For those who don't know me, I'm a 60 year old retired attorney from an Oklahoma City suburb. My wife, Carol, is also retired. We love our dogs (Shih Tzu and Pomeranian) and I love our fine cars (Honda S 2000 and Mercedes Benz C320) ALMOST as much as cruising Radisson. I'm into antique furniture, architecture (designed our home and an addition)and landscaping. Carol shares these, except for landscaping. Instead, she sews, quilts, and embroiders. She has an embroidery maching tht runs on computer programs, and operates on its own when set up.

Before Feb. '02, our cruising had been on RCI, NCL, and the like. We quit cruising because of the lines, crowds, and nickel and diming. Then we found RSSC via the Paul Gauguin in that month. Since then our RSSC experience has been the Navigator to Alaska and Bermuda, Mariner Nice to Rome, PG again back to back, and the Diamond to the Caribbean. Our next cruist is the VTC on 4/13/ 04 on the Voyager. Since our first Radisson cruise, we have cruised no other lines, but would like to try Silversea someday. As some of you know, I love everything about RSSC except for one small detail. I whish there were open bar. Not so I could drink more, but so I could drink when I wished and not do so when I wished. But the LAST THING I want to do here is start up the open bar debate again, as it has been fully "talked out."

The two best things I like about RSSC are the fellow guests and the spaciousness of suites and common areas with lack of lines and crowds. After all, in any form of travel, personal space is at a premium (example, coach vs first class airline seats). Being from Oklahoma where there is much open space, and where homes are generally large, we really felt cramped on the ships we took in our pre-Radisson days.

Future cruise plans include the British Isles, Scandanavia, Eastern Italy and the Greek Isles, and Australia/New Zeland. And perhaps, just perhaps, a return to French Polynesia on the Paul Gauguin.

Thanks,
Richard :) :) :)