aprilivy

We're on the 12/11/11 sailing, too...

The Dolphin - my, oh my. That cruise in 1990 kept us off ships for the next 10 years~!

I remember coming into the port area in our bus and seeing all the ships and wondering which was ours. They were so big and pristine...then there it was the dolphin looking like a tiny fish nestled in between the enormous whales.

It was a small ship. It was an older ship (and it smelled like it).

The disco was way down under and very dark. And the drained the pools while at sea - only had use of the pools while in dock.

Our cabin was a tiny ocean view and the shower in the bathroom - was the bathroom! I mean you could sit on the commode and just turn on the shower....the whole room was a shower!

We went to the Bahamas - short trip - but VERY rough seas.

Back then you could go to the bridge and visit with the Captain and so we did. We asked about the rough seas and if we would be going through the Bermuda Triangle...he said: "Yep! going through it about now."

And, we could see just how a ship would go missing in these seas. I sat on the deck with my video camera (huge thing that it was) and held it steady on my shoulder. WHen looking through that lens I would see - sky and then ocean. The waves would hit the front of the ship and go across it to the back!

Everyone was sick - barf bags stuck in the railings of every part of the ship (new and used). Everyone wore their life jackets and I know at least one person who was reallly glad for that.

There he was - unconcerned and enjoying himself. Everyone else was puking in the garbage cans, but he sat with his feet up on the railing (do you remember that the railing was just that - railing - no glass protection) and the ship suddenly tipped to one side and he went sliding across the deck with everyone trying to grab him before he hit the other side and went over!

I remember getting into the port in the Bahamas and talkign with people from other ships that were discussing the rough seas...we'd point to our tiny ship and say "You don't know rough seas until you experience them on a ship this size...no fancy stabilizers!"

The Captain said he'd been sailing for 22 years and these were the roughest seas he had ever experienced.

As I said - we didn't cruise again for 10 years - but we've had 20 years of stories to tell from that 3 day trip!

Amazingly we met someone on the Conquest several years ago that had been on that same voyage - small world!

Bought a nice diamond ring there - I was hesitant about the price - I don't know one diamond from another and had not a clue about pricing. We spent our whole time in port at DI trying to make a good decision. We had a coupon for $1,000 off the ring of our choice (from the show on Carnival)....funny how they were able to finagle things so that the price remained the same, even after they applied the discount!

It did appraise at 2x what we paid for it - however, we find that is the case with most any diamond ring we have bought. Appraisal is for insurance purposes and does not have anything to do with the selling price.

I could have purchased this same ring with a better color and cut for just a little less here in Dallas...the saving was the tax.

If you know diamonds and are comfortable about making an assessment on your own as to the quality - you will save the tax and on a $3000 purchase that savings is significant.

Remember - the doors are metal. We got some clips with magnets on them and I had little Christmas decorations with our names on them for the December cruise....for February I will have something else. Helps us find our cabin down those LONG hallways!

We'll be sailing on the Conquest April 15 and are so very excited. Thank you for sharing your photos. (The only drawback about sailing on a Sunday - I'll miss the Nextel Cup Race - Go Dale, Jr!!!)

We'll be on that sailing as well - wouldn't you know that's the week they're reacing in Fort Worth and that's where we live! Thank God for TIVO and the Sports Bar on the Conquest!

See you there?

GO JUNIOR