2011 SFC Copenhagen

What's not to like about the last day on a Crystal Cruise? NOTHING. There is NOTHING happy about the thought of getting off either of these wonderful ships. I simply cannot say it enough. There is a reason it has been voted the #1 cruise line for DECADES.

It was a beautiful day when we docked in Copenhagen.







The seahorse by the pool beckons us-




-but no swimming today- we're going to TIVOLI.

That night, it was time for one-or two- last FABULOUS bottles of wine. THANKS, Maurizio!!





We were leaving quite early in the morning, so we said "goodbye" to our wonderful--and I do mean WONDERFUL- stewardess Michelle Gonzalez.



I love the ceiling of the Crystal Dining Room.



A little delicious Norwegian salmon for dinner.



And MAGNIFICENT crepes suzettes!





Hated it, you can tell.



Oh, and one last game of dodgeball.



Chappy Wingo and Ed. Great new friend!!!



Yep, gonna miss this.

2011 SFC Tivoli

Our last full day aboard Crystal Serenity had us arrive in Copenhagen. Now, if you have kids, there is only one word that describes Copenhagen- TIVOLI!!!!

Tivoli is a wonderful arts venue, but it is also the most AMAZING amusement park.

Our group, joined by friend Chappy Wingo, linked arms, Wizard of Oz style, to go off in search of enjoyment whilst the elder bunch (oh, how I hate that terminology) went in search of ....um....libations.





It's not a super-tarted up cutsy place like Disney or Six Flags--it's simply PRETTY.



But it has some wild rides...





Brother Ed was "cruise director" for the adults.



Possible.



But we opted for something with THIS type of sign.





Much happier seeing this from a distance.



Not THEM.







Happy Bunch.





And one wild and crazy guy!!

2011 SFC Warnemunde

See? You get in a hurry and forget to post about two whole days!!!! So BACK to the Summer Family Cruise we go (I know you are all thrilled......beyond words.)

Warnemunde, Germany is a beautiful town on the Baltic Sea. Having lived in Germany for 3 years (a LONG time ago), you know I have a love of all things German.

Those of you who know cruiselines will recognize the ships with the lips--Aida Cruises. The line is headquartered not far away in Rostock, so there was plenty of advertising around the port area.




Pretty girls on a beautiful day!



Charming.




The inner pirate in me wanted to visit Captain Bligh's...but it was too early.




We walked to the beach, which was wide and spacious. A few hearty souls were already out in the early sunshine.



Um...this jellyfish looks like trouble.



But the water was just too tempting. Cold. REALLY cold.



I mean, you HAVE to be able to say you dipped your toes into the Baltic Sea.....



The beautiful lighthouse that is part of a WONDERFUL boardwalk.




I think the teens could have stayed all day- shopping, eating, sunning, shopping, eating.....





Later that night, we had one more round of fun at Silk Road....Nobu Matsuhisa's brilliance once again at work. I sat with my nieces Emerson and Ella at our own "kids table"- we had fun!

Oh, the rock shrimp...the rock shrimp...the rock shrimp!



Emerson thought the little cookies at the end of the meal were cute.



Ella always loves her chocolate cake!



It really was a lovely day!

2011 SFC A Few Extra Pix

I have a few extra photographs- some taken by moi, some.....well- I didn't take.

I either forgot to post them on the appropriate day or they got misfiled and I just found them. In any case, they are fun memories I'd like to share.

Oh, and the ones I didn't take--yes, I am working on getting the proper permission. I will give credit where credit is due, though. The photos not taken by me--and you can tell because they have ME appearing in them--were taken by the MARVELOUS professional photographers aboard Crystal Serenity. Photography services for Crystal Cruises are handled by Paragon Pixels, and, in particular, three TERRIFIC photographers-- Jeremy Fratkin, Lianne Butler, and George Tzavaras. How they can manage to get ALL of us to 1)have our eyes opened at the same time, 2)smile together on cue and 3)make us look presentable is a testament to their abilities.

And, so--remembering that asking forgiveness is easier than getting permission.......

The boys.



Buzz at work.



(I may have posted that one before. Seriously, Buzz had quite a following amongst the male guests. He has high entertainment value, relaxing by the pool, making custom fishing rods, chatting with the curious.)

Brother Ed, the camera shy.



He hates this photo..I love it.

All of us in Prague.



(Ok, I'm in this one...the tour guide took it).

The Gang's All Here.



The Catherine Palace



(No, they didn't paint the palace to match Gran's shirt.)

The ladies of Maison Cou Rouge at sea.



Vintage Room Dinner.



The next generation of ladies.



And finally, although we lost a few before this last one- Gran, Will and Hutch are MIA-

The family salute!



Always remember that LIFE IS GOOD!!!!!!!!!!