Joanandjoe

nbevins, welcome to this Crazy board. We're not the biggest cruise board, but we're the friendliest. Post often, and soon your inside stateroom will be upgraded to an outside, then a veranda, etc. Have fun here--we do!

Cruisergal2, welcome to this Crazy board. We're not the biggest cruise board, but we're the friendliest. Post often, and soon your inside stateroom will be upgraded to an outside, then a veranda, etc. Have fun here--we do!

Goal20hc, welcome to this Crazy board. We're not the biggest cruise board, but we're the friendliest. Post often, and soon your inside stateroom will be upgraded to an outside, then a veranda, etc. Have fun here--we do!

Cruisewife, welcome to this Crazy board. We're not the biggest cruise board, but we're the friendliest. Post often, and soon your inside stateroom will be upgraded to an outside, then a veranda, etc. Have fun here--we do!

We've only been to Cozumel and Grand Cayman in the Caribbean, and they were so different from each other that we wouldn't want to choose one. (I, Joe, have been to Puerto Rico on business, and loved San Juan, but that's not the same as being there on vacation.) As for Bermuda and the Bahamas, we've been to both, and they both have some good points (especially Bermuda). However, both are in the Atlantic Ocean and neither is in the Caribbean, so they don't qualify for best Caribbean island no matter how much you like them. If you want a really great New Year's parade right here in the Northeast, the Mummer's Parade in Philadelphia is fantastic.

Too true, Cheryl!

Tim, we agree with you 100 percent!

IMPollard, welcome to this Crazy board. We're not the biggest cruise board, but we're the friendliest. Post often, and soon your inside stateroom will be upgraded to an outside, then a veranda, etc. Have fun here--we do!

RickSt, welcome to this Crazy board. We're not the biggest cruise board, but we're the friendliest. Post often, and soon your inside stateroom will be upgraded to an outside, then a veranda, etc. Have fun here--we do!

Bon Voyage, H & B. Have a fantastic trip!<]

Bdash1400, welcome to this Crazy board. We're not the biggest cruise board, but we're the friendliest. Post often, and soon your inside stateroom will be upgraded to an outside, then a veranda, etc. Have fun here--we do!

Bon Voyage, Popsec! Gee, it seems as if you've just gotten back from your last cruise!

Bon voyage, TV Lady2. Have a great cruise! What's a Bahama Mama?<]

larcone, welcome to this crazy board. Post often, and soon you'll go from inside to outside, to balcony room. This isn't the biggest cruise board, but it's the friendliest. Have fun here--we do!

Jimmykaboots, welcome to this crazy board. Post often, and soon you'll go from inside to outside, to balcony room. This isn't the biggest cruise board, but it's the friendliest. Have fun here--we do!

Angtod, welcome to this crazy board. Post often, and soon you'll go from inside to outside, to balcony room. This isn't the biggest cruise board, but it's the friendliest. Have fun here--we do!

Obxrtist, welcome to this crazy board. Post often, and soon you'll go from inside to outside, to balcony room. This isn't the biggest cruise board, but it's the friendliest. Have fun here--we do!

settingsailsoon, welcome to this crazy board. Post often, and soon you'll go from inside to outside, to balcony room. This isn't the biggest cruise board, but it's the friendliest. Have fun here--we do!

Exectly, Lilrosie. At ship to shore phone rates, they really have to need you badly to call you. That didn't stop them from calling my company's Chief Counsel in June when he was on the Noordam in the Med., but it's a deterrent. We filed our federal tax return today, and I quit work early. After our weekend in Phiily this weekend, I should be active again. Meanwhile, I'm exhausted but home out of the rain. Thanks again, everyone, for the good wishes.

Cobalt blue chaser, welcome to this Crazy board. We're not the biggest cruise board, but we're the friendliest. Post often, and soon your inside stateroom will be upgraded to an outside, then a veranda, etc. Have fun here--we do! Wjhen I saw your board name, I asked Joan if she had opened a new account. I thought she was the world's biggest fan of cobalt blue glass and Russian nesting dolls: both of them fill our shelves and open spaces. I guess she's found a fellow collector. Joe

Thanks for the kind thoughts, James. We've had two cancelled cruises: one for medical reasons (kidney stone), one because we replaced a Caribbean cruise with a Med. cruise. We've done much worse with non-cruise vacations: in my six years on my present job, about half my scheduled non-cruise vacations were moved, cancelled, or otherwise messed up. That's a major incentive to cruise. Now that we've made our final payment, this cruise had better take place! Joe

OK, it was me. Time doesn't fly when you're still at work at 8 p.m. I grabbed this one from the critical board. Joe

concertchick, welcome to this Crazy board. We're not the biggest cruise board, but we're the friendliest. Post often, and soon your inside stateroom will be upgraded to an outside, then a veranda, etc. Have fun here--we do!

Mrs_Factor, welcome to this Crazy board. We're not the biggest cruise board, but we're the friendliest. Post often, and soon your inside stateroom will be upgraded to an outside, then a veranda, etc. Have fun here--we do!

An engineer finally splurged on a luxury cruise to the Caribbean. It was the "craziest" thing he had ever done in his life. Just as he was beginning to enjoy himself, a hurricane roared upon the huge ship, capsizing it like a child's toy. Somehow the engineer, desperately hanging on to a life preserver, managed to wash ashore on a secluded island. Aside from beautiful scenery, a spring-fed pool, bananas and coconuts, there was little else. He lost all hope and for hours on end, sat under the same palm tree. One day, after several months had passed, a gorgeous woman in a small rowboat appeared. "I'm from the other side of the island," she said. "Were you on the cruise ship, too?" "Yes, I was," he answered. "But, where did you get that rowboat?" "Well, I whittled the oars from gum tree branches, wove the reinforced gunnel from palm branches, and made the keel and stern from a Eucalyptus tree." "But, what did you use for tools?" asked the engineer. "There was a very unusual strata of alluvial rock exposed on the south side of the island. I discovered that if I fired it to a certain temperature in my kiln, it melted into forgeable ductile iron. Anyhow, that's how I got the tools. But, enough of that," she said. "Where have you been living all this time? I don't see any shelter." "To be honest, I've just been sleeping on the beach," the engineer said. "Would you like to come to my place?" the woman asked. The engineer nodded dumbly. She expertly rowed them around to her side of the island, and tied up the boat with a handsome strand of hand-woven hemp topped with a neat back splice. They walked up a winding stone walk she had laid around a Palm tree. There stood an exquisite bungalow, painted in blue and white. "It's not much, but I call it home." Inside, she said, "Sit down, please; would you like to have a drink?" "No, thanks," said the engineer. "One more coconut juice and I'll throw up!" "It won't be coconut juice," the woman replied. "I have a crude still out back, so we can have authentic Pina Coladas." Trying to hide his amazement, the man accepted the drink, and they sat down on her couch to talk. After they had exchanged stories, the woman asked, "Tell me, have you always had a beard?" "No," the engineer replied, "I was clean shaven all of my life until I ended up on this island." "Well if you'd like to shave, there's a razor upstairs in the bathroom cabinet." The man, no longer questioning anything, went upstairs to the bathroom and shaved with an intricate bone-and-shell device honed razor sharp. Next he showered, not even attempting to fathom a guess as to how she managed to get warm water into the bathroom, and went back downstairs. He couldn't help but admire the masterfully carved banister as he walked. "You look great," said the woman. "I think I'll go up and slip into something more comfortable." As she did, the engineer continued to sip his Pina Colada. After a short time, the woman, smelling faintly of gardenias, returned wearing a revealing gown fashioned out of pounded palm fronds. "Tell me," she asked, "we've both been out here for a very long time with no companionship. You know what I mean. Haven't you been lonely, too...isn't there something that you really, really miss? Something that all men and women need? Something that would be really nice to have right now! "Yes, there is!" the man replied, shucking off his shyness. "There is something I've wanted to do for so long. But on this island all alone, it was just...well, it was impossible." "Well, it's not impossible, any more," the woman said. The engineer, practically panting in excitement, said breathlessly: "You mean...you actually figured out some way we can CHECK OUR E-MAIL.!!"