so far not so good.

Vickie and I purchased tickets for a 7 day cruise for us and our 2 kids and their spouse's for a christmas present for them. We are supposed to leave this AM and drive down to Tampa to leave tommorow by 4:00. My daughter called last night, sick and throwing up and now says that Nate has it also. Vickie and I both had it last week, and Tad and Deanne had it week before last. AND hurricane Beta is snorting around the region we are supposed to be going.
The trip has been paid for and anticipated for 6 or 8 months, and there is no backing out now, so Jennifer andNate are going to have to ride sick.
We were supposed to leave at 8:00 this morning and I'm waiting to hear from them in the next hour or so to see if they are up to traveling by then.
I'll let you know how it turns out in a week or so, Later, Nat

Altoids. Really help with nausea.

If you're looking at non-drugs, ginger root does wonders for nausea, too.

Chuck

Well, we finally left at 12:00. All 6 of us. We drove to Ocala, Fl, then spent the night ,then on to Tampa the next morning.
My daughter in law is a pharmacy tech, so she had something for them to take to stop the nausea, so the trip down wasn't to bad on them. The rest of us were fine and the weather co-operated with us. We cruised all night Sunday, then all day and night Mon. Tues. AM we hit Grand Caymon. Wed was Costa Mayo Mex. Thurs. was Belize City. Fri. was supposed to be in Cozumel Mex. but they didn't go there. The Capitan had been there for 48 hours last week and said that the area was devastated. Vickie and I were there last Nov. so we knew what it had looked like. There wer huge concrete piers that were over a 1000' long that 2 ships could tie up to on each side and a tractor and trailer could turn around on. The capitan said that in a few months it would be repaired enough that ships could anchor out and tender in, but that the concrete piers were completely gone. It will take years to rebuild the area. We stayed in Costa Maya for a few extra hours so they could unload relief supplies that Carnival was donating to Cozumel. We got back home late Sun night, tired, but thankful to be able to watch our kids see stuff it took us 50 years to be able to see.
I hope this doesn't sound like I'm bragging, cause we will be paying for this for a long time, but the only way anyone will ever know I was on this earth is by the family I leave behind. I have 2 great kids, like I'm sure most of you do and I want them to have as much as I can, not as much money, but as much experience as I can. I loved spending a week with my 2 grown kids, but a week is enough, and I bet they think a week with Dad was great, but a week with Dad was enough.
Later, Nat

Nat,

Glad you got to make the trip. Sounds as though all went pretty well. My Dad passed away about 1 1/2 years ago. He made it to 96. My best memories are those of time spent together on trips and doing things together like fishing, camping etc.

I've also found that no matter where I go, coming home is always the best part of the trip. [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]

i seen that you went to the Grand Caymon? what was the island like did you go to St Mathews? my daughter is going to go down there to grad school maybe. got a couple other applacations out but she's already got excepted there. is it pretty secure? it just freaks me out for her to go out of the country to school.. i guess thats just beeing a mom LOL she will graduate college here in the spring, then another 4 yrs some where..thanks.. Rose, [img]/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif[/img]

It's a pretty place and I think it is stable and secure. The biggest problem is the cost of everything. I am sure that someone who stays down there will find ways to beat the high cost, but if you are just visiting, you will get scalped. I hope she has a great experience, I know I would love to be 20 again and go to school in paradise, no, I doubt I could take it anymore, not as good as I once was. Later, Nat