Tiger Cruise,  USS John C Stennis,  Feb 19, 2012 - Feb 27, 2012     page 1 / 166

Navy service men and women are occasionally allowed to invite a friend or family member along with them on the ship they are serving upon. This is referred to as a Tiger Cruise. My cousin, Steve, is a Lieutenant Commander currently serving on USS John C Stennis aircraft carrier. Just after Christmas, he asked if I would like to join him on the carrier from Hawaii to San Diego. I jumped at the opportunity! After exchanging a few emails with him, I was also able to get my son, Kevin, to join us. Kevin's interest in the military made for an excellent opportunity for him, as well.

We completed some basic forms, emailed them back to Steve, and secured our cruise! We flew from Seattle to Honolulu on Sunday, February 19, arriving late in the evening, and staying at a wonderful hotel in Waikiki. The following morning, Steve met us. We had plenty of time to spend in Waikiki before boarding the ship, so we walked. As expected, the weather along the beach was wonderful. We walked quite a way in the Hawaiian sunshine, getting mildly burned! We had a relaxing lunch near our hotel with a great view of the beach.