Deck 3.  The cabin is on Deck 8 and alllll the waaaaayyyy back there… and of course 5 of the 12 elevators are blocked off for luggage loading and the is only about 50 people waiting on the other 7 that are all going down…

The glares and grumbling behind the Little Italian Man emanating from a certain Dragon Chic were not of the complimentary kind as we finally got a lift to the Veranda deck and trekked alllll the waaaaayyy beck there….

But IT IS a GREAT cabin.

Ok… this got longer that expected, and its time to meet the Roll Call Crowd at the Lido Bar for the Meet & Greet {Just up one flight of service stairs-right outside our door} to co-ordinate meet times for the excursions etc.  
Chucky even brought a small pizza cutter planning on ordering 6 pizzas {right next to the bar} and cutting them bite sized for snacks and the Buffet has lots of cheese and fruit… [why pay Carnival $20 a head for a private party with 3 premixed drinks and peanuts] 
Hey... old caterers never die - they just keep entertaining😀

This is gonna take some time to upload and format.  That cost will determine if this will be the last transmission till our return.

To Be Continued…

                               

Ciao 4 Now,

Uncle Chuck & The Headed for Fruity Drinks & Snacks

Dragon Lady 

ROLL CALL MEET & GREET

So… the Roll Call gang straggled in to the Lido Bar Aft, opposite the Pizza Oven at the appointed time of 3PM amid squeals and hugs and all that stuff from people who had never met you but felt like they knew you for so long from all the Roll Call Posts and one by one introduced the rest of THEIR bunch to the rest of THE Bunch etc…

Chucky had been asked to make a few copies of the Tour agenda and these were passed out to more squeals and hugs… and some plans were made to meet where and when and of course – the Pizza never got ordered and Pizza cutter was for naught… but there was some cheese and fruit from the Buffet and a good time was had by all… or some… or who cares, they showed up.

Chuck and The Ever Lovely Dragon Lady  met up with Michelle and Dan from MD, Nick and Kathleen from Western PA {he’s actually British but whatevah} and Mike and Mary from Lungeyeland {well that’s how they pronounced it} all of whom have cruised together many times in the past and who had been quite vocal on the roll call.  We were welcomed into their cozy yet just shy of rowdy group of merry travelers and it fit like a glove. 

After the usual small talk, dinner plans were made and Nick called a 5:45 meet at the Chic Dining room – he likes to dine early even thought we all were set for Any Time Dining and we headed back to the cabins to prepare for the emergency briefing and boat drill before departure.

After the Cruise director gave the usual do’s and don’ts over the PA, unlike the past, we didn’t have to wear our life vests to attend the boat drill {hooray} and our muster station was right down that handy stairwell right outside our door to the 5^th deck and… nobody was at our station. After standing around with nobody there, the crew finally moved the group that did finally straggle in - over closer to the rest of the mob on Station 6 and we proceeded to stand and melt on the airless boat deck while a Prussian Drill Mistress moved some forward, some back {two steps to the left, two steps to the right, Kick…} no wait that was the line dance class…

Anyway… we were  MELTING ovah Heahhhh.  Funny how you make friends with everyone in your misery and of course the storm trooper jokes started as we used levity to alleviate our frustration. They finallycame back to count the second time… seems like the clicker jammed the first time and they had to find another one.  Mike and Mary showed up and squeezed over to mingle until finally after more scratchy PA announcements from the delightfully British Cruise Director we’re released to go back to our cabins.  {I think the purposely recruit these slick Brits as Cruise Directors because they sound so Cool over the scratchy PA}

Of course now they hold up our crowd from moving until the rest of the Mob from the other muster stations proceed to jam the stairwells, so Chucky decides to head back up the stairwell we came down from our Aft Stateroom, only to be turned around by Security with a:

“Crew Only Sir.”

SAY WHAT…

”You were the one guiding me down… now I can’t go back up the same way?”

“Sorry -  for now… crew only”

As the Dragon Lady is snickering behind him,

“Told you not to go that way… but Nooooo…Stubborn Little Italian Man..”

Much to the amusement of the rest of our group that were about to follow him up the back stairs {which leads to – did I mention - right outside our cabin}

Sooooo, we follow the cattle call to the central stair and the trek alllll the waaaay back there… Ok, it wasn’t that far this time but -  time for another shower after melting on the boat deck and then a race to get down to the Chic DR to meet the gang who showed close to the starting time and we were seated quickly.

The usual first night fare with a cute little Blonde server from Belarus who made quick work of the menu and service.  Nothing spectacular on the menu, most prepared and presented with the usual flair and being first into the dining room, no hassle on timing etc.

The Company was good, the banter exceptionally lively and we quickly learned that these are Fun Folks and this was gonna be a Fun Trip.

We made plans to meet up later that evening after had a chance to walk off dinner, at the Alchemy Bar -a new addition on the Freedom - with a limited menu of specialty cocktails where they ply you with a little cocktail finesse using some

creative use of herbs and syrups and Premium liquors, staffed by a trio of very congenial “Mixologists” that delighted in exhibiting their talents in preparing these not quite exotic but very lovely cocktails.

After everyone straggled in and a sampling of the Fun Stuff shaken up by these cute kids, and of course the lively exchange with Chucky on What a Martini isn’t –

{too long to go into here} 

and this merry band of funsters adjourn to the Piano Bar next door to harass and enjoy Seth, the barefooted Piano Man who is quite a character and very entertaining.

Chucky was feeling a little peptic distress from something at dinner {perhaps the Gezpacho that was a bit over seasoned} and she was fading fast so our Travelin’ Wackos bid their rowdy companions a good night when Seth took his Pre 11PM –"Adults only Show" – Break.

After composing the Departure Episode, a headache set in with his Dispepsia so it was a handful of Aspirin and Mallox chewable’s and time to crash – She was already sawing wood.

Tomorrow is a Sea Day so who knows with kind of fun they’ll get into, but you'll just have to stay tuned to find out.

Ciao 4 Now,

Uncle Chuck & The One Too Many Fruity Drinks

Dragon Lady