MONDAY, JANUARY 10 - Fort Lauderdale

Carolyn wakes up about 9:30AM to find Dick once again playing on the computer. Our oldest son got his Dad hooked on the game, Civilization V! We go to breakfast which was listed as a continental breakfast and learn that we have a credit toward the meal so we each order a full breakfast which is very good. Afterwards we go walking back along the beach with the idea of stopping at the CVS next door to pick up a few things. By now it is lunch time and the many restaurants are full of people. The food smells wonderful.

There are not as many people on the beach today. It is still sunny but the wind has kicked up a surf. It is plenty warm and the water is that beautiful blue so we go back to the room and put on our suits. We walk in the surf for a good distance...at first the water is real brisk but we get used to it. The flags are yellow for medium surf and more important purple for dangerous sea life...jelly fish,  or man-of-war or sharks???? so we pass on actually swimming though there are some people in the water today.

Dick goes back to the room and goes back to his game. Carolyn gets her book, goes down to the pool, has a sandwich and starts reading...for about 5 minutes. Next thing she knows the sun has dropped behind the building and it is a little cool. The pool really looks good and must be heated because it feels really nice.

Back in the room Dick is still on the computer. Since we didn’t ever make it to CVS we get dressed for the Farewell Gala and go get what we need.


Mark Conroy CEO of Regent is greeting everyone at the cocktail party. Dick visits with him for a few minutes about how tomorrow morning will work. We had asked at the Regent desk, but they didn’t seem to know and kept telling us to come back later. Well, Mark knows and says we will go straight to the ship at 10:30 and board right away. They want to get us in our cabin early and get our luggage to us early before the segment people board. Mark says he wants us to have a little extra time to unpack! They are also planning a special lunch for the full circle guests in the Compass Rose. We are really glad about that, as we aren’t much into deck barbeques and we will be dealing with our carry ons. He also tells the whole group that he and his wife plan to join us later for part of the trip which makes lots of the guests happy.


Despite the fact that Regent has a very nice event for us, the Ritz doesn’t do a good job executing the plan in their banquet department! They don’t have coke for the mixed drinks, only Pepsi which is a NO GO for Carolyn. At dinner the service is terribly slow. The food is really strange combinations, bad tasting and lukewarm at best. The entertainment is way to loud for Dick so he goes back to the room. Even though it is loud, Carolyn likes the songs the male quartet is doing so she stays a while hoping the desert will be better. Unfortunately it isn’t so she calls it a night also.