Wondering how things went at the Reunion

[inactive user 02]

Hey all,

It seems strange (since the boat has free wi-fi) that no one has posted anything from the Reunion Visit last weekend. I was hoping we'd hear something or see pictures by now. I really hope everyone who went had a great time there. Having been on the DELTA QUEEN the week before (and having had such a great time with the wonderful staff and our guests) I know the energy was there for it to be a phenomenal event! Please someone post something....we are all dying to hear about it out here in internet land!

Travis

[Jazzou Jones]

I'm working on my cruise report. Suffice for the moment to say an incredible time was had by all. We included as many details of a typical Delta Queen cruise experience as we could - everything from Steamboatin' Times to Vox Calliopus and Spirit of Steamboatin' certificates, Captain's Talks (by two captains, yet - Chengery and Williams), Captain's Dinner with lagniappe and Second Line, Bingo, Trivia, Church, Picnic, evening shows (including Haywire Hoedown and it only took three cruise directors and drummer Tony Martin to help Bob Schad reconstruct his stand-up routine that he hadn't done in seven years...), Calliope Capers, Morning stroll. Add to that the reunion aspect of being with 60 people who hadn't seen a lot of each other in quite a long time, and that left virtually no time to communicate with the outside world. The Delta Queen once again worked her irresistible charm and swept us all away, and everyone agreed it was just like being on a cruise.

Everyone also agreed that Those Good Ol' Riverboat Days are FAR from over. Steamboatin' is alive and well.

Contact Charlene Corris and get signed up for the next one - you won't want to miss it. March 31 - April 4, 2011.

Okay, all for now - I'm back home in Bangor feeling like I've just finished a six week rotation, but promise to post more thoughts as soon as the fog lifts.

[Charlene Corris]

Travis: Your name came up often and we thank you for posting all the rally information. We all just got back last night and I know that I'm dead today. We had Tony Martin filming and virtually had activities from the dawn of light to way past sunset (the last show after the Captain's dinner was extra long and people were laughing 'til they cried. Because we were all so "in the moment" we couldn't get on a computer to post but trust me....it is coming and our next event March 30 - April 3, 2011 will be this and more! When did we ever cruise with two captains, three cruise directors and entertainers extraordinaire at one time!

We want to fill our vessel next time and I can promise that though the boat won't sink - we will overflow with fun, memories even tearful breaks in time.

We also collected over $1100 for the Preservation Fund in literally two one hour events! They said we matched, or possibly exceeded the rally! We're all here for the same thing and I look forward to welcoming more into our "Spirit of Steamboatin' Society"...we've only just begun..

[Jazzou Jones]

Charlene, thanks for mentioning the correct dates for the next reunion event - March 30 - April 3, 2011. The ones I posted are incorrect.

[Pat Carr]

Just my view

I looked forward to this Reunion for months, being so amazed that it was possible -- being together again on the DQ with these crew members that we all loved in our traveling days. I can truly say that the experience was even better than I could have imagined. I never stopped smiling! It was indeed like a DQ trip, even though the scenery didn't change. It remained the beautiful Chattanooga view.

I loved everything -- the shows, the story-telling sessions, the music in the Texas Lounge, the Captain's Dinner, and just visiting with everyone. Leaving would have been much harder if I didn't know we will do this again at the end of March. In my years traveling on the DQ, I always had another trip booked when it came time to get off the boat -- except the last DQ trip, obviously. So it felt happily "normal" to say goodbye to everyone this time and say, "see you in four months."

Charlene made it all happen! How grateful I am that she was able to do this and that I could be there! In February of 2009, to my amazement, I could walk onto the DQ again. Now we had the entertainers and the Captains onboard with us. Who could have thought this would be possible!!! Thanks so much, Charlene!