Hi Everyone,<br /><br />Sorry to have been absent for such a long time.  I can&#39;t believe I managed nineteen days away from work&#33;  I had a fabulous cruise - though I prefer the Radiance class ships to the mega monsters.  The Navigator was nice - great crew - but the Radiance has so much more exposure to ocean vistas.<br /><br />My friend, Sherry and I were really treated royally.  We loved our junior suite upgrade&#33;  Don&#39;t know how I&#39;ll ever adjust again to poverty class&#33;  We dined one night with Captain Todal, another with hotel director, Giorgio Katikkis, and another night, Food &amp; Beverage manager, Ron Kane, had us dine at Portonfino as his guest.  Very nice place.<br /><br />My favorite spot on the ship was Vintages Wine Bar.  Incredible deal on the wine flights - varying in range from about &#036;8 for four good sized pours to &#036;22 for the conossieur&#39;s selection.  Wonderful wines, some a big expensive.  I did discover an outstanding CA syrah - Liberty School 2005 from Paso Robles, in the San Luis Obispo area.  It was &#036;35 on the ship.  I even went on the internet to see if they had it at Beverages and More, our CA wine merchants - and they did, on sale at about &#036;12/bottle - so I ordered a case&#33;<br /><br />Barcelona, for our three days after, was great.  My English friends, who I met eleven years ago, on the Sun Viking in southeast Asia, came to spend the weekend with me.  We ate grilled seafood every day ( that Mediterranean fish is spectacular ).<br /><br />I am headed out for cruise number 20 on the Monarch of the Seas...pretty soon, she&#39;ll be gone from <br />CA.<br /><br />It&#39;s midnight...so I&#39;m off to bed.  Sorry to have been so remiss in getting back here with all my friends.  Work has been really chaotic lately.<br /><br />Carmej