NYC & Caribbean Cruise Vacation Highlights

It just so happens that both of these trips were spent in the company of my good friend, Suzie.

First, I got this letter.

You can read all about our trip of a lifetime in New York City -- it took place June 14-16, 1996.

Then, November 28, 1998 Suz and I set sail for our first-ever cruise.

We did it right, too. We went with Royal Caribbean!

Royal Caribbean vs Carnival
Most people choose Carnival for their first cruise -- after all, it IS the least costly way to go. However, having cruised with both Carnival and Royal Caribbean, I can't help but feel that Carnival seems to cuts corners more, while Royal Caribbean pays attention to every last detail and treats you like ROYALTY 24/7!

If you haven't been on a cruise before, and you're thinking of booking one in the future... do yourself a favor and DON'T choose Carnival for your first cruise. You'll thank yourself later. Trust me.

Don't get me wrong, you're sure to have a fine time on virtually any cruise line... but you don't need a Carnival to have a GREAT time.

(Our wedding cruise was on Carnival, and a good time was had by all, but I can't wait to take Jim on another cruise -- and on another cruiseline -- just so he can experience the difference for himself. Suzie was there -- she went on both cruises with me, and I believe she feels the same.)

Cruise Highlights
You can read all about the details of our trip, along with corresponding photographs over in the photogallery, but here are some highlights and some photos not found there:

• Our 8-day, 7-night cruise took place November 29 through December 6, 1998.

• We set sail from Miami and cruised to the Virgina Islands (St. Maarten, then St. Thomas, then St. John), followed by the Bahamas (Nassau).

• We actually caught the tail end of Hurricane Nicole on nights 2 and 3. (Despite the dramamine, I tossed my cookies in public one night walking from the restaurant to our room.) For the record, Hurricane Season is June 1 - November 30 each year.)

• Of all the great, fun things we did on this trip, one of the most memorable was our SNUBA diving trip in St. John, Virgin Islands.

• The 2nd-best things we did: Went swimming with dolphins in the Bahamas!

• What made our time on-board the ship especially fun was the over-friendly staff... all very professional, yet tons of FUN! And we're talkin EVERYone... from the bartenders to the housekeepers... the Cruise Director (and all of his little worker-bee's)... and even the ship's captain himself -- we had a great time with each and every one of them!

• Oh, and then there was the "food crew" -- Royal Caribbean's professionally trained chefs and wait-staff were INCREDIBLY FUN! (...as were our tablemates at each of the "formal dinners" we attended.)

Don't just take my word for it... check out all the great photos -- with full details from our amazingly fun cruise!

Don't miss Ellen DeGeneres's video diary of New York City.

What I Learned Today...
Every time Jim goes out of town I manage to find some way to transport myself to a luxurious destination.

He was out of town again this weekend, but instead of just going to the Caribbean... this time I went to New York City AND on a Caribbean cruise! I traveled by way of memories...