The NINTH ANNUAL
FREEDOM CRUISE of
February, 2006 was another very enjoyable event.
We
have now had the pleasure of having Joe and Barbara
Bourland with us all nine years! This year their
daughter
Stacey brought her friend Birgit Cassens along as well.
Six time repeater, John Plummer enjoyed both weeks on
the Infinity with me and Ellen. As usual, we had
a good
blend of new and old friends aboard in 2006.
Below is a
link to some photos from our "Welcome Aboard"
Party held the night of Embarkation. I have also
added one of
our photos of the group on a formal night. We enjoyed
meeting
some wonderful people outside of our group on this sailing.
I have been
brushing up on my Contract Bridge game and
decided to attend the informal bridge sessions held on
the ship.
There I met a gentleman who made the perfect partner
for my
"studies". Thanks, Don, for helping me sharpen
my bridge skills!
(It was a shame that playing bridge replaced my planned
visits
to the gymnasium.)
We had the
good fortune of having a lovely lady, Mary Jane,
assigned to a vacant spot at our dinning room table.
Imagine our
surprise when she shared that she had been identified
from her
views as a "libertarian" in the past. She enjoyed
taking "The World's
Smallest Political Quiz", of course.
A highlight
of the week was a shore excursion at St.
Maarten. I hosted the group for the "America's
Cup Regatta"
excursion and thoroughly enjoyed it. We became
members
of the sailing crew aboard the same 12 meter yacht used
by
Dennis Connor to win the America's Cup in 1987!
(Check
out the photo of the "Stars and Stripes" linked below.)
In preparation
for our golf cruise the following week,
Ellen and I made arrangements to play golf in Antigua
at
Jolly Harbor Golf Club. The day before our visit
(while I
was winning the ship's putting contest) we met two ladies
who mentioned they also hoped to play. We invited
them
to join us as a foursome and had a wonderful round.
I hope
Elaine and Marge are able to join us on a future cruise!
Thanks to everyone
who helped make this year's cruise
so enjoyable. I'm already eagerly awaiting our
2007 cruise.
Best Wishes,
Ken