COLLEGE CARIBBEAN CRUISE - Memories of a Lifetime!

APRIL 1981

Carribean Cruise Memories

w /Richland College Choir

With lovely input from Mark Hall, Johnnie Christian and Sherri Hart

First day, we went to Puerto Rico where we toured the forts. Had lunch and then boarded the ship - First nite we mainly had a great meal and danced in the Discoteche.

CURACAO/or St. Maarten? (and THIS is why I shouldv'e written things down.. sorry) - pics on left

DAY TWO - I do believe was Curacao. (Mark H says this big beach was St. Maarten)? We went to a beautiful beach that was big, luscious, truly spacious for such a beach. Everyone went swimming.

I decided to do my “Girl in JAWS” impression where she was swimming, and then the shark started pulling her down and dragging her Back AND Forth!

Seen here Johnnie Christian, Barry Benton and _______?

Martinique

Day THREE - was tour of lil’ charming town of Martinique. Sherri, Shawn, Cam & Mark & I hung out a lot together. (I remember Shawn had just told us she was pregnant-to marry boyfriend in Summer) . Sherri and I were walking across the street, and she tripped and fell in a big water puddle. She was soaked - WITH jeans on! Oh dear!

We all toured town, went to record shops - got a kick out of American albums with French/Dutch language on them. Many pics of town and famous Dutch statues.

Later, the whole Choir gathered on a corner of town and sang! We sang from our program that we were going to do for the ship’s entertainment. I do remember someone asking where we were from and when we said “Dallas” - they said “OH! Who Shot J.R?” and all the civilians laughed.. It was very fun and they were delighted we sang for them.

That night, dressing up for Formal nite, my 3 roommates, Sherri, Shawn & Ann were all in a far apart huddle putting on our pantyhose, just about the time the ship jump-started. We ALL fell forward and bumped heads with pantyhose in tow. We laughed about it all week.

Casino Nights

The second nite (as on all cruises) we dressed formally and had a great dinner then headed to Casino. I came with $5? And won $75 or something like that. I remember having many friends standing by me with cups of nickels… for slot machine. Went there the nite after and came and quickly left - leaving my $5 behind. But THAT big nite, I had so much $ that I was able to buy all sorts of souvenirs for my friends and family. Mark H escorted me the whole nite and it was a blast! (our first kiss)

Sherri won $82 on roulette (she says ;) - I won around $75 or bit more on nickel slot machines.

SHIP LIFE/Nite Life

Don’t know when the night life all happened on this cruise. Maybe every nite? Remember dancing every nite in the Disco (yep, we called it that then) and the song “Celebrate Good Times” was on every nite. Can’t hear that song w/o thinking of dancing to that song with Jim Henderson (choir director)

Of course, I danced many times with Cam, Mark & Barry Benton - he was a great dancer and loved it like me!!

One of the employees ( a man) got WAY too fresh with Sherri and me but mainly Sherri - trapped her in the hall to keep her from going thru - and Jim Henderson knocked him out! Lol! (memory of Johnnie Christian) - “I” remember being upset and going to tell Jim and he took a plastic sword from his drink and said “Here, Defend yourself.” We were fuming!! The ship was British but the crew was Greek.

One nite there was a big ship-wide Toga party and Conga line - HOW FUN!

DAY FOUR

Near Caracas, Venezuela - (LaGuaria) - Another “not much to it” place but I loved the glass blowing place where we saw them actually making the glass and then you walked in the shop, to purchase. This is the town I really saw the affluent vs. the poor - absolutely, no middle-class. (this glass-blowing memory "may" have been my 2nd cruise in '85-sorry)

DAY FIVE

Curacao shopping

DINING on the Ship (always good)

I remember the midnight buffet and trying squid for the first time - ugh - never again! It was like chewing on a rubber band! lol

But they did have German nite, Russian nite, Italian, etc. Very very good food! This waiter (left bottom) seemed to really enjoy putting the napkins in our laps (girls, that is) :)

St. Maarten -(pics above right) - This is the day Sherri & I got soooo sunburned - not sure if she stayed in the room that nite for dinner, but it was Russian nite and I drank everyone's vodka coz I hurt so bad!

I remember going to eat lunch in some town - it did not have much to offer. Food wasn’t very good and we joked that man served us the dog that we saw back in the alley. Oh my! Pretty sure we were still hanging out w/Cam, Sherri, Mark & maybe? Shawn?? Kind of our group for the whole time.

(not sure Shawn was with us everywhere we went).. But I do know she and a friend of hers were on land and missed the ship!! We were sitting down for dinner and everyone was saying "Where's Shawn??" Lo and behold! a bit later, they showed up WET!! They had to find another small ship/crooner to give them a ride. Oh my!

CONCERT on a CRUISE NITE

In concert as the ship’s entertainment one night. We were actually moving through a storm but the ship was so big. (3 or 4 floors above water and 2 or 3 below water), that it was gently rocking the boat as we sang “Shenandoah” in the right tempo! Lol (Johnnie Christian entry)

I remember the rocking sooo bad that it made some of us nauseous and I was afraid I couldn’t sing… But the breathing that we Choir peeps had learned over the years, brought me back to life - as well as the clapping, which always lifted me up.

During that same time, something I’ve only experienced 2 times on my life. Jim got so wrapped up in the sound (music) we were making that he forgot to cut us off and bring us back in in one section. But do you remember? It didn’t matter because we were all in perfect sync so we cut off AND entered precisely together as if Jim was still directing us. I spoke to him about that and he said in his own special way, it was amazing. (Johnnie contribution)

LAST NITE

Also there was a talent show where we monopolized the talent.. I decided to not be in it, so I could get front row and take lots of pics, but alas, lost that roll of film. Ugh - remember being really bummed about it - coz Cam & I did a killer “Moon River.” - just sayin’. I remember Mark singing “Please Release Me” and did a fine job!

Late that nite? - who was with me? When we went to a lounge-type singer’s performance, and I just went up there and sang with him? LOL (was this the wrong cruise?) He was not very good and I felt pretty confident in those days… sigh I sang “Sentimental Journey” with him.

Our last nite we decided to stay up all night and watch the sun rise. We (most of the 40 Choir students) were all lounging in lounge chairs. If I recall, everyone ended up falling asleep Except Barry Benton and me. We looked around at all the sleeping people and said to each other “Wow! They are really missing something!!” Barry put him arm around me and squeezed… "How can anyone not believe in God when watching this?? -such a lovely person/friend.. I so wish I could find him… sigh