Hawaii  - Many, Many years ago, I spent two weeks in Oahu.  It was much cheaper then.  Clear, warm water where you could see clear down to your toes.  At that time, the Islands were just being developed.  My cousin Daria and I spent our days touring.  We went to the Kodak show at the Polynesian Cultural Center, to the USS Arizona Memorial,  and  we tried to surf.  That was a laugh!  It was hard just standing on the board.  At night we    went to a few luaus and enjoyed the local night life.  We even found a band from back home.  Someday I want to get back to see more of the islands. For the weather or other information on Hawaii click here.
 
 

  back to vacations

My first cruise was on the Carla "C", one of Costa Cruise line's ships.  We sailed in December.  This was a single's cruise for my 30th birthday.  I was set up to room with a girl from Seattle, Washington.  I really enjoyed that cruise.  We had about 30 people in our group.  We ate together, toured together, partied together.  We sailed out to watch the sun set on a 40 foot catamaran the evening of my birthday.  I was serenaded by guitar players.  At the end of the evening, the drunken camera man tried to carry me back to the ship.  He missed his shift and they found him asleep in the shower.   We sailed from Puerto Rico to Martinique, St. Thomas and St. John.  We were suppose to go to Grenada, but they were having fighting there at the time, so we were taken to St. Vincent instead.  On to Curacao, and Caracas, Venezuela.  This seven day cruise returned us to Puerto Rico after seeing many beautiful sights.  Costa was not part of Carnival back then.  The food was wonderful, the waiters full of laughs.

My second and forth cruises were on the Royal Caribbean Lines.  I just love the camaraderie among the staff on any of Royal's ships.  A friend, Linda and I sailed 12/3/89 - 12/10/89 on the song of Norway.  Again leaving out of Puerto Rico to Martinique and then on to Barbados, St. Martin, St. Thomas and St. John.  We partied on the Jolly Roger, snorkeled in crystal clear warm water, shopped and took in all the sights.  Some of them were breath taking!

On 3/30/96 - 4/10/96 I took another cruise by myself.  I met several lovely people.  A few I still keep touch with.  Ron and Evelyn from Pennsylvania were lots of fun.  I also shared adventures with a wonderful man named Stafford.   Stafford is the executive chef of the Hawaiian American cruise ship.  He was on holiday, celebrating his birthday.  This ship was called the Legend of the Seas.  It was brand new and huge.  An eleven day cruise through the Panama Canal.  We started in Acapulco.  In Caldera, Costa Rico we horseback rode through a Mango tree grove on  the way to the rain forest.  We snorkeled in Aruba and shopped in Curacao and St. Thomas, then on to Puerto Rico.

Norwegian Cruise Lines, Western Carribean cruise out of Miama on 12/19/93 - 12/26/93 was quite the ride.  Linda and I first landed on Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas.  I played volleyball on the beach while Linda read, drank and caught some sun.  We toured the Brimmer Hall Plantation in Jamaica with its sugar cane, pinapple, cocca beans and coconuts.  They even made us a special lunch there.  Shopped in town awhile and of course we climbed the Dunns River falls.  A few of the vendors were a bit too agressive with their selling techniques.  In Grand Camen we saw stingray city and a turtle farm.  In Cozumel, Mexico we did a Fiesta cruise and soaked in the rays at Playa Del Sole beach.  On Christmas we rode out the inclement weather at sea.  Many people didn't fare well!
 

Although I don't like the food as much on the Norwegian lines as I do on Royal and Costa, I do love their entertainment.  They invest a great deal in their entertainers and it shows

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Renaissance Cruise Lines - My trip to the Greek Islands was also a cruise.