Keep A Secret

Thanks to the member who posted the note about taunting the big ships. We sailed the Mardi Gras in 1986.

We were making a 10:00 PM departure from one of our ports, having been tied up next to one of the BIG SHIPS all day long.

The cruise staff on the Mardi Gras was hosting a ROWDY Ho-Down on the aft deck, with bar-b-que, kegs of beer, cowboy hats, bales of hay, LOUD country music, line dancing, and more beer.

Every so often the cruise director would get the crowd whoopin' and hollerin' at the big ship to show 'em what a great time we were having.

Meanwhile, the folks way up high on the deck of the big ship were strolling around empty decks, among stacks of lounge chairs, listening to bland muzak.

The Mardi Gras slipped her lines, backed out of her berth, spun around, and sailed into the night with all of us dancing the Cotton Eyed Joe.:D

We felt like a bunch of naughty little kids.

Whatever happened to those gorgeous menus we would be given at the end of the week as a momento of our cruise? You know, the ones with the date and day of the week at the top of the page and a lovely print on each cover, on fine linen paper?

We sailed the Starward in 1985 from Miami to the Western Caribbean: Nassau, Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel.

We signed up for the "Dive In" program that took a group of us for a snorkeling expedition at each port. I still have my Dive In t-shirt.

One of my favorite memories was sitting late at night, with a rum drink, all the way up at the top of the spiral staircase in the "Crow's Nest", a little seating area forward of the covered pool. A great place to look up and stargaze.