With just 17 days until the end of our voyage, we are now on the last leg. So, it is with a lot of excitement, and a bit of melancholy, that I had been anticipating our dear friends (Tom, Charmaine, Jack, and Linda) joining the ship to cruise with us from L.A. to Miami, a reunion we have been planning for weeks, even a year. I wanted this part to begin, but I don’t want it all to end.

When the ship docked at L.A. port, right behind the USS Iowa battleship, Dean and I were prepared to welcome our friends for a special vacation together. It is changeover day onboard, so a calculated chaos rules as the crew frantically readies the ship for the new guests.

We met our pals at the port after their long, early morning flights, and escorted them directly to our suite to wait until their rooms were available. And, to get them properly relaxed and in a celebratory mood, we shared a bottle of champagne and a toast….to a grand finale.