There is a First Time for Everything! Live from the Emerald Princes-- 3/10-3/14, 2016

[Ldyandrea]

Enjoy Traci!!

 

Please tell Chris & Depack in Crooners that Carolyn & Steve say hello!

 

They were my favorites as well! :D

[Ldyandrea]

"Ok, so hear is Tracie's Weirdo Corrolary of the Day- The introduction of the AIBP has vastly improved the overall composition of the photographs in the Photo Gallery- e.g. the drunker people get : the funnier the pictures. For example--Last night, they had the solid white background with the big stuffed animals (dolphin, tiger, etc...) as a setting that I believe was originally conceived for little children. Yet, in the gallery, there are all of these adults rolling around on the ground with the stuffies- and Holy Cow, those were some funny pictures. As I was lurking through them, I got to chatting with Chris. Then this very obviously intoxicated couple came up to this batch of photos and said, "Hey, look, that's us!" "Honey, do you remember this?" "No-" and there they are rolling all over the floor with a stuffed tiger and dolphin. How great is that?!?!?! You have all heard the expression, "Friends don't let friend drive drunk." I think the new express should be, "Friends should highly encourage drunk posing!" If not for themselves, for the entertainment and edification of the rest of the passengers. Maybe, it is just me..."

 

I generally avoid having my picture taken on board, but I will admit that I took a look at those giant stuffed animals and thought about getting my picture taken with them! Not because I was inebriated, but just because I'm that weird. :p

[FraudBroad]

Hi Tracie,

Thank you for once again sharing your vacation with us. Your live from last year on the Royal encouraged me to my own. I loved following along on your escapades...it got me excited about my own trip!

 

I'm so thankful that you faced your fears and ventured out as a solo traveler. I lost my husband almost 6 years ago so when I'm not dragging my teenagers with me I now drag my mother. So grateful for this time I'm able to spend with her and your own experience makes me appreciate it that much more.

 

I had my very first inside cabin on our Royal cruise in January and can I just say it was probably my all time favorite cabin that I've ever had...ever? We had one of the sideways cabins on 14 FWD and I just loved the amount of storage it had. Had more than my mother's balcony cabin! I didn't miss the balcony one bit and have booked another for our sailing on the Royal next January!

 

Keep cruising Tracie....and don't let traveling alone ever stop you. For heaven's sake, how can you be alone when all of us are right there with you???

 

Regards,

Natalie

[DMCruiser]

Tracie, thanks for taking us along on this wonderful cruise. I love you writing style and looked forward each day to your review! Appreciate you taking valuable time from your cruise to help us!!! I'm not sure about an inside cabin for me, but you have added some "food for thought"!!!:D

[CRLess]

Tracie - thanks for the kind words! Brenda and I enjoyed our time together in the Sanctuary with you as well as at dinner the final night. Look forward to cruising with you (and you too Carolyn) in the not so distant future.

 

Check the email I sent you earlier today....

[JupiterBrenj]

Is solo cruising for me? I am not sure. The jury is still out on that one. I loved certain aspects, but I did miss my husband. A lot. A really, really lot. I think I was fortunate as I got "adopted" by a number of people- like Chris and Brenda, members of our really active roll call, and some other friends.

 

It was great meeting you Tracie.... as you said at dinner, "Cruise Critic is place where you can meet friends for life". We look forward to the next time we cruise together. :)

[TracieABD]

It was great meeting you Tracie.... as you said at dinner, "Cruise Critic is place where you can meet friends for life". We look forward to the next time we cruise together. :)

 

Brenda!

Hi!

 

I feel so honoured to be your second post! I loved getting to know you-- it truly was one of the highlights of the cruise.

 

Hope your adjustment to home-life was effortless!

 

Tracie-Lynn

[TracieABD]

Loving reading your posts, Tracie.

I was going to ask you how eating solo on the dining room was, but obviously it's just fine.

We just saw Troy Thirdgill (sp) on the Royal and he's one of the funniest comedians we've seen !

 

Thanks, Karen. It was a not fine to eat alone- and fast. Much, much faster than at a table for 6 or 8. Enzo and Gabor just sort of kept the food coming.

 

Troy was great. I had chatted with him a couple of times and did not know he was the comedian. He is a stand-up guy (pun intended). ;)

[TracieABD]

Hi Tracie

I have been reading your posts. It seems that you are enjoying this "solo" cruise.

Kudos to you for trying this cruise on your own!

I have often thought what I would do if I attempted to cruise without my DH - either by choice or circumstance.

I think I would do some of the things that you have done on this cruise. Booking the Sanctuary,going to the CC Meet and Greet, and blogging on the CC forum are all things I certainly would plan to do.

I was disappointed to read that there were only two participants for the On Deck for the Cure.

My hubby and I first participated in the walk when we were on the Crown Princess in 2008.

There were a good number of participants then. The walk.was featured in part of the DVD of the cruise.

A few years later,we participated in the walk on the Caribbean Princess on a Canada- New England cruise.

There were very few participants on that cruise. We thought that it may be due to the demographics ( noticeably older passengers) or lack of notice by the CD about the walk.

We had enjoyed taking part in this walk as we had done 5k walks at home for various causes.

On each lap on the Promenade deck,we thought about all the women we knew- family, friends and colleagues who had battled with breast cancer. It made the walk on the ship more personal for us.

I will admit that we did not participate on the walk on our last cruise on the Regal in 2014.

I had not been feeling well,so we didn't plan on participating.

We did notice that the walk did not get much notice by the CD on that ship and there was only a brief notice about it in the Patter that was delivered the evening before the schedule walk.

I hope that you continue to post about this cruise and that you enjoy the cruises you have planned in the future with your DH.

 

I would have loved to have seen the walk better supported. Oh well. I hope that Princess rethinks it "advertising" as this is one way to give a little back. :)

Edited March 17, 2016 by TracieABD

[TracieABD]

Forgot to ask...are you Tar Heel fans?!

 

Hey SBG-

Not really a basketball fan... If I had to choose, it would be Syracuse University. (and I work for UNCC part time)

 

I LOVE the Red Sox!!! And I am learning to love the Panthers.

 

:)

TL

[TracieABD]

Hi Tracie! It was a great (but too quick) cruise. Hope to meet up with you again on a future cruise.

 

It was so great to meet you and Jim as well! Hope we land on another ship together in the future!

[TracieABD]

I'm so glad that you had such a great time and got home safely! Very sorry that our weeks didn't match up, it would have been fun. Chris and Brenda were great people, I had loved meeting them. And thanks for your live-from. It was so fun to read.

 

Let me know if you book another solo cruise. I had wanted to stay on for the 4 night but my husband couldn't. We could have been fun!!

 

Oh, Carolyn- It would have been so great if you had stayed on! We could have been solos- together!

[TracieABD]

Thanks so much for taking us on your cruise. I vote that we all take up a collection and send you on another cruise just so you can take us along again.

LOVED IT!!!

 

Jay

 

Ha! I also vote for your plan! I would be a very happy camper (or cruiser???)!

 

I sail again in June for my 25th anniversery. I guess I will just have to keep up my "live from" streak! Stay tuned...

[TracieABD]

Thanks Tracie, it was a great cruise and I am so glad your first solo cruise went so well! It was great meeting you and our other cc friends.

Interestingly enough, John and I didn't get ANY paperwork on when to disembark. We just went to the dining room when we were ready and at the same time they called walk off 8. We just fell in line with them, no questions asked. Thank goodness!

 

It was wonderful to meet you too! I loved our lunch together, in spite of our stone-face waiter- who did not laugh at my lumberjack joke. ;) Oh, well, you can't make em all laugh!

[TracieABD]

Thanks Tracie for taking the time (and Internet minutes) to share your experiences...your love of cruising was very evident! :D

 

Your writing style is great & I was able to vicariously enjoy your cruise while sitting at home waiting for our cruise next month. ;)

 

Frank- I am hoping for some type of live from of your pending cruise. Something has to tide me over til our next one in 3 months!

[TracieABD]

So I purposely waited until your cruise was over to make any comments. And I only have one: Fantastic.

 

Yet again you have taken me on your journey and it was wonderful. Your artful declarations, colorful descriptions and insightful musings have me wanting more. You did say you were cruising in June with the DH. Right?

 

My DW and I enjoyed several of the old Love Boat shows from season one when we were on the Regal last December and we said the same thing about the passengers and staff aboard the Pacific Princess. Weren't the 80's grand?

 

Thank you Tracie.. very well done indeed.

 

Thank you, Jeff! Your last live from was such a great source of information- I am always glad to repay the favor. Now, If I could just learn to post some pictures. Heck- I would have to take some pictures to do that!

[TracieABD]

Hi Tracie,

Thank you for once again sharing your vacation with us. Your live from last year on the Royal encouraged me to my own. I loved following along on your escapades...it got me excited about my own trip!

 

I'm so thankful that you faced your fears and ventured out as a solo traveler. I lost my husband almost 6 years ago so when I'm not dragging my teenagers with me I now drag my mother. So grateful for this time I'm able to spend with her and your own experience makes me appreciate it that much more.

 

I had my very first inside cabin on our Royal cruise in January and can I just say it was probably my all time favorite cabin that I've ever had...ever? We had one of the sideways cabins on 14 FWD and I just loved the amount of storage it had. Had more than my mother's balcony cabin! I didn't miss the balcony one bit and have booked another for our sailing on the Royal next January!

 

Keep cruising Tracie....and don't let traveling alone ever stop you. For heaven's sake, how can you be alone when all of us are right there with you???

 

Regards,

Natalie

Hey Nat!

Nice to see you here! Thank you for your kind comments. I really did like that room. It was so much better than my-- office-- or--- traffic--- or super uncomfortable airline seats!

[TracieABD]

Tracie - thanks for the kind words! Brenda and I enjoyed our time together in the Sanctuary with you as well as at dinner the final night. Look forward to cruising with you (and you too Carolyn) in the not so distant future.

 

Check the email I sent you earlier today....

 

... I wish. I have another task to tend to. Wrote you back. :)

[Colo Cruiser]

It was great meeting you Tracie.... as you said at dinner, "Cruise Critic is place where you can meet friends for life". We look forward to the next time we cruise together. :)

 

 

Welcome to CC Brenda! :)

[Host CJSKIDS]

It was great meeting you Tracie.... as you said at dinner, "Cruise Critic is place where you can meet friends for life". We look forward to the next time we cruise together. :)

 

Welcome Brenda!!! So happy to have meet you and so happy to have you join us on here!

[Host CJSKIDS]

Tracie - thanks for the kind words! Brenda and I enjoyed our time together in the Sanctuary with you as well as at dinner the final night. Look forward to cruising with you (and you too Carolyn) in the not so distant future.

 

Check the email I sent you earlier today....

 

Got it and just sent you a reply!

[TracieABD]

OK- friends- There is a short cruise going out on Oct. 22 and one on March 20-- Maybe we need to do a little planning?!?!

[BLJBLJ]

Traci, I don't know where I've been but I just found your "Live from" blogs the other night. I did a TraciABD marathon and I'm somewhat caught up. I travel with my Mom and our next cruise is to Mexico for her 80th Birthday. Because of you I'll definitely be having formal night pictures taken of the 2 of us. Someday when I have to cruise alone I'll think of you. Thanks for letting me follow along. :)

[TracieABD]

Traci, I don't know where I've been but I just found your "Live from" blogs the other night. I did a TraciABD marathon and I'm somewhat caught up. I travel with my Mom and our next cruise is to Mexico for her 80th Birthday. Because of you I'll definitely be having formal night pictures taken of the 2 of us. Someday when I have to cruise alone I'll think of you. Thanks for letting me follow along. :)

 

Thank you for your kind words. I do apologize for monopolizing your evening. As you have learned, I write a lot...

 

I am not sure if I posted this in any of my blogs, but in 2013, my mom and I "bit the bullet" and had portraits done at the Platinum Studio. I had sort of forgotten about it. When I was cleaning out her things, I found this picture of the two of us. It is now one of my most treasured possessions. My mom had her pictures and I had my words. Together, we could put together a heck of a scrapbook!

 

I love you have this time with your mom. I loved the time I had with mine! I hope the two of you make many more magical memories in Mexico!

[CRLess]

OK- friends- There is a short cruise going out on Oct. 22 and one on March 20-- Maybe we need to do a little planning?!?!

 

Brenda was looking at the Oct 22 for a girls trip with her Mom and daughter, assuming you were talking about the one on the Royal.