Cruisin' !!!!

I'm so excited I can hardly make spit! My dear friend, Katie, and I have been best friends for 20 years! Last summer we decided that we needed to take a "BFF" trip.

It started out being a long weekend riding roller coasters at Six Flags Magic Mountain in California. Then , last summer I watched the Boston Pops Orchestra playing to fireworks on TV. Since Katie is from Rhode Island, we decided that we would go to Boston on July 4, 2009, and watch the fireworks and the orchestra. A few weeks after that, Katie sent me an email from a friend of hers with information about a cruise through the Panama Canal.

Well, I've wanted to see the Canal since I was in 7th grade! I emailed Katie back and said "I"M IN!" So one thing lead to another and now we will be boarding the Celebrity Mercury in San Diego on March 30, 2009! The cruise is 2 weeks long and ends up in Ft. Lauderdale, FL on April 13, 2009.

Our itinerary is San Diego, Sea Day, Cabo San Lucas Mexico, Sea Day, Alcapulco Mexico, Huatulco Mexico, Sea Day, Puntarenas Costa Rica, Sea Day, Canal Transit then a stop a Cristobal Pier Panama, Sea Day, Cartagena Columbia, 2 Sea Days, Ft. Lauderdale. We are flying back home out of Orlando on April 14, 2009. Katie booked us a hotel 1 mile away from Universal Studios Amusement Park, so we will get our roller coaster riding in on this trip too!

I'm planning on using Internet Cafes when we are in the various ports and I will update this blog along the way! Keep checking back for cruise updates!

As of today, we are 3 days away from leaving Alaska and 5 days away from boarding the ship! I have the privilege of working with Katie, and I can honestly say it is VERY HARD trying to get anything done this week! But we are slaving away because, in our office, if our work isn't reasonably caught up, they won't let us go!

On Sunday, Mt. Redoubt erupted. It is roughly 100 miles south of Anchorage. The ash cloud headed north, of course, and Alaska Airlines cancelled all flights north of Anchorage. They were hoping to return to a full schedule today, but I have only heard one jet and it was landing. That is the only thing that can ruin our trip. But we did plan on being in San Diego a couple of days before the ship leaves, so even if we are delayed here, I have full confidence that we will board the ship as planned.

So, my next post will be from San Diego right before we board the ship! Until then......