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The summer sky filled with white mist as torrents of water spilled over the precipice of Niagara Falls and came crashing down into the furious river below.  Gail and I were still several kilometers from the falls, but as we drove south along the Niagara Parkway it became obvious from the deafening roar that we were getting closer to our destination and the weekend of fun that was to follow at the “Second International Cruise Critic Rendezvous.”  

For those not familiar with these types of gatherings or the people behind them, let me explain.

This event was put together by a dedicated group of fun-loving people for residents of the Canada Eh? thread on the “Floataway Lounge” of Cruise Critic, which is one of largest online communities of cruise aficionados. The Canada Eh? designation is a bit misleading in that a good number of the participants are American, and indeed the first international rendezvous was held in Chicago in 2008. But the thread began with Canadians, and the moniker reflects that heritage.

The original premise for the online thread and the yearly gatherings was that all of the participants love to cruise and can benefit from sharing information and ideas. However, the primary purpose for people in the Canada Eh? thread is to keep in touch with folks they enjoy and to have a good time. And this recent gathering was no exception.

The fun began on Friday night with a show at the appropriately named “Oh Canada Eh?” dinner theatre on Lundy’s Lane in Niagara Falls. The show featured a group of talented young entertainers who performed a variety of Canadiana skits and songs while serving as our wait staff in between their stage appearances. The highlight of the evening for me was when a troubadouring singer dressed as Klondike Kate came into the audience, sat on my knee, and asked me if I was alone. I took the microphone and responded “I am now!” which seemed to amuse everyone including my wife (thank goodness!).

After the show, we gave Laura and Linda a ride back to the Hilton Hotel Fallsview (where most of us were staying) for the Tripharbour-sponsored Mix & Mingle event in the Myst Lounge on the 34^th floor overlooking the falls. Several people had stayed behind to organize the event including Deb and her sister Judy from Toronto, as well as Lori and Catherine from Ottawa.

Drinks and nibbles in hand, we watched the regular Friday night fireworks display over the Niagara River, and then exchanged small gifts which people had brought from their home regions, including some great home-made maple syrup, salt water taffy, and Ontario ice wine. There was also a gift lottery (aka a Yankee Swap) which allowed people whose names were drawn to blindly select a gift from a prize table, or trade for a gift that someone had already selected.  Gilberto ended up blindly selecting a pair of thong underwear which he was certain would be confiscated by Custom Officials on his way home, but he was rescued at the last minute when Greg traded for the thong and then gave it to his wife Renee. Laurent, a rabid Ottawa Senators fan, got stuck with a Toronto Maple Leafs lantern which everyone seemed delighted to leave him with.

The next morning we split into several groups according to our tour selection – a ride on the Maid of the Mist (the closest anyone got to cruising), a full day winery tour with lunch, or driving to Niagara-on-the-Lake on our own. It should come as no surprise that Gail and I chose the winery tour, and had no difficulty tasting wine at 10:30 in the morning (after all, that’s 12:00 noon Newfoundland time).  We were joined on the wine tour by the chief architects of the weekend, Maggie and Glenn from Erin, Catherine from Ottawa, Deborah and Greg from Texas (who will be hosting next year’s gathering), Kerri and Cam from Vaughan, Fran and Norio from Toronto, and their friend Gilberto who was visiting from Cuba.

We visited four wineries in the Niagara-on-the-Lake area – Konzelmann, Pillitteri, Reif and Coyote’s Run – each of which provided us with some history of their operation and a private tasting of their best wines. During the tour, we learned from our guide Dan that this region of Ontario is ideal for growing a variety of popular grapes because of its location between Lake Ontario and the Niagara Escarpment. The lake water absorbs sunshine and provides warm breezes that fill the valleys beneath the escarpment during the cooler months, which makes the season long enough for the grapes to ripen.

Later that evening we went to the Keg Fallsview Restaurant, which is located on the 9^th floor of the Embassy Suites overlooking Niagara Falls, for the weekend’s main event. By now our number had swelled to more than 30 with the addition of some late arrivers and local residents, including Marilyn and David from nearby Thorold. We had to wait 45 minutes to get our reserved tables, but the good folks at the Keg make it up by giving us several bottles of free wine.  And the food was worth waiting for. The steaks, seafood and prime rib that graced our long table of cruise aficionados were delicious, and the view over the falls was outstanding.

The next morning we concluded our international rendezvous with a buffet breakfast in the hotel, before most of the group departed for home. It had been a true international gathering, with people travelling in from many parts of the continent including the states of Washington (Mike and Bonnie), Illinois (Laura and Linda), Indiana (Micki) and Texas (Deborah and Greg, & Renee and Greg), Cuba (Gilberto) and many parts of Ontario including Toronto, Ottawa and Erin. But while members of this group may come from different places, they have no borders when it comes to giving their fellow cruise lovers a warm and friendly welcome, and ensuring that everyone has a good time.

That’s one of the many reasons we love cruising. And it’s why we’ve already started packing for the next international rendezvous in Texas!

(Special thanks to Mike and Laurent for providing many of the photos used in this post.)