We boarded the ship about 1 PM on Saturday, got unpacked and oriented ourselves to the ship (which is a bit like our home away from home). At 4:00, there was a sail away party on deck which was a sing along with Garrison leading and Heather Masse singing backup. The group sang songs like God Save the Queen, America the Beautiful, The Titanic, Oklahoma, and other old standards.
Traditionally Pat Donahue sang his version of Sweet Caroline. In anticipation of this, Caroline had a T-shirt made. Pat did not play this year and we were disappointed. Mary (our friend) came to the rescue by requesting Sweet Caroline and she finally convinced Caroline to join the group. Here is a short clip from the movie I took.
One of the pleasures of this cruise are the friends we have made over the years. (Mainly, Mary and Gene, Suzanne, Katie, Claire and Richard, and many more) It’s so welcoming to see their faces as we board the ship each year.
Many people on board now say hello to Sweet Caroline <grin>.
The cliffs of Dover were incredible as we left. Here are some pictures.
One of the reasons we like these cruises is the incredible musicians that are on board. We finished our evening listening to Pat Donahue (guitar), Rich Dwarsky (keyboard), Richard Kriehn (mandolin and fiddle), Gary Raynor (bass), and Peter Johnson (drums). Here is a sample of what their music.