In 1998 my wife's oldest brother died and on our way home from the funeral she turned to me and said "we have been talking about taking a cruise for twenty years now...let's just do it!

My travel agent at work also handled non-business trips from her home evenings and weekends so I asked her to pick a cruise line and an itinerary for us and book it. She put us on NCL out of Puerto Rico with 5 islands in 7 days. SXM was our last island.

We did the America's Cup 12 meter adventure, had an early lunch, and then visited the Jewelry stores on Front St. She picked out a small ruby and a small emerald and asked which stone she should get set in a ring. In a RARE moment of insight I smiled and said "Gee Sweetheart, why don't you get BOTH?

She gave me the same adoring look that she had given me as she walked down the aisle 21 years earlier on our wedding day.

As we left the store she took my hand and said "I've changed my mind...let's go check out this "Club Orient" thing you read about on the ship."

We took a cab to Pedros and walked to the Perch and asked Willie if day visitors were allowed. She said "of course, just pick any two chairs with no tags on them and the beach boy will be around after a while to collect the rental fee. What can I fix you to drink?"

Ten minutes later we were skinny dipping in that crystal clear 82 degree blue water and laughing like kids again. On the tender back to the ship we were already planning the next summer's week long stay at club O...the first of many annual stays!