Cruise Magnets

Has everyone here read The Celestine Prophecy? Good! We're all on the same page then! No, wait... there's a hand in the back... What? You've never heard of The Celestine Prophecy? OK, no problem! Here's a quick overview: it's a journey into self that explains through nine easy steps how there are no accidents in Life. Everything that happens is meant to happen. It also speaks to the people we meet in this Life and how that is no coincidence... those people that you make a connection with in this Life are a part of your journey. This is not pre-destination, folks... it's a study into the meaning of Life. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it. I recommended to someone else and she actually hugged the book when she finished reading it! I digress...

On this trip, it was clear by Tuesday night that Maria and I were meant to make a connection with a particular family on board. They are a big group: two parents, Dana and Diane, and six adult children: Justin, Rick, Jonathan, Joel, Paul and Lena. We were in line behind them at the cruise terminal before embarking, we sat next to them at the Captain's Welcome and musical on Tuesday night and we ran smack into them at the Viking Crown Lounge later on Tuesday night. Clearly, something was telling us to connect with these people! When in the Caribbean, you simply go with the flow....

By the end of the cruise, we were like 10 peas in a pod. We all took the Salsa lessons, went snorkeling at various times, waved at each other before dinner at 6pm one night and danced the night away every chance we got! One night, we actually closed down several places before landing on the 24-hour deck. Maria and I learned how to play Finger (drinking game - not dirty!) and what Cougar/Cougar Hunter means ( a little bit dirty!).

The pièce de résistance was forming a team for "The Quest" on the last night. Hosted by the Activities Director, it's a scavenger hunt. Everything you need to find is right there in the room. As stated, this scavenger hunt is not for those people under 16 or those easily offended. Teams are made up of at least six people and have to have men and women on each team. The Quest started off with innocuous items like a business card, a Cruise Compass itinerary and even false teeth. It quickly got risqué when the teams were asked for a lady to bring up three men's belts. It was all very Three Musketeers-esque when three of our guys immediately stood and whipped off their belts! Are you getting the mental picture? Other requests were:

1. Send a guy with three women's bras
2. Send a gal with a form of birth control
3. Send a guy and a gal - wearing each other's shirts

The last (and funniest) request was saved to the last. We were asked to send a guy wearing a woman's bra, no pants, wearing makeup on his face and carrying a purse up to the stage. Poor Paul... he was our team leader at that point. He's a trooper though! He made us proud! When all the men reached the stage, the host had them line up and proceed down the catwalk. The music? Shania's "Man, I Feel Like a Woman!" LOL! I think Paul made 23 bucks that night!

So here's to Dana, Diane, Justin, Rick, Jonathan, Joel, Paul and Lena: Thank you for making our cruise so memorable! Same time, same place next year right?? :)

Cheers,
J.

P.S.~ If you still do not believe that running into them was no accident, take this into consideration: There were 2,600 guests and some 900 crew members onboard. I even saw people on the last day that I hadn't seen the entire trip - staying on the same deck!