TRAVEL TALES

Young Chang

Only half an hour into a European cruise, the Celebrity Cruise Line’s

Galaxy vessel hit something big -- something metallic, passengers guess

-- in the ocean.

The ship limped back to the Amsterdam shore and Wilma “Babe” Bouk and

husband Gale’s anticipated boat adventure to Russia, Norway and Sweden

ended barely before it began.

The propeller was damaged, the rudder was too, the whole ship had to

be sent to Germany for repairs and everyone had to camp for a while in

Amsterdam.

But all of the passengers got five free days of lodging on the

anchored ship, an all-expenses paid night at a hotel and a free cruise.

The Costa Mesa couple, who have retired from their plastic

manufacturing business, said they ended up having a “wonderful” time,

despite the change in plans.

“We got to see an awful lot of Amsterdam,” said Wilma Bouk. “And we’re

making reservations today to go July 6. We’ll go to England instead of

Amsterdam.”

Sights seen included the Van Gogh museum, a factory where workers

processed diamonds, another factory where people made wooden shoes and a

walk through the red light district where prostitutes sat inside windows

with a number announcing their cost.

Prostitution being legal there, she said the display was anything but

discreet.

When asked about his favorite part of the trip, Gale Bouk said it was

being with his grown daughters. Linda Anderson lives in Camarillo and

Chris Steward lives in Costa Mesa. But the Bouks said they still enjoyed

taking a family trip.

The group even celebrated a birthday on the ship. Gale Bouk turned 80

on June 5. His wife turned 77 last week and the family celebrated her

birthday locally.

“There’s not much you could do in a situation like that,” Gale Bouk

said of the ship staying in port. “We were there, so we thought, might as

well enjoy what we have left.”

* Have you, or someone you know, gone on an interesting vacation

recently? Tell us your adventures. Drop us a line to Travel Tales, 330 W.

Bay St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627; e-mail young.chang@latimes.com; or fax to

(949) 646-4170.