We arrived in Norfolk yesterday afternoon and checked into our hotel, Sheraton Norfolk, Waterside. This is a very nice hotel. We got upgraded to a "Club Level" room on the 10th floor. This room was on the corner and has two spectacular views. One of the beautiful City of Norfolk and the other, the Elizabeth River. When we got into our room yesterday, we could see Royal Caribbean's Enchantment of the Seas. She was just pushing away from the dock with a load of happy cruisers on their way to Bermuda. We have never been there, but it's on our list of places to visit. I hear the golfing there is out of this world.

After we checked in we headed to the Greenbrier Mall area for dinner with Shirley's sister, Paulette and the House Family. We meet at Smokie Bones BBQ. This was my 1st experience there. It was very good... love them St. Louis style ribs! After some great conversation and reliving some past memories, me, Shirley and Paulette headed to the mall for a new hair cut for Shirley and some sunglasses for me.

We parked our car at Portside in Portsmouth to leave it there while we were on our cruise. Shirley and I took the Elizabeth River Ferry from Portside to Waterside in Norfolk. The ferry dropped us right next door to our hotel. The ride was very romantic and fun. Just looking at the lights of downtown Norfolk and the nice cool breeze made the ride very relaxing and pleasant.

I feel a little guilty about this cruise... it's just Shirley and I. We left Tiffany and Courtney at home to care for the cats. I will miss the girls on the cruise. I'm guessing that will last only two or three times through the buffet line, then they will be a distant memory. But, I think since they both worked so hard getting through college, we'll take them with us in September on our five day cruise on the Carnival Fascination.

Sometime today we will board the Carnival Glory. I'm very excited. We have sailed on her once before. It's almost like coming home to an old friend. But this time, we are VIP. This will be my 10th sailing on Carnival, so we get some extra perks. The main thing Shirley is looking forward too is the complimentary laundry service. I'm looking forward to checking in at the VIP Lounge and skipping the long lines. I'll write more about our cruise our 1st day in port when we get to Nassau.

One of the neat things about this trip is we are in Norfolk for Memorial Day weekend. This being a military town, it reminds me of why we have a Memorial Day. It is to honor those who have served and given the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom and our Country. Thank you, thank you to all those family's who have lost loved ones, thank you for their sacrifice. Let us not forget them, ever!

12 days... Glory Glory Glory... Here we come!

Well it’s only 12 days before we leave for Norfolk to go on our cruise. Shirley and I are going up the day before and staying at the Sheraton Waterside, just a few steps from the ship. I want to wake up on the 30th floor and look out my window and see the Carnival Glory, my six day escape from the real world of daily stresses. This will be our 2nd time on the Glory and our 100th time (not really, just seems like it) in Nassau. But with just a short drive to Norfolk and great cruise prices, it’s worth it.

Nassau is not a bad port. The Atlantis is a must see. Every time we go there I enjoy viewing the lobby aquarium. The short walk from the cruise ship docks and ride on the water taxi is enjoyable. There is a local narrator who gives a tour as you travel. I don’t know how much of what he says is true, but we have heard it about 20,000 times and it’s the same thing over and over…“this movie was shot at that beach, this house is owned by this Hollywood Star, and I work for tips only.” This trip Shirley and I are going to do “duel parasailing.” I have parasailed before, but this will be Shirley’s first time. She likes to fly okay, accept for the take off (my arm sill have nail marks in it from when we flew to Ft. Lauderdale for a cruise two years ago). I think she’ll do wonderful parasailing. It is very peaceful - 300 feet above the ocean, just you and the sail. (Having one or two sharks below isn’t very scary, as long as the sail stays open.)

But we need this trip. We both have been stressed due to college graduation celebrations and work. We are looking forward to our 6-day cruise. This will be my 10th cruise with Carnival so I am at “Platinum Level” which gives a few extra privileges. We get to check in at the VIP Lounge, we get go jump line for tender ports (there are none on this sailing, but it will come in handy in November when we go to the Grand Caymans!) But the one that I think Shirley is looking forward to the most, FREE LAUNDRY SERVICE! We can have the ship wash our cloths before we get home, so there will be little for us to do when we get back but unpack.

Thanks for reading my Blog. I will try to write more often to keep my readers abreast of what’s going on in the world of cruising or vacation travel. I should let you know that the State Department has issued travel warnings to some parts of China and northern Mexico because of violence, but there are plenty of other places to go… So remember Agape Travel’s motto… “Don’t just live… Travel!”

Cruise Time... Great Deals out there

I know it's been a while since I posted. There are some really great cruise deals still out there for the late summer and fall months. I have several group spaced blocked for some upcoming cruise vacations.

Sept. 13 4 Days on the Monarch of the Seas, prices starting @475 per person

Oct. 11 4 Days on the Majesty of the Seas, starting at $340 per per son

Nov. 14 7 days, Carnival Valor, Western Caribbean, 7 days, starting $460 per person.

You can book any of these cruise vacations for $100 deposit per cabin... Also Agape Travel is going to Hawaii in Sept. 2011, we have the balconies booked, $50.00 deposit holds you space.

We are also looking into a trip to the Holy Land in 2011... keep checking back for more information.


Rick