We left Virginia Beach about 6:00 AM headed toward Jacksonville, Fl.  We were going to visit some old friends, but she was having eye surgery so we went the Navy Air Station and stay the night at the Navy Lodge.  It cost about $45.00 a night.  It is very clean and you can leave your stuff in your car.  You can also stay at cottages on the golf course, right in front of the Navy Lodge, for about the same cost, of course; you have to be military or retired military.   We got up and drove by our first home we had in the USA, 350 Dunwoodie Dr.

Next morning we took an easy drive down to Cocoa Beach, FL.  I had got two rooms at the Hilton Oceanfront Cocoa Beach, one room for Thursday night and two rooms for Friday night.  I got a very good rate though HotelMart USA, $67.00 per night.  The hotel was not that nice, old and dirty - really a bad view from the windows and the rate is usually $90 to $150 per night.  However, the beach in front of the hotel was excellent.  Where we should of stay, the Quality Suites, which had free parking while for your car while you are on the cruises; a free continental breakfast;  transportation to the cruise lines piers; and a much newer hotel.  Really the place to stay if you are taking a cruise.  Both Friday and Saturday morning, we had breakfast at the IHOP at Cocoa Beach.  They were very good breakfasts, much better than the IHOP on General Booth Blvd, Virginia Beach.

We were able to get on the ship at about 11:00 AM.  If you are not early, you will have to drop your bags and park about 2 miles from the ship.  That is why staying at the Quality Suites  is the right course of action.  After dropping the bags and passengers, I and Chuck was able to park our cars in their garage, $140.00, again saving, if we had stay at the Quality Suites.  We got thru the lines finally and got onto the ship.  Having eaten breakfast only a couple hours before, we headed to the pizza parlor for some pizza!!!

After eating dinner in the dining room, we listen to the Big Band presentation and then strolled around the ship.

We got up early and had coffee on the lido deck.  Just enjoy the time on the ship.  Chuck and Lenore with Chase and Emily met us for breakfast.  After breakfast we got ready to go ashore in Nassau.  I believe it was just after 9 when we got ashore.  Customs was almost nothing, they just hope we were bring plenty of money to spend in Nassau.  We walk around a little, did some window shopping and did not buy very much.  There were at least 2 cruise ships in port today and that was more people that lived in this little town we went ashore in.  Carmen and I were not very impress with Nassau, however; Chase and Emily were really thrilled being there.  Chuck and Lenore took Chase and Emily for a ride around in a horse cart.  They enjoyed it a lot.  Carmen and I walk around a little more and headed back to the ship.  It was early sailing, we had to be back by 1:30 PM anyway.  We all met on the lido deck for some more fun, food and relaxation.

The rest of Sunday, we just kind of laid around and did nothing but enjoy life.  We went to the evening meal and from there we took in the floor show.  After the floor show, we donated a little to the casino and then went to bed.

Monday was a day of relaxing, just hanging around.  A little pool, a little pizza, a little ice cream and then a little more food.

After a relaxing day at sea Monday, Tuesday has us getting to Saint Thomas in the Virgin Island around 10:00 in the morning.   This being the US, even our cellular telephones worked.  You will see Mc Donalds, Pizza Hut and everything else.  One might think about staying here for a long time.  The beach are beautiful and the weather is outstanding, except during Hurricane season.  Right after we got ashore, we took a cable car to Paradise Point.  What a beautiful view from there.  It had a nice restaurant and a good shop for souvenirs.  We got a drink, some ice cream and did a little shopping there.  We took the cable car back down to the main street and found a taxis cab who would take us to a good beach.  We spent a couple of hours swimming on a beautiful beach.  Did a little touring around and then back to the ship. 

Saint Maarten, the Dutch side of the island, was the cleanest and for us the best on the whole cruise.  The board walk next to the beach was clean and easy to get to.  Just after you got off the Glory, there was a smaller boat that for 3 dollars would take you to town and back as many times as you wanted to go.  This boat dropped you right on the board walk.  All the stories started just one block from the beach and ran along a road that was one block off the beach.  Shopping was very easy.  We did most of our purchases here and spent some time on the beach.  The beach was outstanding as you can see from the pictures below.

What a good time we had in St Maarten and how nice it is just to lay around.  Thursday and Friday, we were at sea.  We had a formal night, pictures displayed below.  We spent time by the pools - swimming, laying and eating.  Life could not get much better.  The food on the Glory was the best.  The outstanding service and fun we had was sure hard to measure, but they were the best.  Chuck, Lenore, Chase, Emily, Carmen and I will have to try this again.