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February 3rd 2020

Published: February 4th 2020

Very few free moments and pure exhaustion (plus deep depression: Lost Lulu) prevented me from keeping up with our blogs while cruising the high seas. Time passed so quickly. You have heard “How Time Flies When Having a Good Time”....right? Well, that was our circumstance. Plain & simple.

Now, we are all back on good, old terra firma. Debarked our ship on Sunday, February 2nd: Super Bowl Sunday and Groundhog Day. Much going on this day. Only delay after we left the ship was Cory going through customs because he had to declare his casino winnings. Had to fill out more paperwork, etc. The security staff as well as the Custom Agents said they had never seen a win as big as this on the cruise ships! Just doesn’t happen! But Mr. Lucky did it.....lucky, luckeeeeee. He won this big jackpot on a slot machine that took 5 cents, 25 cents or $1.00. He bet a dollar and invested $6.00 when the win happened. He was using ship credit that the casino had given him for playing in the casino two years ago...so it really cost him nothing. The next day, he tried his luck again on another slot! Winner!

$1,000 winner! Mr.Lucky!

Winner! Mr. Lucky won another $1,000. Unreal! He loves this casino and this cruise-ship. A cruise we shall never forget! He also loves the crap table and usually walks away from it grinning from ear to ear. He won another $500 on the table. Not as much as usual but, hey, we don’t want to be greedy!

Arrived back at Tropical Palms around 3:30 pm. It was a marvelous cruise but always good to come back home.

Okay....haul out your time machine again and set it for January 28th. We have to get back onboard the ship via this blog. This is the day we traveled through the Panama Canal. I was able to FaceTime our 4 children as we moved through the locks so they could witness it also. Hope you found it as fascinating as we did. FYI: it costs the ship $500,000.00 to take one passage through the canal. Some of our group of friends disembarked the ship and took an excursion into Panama and the area around. We, and the rest of our group, stayed onboard and went back through the canal and docked at a port called Cristobal. Here we would wait for

Cory playing craps

all the folks who had taken excursions into Panama to regroup at this port to embark our waiting boat. We had taken the excursion into Panama 2 years ago. It was great! It was nice to travel both ways in the canal this time. We had great seats at the aft deck of the boat.
Not wanting to drone on about Lost Lulu but she missed out in so many meaningful photos. None of them are of the same quality without her. Sniffle—Sob! Every day, Cory makes his ritual path to guest relations in hopes that Lulu may be there amongst all the other lost treasures. Sadly, she never is there. We have everyone onboard searching for her: room services, dining services, guest services, etc. Cory checked also in the children’s area. Nope. Oh, God! It’s not looking good, folks! Lulu Strong.

I think I’ll concentrate this blog basically around the Panama Canal. Of course, there will be a few extra photos included. Because my last blog was so detailed and lengthy, I feel I must be more thoughtful towards your busy schedules. I know you can’t take one day out of your activities to devote it to reading

Back at Port Everglades

our blog. Plus, I’m afraid you may send me hate mail if I keep this blabbering into oblivion. The biggy blog was necessary. No choice about it. I had to share the torment we are coping with revolving around Lost Lulu. It was my catharsis. My appeal for your support during this difficult time. Thank you for lending your ears and shoulders for me to cry and carry on. Thank you for your understanding and patience. If you just shrugged it off....so be it. Lulu will pray for you if she ever shows her little face again.

Keep your time machines running. We have more stops and excursions to take you on in future blogs. See you then. Please keep your eye out for Lulu. Yahoo...23 photos to see.

Additional photos below

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