Starting July 15th 2001, I went on a week long cruise with my grade school friend Chris and his family.  We started our vacation by spending a two nights in the Fort Lauderdale Embassy Suites eating free breakfasts just in case the ship didn't have any food.

While there, we toured the rich people's homes by boat in downtown Fort Lauderdale -- the "Venice of America."  We also took an airboat ride in the Everglades and saw some alligators.

I didn't realize that Florida was mostly swampy everglades and that all of the cities in that area are really just places where dirt was scoped out to make dry lands and large lakes.  What they didn't know when they started draining the Everglades like this was that it's really a huge slow-moving river.

The port that we left from and the new drawbridge near the hotel.

My first look at a real cruise ship -- our cruise ship the Grand Princess -- in the port.  Our room was right behind an orange lifeboat for optimal viewing pleasure.

Everyone waiting at the port to board.  There are the Positanos, right at the front of the line.

On the ship, you've got to look spiffy, otherwise nobody will talk to you.

I prefer the James Bond look myself.

Our ship from Cozumel.

In Cozumel, we went on a "Jeep Adventure" to Mayan ruins and a beach.  First, though, we had to take a bathroom break so that people could by stuff.

The trip was over rough, sandy roads, but Mr. Positano didn't flip us over too many times.

Pretty water.

Somewhat disappointing ruins.  Apparently this is the top level of a temple that Mayans used to travel to and pray for fertility -- success in their previous efforts off to the right in the bushes.

The water here was so clear and so pretty.

The lunch here was so good and so spicy.

These Jeeps were spotless when we left.

Yet another one of the ship.

During our stop at Playa del Carmen, Chris and I went to visit the ancient Mayan city of Tulum.  This is our guide talking about how a picture of an upside-down man with a serpent represented fertility.

The big temple from the back where it overlooked a cliff and the ocean.

Me in front of the big temple.  Look how red I am.

These crazy guys did this cool pole thing where they wound themselves up and jumped off, spinning the top and unwinding their rope to go down.

Crazy.

Too perfect.

Playa del Carmen from the ship.

The nightclub "spoiler" at the back of the ship.

Big chess game which I continued to lose.

Exhaust pipes to vent the 2649 tons of fuel the ship can hold.  That's not liters or gallons, it's tons.  I felt guilty taking part.  Since there were only 1500 passengers, I could have contributed to burning almost 2 tons of fuel this week.  Puke.

On a lighter note...

String quartet every night.  This one's for you Jen Cutts.

Ice fish.

Our wonderful waiters Ramonne and Anka.

Me thanking Anka for teaching me how to say "thank you" in Polish.

Me telling her that I needed at least one picture with her eyes open.

The girl who was taking everyone's pictures throughout the whole cruise.   I figured it was only fair and she gave me such a cute pose that I couldn't resist.  The girl in the back looks pissed off, though.

Our new friends from the nightclub: Amy, Amanda, Reanne, and Michelle. This is my expression for "That's right random lady, for the fourth time it's the silver button -- the other one turns the camera off."

Karaoke Amy

At the end they had a Champaign waterfall.  There's the head waiter and Graham Seymour, our cruise director, this time with his bottom covered.

The party when the pouring started

The pouring.

The nice United people who gave me $400, a free dinner, and a free night at the Sheraton, all so I could stay on vacation an extra day.

The beautiful sunset view from my room on the last day in Florida.

This is me working on my thesis in the hotel room after putting it off all week.

There was a convention of Deaf Baptists at the hotel.  This is the universal sign language for "Hey baby, wanna come up to my room and study the bible?" This is also me not working on my thesis and instead playing with the timer on the digital camera.  (Look, if you made it this far, you know how bored I must have been when I made this huge page.)