I think that is why many prospective cruisers seek advice and information from past cruisers as well as TA's and cruise lines. They know all we can tell them is what we experienced -- no guarantees. We also have no financial interests in the question of which cruise to take, if any. And as to predictions as to the future of any cruise, friends know that we are not affiliated with the lines, so all we can tell them is our own interpretation of what we know.

This is a bit off the original topic, but regarding French Polynesia, the first thing I tell my friends is that it affords the best tropical vacation in the world, and the only way to vacation there is via cruise, or cruise coupled with a fairly brief land stay on an island other than Tahiti. Because IMO, a one or two week land stay there would be prohibitively expensive and shy on amenities! And the best cruise there has always been the PG. And, options are getting limited. Of the three lines with all-FP cruises in recent years, Windstar is gone. The TP is scheduled to go elsewhere sometime in '06, and (IMO) isn't the way to go anyway. And (to me) the PG is a big "question mark" after 12/05. SO, for anybody I know with an interest in a French Polynesian vacation, my advice is to book an '05 PG cruise (if you can) and do it now! I'taking my own advice. And if my concerns prove ungrounded and the PG sails on through '06, yes, we just may cruise her again!!

Thanks,
Richard :) :) :)