2008 ABA Cruise
If you missed this year’s cruise, you missed a great time. We cruised the Mexican Riviera to Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Cabo San Lucas with 366 fellow dancers from all over the U.S.A. Cruising out of Los Angeles into the Pacific was a little cooler than cruising the Caribbean and the weather this year very different from last year’s cruise. We just happened to be on board when California was getting more rain than they had in the last two years. However, the weather was near perfect when we were in the various ports of call.
On board the ship, nightlife was great. You could dance in several places every evening with ABA DJs from all over the U.S.A. and to the ship’s live music as well. The workshops during the days at sea were excellent with each instructor offering their own style and technique to the dancers. Gary always had a great variety of music and lessons planned for your enjoyment. Dancers had a choice of new moves to learn, places to dance, and live entertainment to keep them busy. Not to mention the food! If you couldn’t find something to enjoy at the buffet or any of the dining rooms, it probably wasn’t the food’s fault.
We’ve had a chance to look at some of the pictures others took of the ship’s entertainment and their various shore tours. They are picture postcard beautiful with sights of waterfalls, colorful local customs and people, snorkeling, whale watching, and seal colonies, just to mention a few. Our ABA shore tour in Puerto Vallarta was so enjoyable we hated to get off the catamaran. The crew was very entertaining with their humor, their knowledge of their area and the way they catered to each of us. It was one of the best tours we’d ever taken.
Another pleasurable tour was Salsa and Salsa. We went to a local resort where we were greeted with Margaritas and outfitted with chef’s hats and aprons. We learned to make Margaritas from scratch, five different salsas and a guacamole dip. When we finished our “kitchen” session, we learned how to Salsa dance. It was a great day.
When all was said and done we didn’t hear one person say they were glad the trip was over. The way this cruise was organized through Just Cruisin’, getting on and off the ship was a snap. It was amazing how 2600, people. food, luggage, and crew could board in just a few hours. We’re looking forward to next year’s cruise and a chance to teach another swing move to our dance friends.
See you on the dance floor,
Bill and Rosina
Lake of the Ozarks Swing Dance Club
