Thank you all so much for this great welcome!! Chip, I read your Symphony review. SO GLAD it was so good. I can't wait, but keep telling myself not to rush the summer. I do have some questions and will ask you via E-Mail

The itinerary is out of Lauderdale, Nassau, St. Barts, Antigua, Barbados, Grenada, St. Lucia, Tortola. I really picked this for the timing and the ship, rather than the ports, although, except for Barbados, Antigua, and Nassau, of course, they are new to me. So any info would be great.

A funny aside, vis-a-vis the opportunity to book stuff on-line, if you are prepaid. Crystal is offering a helocopter trip over Monserrat out of Antigua, which sounds wonderful. I E-Mailed them asking the price and requesting safety info, i.e. equipment used and pilot training. (Am I the only one who ever has asked this??) Got a very vague reply, they don't know the price ( I suppose, if you have to ask, you can't afford it) and no info whatever on safety - "ask at the excursion desk on board" (Maybe I should have been more specific. "Have you offered this before, YES?__, NO?__; if Yes, How many crashes?. Seriously, has anyone done this??

Also, I would like to try Scuba again. I am not certified (at least not yet, it has been on my "to do" list for some five years.) Any recommendations for a good school at one of these ports.

Again, thanks for the welcome. Will try not to go on so long in the future

Liz