3-2-1 Happy New Year! There is no better place to celebrate NYE than on a mega-fun ship! There are no lines, no coat checks, no $50 cover! It really is perfection. This year they actually had the orchestra with all their brass horns up on the open deck. It sounded absolutely fabulous. We had over 200 guests this year and they all came ready to make new friends and make new memories.

These baby boomers know how to Paaaarty! They bonded right from the start, jokes left and right…most of them “private.” This group had more hot tub clubs than we had on the schedule. They even stole our assistant cruise directors’ clothes when he was in the tub! You guys are just plain trouble! It was all in good fun and good fun it was. Our St. Maarten beach party was great…until it started to pour! What can you do?  We were going to get wet either way. St. Lucia was beautiful, the Pitons, twin mountain peaks are as mesmerizing as everyone said they would be.  St. Kitt’s was a great beach day and then more time to relax at sea before we returned to Ft. Lauderdale.

Our single troops battled traffic, airports and flights to make it to the fun-filled Gas Lamp district of downtown San Diego for our pre-cruise festivities. We had a blast so the battle was worth it!

We had a friendly and fun Orientation Mixer to kick off our first night on the ship. I am glad everyone enjoyed the complimentary cocktails and you stepped out on the floor to learn the “Cupid Shuffle” the very first night!

There were over 450 SinglesCruise.com guests who joined us on our largest sailing of the year on the Carnival Legend over Halloween!  It was action packed fun.

I planned my first wedding reception for two very special past guests. They met on one of our cruises just four years ago. He hails from England and she from Texas. They were married the day before they got onboard and brought 50 past guests from SinglesCruise.com to celebrate with them. It was an emotional reception with true love filling the air. This was all followed by our Angels and Devils Karaoke Party, which was by far the coolest party I’ve seen in ages. People went all out with their costumes, and the Devils definitely outnumbered the Angels!

We started out by hitting the Landings in Jacksonville on Wednesday night, and as happened most nights on this cruise, we ended up closing the place down.

We had a great time meeting at Passage to India for our orientation meet and greet. During one of our icebreaker games Ernie had the pleasure (??) of having his picture taken with the Chuckster while he was wearing lipstick, a bra, and holding a fruit in his mouth… please no one save THAT picture!!

SURPRISE! This cruise was anything but ordinary – it was drama, drama, and more drama.  The weather was a bit ominous as hurricanes were whirling around us, and naturally, everyone in our group was concerned about it.  I had a thought at one point that I should carry a portable t.v. with the Weather Channel live at all times with me around the ship because the weather inquiries were constant. I knew as much as they did, which was not much! You just never know when you go out to sea where you will end up!

The night before the cruise we went to a posh outdoor pool bar near our hotel. Beautiful candle lights, refreshing ocean breeze and great rum runners according to the gals! The guys met up with us later and then I heard there were quite a few romantic walks on the beach! Very nice.

Our pre-cruise hotel in London was nothing short of fabulous. The hotel was new, beautifully furnished; immaculately clean facility with the nicest hotel staff I’ve ever known. The complementary breakfast was a feast fit for a king. This was a great beginning to our 12-night sailing.

Once onboard the new Carnival Splendor we began the first evening with our meet and greet cocktail party. The event was a definite clue as to the rest of the sailing. FUN! FUN! FUN! I did get a shoe thrown at my head during the scavenger hunt, thanks Phil. Hopefully; his actions were just an indication of his enthusiasm.

Our pre-cruise group stayed in the hippest, hottest night spot north of Rio, the South Beach Art Deco District, formed straight out of the 1930′s for the city’s most stylish scene. In South Beach life is celebrated as one big ultra hip 24/7 party with a Technicolor backdrop. Very Euro-cool! Because it was July 4th the energy was extra “electrifying!” We indulged enjoying Mother Natures own fireworks in the sky including thunder and lightening that couldn’t be beat. We stayed at the Essex House where Tommy, one of our cruise guests told us his production company had filmed, “There’s Something About Mary” years before starring Cameron Diaz.

This was one of our West Coast experiences, San Diego, watch out! The weather was beautiful, cool and crisp and our hotel was in the heart of all the action.

Our first cocktail party revealed the party people. Janet’s team won it all, they dressed one of our studs up in lipstick in a brazier! You guys will do ANYTHING for a free t-shirt! We certainly had a laugh.