On April 2, 1999, we headed to Detroit Metro airport to depart on a trip I had always dreamed of taking..........a 7 day cruise!  My Mom treated us to this adventure and to her we will be forever grateful.  We were to board the Commadore Cruise Lines Enchanted Isle and travel from New Orleans, La. to Playa Del Carmen and Cozumel, Mexico;  the Grand Cayman island; and Montego Bay, Jamaica.



We arrived in Tulsa, Ok. where she picked us up at the airport so that we could spend the night with her before leaving out bright and early the next morning enroute to New Orleans, La. where we would climb on a 'big boat'!  Bright and early on Saturday morning, April 3, we were delivered to the Tulsa Airport in anticipation of meeting my brother and his wife, who were going to accompany us on our big voyage.
We got a little nervous when we never saw his smiling face at the airport, and as they called for us to board the plane, we just knew that they had missed the flight.  Our flight from Tulsa, Ok. was to stop over in Houston, Tx. and then fly on over to New Orleans, La.  However, due to a storm in the area, our plane was delayed as the Houston airport was closed for a period of time due to high winds and lightening.  We were assured that since the airport had been closed, the flights had probably all been delayed as well.

Much to our surprise, as we departed this plane, we were informed that the flight we were to get on in Houston, was ready to leave the gate.  Now this could present a problem.  We had arrived at Gate #8 and were to leave from Gate #32.  All the attendant could say was, "You'll never make it....."

With determination on our faces, a rolling carry-on piece of luggage by each of our sides and with a racing pulse, we literally ran through the Houston airport.  Thoughts of leaping over luggage flashed through my mind.  I had waited a life-time to go on a cruise and couldn't believe I was about to miss the plane, much less 'the boat'!

I spotted the gate, and I think my yelling "STOP! DON'T LEAVE YET!" was what helped save the day.  I don't know if the gate attendant was too scared to not let us board or if she anticipated that my heart was racing so that she would rather see me keel over onboard the plane that right there in her territory.  None the less, we made it and raced to our seats.  (At this point, we still had not spotted my brother and his wife.)

We arrived in New Orleans and were met by a representative from the  Commodore Cruise Line, but not by all of our luggage.  We still had a little spare time so waited an hour for the next flight from Houston and luckily the rest of our baggage made the trip.  From there, we were shuttled to the docks were we stood in line with the rest of the eager travelers and got our clearance to board 'the big boat'.

We were finally checked, cleared, stamped, signed, identified, authorized, scanned, tagged, x-rayed and given permission to board 'the big boat'!  Yehaw!!  Yes!!  Yipee!!  Woo Woo!!  We made it!!



Once past all the 'red' tape.......we were led down the 'red' ramp!  This is where the pictures, fun and food began!  (Still no sign of my brother and sister-in-law!)


 


Peek in our port-hole to see what happened next!