(Please note that I said 'found love' not 'made love'- we've had that topic before!)

Boy, I have a love story from when I worked aboard the mvEmpress in the Mexican Riviera in 1991. This was of course before I met my wife in 1997. Her name was Priscilla...she was a waitress, and I was a Cruise Director. She caught my eye because she was so beautiful, with an exotic look that knocked my socks off. Priscilla was from Colombia. I didn't date much on the ships, but this was a girl that I wanted to get to know better. I asked her out on a date, and she said yes. Our first date was to take place when we docked in Acapulco. I was Cruise Director, but I also planned the shore excursions. I made pre-arrangements with my contact in Acapulco, but our ship, the Empress was running a bit late. I went up to the bridge to find out why we were going to be late, and the Captain shrugged his shoulders and said that they made a mistake in charting our speed the night before. We were going to be a half hour late. Well this was going to cause a whole cascade of problems with our tours, once we arrived, not to mention my plans for a date with Priscilla. I told the Captain that I was upset that we were going to be late because it may spoil the plans I made for my date with Priscilla. The Captain said with unusual excitement, "You have a date"! He was a little suprised, because he had not seen me date any of the girls onboard, so he thought that I might be gay. The captain called set our speed at full, and then called down to the engine room to ask the engineer if we could get anymore speed out of those engines. The Engineer said he would see what he could do. The ship made 24 knots which was much faster than she usually goes. I was told that in the show lounge aft, they felt a bit of vibration which was unusual, because of the extra speed. The ship normally cruised at 18 knots, so 24 knots was really pushing it. The Empress screamed around the corner into the Acapulco bay, and we nearly made a hard stop to pick up the harbor pilot. I was amused at the Captain's determination to get us docked sooner than originally anticipated. We did arrive on time after all. I was on the walkie-talkie coordinating with my shore contact to get the buses ready quick, because they were under the impression that we were going to be late. I had to get all our passengers off on their shore excursions before I could go on my date. Finally after all the passengers were gone, I met up with Priscilla on the gangway. I told my port tour operator, and main contact in Acapulco, that I had a date and that I wanted a limo to pick us up and take us first to the cliff divers for a night show, then to the absolute finest restaurant in Acapulco. I just asked him to coordinate everything for me. Sure enough, as Priscilla and I walked down the gangway, with my radio, I told my contact that I was ready. Around the corner came my black limo to pick us up right at the end of the gangway. Priscilla was very suprised. It was all very exciting. We saw the cliff divers from a special private balconied suite at the restaurant there next to the cliffs. We had some apetizers and some musicians played for us as we watched the show. Then it was back in the limo for a ride over to the other side of town and up the hill to the finest restaurant in Acapulco, over looking the bay. For those who have been to Acapulco, the bay is among the most beautiful in the world! When our limo arrived, our driver openned our door, and the Maitre'd was standing there waiting for us, and he said, "Welcome Mr. Barryboat, we've been expecting you". He put us at the best table in the restaurant. We had a fantastic candle-lit dinner overlooking the bay of Acapulco! After dinner, I asked our limo driver to take us to the beach where we could take a walk. By this time Priscilla was already holding my hand, and wanting to be close to me. We stepped out onto the beach and kissed for the first time. We were so excited about our kiss and the mood was so perfect, that we didn't realize that there were several other people right near us, so we took a walk down the beach. It was a perfect night. The lights of the hotels glowed far down the beach. We could see our ship docked in the distance. We started to kiss again on the beach. Wow, I'll never forget that moment ont he beach...it was so romantic. I guess that's all I have for now. That was perhaps my most perfect date I've ever had, right out of a romance novel...and I don't even care for novels.

Personally,I'd settle for romance...to hell with marriage(again)! I refuse to wash any more socks for any man ever again!!

BTW....yes,Barryboat,we are still waiting for part 2 of your story.Come on now,don't be shy!

While kissing on the beach in the sand, we were sort of lost in the moment when all of a sudden, standing above us, was our limo driver. He said something about the authorities didn't want people on the beach at that time of night and that we could get in trouble. (he really wanted to make sure we didn't skip out on paying him for the evening) So we went back to the ship. I put a video in the ship-board system, we went to my cabin and watched a video together.

Honestly, that was all we did.

We went out on another date in Mazatlan to my favorite restaurant there called Donays.

Sadly, this was our last cruise together on the Empress because once we arrived back in San Diego, the Empress was stripped of much of her fittings like the Casino stuff, etc. and she was sent to Singapore where she would be used as a casino ship and renamed Royal Pacific. Priscilla was re-assigned to the Pacific Star doing day cruises from San Diego to Ensenada and back. I was laid off. I stayed in a hotel in San Diego for a couple of nights so that I could visit with Priscilla after the ship docked at about 10pm each evening. I took her to a famous hotel in San Diego (Hotel del Coronado?) where we just walked around the hotel and along the beach. The next day I had to go back to my home (at the time)in Costa Mesa, which is an hour and a half north of San Diego. To make a long story short, I visited Priscilla onboard the Pacific Star and she had some time off so we went into Ensenada together during her time off. I desperately tried to talk the Hotel Manager into allowing me to take Priscilla away for at least two days during her break, so that I could take her to Disneyland, but the Hotel Manager would not allow it because she did not have a Visa t hat woulod allow her to remain in the US for any length of time. I think she needed a B2 visa. This was sad news, but Priscilla made a trip to Italy for her vacation time, and while she was there, she obtained a B2 Visa which would allow her to come into the United States for a visit. I was so excited when I picked her up at the airport! We spent a week together in Los Angeles. I took her to Disneyland, McDonald's, In & Out burgers, Hollywood, and of course a special tour of the Queen Mary in Long Beach. After a fun week together, we both cared deeply for each other. Priscilla did have to go back to work, however, on the Pacific Star out of San Diego. We agreed that we would meet once every couple of weeks, and I would be a passenger on the Pacific Star on occassion, so we could spend time with each other.

We ran into a little surprise, though, when I brought her back to the ship in San Diego in the morning, before she was to sign on again and go to work.

The Pacific Star was embarking that morning from San Diego to Florida and then eventually sold, as Starlite Cruises was being dissolved. Priscilla had to get on that ship that morning because of her contract. We were both pretty shook up, because we thought we would have more time to see each other, but this news hit us hard. It was a sad morning as we said our goodbye on the gangway, just as the ship was about to leave San Diego for good. We both Cried. It was a really hard goodbye, because it was uncertain how we would stay in touch. Immediately after the ship pulled away from the pier with only crew onboard, Priscilla ran to the aft end of the ship and was shouting I will always love you. I was standing on the pier as the ship pulled away. I followed the ship as far as I could walk to the end of the pier. We continued to wave and cry as the ship slowly moved further and further away. I stood there on the end of the pier until finally the Pacific Star went around the bend and out to sea. I saw Priscilla on that aft deck waving her white scarf until I just couldn't see her any longer.

That was the last time I ever saw Priscilla. I did make a trip to Florida to try and track her down, but with out any luck. I called her home in Bogota, and spoke to her mother. Her mother told me that as soon as the Pacific Star arrived in Florida, she was sent to work on another ship out of Italy, I think it was a Costa Ship. In 1993, I called her home in Bogota again to see if I could locate her. Her mother said, "one moment I'll get her". It was so great to hear her voice again! But it was a bitter sweet conversation because she told me that she had not recieved any of my letters. When she went to Italy she married a man and was now home in Bogota to spend Christmas with her family. That was the last time we spoke. I certainly have fond memories of Priscilla and the short time we did spend together. I wish her the best.

Now I am a happy married man with a beautiful wife and baby boy! I couldn't possibly ask for more.

Glad to hear that you have since found happiness with your beautiful wife and baby boy

I know a gal who actually became the wife of the captain,after a whirlwind romance at sea.This happened many,many years ago and the captain is now deceased but she loves to tell the story of how they first met etc.

I love happy endings,don't you?????

Terri