Sorry all:

It looks like I jumped the gun a bit with my angst about Radisson fares. I think I know why the '07 fares looked so high to me. My last "non-Paul Gauguin" Radisson cruise was actually in '04. Though we did go on the PG in '05, we have not booked anything on Radisson for '06. So when I saw the '07 fares, my immideate point of reference was the '04 Voyager cruise and the '05 Paul Gauguin cruise. Clearly not a fair "apples to apples" comparisson and view of the matter! Principally, my mind immediately turned to our most recent cruise on the Paul Gauguin -- compared to which "sticker shock" at the '07 fares on the other ships is understandable. But again, not a fair comparisson. Two years difference. And, for reasons unknown, the PG has carried a lower per diem than Radisson's other ships for the past few years.

And to all in Radisson's management, I appologize for my comments. Actually, it appears that the actual "apples to apples" '06 to '07 fare increases ARE just about the right amount to account for the lost revenues from open bar, the "roll in" of the fuel surcharge, and reasonable inflation. I hope management will understand that much of my angst was due to the fact that the '07 fares (however justified) are very near to my maximum price point. In other words, I am on the verge of being priced out of the Radisson market. And I wouldn't care if I didn't truly like cruising on this line.

Thanks,
Richard