Tuesday Tech Tip = January 29 2013

Types of Groups

Types of Affinity Groups

Not-for-Profit Organizations
Churches
Singles
Sunday School Classes
Youth
Missionaries
Choir
March of Dimes
Heart, Lung, Arthritis & Cancer Associations
Children’s Advocacy Center
Hospital Auxiliaries
Easter Seals

Fraternal Organizations
Kiwanis
Rotary
Lions
Elks
Moose
Knights of Columbus
Shiners

Groups with in the School System Sports Teams
Foreign Language Classes
Band Boosters
PTO
Clubs


Theme Cruises/Tours

Food/Wine
Murder Mystery
Big Band
Broadway/Theater @ Sea
Health & Fitness
Spa Lovers
Holiday



Sports & Special Interest Dive
Bowling
Golf
Fitness/Spa
Dance
50’s Sock Hop
Salsa/Latin
Square Dancing
Swing
Country/Western
Rock n Roll Oldies
Culinary
Wine Tasting
Gambling
Poker
Bridge
Bingo
Scrapbooking
Birdwatching
Knitting
Photography
Book Clubs
Reunions
Class reunions
Family reunions
Senior Citizen Centers
Singles Groups
Parents without Partners

Continuing Education:
Realtors
Hairdressers
Doctors
Nurses
Dentists
Insurance
Travel Agents

Destination Weddings

Lady Bug travels with NashTrash

What an adventure this is going to be...    I am so excited about this upcoming cruise!   We are traveling with the famous Jugg Sisters, Sheri Lynn and Brenda Kay.   They own and operate a  tour company in Nashville Tennessee, NashTrash Tours.    (www.nashtrash.com)

Penney and some of her friends boarded the big pink bus back in January (no I didn't get to go on that one), they had such a fabulous time that when the 90 minute tour was over, Penney asked Sheri Lynn and Brenda Kay if they would be interested in hosting a cruise... and that is where this idea was born.

Shortly after they met and chose to do a NashTrash Cruise for Halloween.  You can find more information about the cruise at the official website  www.nashtrashcruise.com   but I am going to give you many of the highlights as we go along.

I will be traveling with Penney and her family, Kevin, daughter Andrea, Mother Winnie and friend Holly as well as 60 other friends, family, and NashTrash fans on the Carnival Fascination, October 27th for 5 nights.

 

October 27, 2008

This morning as we headed to the Jacksonville port to board the Fascination.   The check-in process was quite easy until we heard an announcement asking Kevin and Penney to come to security.   They were asked to site in an area until the port sheriff arrived.  Oh No... Kevin asked Penney, 'what did you pack that you shouldn't have'   (you know his nick name for her is   Rule Breaker)  hahaha    We sat for what seemed like forever speculating on what we had done, when the sheriff arrived he asked about a bag that had a tag on it for John (Kevin) Rudicil but also had another tag for someone named Andrea Perry (their 13 yr old daughter had used the bag when she went to church camp and the tag was still on it)  Anyway, he asked to take Andrea to to a secured area to search the bag.  Penney asked if she or Kevin could go with them, (kind of afraid to let them all off her 13 yr old) so Kevin and Andrea followed the security officers.

About 20-30 minutes later, here they come, all smiles. it seems that it wasn't Penney after all :)   They had found a pair of handcuffs (which Kevin says were are part of his costume for the Halloween party).   They had to take them and that was that.

Once on board, it was right to the buffet for a scrumptious lunch and then to explore the ship.   The Fascination is a medium size ship at 70,000 tons, with a capacity of 2,100 guests.   The ship was built in 1994, but had a multi-million dollar renovation in 2008.

This evening, we had a meet and mingle party for the NashTrash Fans.  There are 60 of us traveling together.   The party was fun and the Jugg Sisters entertained us... boy are they entertaining!

Then off to dinner, where Penney ordered me my very own Chocolate Melting Cake... my favorite desert in the whole world!!!   I heard that Rory, Jeff and Susan like this dessert too.

After dinner we strolled the decks but retired early as it was a long day.   When we arrived back to our cabin we found a new friend awaiting us.

October 28,2008

Today is a fun-filled day at sea.  There is so much going on on this ship, where to begin?

There was trivia going on, a scrapbooking class, pictionary, pool games and of course, the casino, shopping, fitness center and spa are in full swing.

A yummy breakfast in the dining room and then out to the pool area to enjoy some relaxation and great people watching.   

                      

Oh no, 3 hours have gone by... is it time for more food?   Yep, we decided to have a lighter lunch, so we went to the deli for sandwiches.  Met some very nice folks from South Carolina and visited for awhile.  

We then wandered upon a huge crowd out by the pool, it was the men's hairy chest contest...  and guess who were the judges?    Yep, several of our group.   Even Momma Jugg and Sister Cindy got into the action :)                               Here are some of the judges and the winner.

This afternoon we went to the Newlywed/not so newlywed game show, Penney & Kevin were actually chosen to play... AND WON!  They may even let me have a sip or two of the champagne they received, along with this lovely 24 carrot gold plastic ship on a stick. 

That was a lot of fun.

This evening is the Captains cocktail reception and dinner, I am sure I will get left in the cabin, but that is ok, I am stuffed and don't think I can eat another bite.   But I bet Penney has another melting chocolate cake!

While everyone is gone, I take time to meet another new friend.

Penney took some pictures tonight at dinner, everyone was in their finery...

and a special birth wish goes out to Lois Mills

 

October 29, 2008  -   Key West

This morning we docked in Key West.  What a fun and beautiful place.   Everyone is buzzing and getting ready for Parrot Head Week.

After breakfast we decided to walk into town and do a bit of shopping.   We ran into several folks from our group wandering around and shopping.

Brenda Kay, Rob, Doug and Butch were spotted enjoying themselves on the conch tour.

 

Andrea made friends with a local...

Kevin found a souvenir that he wanted to take home...

Back to the ship for some lunch and pool time.

 

Before dinner many of our group met for a photo opportunity in the main atrium.

 

We will post the professional photographers photo later.

This evening, I was invited to dinner in the main dining room, those Jugg Sisters are a hoot!

 

After dinner, we met in the Passages of India Lounge where the sisters entertained our group. 

They are so funny...  and actually have great voices too.

At the end of the show, the 'sisters' sisters joined them on stage to sing.

Then I got to have my picture made with Momma Jugg, the Jugg Sisters, and their siblings...   Doug, Cindy, Sandy, Butch.

October 30, 2008 

Today we pulled into Nassau, Bahamas.   It was a bit cloudy when we arrived, but soon the sun came shining through and it was a beautiful day.

Many of our group went snorkeling, to the Atlantis Resort, to the beach and shopping.   A few even braved driving the Bahamian Streets, renting a Bahamian Harley                                        (or as we call them, mopeds)

Kevin, Penney and Andrea took a horse and buggy ride around the city of Nassau.

Donna and John had lunch at a nice restaurant overlooking the main street...   great people watching.

After some shopping in the market we headed back to the ship for more fun a the pool.

The waitstaff on the Carnival Fascination are fabulous.  They are all so attentive to our needs, and they even sing and dance for us. (and in some cases with us)  

This evening their was a passenger talent show.   Our group has A LOT of talent, but Miss Sarah showed her stuff tonight.

October 31, 2008    HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Today was another FUN DAY AT SEA...

                         Some enjoyed morning coffee by the pool, while others enjoyed their morning in the hot tub.

This afternoon, Penney was able to get our group a private tour of the Galley.   It is so amazing how they can prepare such good food for so many people.   Freddie welcomed us.

Then onto our Farewell Party (we gotta go home tomorrow, pout)       

On to dinner and another party...    The Travel Planner and NashTrash hosted a Jugg's look-a-like contest and costume party.   What fun!!!

Well that was our adventure...  tomorrow we must head for home.   To all of you that were with us on this cruise I want to say...  It was great to meet you, we had tons of fun and look forward to seeing you again really soon.

Hugs,  

Lady Bug (and the Travel Planner Team)

Lydia Isabelle has arrived!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Lady Bug's Journey

Let me introduce introduce myself, my name is LADY BUG and I love to travel!   My friend Penney Rudicil found me in the small town of Split Croatia in May of 2008 and we have been traveling together since.

We are about to embark on our next Journey...

October 8, 2008 - This week, Penney and I are heading to Barcelona to catch an Azamara Cruise aboard the beautiful Journey.  Azamara is part of the Celebrity and Royal Caribbean family, and they have just celebrated their first anniversary.

We are looking forward to our 10 night cruise, and will be visiting Spain, Monaco, Italy, and Croatia.

During our 8 hour flight from Atlanta to Barcelona, I will take this time to tell you about the ship we are going to be sailing on.   The Journey is small in size (compared to many ships today) at only 30,000 tons, the total passenger capacity is 674.   However, they are huge on every thing else... especially customer service and satisfaction.   The ship has everything you need for a wonderful vacation, a wide array of entertainment, a full spa, fitness center, casino, internet cafe, shopping and much more.   As for dining, well let me tell you the cuisine is fantabulous!   The main dining room, Discoveries, is casual and open seating, you can eat when you choose with whom you choose.  There are also two specialty restaurants, Aqualina and Prime C, both which are superb.  Both require reservations, and often fill up very quickly.  

October 9, 2008 -  Today we arrived at the Barcelona  airport, after claiming out luggage (well Penney's, I travel really light) we proceeded to get into a taxi.  Penney gave the driver our destination, however, he did not speak english.   After what seemed like a long time trying to understand one another, the driver stopped the car and asked another driver to speak to me.  Thankfully he spoke good english and was able to translate for us.    Penney really needs to learn another language if she thinks I am going to travel with her.

We met our friend Sharon, from Miami, for dinner tonight, at Aqualina.  What a wonderful meal... but Penney really needs to learn how to share more.  We then went to the nightly show but from our travels we were so tired and decided to retire early.   Looking forward to tomorrow in Monte Carlo.

October 10, 2008  -  Bonjou, this morning we pulled into Port deMonaco, Monte Carlo, the playground of the rich, famous for its wealth.  It is  ruled by Prince Rainier III, a direct descendant of the Grimaldi family.  What a gorgeous place!  There are so many beautiful homes and yachts.   The  palace sits l top of Monaco Rock, overlooking the port and marina.  

I hope Penney has arranged a tea for us later today with the prince, knowing her she probably forgot to contact 'his people'.    Going ashore now... will write a bit more later.

Yes, sure enough, no tea with Prince Rainier, but had a nice day walking around the streets shopping a bit and just enjoying the local people. 

When we got back to the ship, Penney booked an acupuncture treatment at the Spa, (no I didn't get to go, not even in the bag she usually carries me around in)   When she arrived back to the cabin she looked so relaxed.  According to her the treatment was fantabulous (you know she made up that word right?). 

This evening we had dinner (yes,Penney and Sharon actually invited me) in the main dining room with the Guest Relations Manager, Ngawhira and the International Host, Christian.   I didn't get to eat much, but Penney sure seemed to enjoy herself. :) 

We say Au Revoir to this beautiful country and set sail for Italy.

October 11, 2008  -  Buon Giorno, Today we arrived in Civitavecchia, which is about 50 miles outside of Rome.  Many of the other cruise guests took tours today to visit Rome, I would have liked to see the city with all its history, however, Penney and Kevin went recently so she decided we would stay in Civitavecchia.   We spent the morning walking around the cobblestone streets, visiting the local shops and vendors, it is a very lovely area.  As we were sitting in the city square on a park bench, checking email (you know Penney, never far from the office), Sharon said, "isn't that Dick and Jeanine?"  About that same time they saw us too.

These are friends that we met in May while on a seminar@sea.    They were just getting off of a cruise on the Azamara Quest.  We spent the rest of the day catching up, laughing, eating pizza and drinking wine in a quaint cafe.  After we went to a local gelateria for amazing gelato.  The mint chocolate chip is my favorite, or is it the snickers, or raspberry?   I guess i don't have a favorite, they are all wonderful.

We had to say our Arrivederci to our friends and this beautiful city as we headed back to the ship to continue our Journey.

This evening Penney & Sharon went to the Prime C restaurant, (they forgot about me, but that is ok, i took the time to rest for tomorrows adventure)

October 12, 2008  -  This morning when i woke up and looked out the window there was the beautiful coast line of Sorrento.   

The homes and hotels built right into the side of the cliff.   We tendered from the ship, then took a shuttle bus into town.    The cobblestone streets, the people chattering and going in and out of the boutiques...  absolutely an amazing place to visit.    A few minutes after we arrived the church bell rang and we knew that Mass had ended, shortly there several Momma's pushing strollers with bambinos, couples holding hands and locals talking and laughing all around.

We enjoyed some shopping, and then went for lunch at Aurora Pizziaria.   We found this place in May when we were here and Penney like the pizza so much she recreated it when she went home.  So here we are sitting at a lovely table on the street, Penney and Sharon eating pizza and sharing some local wine... while I get to watch, but that's ok because i am trying to keep my girlish figure.

After lunch we walked through these charming streets and ended up sharing a gelato.

We went back to the ship and sat by the pool until dinner...   is there a pattern here?   rest, food, laugh and start all over again.

Dinner was back in Aqualina, with Ngawhira, Christian, as well as the shore excursion manager, Bruce, the harpest, Jacqueline and Allred of the guest relations staff.    Of course, Penney left me in the cabin...  she said i had had enough excitement for today. :)

October 13, 2008 -  Today we had a  Day@Sea...  After a light breakfast, Penney went for her second acupuncture treatment while i caught up on a little light reading :)

Later we met for lunch  (because we hadn't eaten in almost 3 hours, haha) and then found a couple of lounges by the pool.   What beautiful weather we are having, the sun, the sea, and pina colas by the pool, what more could you want??

Another wonderful dinner, this time we tried the buffet in Windows Cafe, we had some delicious stir fry.  After, we went to the comedian show, and then retired.   Of course, Penney stayed up until the wee hours on hr computer again.

October 14, 2008  -  We arrived in Bari, Italy today...  As we were pulling into port, Penney's blackberry (or as she likes to refer to it, her raspberry) starting to ring.  As she checked it she let out a squeal...  several people were near and she began showing everyone a picture of a new baby...  her new grandbaby!   So immediately she called home (it was a little after 3AM) and talked to Kevin, he did not know anything about it but said he would find out and call back.   Here she is...

We took the shuttle into Bari and wondered the streets doing some shopping.  Sharon bought some cool Channel sunglasses and Geox shoes.  Penney bought some little booties for the new baby. 

While in Bari, Kevin called back with details...  her name is Lydia Isabelle, she was born at 10:04pm on October 13th.   18" and 7lbs 4 oz.    He is going to go to the hospital later and see them.

Oct 15 - Dubrovnik, Croatia   What a wonderful day!   Penney, Sharon and I tendered ashore, we decided not to do any tours but to walk around the charming city, enjoy the local people and do a bit of shopping. 

While in a small  shop  on ULICA OD PUAEA 12 street called LIBRA COM d.o.o., we met the nicest man.  His name is Roko, and here is a picture of he and I.

As we were all talking and telling him about my adventures, he said 'one minute' and when he came back he introduced me to...   my soul mate!

Isn't he gorgeous?   and the best part, i get to take him home with me :)   Yep, we are now traveling the world together.

Later Penney and Sharon found a wonderful little internet cafe and HAD to check email and do some work.  Those workaholics!   In fact, when Penney was done with her work, she hooked up her magic jack and webcam... she did called Kevin and they spent 30 minutes talking and looking at each other (they really do like each other)   This cafe is located on a side street, up some very narrow stairs, but once there it was so beautiful.   It was like a pub, with paneled walls, a nice bar area, in fact it reminded me of walking into 'cheers'.  We were there for close to an hour, with the cost of the internet and a beverage Penney paid a whopping 5 Euro.

Back to the tender and our beautiful ship for an Azamara Repeaters Party.   Sipping on Martinis and watching the sunset, is this heaven or what?

We received an email from Kevin with a photo of him and Lydia...  I think is is going to be a GREAT PAPA (that is southern for Grandfather :)

Oct 16, 2008   Split, Croatia     Here we are in my home town of Split!   This is where Penney and I first met.  We have been so blessed with the lovely weather and today is no exception, sunny and in the mid 70's.   We talked about it and since all my family is gone and Penney has already visited Split, we decided to stay onboard the beautiful Journey and relax today,  I am going to spend some quality time with my new honey, while Penney is enjoying reading and copping some rays by the pool.

Penney and Sharon talked, laughed and shared stories all afternoon.  we saw some passengers being ugly, and Penney said to Sharon 'i don't care for them', i thought she was going to bust a gut laughing.

This evening we were invited to have dinner with the Chief Engineer, Stamatios Mavrogiannis.   We had a very loving dinner in the Discoveries dining room with two other couples from New York and were that were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversaries. 

Oct 17, 2008  Koper, Solvania    As I awoke this morning i could hear the crash of thunder, I think our run of great weather may be over, or at least on hold for today.    We dressed and went upstairs for a bite of breakfast (yep, eating again).   Sure enough it is raining and cool, but you know Penney, she found a quite little alcove, with a nice lounger over looking Koper and fired up the laptop... and actually found a free internet signal so she can be productive and work today. 

Here she is, laptop, blackberry, and even the magic Jack so she can return phone calls and keep in touch with clients, and family of course.

Well i am going to go show Mr Lady Bug around the ship, and maybe go find more food while Penney is working... be back later.

Well with the rain today, we all decided to stay on the ship and chill.   It was a good day.