Mike & Tracy’s Excellent Adventure: B2B2B2B on Destiny, Imagination, Valor, Freedom

[Crusin Karen]

P.S. Rosie, I copied your quote and I am saving for my crew when we sail.

Thanks again!!

Sorry this is OT and don't mean to "highjack" this awesome thread, but I can't find Rosie's quote!? :confused::confused::confused:

[MikeyA53]

P.S. Rosie, I copied your quote and I am saving for my crew when we sail.

Thanks again!!

Sorry this is OT and don't mean to "highjack" this awesome thread, but I can't find Rosie's quote!? :confused::confused::confused:

 

 

 

Here it is:

Just my thoughts about making your cruise a pleasant experience...

 

Pull out that childlike awe and playfulness buried deep inside you, plan well before you cruise, choose your stateroom carefully, don't let small inconveniences upset you, explore new adventures, try new foods, talk with total strangers, participate, let yourself go and you will enjoy yourself. Be realistic about your cruise expectations, nothing is perfect, things do happen. If you cruise with a sense of entitlement, you will be disappointed. Pack your humor, imagination, childlike curiosity, flexibility and your brain. Leave your negativity and bad attitude home.

 

Someone will be cleaning up after you all week, making your bed, delivering room service, cooking all your food and washing all your dishes, leaving cute towel animals to greet you, dazzle you with shows and demonstrations, then transport you to exotic ports of call.

 

I follow my own suggestions whenever I cruise and ALWAYS have a great time.

 

[Crusin Karen]

Thanks! :)

[mzladyt]

Just my thoughts about making your cruise a pleasant experience...

 

Pull out that childlike awe and playfulness buried deep inside you, plan well before you cruise, choose your stateroom carefully, don't let small inconveniences upset you, explore new adventures, try new foods, talk with total strangers, participate, let yourself go and you will enjoy yourself. Be realistic about your cruise expectations, nothing is perfect, things do happen. If you cruise with a sense of entitlement, you will be disappointed. Pack your humor, imagination, childlike curiosity, flexibility and your brain. Leave your negativity and bad attitude home.

 

Someone will be cleaning up after you all week, making your bed, delivering room service, cooking all your food and washing all your dishes, leaving cute towel animals to greet you, dazzle you with shows and demonstrations, then transport you to exotic ports of call.

 

I follow my own suggestions whenever I cruise and ALWAYS have a great time.

 

Rose

 

Love this, everyone should think this way.

[MikeyA53]

I lucked upon this wonderful thread last nite and you kept me entertain til late last nite. It seems that you have single handed held the cruising society hostage. Men are hating you for the bar you have set. Women are loving you for the romantic wonderful husband and father you have shown (my DH is 54 and I (we) wish he had your abs but I'm sure he (we) wish I had Tracy's abs:D).

 

Family, Friends and Fun seems to be you guys motto. As everyone else have stated....you have a beautiful family...Granny:p is kinda sassy with her dressing, too. I almost thought you guys weren't normal until you shared with us your daughter's breaking:mad: curfew. I'm so glad she is normal, what teenager wouldn't try?? But you never once said your children were wining about the non cell phone or internet usage. You never said anything about a long list of packing must haves to bring along. Never complained about service on 4 cruises. No one got sea sick. You guys just spent a wonderful time enjoying each other, WOW. We really need to send you money (this, I'm sure was an very expensive but priceless trip), this was like reading with a kindle.

I can't wait to read the rest. Thank you, your family and friends for your time and sharing. You were blessed with good weather and a good trip.

 

P.S. Rosie, I copied your quote and I am saving for my crew when we sail.

Thanks again!!

 

 

Thanks jaycat. Believe me we are quite normal, there were minor problems here and there but you just have to ignore them and focus on all the good things, you are after all on vacation and it's up to you to make the best of it.

 

The kids knew well before hand that their cell phones would not work on the ship, but it didn't stop them from constantly being on them when we were in Miami and Fort Lauderdale. We had to set ground rules, especially at meal times.

 

 

No one got sick because we came prepared after last year on Sensation, Arielle was sick for a day and a half.:(

[MikeyA53]

Mikey,

 

Thank you Thank you Thank you! I love your review, love the pictures.. Just a wonderful time you and your family had. I can't wait for our cruise in april.

 

I do have a few questiona for you;

We are flying from California, not sure if we should fly to Miami or FLL? We cruise out of Miami, however airfare is cheaper to FLL. My question is did SAS pick u up from FLL airport or from the hotel and then take you to the port of MIA?

 

They will pick you up from the airport or the hotel, your choice. For us it was from the hotel.

 

Does SAS book others on the shuttle or just your group? Also which city would be better to stay at FLL or MIA?

 

Yes, you may have someone else on your shuttle, it fits about 10. Some of them have U-hauls for the luggage. When they picked us up at our hotel in FLL, there was the 4 of us and one other couple and when they picked us up at the Port of Miami there was 9 of us and the shuttle was hauling a U-haul trailer.

We stayed in FLL for two days and MIA for 2 days, I really can't pick one over the other. Both were great.

 

Thanks for any information...

Karmen

 

 

Mike

[MikeyA53]

As I was going through the photos of that great food in the steakhouse :D, I noticed in one picture Tracy's hands are right in front. if that is the ring you surprised her with, you did a great job :D! It is beautiful!

Just thought I'd mention it :)

Charlene

 

 

Thank you Charlene :)

[MikeyA53]

We do the private taxi tours, too. We're like you and get the taxis at the port, too. We've also bargained with them to get a good price. I really love the waterfall pictures.

 

 

Thanks nothomeonacruise

[Crusin Karen]

Ya know...I really don't want to rain on your parade and I KNOW you will have a great time and your next cruise is the **only chance** you will have to do this for a while, but it UPSETS me you are flying all the way to Baltimore in the winter for a cruise:(...didn't even know Baltimore HAD cruises in the winter...just wish you could either cruise from there during the warm weather (& catch an Oriole game-Camden Yards is the NEATEST ball park!) or cruise from a warmer climate...but I am sure it will be perfect! I just can't figure...okay, bah humbug to me! :mad:

[mississauga]

Mikey,

 

Thank you Thank you Thank you! I love your review, love the pictures.. Just a wonderful time you and your family had. I can't wait for our cruise in april.

 

I do have a few questiona for you;

We are flying from California, not sure if we should fly to Miami or FLL? We cruise out of Miami, however airfare is cheaper to FLL. My question is did SAS pick u up from FLL airport or from the hotel and then take you to the port of MIA? Does SAS book others on the shuttle or just your group? Also which city would be better to stay at FLL or MIA?

 

Thanks for any information...

Karmen

 

Karmen, this is not Mike. Just thought you might appreciate some opinions/suggestions from others too. It never hurts to hear about different options.

 

SAS will pick up from FLL or your hotel. SAS is a shared ride unless your party is large enough to take up all the seats. However, from the info you provided, it sounds like you are coming in a day or more early. If that is the case, may I suggest renting a car. That way you will have transportation until the day of your cruise.

 

You can rent a car at FLL and return the car to a location either at MIA or a location near the port. Some car rentals have complimentary shuttles to the port.

Edited October 19, 2010 by mississauga

[disneyden]

I'm SO upset! I know this review is almost over!!:(

Now what am I going to do for the next 11 days until

I leave on mine??:confused:

Seriously Mike, you have done a wonderful job on this review.

Thanks again for taking the time to do this!:)

[MikeyA53]

.

 

 

Next was a drive through different neighbourhoods and then downtown. By this time it had started raining, I believe it was the first time since we left on vacation almost a month ago. It may have rained during the night at times but never when we were up and about.

 

After the city tour, we went to another waterfall and finally to the Soni’s plaza followed by the Taj Mahal plaza where we purchased a few gifts for friends back home.

 

Unfortunately I had problems with my camera and was unable to take photos of the neighbourhoods and second waterfall. :(

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lenworth

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rain, Rain go away, come back another day. :(

 

Edited October 19, 2010 by MikeyA53

[mzladyt]

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Your proposal was just beautiful. I am just about in tears. I was late to this review but I am enjoying every minute of it and can't wait for more.

[mzladyt]

Thank you everyone who has responded tonight, there are to many to thank individually. I was not trying to prolong the suspense, believe me I was writing and downloading photos as quickly as possible.

 

 

And doing an awsome job. You have a very beautiful family.

[noel386]

Sorry this is OT and don't mean to "highjack" this awesome thread, but I can't find Rosie's quote!? :confused::confused::confused:

 

 

 

Here it is:

 

Just my thoughts about making your cruise a pleasant experience...

 

Pull out that childlike awe and playfulness buried deep inside you, plan well before you cruise, choose your stateroom carefully, don't let small inconveniences upset you, explore new adventures, try new foods, talk with total strangers, participate, let yourself go and you will enjoy yourself. Be realistic about your cruise expectations, nothing is perfect, things do happen. If you cruise with a sense of entitlement, you will be disappointed. Pack your humor, imagination, childlike curiosity, flexibility and your brain. Leave your negativity and bad attitude home.

 

Someone will be cleaning up after you all week, making your bed, delivering room service, cooking all your food and washing all your dishes, leaving cute towel animals to greet you, dazzle you with shows and demonstrations, then transport you to exotic ports of call.

 

I follow my own suggestions whenever I cruise and ALWAYS have a great time.

 

 

LOVE LOVE LOVE your attitude!!!!!! :D:):p

[SailBabySail]

Hi everyone, this is Tracy.

I think the only words I have for all of this is WOW!, this is truly AMAZING!. I knew Mike was putting a review on here, but I didn’t think it would become so popular.

 

This years vacation was my favorite. I guess I can’t make fun of him anymore about how he never asked me to marry him. As a young girl I always dreamed of the man I love getting down on one knee and proposing, like you see in the movies.

 

He kept the secret extremely well and I never saw it coming. Now when I think back it all adds up. He took me to look at rings, (I had my original wedding ring stolen years ago and Mike kept saying "well, maybe on our 20th wedding anniversary I’ll buy you another one"), he kept bringing me shopping for dresses (unusual), he wanted me to have plenty of time to get ready for the evening and look nice (also unusual for him to take that much interest), he wanted to sit next to me instead of opposite, which is where he would sit normally. Yes 2+2=4 now.

 

I felt so special on that evening, I still feel on top of the world and I have to tell myself that, OMG this really happened and I’m so lucky. I’m married to a man that I truly love with all my heart and he did this for me. He made me feel so special.

 

To all those guys out there that have been reading Mikes review. It’s never too late. This was even more special for me, because after all these years, for him to do this,( which was a bit out of character for him) just makes me love him and want him so much more.

 

Ladies, just keep hinting around and eventually it will happen, hopefully it won’t take 17 years though.

I’m so happy to see that our vacation is being enjoyed by so many nice people, I’ve been reading all the comments, every single one makes me smile and I hope I get to meet some of you on a future Cruise. Thank you for that.

You are one very lucky woman. Mike is a very special man. I am not finished reading but this has got to be the best review ever. It is like reading a best selling romantic novel...up there with Gone with the Wind. Mike is not only a talented writer but a fabulous photographer and obviously a very romantic man. The proposal brought tears to my eyes and now I cannot wait to get on with the story.....Thank you Mike and Tracy for sharing this with all of us. We will never be the same again :)

[SailBabySail]

It looks like you have a lot of wonderful memories.

 

Yes, we lucked out, 1/2 day of rain at our last port and that's out of 21 days.:)

 

Why Baltimore and why January? Several reasons, Tracy as you may or may not know is a Paramedic, however, she's also a final candidate to become a Mountie. (I'm a Mountie)

 

It's a life long dream of her to become a police officer. She became a duel citizen last year and she applied and got accepted. She wanted to wait until the kids were older before going away.

 

Chances are she will be leaving for 6 months of training sometimes after January and thus no summer vacations next year. As a new recruit, you do not get any vacation time.

 

Therefore we wanted to go on one more cruise before she leaves. Baltimore is the closest port to where we live. In addition, it's during Christmas break and the kids will not miss any school.

 

When she goes away I will miss her dearly, by proposing and renewing our vows again was my way of showing her how much I love her and support her.

 

You two are the most loving couple I have ever encountered. I can't thank you enough for sharing your private lives with all of us here on CC. Congratulations to Tracy for her decision to become a Mountie....I picture you two on horses riding off into the sunset..Pardon me while I read on.

[SailBabySail]

These underwater photos put you over the top Mike. You are indeed a very talented man.

[graphicguy]

Mikey....I know you're going to get tired of hearing this (if you haven't already). But, what a wonderful and beautiful family. What a truly memorable lifetime experience you shared for a month on cruise ships.

 

Most importantly, my health and good fortune follow all of you so the rest of your days can be spent recalling your experience.

[SailBabySail]

The afternoon was spent packing, doing laundry and getting ready for the renewal.

 

The reception took place in the Betsy Ross Room, Atlantic Deck, next to the Lincoln Dining Room. All nine of us arrived at 3:55 p.m. Present in the room were Captain Piertuigi Barille, group coordinator Maserame, photographer Andrew and a server.

 

Maserame introduced us to the Captain, I was glad that he did not have a strong Italian accent, I was dreading having difficulty repeating my vows. Unfortunately the Captain could not stay for very long because he had to attend the Fun Farewell Celebration at 4:30 p.m. with his officers. The ceremony started within 5 minutes of getting there.

 

Tracy looked very beautiful in the dress I had envisioned her wearing and eventually helped to pick out. It’s unfortunate that what the photographs do not show, was that it was an open back dress.

 

Tracy loves to have everyone color coordinated for photographs. Mitchel and Grampy were wearing white. I was wearing black with a white shirt and I had insisted that we get a nice long black dress for Arielle ( she likes her dresses short), that only left Nanny and she had brought a nice black outfit.

 

The ceremony started with Grampy walking Tracy down the aisle accompanied by music to where Mitchel, Arielle and I were standing, in front of the Captain.

 

It was funny when she told him " I bet you never thought you’d be walking me down the aisle again, especially to the same man, hey Dad?".

 

 

 

 

After we exchanged our vows, I took the ring from inside a rose petal that Mitchel was proudly holding and placed it on her finger. Arielle and Grampy were crying. Believe it or not but Tracy and Mitchel swears that the Captain shed a few tears during the ceremony. At one point I got emotional saying my vows (choked up) but I got through it. Tracy always says that I’m a big softy like her dad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then we watched with pride as Arielle and Mitchel signed our renewal of marriage vows certificate. Following this was photographs with the captain and the cutting of the cake.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

This did it....I am now crying. How beautiful and how very romantic. My husband and I have been married 40 years and I wish we could have done something like this. Maybe on the 50th? You two look so happy and Tracy looks gorgeous standing next to her handsome husband who by the way reminds me of Yul Bryner.

[lovecruzing]

Nice to hear from you again, Thank you. I've heard so many nice things about Half Moon Cay, can't wait to go there some day.

 

 

Mike, Half Moon Cay is just beautiful. We were there on our first cruise back in 02 with HAL and have been back with Carnival and can't wait to go again. It's a little piece of heaven on earth.

 

Bevie

[enymarsh]

Mike, Half Moon Cay is just beautiful. We were there on our first cruise back in 02 with HAL and have been back with Carnival and can't wait to go again. It's a little piece of heaven on earth.

 

Bevie

 

So glad you posted this! I was hoping that it was still as beautiful as I remembered from our first time there with HAL. Can't wait to see it again!

[SailBabySail]

Sorry it took so long, I chose these photos for two reasons, they are my favourites and second, it shows us the first time we exchanged our vows.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fun times coming soon as requested

 

Mike, this is so beautiful. And you both don't look a day older except that, of course, I noticed that you did have a little hair back then.

[SailBabySail]

I think I have just gotten to the end of the most fabulous review I have ever had the pleasure to read. Thank you so very much for not only sharing your wonderful vacation but sharing so much of yourselves with us. I will probably come back and read and look at your photos for a long time to come. You are definitely a very talented man in many ways.

[MikeyA53]

.

 

 

Upon our return to the ship, we had lunch on the lido deck with Peter and Rosemary. They had also disembarked and ventured around town, outside the guarded complex. After lunch, Tracy went to the gym while I went to our balcony as the ship was getting ready to leave port.

 

Following this I took a nap for only the second time during our vacation (hate to miss anything).

 

 

Men waiting to release the ropes

 

 

 

 

 

Waiting for last minute cruisers

 

 

 

 

Golfers