Sandra Davis writes:
Saint John could become a regular stop for R Family Vacations, says Rosie O'Donnell. "Of course," she said Tuesday when asked if she will come back to Saint John. "The scenery is beautiful. It reminds us of the upper Hudson Valley in New York and parts of Pennsylvania. It's gorgeous. I'm glad the fog went away for us."
O'Donnell, American activist/actress/comedian, was aboard the Norwegian Dawn when it arrived in Saint John on Tuesday morning with 2,300 gay couples and their families. The ship had been chartered by R Family Vacations, a company co-founded by O'Donnell's partner, Kelli Carpenter O'Donnell.
About 100 fans who had waited all morning to catch a glimpse of the television talk-show doyenne got more than they had hoped. When, in early afternoon, port security guards announced that Rosie would be leaving the ship, rainbow flags waved and chants of "Rosie, Rosie, Rosie" began as the enthusiastic crowd - some of whom had been at the wharf since 8:30 a.m. - encouraged her to disembark. The star, who could be seen coming along the vessel's deck wearing a blue T-shirt, sunglasses and a colourful kerchief around her head, came down the ship's gangway to a screaming throng so enthusiastic that port security guards warned fans repeatedly to stay back, as O'Donnell told the guards, "It's OK."Rosie responded to the crowd by giving hugs and autographs and posing for photographs; she even held microphones for reporters who sometimes looked more like pack-horses as they struggled to balance cameras on their shoulders, as well as hold microphones... READ MORE
