New Friends, Laughs, Food, Rum and not a Whale to be seen!

Well Groover's here I am back in one piece, slightly swaying back and forth.... but hey that's just a normal weekend for me hehehe.

So as some of you may know I have just returned from a 3 day Food and Wine Cruise with P&O out of Brisbane. We booked this way back in July last year, so it had been a long time a coming. I can remember even talking my Grandad last year the night before he passed away and telling him all about this cruise :)

How I ever got through two days of work, well somehow I did and then the day was here. My good friend Brenton came and stayed the night before and he, Jake and I all went out for dinner which was nice.

Next day was smooth sailing, pardon the pun! We drove, parked, shuttle bussed (which took 3 mins), did all the paperwork and as we were in a Mini Suite I had a card with No. 1 on which meant I could get on first. Brenton was No. 7. Elaine and Heather were running late and the place was getting very busy so I decided to board just me, but I was very lucky that I had 4 lovely Greek sisters adopt me in the queue and when we had our boarding pic taken I was the sister in the middle, the one that the family doesn't talk about hehehe.

Found my cabin really easy and there I was, just me, myself and I. I was so busting with excitement, so took a few pics as you do and then Brenton turned up! And not long after Elaine and Heather.

They have a sailaway party when you leave so we went upstairs to have a drink and settle in. The sun even came out and what a great feeling to finally be there and what a spin out to be on a cruise ship departing from Brisbane and not Sydney.

You see I have been on two cruises in the past. One when I was 20

and the second about 13 years ago. Both times I never even had a window let alone a balcony. This time we had a Mini Suite with Balcony and this is the 2nd best type of cabin on the ship. I have to tell you Groover's if you can, you need to put in the extra $$$ and do this type of cabin or a balcony cabin even.

The first night we slept with the balcony door open, fresh air and what a way to sleep listening to the ocean just outside. Also at times if you just feel like getting away from all the people you can just sit outside on your private balcony and have that space and enjoy the views, sunsets even sunrises etc.

We had a Life Jacket Drill, which was very serious hence my jokes about the two guys on stage being Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston from The Bodyguard! Anddd that later on stage when there were about 12 men on stage with arms folded I thought I was on the wrong cruise and it was actually the Wild Boys Afloat boat haha. Now remember this bit for later ok....

Of course no cruise would be complete without the "Special" Bread Roll Pic!

They are my special friends on cruises and help me with sea sickness! Here is one I prepared 20 years earlier!!!

The cruise of course was Food and Wine themed. And one of the highlights food wise was eating at The Salt Grill restaurant by Lang Mangan. It cost $40 but you could pick anything from the menu, as many dishes as you wanted. We had two tables of six and I had dinner that night with three friends from High School who were on the cruise as well!

We had a lovely couple at the table beside us later in the night who were celebrating their 60th Wedding Anniversary and even had letters from our Prime Minister and The Queen, as you do.

I made some great new friends on the second day when I was looking for a pool lounge at the pool. They even had me drinking a Rum and Coke BEFORE LUNCH! I know I am shocked too....

We had lots of laughs, checked out each others dogs, we even became a team in the Music Trivia game. Nahhh we didn't win the plastic drink bottle! Story of my Life! That night we went to Karaoke where people used the Tiger to tie their scarves too and used this same Tiger to Plank! Yep you read correctly. I even saw a lady in her 40's, in a dress do it!!!! Sorry wasn't quite quick enough to take a pic, was too busy laughing and being in shock!

My friend Marie from my old work was on the cruise too and came to Karaoke! I loved hanging out with her :)

After Karaoke we all moved onto The Dome! I loved it there as it just went off and people of all ages were there just to have a good time and people honestly didn't care how old anyone was. I saw people there from 18 to prob in the 70's having the best time :). Was nice to see in this day and age.

I tried to take the stairs alot and one night as I was making my way up 102 flights of stairs, okkkk it was really 94! I bumped into this couple and the lady said to me, excuse me I think I might know you. We had actually seen each other at the car park place and I thought she looked familiar but wasn't sure. So after a bit of conversation we realise we used to work together. She even had an interview at my new workplace about 6 years ago and nowwwww are you ready: works for Wildboys Afloat! It's a sign hahaha. So who knows I may partake in a little boat cruise down the track, let us hope it's not that little!!!!

I absolutely loved doing my walks on the walking track on the ship! Who would have thought! And how great was the weather.... this I forgot about and so enjoyed the Sun. I miss it.....

It also took me a bit but I finally worked out the secret to the food on the ship was to go Alacarte for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

I'm actually booked on a New Years Eve 11 night cruise later this year on the same ship. Something I booked at the start of the year to give me something to look forward to over Xmas and New Year this year as I had a bit of a sad one last year due to it being the first one without my Grandad. The way I see it, if you can't have a good new years eve on a cruise ship then there is something wrong with you. So this was a great time to see if I was still a lover of cruising, and kids I am!

For me what I love, is laying in the sun with the view of the ocean around me, meeting such wonderful new friends, people that make you believe in, that there are still great people out there to meet and that is never too late to make new friends!

I also love how people are friendly, happy when they are on holidays. You know what I love to do? Nooooo not that!!! hehehe. I love that when people are taking photo's you say to them how about I take one of you guys all together! I did this a few times on the cruise and one morning when I was walking with my iPod I helped out a family of four, a Mum and Dad and two young kids. How lovely to see their smiling faces when they saw the pic afterwards! Made me day and made me smile for the rest of my walk :)

So my friends this is where the story ends, for now...... of course the house is still swaying oh so slightly and yes I may need to put a hand on the wall to steady myself in the bathroom, but I'm fine and I don't want you to worry about me! LOL.

It's back to work tomorrow and as I like to say "Things we do for money" hehehe, but lucky for me my job ain't too bad and the people are great!!!

Be good, take care and if you see someone taking a pic offer to take one for them!

Me xxx