bert425

I'm one of the other 2900 passengers LOL! Less then two weeks to go! Ultra Nate??? I love her, she will be on the ship the entire time?? I just found out a friend on facebook will also be going on this cruise, he is going with your group! I believe She IS! tho her performance (and the meet and greet cocktail party with her the next day are supposedly "Private" for our group.. but if you know someone in the group. . . .. just sayin. . . LOL (never hurts to ask)

thanks again guys. . . it's been really hard. but the Celebration of her life is this Sat..so putting effort into the planning for that, as well as planning for our cruise (and having something to look forwards to in June (CP with Bill!) is helping me get thru). worried how I'm gonna survive my 50th birthday (big party was planned, and Mom's not gonna be there).. but hopefully by April, I won't be having such a rough time accepting it. it's tough being a Momma's boy

In just 12 days, we head out on RCCL's "Liberty of the Seas" with a group of 300 bears, bear family, and bear lovers. oh, and ~2900 other passengers who aren't part of our group. -- they aren't gonna know what hit em It's an interesting time for a cruise, as I am in mourning, but one of the very last things Mom told us, is that she was "sorry for screwing up our trip", and that we should go anyways. . . so been burying myself in trip planning (and work, and food, and exercise. . basically anything to take my mind off the grief). Gonna try my best to have a good time, regardless of circumstances. Have our outfits laid out for what we already KNOW is planned specifically for the group on this Ship: White Party (with live entertainment from Ultra Nate) Red Hat Pool Deck Party 5th Element Disco themed party - followed by late-night disco takeover (RCCL knows we're coming when our "private" disco shuts down). "all the Singlet Ladies" midnight private pool party. and that's not even mentioning the Excursions. . and the sight of big ol bears on the Flowrider. . . . I'm determined to have fun, and will post trip report when we're back if folks are curious.

soooooooon!

I could almost tell you I love you for this lol I'll tell him that. this is AWESOME. .and why I love this place. Robb calls it as he sees it, and I absolutely respect and admire him for that.

[youtu_be] [/youtu_be]

Love the pics, thanks for sharing. (as Boldikus pointed out tho, the big blocks of text are awful hard to read. . . I focused just on the pics and skipped your text, for that reason. . . but maybe if you space it out a bit? I'll try to go back later and give it a shot.. . . ). thanks for the pics tho, you have quite the eye there.

thanky. it's bugging me how "large" I look, because of the bulky tux jacket tho. . black is supposed to be slimming!

trying on clothes for Formal Night on the cruise we head off to in 2 weeks.

thank you, Bill. as I said. . .I'll get thru it, there's simply no other choice, but damn. .this is hard

yep these. but best tip I can possibly give? Go to the left upon park entry and head towards Exterminator FIRST (if Black Widow has no line, grab a ride on that on the way). . but absolutely hit Exterminator as first Coaster, if you want to ride this indoor, spinning, themed mouse. we didn't care for it, but the line is infamously slow, slow moving. So if you want to ride it, hit it EARLY

I spoke with my boss, and went back to Houston Wednesday morning to be with my Mom. My Mother passed on Thurs, 1/26 at 6:20 pm, with both her sons at her side (each of us holding her hand) and my Dad stroking her face. She was loved, and she will be missed, and I"m absolutely gutted. I will get thru this, there is simply no other choice. thank you for the kind thoughts from earlier this week. best, bert

^ thank you. I really think the only reason she did not pass today, was thru sheer force of will that she did not want to die on my Anniversary we spent all weekend with her (they moved her to Hospice Saturday morning), but I'm dealing with the guilt that we had to come back to Austin yesterday, due to commitments we could not get out of, and I'm not there with her and my Dad. I'm keeping in contact with them via phone in the room. . (my Brother is there with him), and he told me that she's unable to even swallow now, and is so heavily sedated that she's just been sleeping since we left yesterday. I'm wracked with guilt for leaving. although I know there's nothing I could do and my Dad TOLD us to go ("life goes on"). she was pretty coherent (at least in and out) on Sat, and I got to have some conversations with her, so at least we got to say goodbye. she's not dumb, she knows she's dying. . and as I said. . it's gutting me. . .

I spent the weekend dealing with my Mother who is now in hospice, and is dying. and it was STILL time better spent than thinking a moment about the Inauguration of the last President of the United States. been ignoring that, and any "news" that happened since Thursday evening. . way more important things to occupy my mind at the moment.

wait.. so if I'm a Theme Park Enthusiast, does that make me less nerdy than a Coaster Enthusiast then? we've passed "credits" in a park, to go ride a carousel instead. (I mean..if you wanna feel thinner, go stand next to a fatter person .. .it's all in perspective)

I'd give you crap about not calling it a "Ring of Fire". . but that would be if the conversation about Thai food. (it's always so yummy going IN, and burns so bad going out).

I meant to comment last week. . LOVING this, and brought back tons of memories (I was very well traveled in Mexico as a youth, thanks to my Dad being cheap, and we would drive down to Brownsville, cross the boarder, and fly from Mexico - where he could buy plane tix in pesos!). the moment I saw the shots of the Museum, I flashed back to the Aztec Calendar stone. .and there was your pic. really made me miss Mexico City. Last time I was there was before the big Earthquake (that was. . 85?). .so thanks again for the reminders! looking forwards to the rest of your report.

at some point, in the future, I'm gonna have some time, and will ping y'all. I'd LOVE to go on a trip with y'all eventually. Yer kewl to me! (and you know, I'm cool, since I spelled cool as "kewl")

wow. . . so crowded, and yet still so gorgeous looking! someday, someway, I'll make it to Tokyo, but until then will live vicariously thru your trip reports, Robb! Thanks for sharing y'all's great time!

I'm going to CP this summer (with Bill!), and as it's my first time there (Bill's too!. . .two older, coaster loving, gays going for a few days without their hubbys? . . CP better look out!. .we BRING the party).. . . . I really don't care if the new Mean Streak will be open or not. I'm just thrilled to get to go. (and hang out with Bill). my 2cents

Regardless, a good pic

don't go in the Basement!! (why do you look so angry. . .LOL)

You buy each ala carte. And yes, you are right! LOL. . yep. as I said tho, I'd save up my $$ and do it (dunno if you recall from our trip to DC a couple of years back, my tab at the Native American Smithsonian cafeteria was something like $47 just for my own, since I wanted to try so many different things )

wow. . LOVE the idea of this. and the food all looks incredible. something I've always wondered, and never quite understood.. .. how do the food stands work? does Disney sell a "passport" that let's you sample all the food options? or do you need to buy each Ala carte? if the 2nd, I could see that getting very expensive quickly, since I'd want to try everything! but I'd do it. . . . just wondering how the food stuff works?

I'll try to come back and answer some of what I can later (other than Cobra's Curse, while a fun family coaster, was 1 and done for us.. but took some trying to get on it) instead, I'll just link to my Trip Report from last Summer, that included BGT for 3 days, SeaWorld Orlando, and some other stops in the area: lots of pics, and some suggestions on where to eat. http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=72163