CRUISE'n to the Bahamas - wanna go?

. Hello ladies ~ Just wanted to share some info with all of you about an upcoming CRUISE out of Norfolk, VA that several of us are going on. For now, there are 8 of us on board with down payments turned in on 4 rooms. It's a 6 Day **all WOMEN, no MEN (sorry guys) allowed** kinda Cruise leaving out of Norfolk on October 8th 2006. Normally we DO include our "men" but we decided this one time, it was going to be just the wimmen-folk!! So if you're not interested in an "All Gals Cruise", this is NOT the one for you. Here is the Itinerary and the link to Carnival Cruise Lines: http://www.carnival.com/Itinerary.aspx?embkCode=ORF&itinCode=BA6&durDays=6&sailDate=10/8/2006&shipCode=VI&sailingID=28642&subRegionCode=BH 08-OCT SUN NORFOLK, VA, US 05:00 PM DEPART 09-OCT MON OUT TO SEA 10-OCT TUE NASSAU, BS 11:30 AM ARRIVE 11-OCT WED NASSAU, BS 10:00 PM DEPART 12-OCT THU FREEPORT, BS Arrive @ 8 am - Depart @ 3 pm 13-OCT FRI AT SEA 14-OCT SAT NORFOLK, VA, US 08:00 AM ARRIVE This is the FINAL cruise for Carnival out of Norfolk. Im not sure WHY they're pulling out of VA, but they are. Holland America has also pulled out so I hope that whoever Virginia is building the new "Cruiseships DOCK" for starts advertising soon. It would be nice to be able to do this again in 2007, but for now, there are NONE scheduled out of Norfolk. If ANYONE is interested in joining us and would like to use the same Travel Agent we used (since they're familiar with our group) here is the information. We are booked through: Sterling Cruises, Inc. 8700 W. Flagler Ave Suite 105 Miami,Fl 33174 Agent: Dailia Howard M - F 10:00 to 6:30 1-800-435-7967 -or- 305-592-2522 fax 305-592-7442 If you call to book the cruise she will need a credit card number and you'll also need to give her your full mailing address and e-mail. She will send you a confirmation via email and the actual TRAVEL package is mailed after it's paid in full. They only require a $250 DOWNPAYMENT to book the cruise which is fully refundable if canceled 60 days in advance. Please verify ALL of this with Dailia when you talk to her since Im speaking from memory. The balance of your cruise is due 2 months before the cruise. You can also make pmts on it over the next few months, if that's easier. Our Cruise Travelers and Cabin assignments are: Leilani & Wendy G. ---- cabin # 1240 Carole T. & Jennifer L. ---- cabin # 1244 Kim P. & Kathy B. ---- cabin # 1248 Susan E. & Eileen F. ---- cabin # 1252 We all chose the INSIDE rooms, since it's more cost effective and none of us plan on spending any time cuddling with each other in 'em. They are forward on the port side, next to the elevators and a set of stairs. All of our cabins are next to one another and are single/single beds. TOTAL price, w/taxes & port fees is only $718.00 per person. Please keep in mind, this price is PER person, based on a double inside room occupancy. In other words you MUST have a room mate in mind, that you'd like to share a cabin 6 days with - if you go solo, it would cost you $718 x 2 tickets, for a total of $1,436. ~?~?~?~ Things that YOU must handle/follow up on your own ~?~?~?~ ? Contacting either YOUR travel agent or the one listed above and booking the cabin (with 2 people per room) ? Reserving this with a minimum down payment [PER person] of $250 as soon as possible. The agent warned us, since it was Carnivals LAST cruise out of Norfolk it would probably fill up fast. ? Determining whether or not you want Trip Insurance. The agent will discuss this on the phone with you. (As far as I know, NONE of us already booked, took it) ? Transportation to and from the dock is NOT included in the fees. SUSAN? WENDY? EILEEN? CAROLE?? If any of you ladies can think of anything I've forgotten to mention, please speak (type) up!! Or if you just wanna share any information, in general, now's your chance. I'll probably post this several times over the next month - in case others miss the original post. This is NOT an "OH" planned event, it's something that *I* wanted to do when the cruise that my husband and I were supposed to go on in February was cancelled, due to the Navy. I talked (or was it whined?) to a few girlfriends about it, I did some research and found this one out of Norfolk, they seemed interested in going too and an idea became reality .....and now here we are!! We ALL think that this is going to be a trip of a life time and the more that join in, the merrier!! If you do decide to go, just be sure that I have YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS so we can keep you in the loop when the planning, fine tuning, off shore activities, etc -- emails start flying. I'd like to include everyone that is going to be there in the discussion and I've already started a master email list with the "CruiseChicks" added to it! Okay - enough rambling for one email. I'm sure I've forgotten a few things, if so, I'll add to this as time goes on. Hope to see a few others join the group - it's going to be a MEMORY OF A LIFETIME!!!! Bon Voyage ~ Lei .

Howdy Cruise Buddy, I can't think of anything else to add right now, you seem to have covered it all. It's a lot to take in all at once, seeing it in print really brings it home that, yeah, we're gonna do this! Aye yi yi, but I am so stoked! You're probably gonna get tired of hearing me say this but... IS IT OCTOBER YET???? luv ya, Carole

OMG..............would it be totally horrible if I booked it, paid for it, then told hubby????????? LOL, I'd say off the top of my head that Jen G and I are INNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOO, Cmon October. By The Way, this couldn't have come on a better day. Had my gyno appt. today, and he warned me my "ovarian cyst" is not cleared as cancer free yet...............he has to see what's inside it 1st. I was soooooooooooooooooooooo upset!!! Now I have to wait 3 weeks to get it sonogrammed, then another week to meet with him!!! I'm gonna be going bonkers!!! Can't wait to get this dumb thing out of me!!! Anyways, is it OCTOBER YET??????????????? LOLOLOL XOOXOXOXOXO Lotsa Love!!! Sharon

G'morning Sharon ~ ...well, not only would it be horrible, it would prolly get you a spare bed in the back yard when you got home and off da' boat? Now granted I didn't say "totally horrible" (like you did) so there is room for negotiating! I'm sorry to hear about the ovarian cyst, TRY not to worry about it too much. I know, easier said then done, but those are VERY common (in general) and I tend to think even more prevalent with previously (or currently) SMO chicklets! Of course that is based on absolutely NOTHING other then Lei-Logic and things that Ive read over the last 5 years from visiting this site. I had a HUMONGO cyst that they took off of my left ovary - get this? NO ONE, not me, not my Plastic surgeon, not my OBGYN knew I even had the sucker. It wasn't until I got up on the table and had my tummy tuck - my surgeon was sewing me back up and noticed a huge bulge on my left side. He THOUGHT the nurses had forgotten to put a catheter in me (or maybe had lined it up wrong) and my bladder was filling up. After some more searching and prodding come to find out I had an EIGHT POUND tumor on my left ovary. It was so large, that it consumed the entire ovary and ALL of it had to be removed. I had just had a thorough exam just 4 weeks before with the OBGYN and it wasn't detected. Something to do with TOO MUCH excess skin in the abdominal area (as my Pre-Plastic Photos show) ...so all the professionals in the world couldn't find it till they removed the 10 lbs of skin and flattened me out. The UPSIDE to this entire story? I lost 18 lbs that day, (ten from skin removal, 8 from the tumor) just by laying on a table! hehehe - oh, and of course the bestest part????? It was NON cancerous! [whew] ....but waiting 3 weeks to find that out, sucked!! SO I feel your apprehension and concern. Just keep those thoughts POSITIVE, it'll be okay!!!! Happy Friday ~ Lei .

Well Lei you said it so beautifully. One one thing to add. We are booked for the 8:00 pm dinner seating. If you decide to go (no matter who you book through) and want to be seated with us or near us in the dinning room tell your Travel Agent to cross reference booking numbers so we can all sit together. E-mail me for our booking number. It's sure to be a blast. Susan

Sounds like a BLAST of a time. Wish I could go. I guess it wouldn't be wise to take a vacation without ones husband when you and that husband haven't even been on a honeymoon yet. Naw, I guess NOT. Rich and I got married 11/22/2004 a year ahead of schedule so I could get on his insurance to get WLS. My back problems had already started and the next year+ were filled with me having one surgery or another. One of these days...HONEYMOON ... somewhere! We are supposed to be doing a 10 day cruise out of NY over July 4th with my family but that is up in the air right now. It depends on whether my sister needs to have chemo or not. Her mastectomies and reconstructive surgery are this coming Tuesday. Anyway, I wish I could join y'all. Would be too much fun. Kathy

G'morning Kathy ~ I hope hope hope (and pray) that you DO go on your Cruise in July - because that'll be great news ALL around. Not only do you have a family reunion of sorts, get to go on a cruise, but it also means your sister is doing well!!!!! So yep, all positive thoughts and vibes are in the direction of your JULY cruise, even if it means we can't see you on the Otober one. Paul and I have never been on a cruise together, or invidually, which is why the one this past February was going to be SO very special. When that got cancelled AGAIN courtesy of the Navy, I came to the decision I can't keep putting life on hold and made the decision to GO while he's gone for his 6 month deployment. ...so I guess TECHNICALLY while Im on a cruise ABOVE water, he'll be on one too, it's just UNDER water in a sub. Let us know how things work out for your sister - prayers coming her way. Hugs - Lei

Lei, Thanks for the kind words about my sister. I really, really do appreciate them. Somehow I expect that you'll have far more fun on your cruise than Paul will have on his. Hugs, Kathy p.s. BTW, I think the gal that owns that low carb store in Fredericksburg is going to be at our hospital support group this coming Monday. You remember the one. The one that followed Rich and I to our car.

....Ohhhhhhh, I remember her, she was really IMPRESSED with da' Lincoln you two were driving. I tried to write back to you about that a month ago, it was right before the "belly dancing and dinner" in DC. You brought it up in a private email and I had the FUNNIEST (brattiest) reply that I sent your way ...um, or at least it was funny to this blonde! Unfortunately it BOUNCED back to me - then I tried to get ahold of you courtesy of the VABoard to see if I had your address right or if it was my stupid-dumb-grrrrrrrr COX server - but I never heard back from you. LOL - now you bring "her" up again and I don't have the flippin "reply" to share with you anymore cause I deleted it. Trust me ( ) ...I feel for ya'! [smirkin' and trying so hard to HIDE it] hehehe

Hey woman, I cant wait.. skip summer, gimme FALL lol, I'm so excited. The only thing I can think to add to the email, is that you dont HAVE to use a travel agent. We did, and she is marvelous, handling everything, very friendly, and answers questions in email or phone. Gotta love the personal attention, but the cruise I took 2 weeks ago, I booked spur of the moment via the Carnival website, and it was pretty easy. I was able to pick my cabin and dinner seating and everything. Wendy