The following has been sent to the parkway police news letter:

Hank and Joan Springer celebrated their 50th anniversary on the high seas with their two sons. Here is a photo they share with us, having an anniversary dinner on October 15, 2011.  Joan has had disabling chronic back pain for 6 years and Hank says that for a hypochondriac scheduled to be a quarter of a century old in Feb. 2012, he is doing just fine. Hank asks everyone to come often to his web site www.longislandstateparkwaypolice.com

 

 

===========================================

Getting deserts ready for the evening dinner.

Strict rule: no eating in the Kitchen, even for guests on tour.

=================================

 

Freedom of the Seas Cruise,

10 15 11

see Hank and Joan on their 50th year anniversary, October 15, 2011

 poanposted 12 6 11

 

 

All stainless steel kitchen. Floors are not moped, but

sanitized water is brushed into drains on the floor.

---------------------------------------------------------

 

Down below on the ship, a room full of carpeting, ready for emergency use.

And indeed, they were used to replace wet carpeting in state rooms when they

got wet from rain water in the 85 mph storm at sea.

------------------------------------------

 

Mary Ellen Papadeus of Port Orange, with Capt. Ron

 

10 12 11 freedom of the seas cruise

St. Thomas

 

Captain Ron speaking about the weather at the Crown & Anchor Society 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whDRcTDE-nQ

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

10 12 11 latin music dance aboard "Freedom of the Seas". in the Boleros section of the ship

 

The wheel in the bridge of "Freedom of the Seas"

Disappointing isn't it?

I have a wheel clock on my wall by my short wave radios
that is more impressive.

 

Books / Sunday Book Review: The Cat's Table - By Michael Ondaatje - Book Review
By LIESL SCHILLINGER
Three Ceylonese schoolboys on a sea journey to England take
delight in their eccentric companions at the ship's worst
dining table.

Full Story:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/16/books/review/the-cats-table-by-michael-ondaatje-book-review.html?emc=tnt&tntemail1=y

On the bridge of "Freedom of the Seas",
10 14 11.

From left to right, Hank Springer, The Captain (name to be supplied when I find it in my luggage), Robert and John Springer.

/////////////////

Our first night at sea unfortunately was a bit anxious. We went into 85 mph winds, and endured a micro burst as the Captain told us. The captain said that at one point the ship listed 12 degrees.

The ship's company is generously reimbursing us for the night of our vacation, lost to the storm at sea. The service on the ship was top notch, and we all grade it as excellent. Robert and John have been on cruises before, and they were impressed by the grade A service.

When the room service attendent comes to your state room door, and you greet him, he always asks if he can come in. We all enjoyed the cruise, and would go again.

More about the services and events on board will be coming in video form and my commentary, on this web site.

-- hank 10 16 11

//////////////////////

 

The bridge is large and spacious. Computer units to operate the ship are somewhat compact and take up little room. I would have liked to see the radio room, but in these times of security against terrorists, I did not ask to see it. The captain would like to see merchant ships which sail into waters where pirates have been operating, armed.

 

Aboard "Freedom of the Seas"

Ferry to Coco Island

There is an internet cafe. Internet service, and i phone capabilities are rather expensive. And I heard, that the internet service to up load is kind of slow, so I did not sign up for it. E mail and phone services are provided for the ship's help at a less expensive rate

There are 3 pools. 2 for adults and one for children. Big screen at the adult pool. The baseball playoffs were being shown.

Also at the pool, but not shown in the video, are ice cream machines where you make your own ice cream cones, with sprinkles if you like.

The brief clip of the Jacuzzi does not show that it extends over the side of the ship. At night, some small lights reflect off the windows and they look like stars over the ocean.

I never felt uncomfortable. There are many overweight people on the ship. A lot of wasted food too which I wish could have gone to the starving people in Africa. The director of the food service told us that the waste food is compressed and chopped up and deposited in the ocean for the enjoyment of the fish. I bet the sharks have learned to follow the big ships for gourmet food.

There too, are many good looking slim people. I love to watch all the girls on the ship. I met two women in their early 40's from Indiana at the buffet. I was alone, and found out that they have a "girls get away" once a year. I asked them if they were going to the singles bar event in the evening and they said they were not planning to, because there were very few single men on the ship. I told them my two boys were unattached and were on the ship. They didn't seem too interested. Probably figured they didn't need to see more of my gene pool. LOL. They were spending the afternoon on the beach, at St. Martins.

There were two formal or dress up nights. Some tuxedos like the family with two young boys in tuxedos. We dressed up, but no tux's. I like buffets, so we had all buffets, except for about 4 meals, I think.

We had a junior suite. Refrigerator, nice size room.

///////////////////////////

10 11 11 cruise freedom of the seas

 

more videos and images from the cruise will be coming ...

 

 

Happy 50th Anniversary Hank and Joan!!  Glad you made it back from the cruise safe!  Here's a song for you.
Cindy and Joe

Engelbert Humperdinck
Cant Take My Eyes

 

Joan and Hank's wedding song,

October 15, 1961

Andy Williams - More (audio)

 

Joan and Hank on the cruise to St. Thomas and St. Martin. 10 15 11 on their 50th wedding anniversary.

 

Port Orange residents on "Freedom of the Seas" cruise.

Mary Ellen Papadeus, whose husband owns SoundCrafters in South Daytona.

Regina and Bruce Mason of Mason's Automotive service, Port Orange.

10 14 11

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

cartoon from www.newyorker.com
also see cartoons at www.cartoonbank.com

I heard Mary Ellen, Regina and Bruce say that they really enjoyed the 80s night event on the cruise. In the 80's I had retired from the New York State Police and made the mistake of going to work in the Post Office. I was treated to the music of that era at 3 am in the mornings, while working as a clerk, and listening to the music being enjoyed by workers, 30 years younger than me. "Do you want to hurt me" by Boy George. After he sang that question in the song about 15 times, I was ready to kill him. Some of the tunes in the 80's were ok, but I don't remember them, as I do the tunes from the 50's. One night, a local radio station was offering free tickets to a musical performance where the top tunes were going to be performed. A co worker who knew I did not enjoy or appreciate the music of the 80's told me I should call up the radio show, and maybe win the free tickets to listen to more of that painful early morning music. I told her that with my luck, I would win, and would have to go to the show.

A young girl working with us, did call up the radio show at 3 am in the morning, answered the question correctly, and won a delux, expensive, fancy new car, the make I cannot now remmeber. She had her husband drive the car to us one night, so that we could see it. She told us, that winning the car was the worst thing that could happen to her. She had to pay taxes on the car, pay for a garage to hide the car from thieves, and was afraid to drive it. lol.

One of the things that annoyed me about the songs of the 80's were the lack of meaningful words in the songs. "Hey girl, what's your name?" -- "OH, OH, lok out, here she comes!". There were a lot of lyrics lacking words, but had fill ins of "Uh-UH-UH-".

But I must admit the songs of the 50's had some crazy lyrics. "Hot Diiggity Dog Diggity, what you do to me". -- "Come ona my house, mya house, I'm going to give you candy ---"

On the cruise there was a 50 and 60's night event, but I did not go. I went to the Latin Music, Tropical Breeze, in the Boleros section. I have a video of a couple elegantly dancing to the first song of the evening. I will post the video, when I get to it.

- -- hank, posted 10 17 11