Crew Tug-of-War

Every year, the highlight of Crystal Cruises' World Cruise Games is the Crew Tug-of-War.  Some of these departments practice for MONTHs in an attempt to dethrone the reigning champions, the Crystal Dining Room team.

It's a visual thing...so just enjoy the merriment....

My friend Che with RD*

and my friend Ada with RD...

and my friend Barbara with RD...

(RD gets around).

Afzal struggling to stay out of the sunshine while cheering on his Barstaff team...

 Style can be as important as strength sometimes... as the housekeeping department proves...

The galley crew...

The Shops/Shore Ex/Photography crew...

I think this was the specialty restaurants crew- but whoever it is, I loved how they turned umbrellas into jellyfish...

The always-expected-to-win Crystal Dining Room crew...

And the crew office crew!!!

My buddy Ross ready to tug...

I think these guys are the back galley crew...

And the deck department!

Mario, my mom's favorite waiter...

Powerhouse Musa ready to go...

And Coach Augusto, all ready for "his" team, the CDR, to win.

It was close--much closer than  in previous years. But, in the end, the CDR guys beat out the Bad Boys of the Bar.

Solid good fun in the sun!!!

*"Rubber Ducky" is RD's formal name.......

A Bit of France in the South Pacific

Noumea, New Caledonia is a teeny tiny slice of France in the great big Pacific.
The smell from the bakeries alone are enough to make you want to stay forever- never mind the beauty of the island.  The reef here is second only to the Great Barrier Reef in size...and two years ago, brother Will and I snorkeled off Duck Island.  So this trip, I hopped on the Tchou Tchou Train for a ride around.

Noumea has a population of 100,000- and has an equal number of visitors each year.
Almost every household owns a boat.

Bay of Lemon Trees (sounds so much better en français- la Baie des Citrons)- L'Île aux Canards in the distance.

Le Roof is THE place to be at sunset, we were told.

Aren't these windswept pines wonderful?

Our cute little open-aired train - up to the top to see the lagoons and beaches that surround this glorious island. There is also a rather large mountain range that traverses Grande Terre.

Le Tricolor flies, even if France proper is 20,000 kilometers away.

My home in the distance...

While waiting for a roof to be replaced, locals have decorated an abandoned  building with pretty amazing designs.

I could DEFINITELY come back for a longer visit!!!

Mardi Gras Fun

Just a few photos from the Mardi Gras Celebration aboard Crystal Serenity....

(Of course, I brought beads and a mask from home....)

Bojan rocked the banjo....

My thanks to friend Howard for sharing this silly photo of me....

(blessed are they who can laugh at themselves....)

Mystery Island, Vanuatu

Good ol' Mystery Island.  Never thought I'd be back for a return visit.

It's mainly visual....ENJOY!!!