Masaki, I didn't realize you lived in N.J. either. Well, if Seamus can be James, I guess Masaki can be Michael.

"Brillo" for Lawrence? I don't think so, but maybe "Buzz" for the short hair. My oldest son's hair is getting shorter and shorter, the more he is losing (and he just turned 30). Wondering whether he will go the route of what's his name (fill in the blank here) and just shave his head. Hope not, there may be some knots up there that look funny.

Was back when I was in kindergarden, 1st grade - don't remember much of it. :)

Masaki

Welcome, Helen and Mary Anne. Sorry to be so late in saying how good it is to welcome two new members to LCT.

Helen, we live fairly close to you - in Tustin. My husband, Alan, and I are transplanted NYers, too. What part of NY are you from? We're from Bayside/Clearview areas of Queens.

Hi Denise, Thanks for the welcome. I am from Rockville Centre. Not too far from Bayside. I also lived in Tustin in 1977 when I first moved here. The world gets smaller and smaller, doesn't it?

Hi Helen. Rockville Centre and then Tustin - a small world, indeed. Where in Tustin did you live? Another LCT member, Dena, lives in Tustin, too. Hopefully, when we arrange another So. CA get-together of LCT, you will join us. I'd very much like to meet you!

Hi Denise, Thanks for the welcome also. I'm a northern California girl but I did live in Saugus about 34 years ago. I lived there when the big earth quake took place. Luckily we lived far enough from the epicenter that we only had minor damage. How long have you lived in Tustin?

------------------
Mary Anne [Boue}

Actually, my Frank grew up in Rockville Center and is a transplant to California! Yes, our next California Gathering ought to be on the agenda soon! Don't you think? Denise???

Hi Mary Anne,

Welcome, once again! We've lived in Tustin for approximately 30 years. It was a quiet little town when we moved here. In the last several years, it's grown considerably, as most of Orange County has.

Yes, we are soon due for another SOCAL gathering. Just say when! Hope you are able to make your way down here to join us, Mary Anne!

Hi All

We just realized at midnight tonight in one month we will not be getting any sleep because we will be leaving the next morning for Tahiti on the Paul Gauguin. I can't WAIT!

:hyper:

Boue

The PG was a wonderful trip - you will enjoy her throughly!

Kathy

Any suggestions on money exchange for this trip to Tahiti? Do we need to have their currency or can we use US dollars? Do the small vendors take US money or only their own CFP's?

Thanks for any help you can give me on this.

Boue

Boue - we just paid in US Dollars without a problem. We did get change in FPD but we'd just turn around and spend it. We did get about $100 at the hotel in FPD just to have for buying souveniers (like Pareo's) and for Le Truck.

Hello All,

I am so glad to find this little bit of heaven you guys call LCT. I have been lurking for a few days and decided to introduce myself.

I have been comparing RSSC and Crystal and also Holland America for the world cruises and decided that RSSC is the best.

I want to take my mom on this once in a lifetime cruise for a present in January. What is the price for 2 single room cabins???

Any infornation you guys want to tell me will be great.

Take Care.

Marc

Hi Marc,

Welcome to LCT - I can't answer World Cruise Questions - just some of the RSSC ones. Just wanted to welcome you to the board and thank you for saying hi to us!

Marcie (Petlover) is our World Cruise Expert. Her review of the last WC is on the Cruise Review thread. There is also a thread under the RSSC Cruise topics header that discusses the cost. About $55,000 per person for early booking.

Thank you very much for the help. I will go read some more and learn.

Bye for now.

Welcome, Dr. Cruise, to LCT! Nice to meet you!

Betty

Dr. Cruise, I suggest you contact Ngaire to get pricing for the full cruise or any other cruise with your mom. She is, afterall, the sponser of this board, and I don't think you will find better pricing! Your call. We would love to hear more about you and welcome you to this board!

Thank you so much for the warm welcome. I think I have found my second home.

I am looking at the 2007 and we like it better for a few reasons. Our family moved to the USA from South Africa many years ago and how cool would it be to dock in Cape Town for 3 days.

I will contact Ngaire for pricing.

Till we meet or talk again.

Marc.

Welcome Dr. Cruise!
We were on the 2005 World Cruise and LOVED IT! We said if there was anyway to ever repeat such an experience we would try like heck to make it happen (So much for that being our once in a life time WC!) Hopefully we'll meet you on the 2007 World Cruise, if not sooner!

Ngaire is such a wealth of knowledge! As important as Ngaire (and everyone at B & K Cruises is), you have no idea just how valuable she is until you think about a 111 day cruise! It can be mind boggling!

Welcome to the LCT Family! We're happy you've joined us!

Hi Marc, I saw your name listed as the lastest member to join LCT and I am so pleased you decided to post!

The 2007 World Cruise looks great and if you choose that one, it gives you plenty of time to ask questions and talk about it!

Just wanted to welcome you to LCT, Marc. Hope you will join in and post often.

Welcome, Marc, to LCT!

Masaki

Hello Everyone,

I have started on this board backwards, so please excuse the late introduction! I started posting in late August when I discovered this forum and received much assistance with guides for our recent "Wine" cruise aboard the Voyager. Thank you to all who provided answers to my questions. My husband Tom and I currently live in the Northeast of England in a small market village called Yarm. This was a work related transfer two years ago, though I had to wait to move here because of our dog. We have one child, an adult daughter who graduated from college a year ago and is currently employed in Norfolk, VA. Our second "child" is a five pound Yorkshire Terrier named Muffin. How ironic that we should be transferred to Yorkshire, England... We will be here another 18 months or so until my husband retires. Our "real" home is Exeter, New Hampshire and we have been looking at property in the greater Phoenix area for a place to get away from the cold winters of New England. We love travel, take a ski vacation or two every year and found RSSC just a year ago. We have only been on three cruises, the first being an NCL trip to Hawaii. Although we enjoyed Hawaii and met two wonderful couples on the cruise (closed down the same dinner restaurant for 4 consecutive nights) we would not do mass market again unless it involved grandchildren. So, when we moved to England I investigated the luxury cruise lines and RSSC was the option (according to our TA) that would suit us best. And it did.....we booked three trips while aboard last month and hope to meet some of the great people on the LCT board. For sure there will be some on the BLISS trip next June. Anyway, hello to all!
Cheers, Pam <img border="0" alt="[beer]" title="" src="graemlins/beer.gif" />
PS...I love the graemlins

Hi Pam and an official welcome to you! Perhaps we will be neighbors one day in Phoenix as we plan to retire in 2 years and that is our chosen destination. Like you, we are hoping never to see a snow flake again!

Welcome Pam, belatedly, to LCT! Have you posted reviews about Wine? (Maybe I missed it). I'm doing the reverse trip next year (WAVE), and am wondering about favourite excursions. The ports aren't identical, but similar. Did you do the trip to Santiago de Compostela?

Karen, retire? Leave the frozen north? You're too young! You're one of my only allies up here in the near-Arctic!

Welcome to LCT Pam - glad you've come out of lurking mode!

Karen, Phoenix will be a suburb of Los Angeles soon (with all the home building going on between the two), so you will have to join our LCT gatherings.

Pam, glad to have you onboard! Cruising both RSSC and this board can become very addictive!

Welcome to the board, Pam. I used to have a miniature schnauzer named Muffin! You will enjoy AZ in the wintertime.

Karen, you will be moving to Phoenix area too? I see LCT Phoenix "girl" trips in my future!

You both should consider Tucson. I'll be glad to show you around.

Marc, welcome, also. You sound like a terrific son.

Pam - welcome to LCT! We love it when people post their introduction. :) Sounds like you've had some great cruises so far - even the NCL one sounded like it was fun because of the great company. Did you do any research on Cruise Critic for your NCL Hawaii cruise? I might have talked to you before on CC. ;)

Masaki

Thanks for the great reception! This is definately a fun group, and we enjoyed meeting several LCTers on the "Wine" cruise from Dover to Monte Carlo.
Wendy...yes there were several places that were personal favorites. First stop was St. Malo and we went on the ship excursion to Mont St. Michel. This was great fun as my 79 year old Mom climbed with us and had wanted to visit there since she studied French as a young girl! Lisbon and Barcelona were equally good, and I hired private guides for my parents, husband and self. That was well worth the $ spent, we saw MUCH more than a ship tour and easier for my Dad who does not get around well (2 hip replacements, numerous chemo treatments...was given 6 months to live 16 years ago) We took a sea day instead of Santiago de Compostela, but heard that the trip was nice from people on the ship.

Masaki, No, I did not know about any cruise talk sites before our Hawaii cruise...just booked it through AmEx. As for NCL, it was fine, but as you all know there is a HUGE difference between a luxury cruise and a "masses of asses" cruise.

Donna, We spent a few days in Phoenix/Scottsdale after a business trip to San Diego in late July. We found an area near the White Tank Mountains that we liked....we are quite active between tennis, golf, hiking, skiing. So the location southwest of Phoenix suited us and my sister would be a short 20 minute drive away- she is in central Phoenix. Still have lots more looking to do! What a coincidence you also had a Muffin. My little Yorkie is SO SPOILED. Every time I get to London she adds something to her wardrobe after a trip to Harrods pet shop! I will not bore you about my dog....suffice it to say she is my baby here in the UK since I am by myself alot due to Tom's ridiculous travel schedule. (an example-a trip to China and a trip to US since we got off our cruise 2 weeks ago)

I never thought I would be a cruising addict 3 years ago. My husband and I thought cruising was for "other people"....or those who did not like activity.... and who liked to eat all the time! Now I am hooked and he partially so. We have two RSSC trips planned for 2005 and I booked another for our daughter and myself...you may have seen me asking questions about suitabilty of RSSC Caribbean cruise with 23 year old daughter! She is excited and so am I...we both love the sun and beach!
Cheers and again thanks for the warm welcome! Pam

Pam -

I love your references to Muffin. Many of us here are animal lovers. We have several threads in the off topic archives about them, their antics and their connections with their humans. One of our longest running threads is about Sedona's and Doug's dog, Maggie. That will give you a real sense of the way many of us feel about our babies.

Welcome, Pam! Thanks for taking the time to post your introduction. Hoping you will enjoy your visits on LCT and post frequently.

We just got adorable Muffin installed in Pam's signature, next we will work on her avatar! Muffin is just TOOO cute!!

Pam,
Muffin is adorable!

I know the White Mountains but not the White Tank Mtns. If you will be living in southwest Phoenix, we will "practically" be neighbors as we live in northwest part of Tucson. AZ is great for active people. We are hikers and tennis players. Games never get rained out!

Would you mind if I send you a private message regarding your tour in Barcelona? In Nov. we will be sailing with my 87-year-old mother-in-law. She gets around with a cane and moves slowly so we are looking for excursion options that will work for her. I'd be interested in your guide and itinerary.

Thanks.

What a sweet photo of Muffin, Pam!

Donna, Feel free to send me an email. I will gladly share information with you regarding our private tour of Barcelona..

Cheers, Pam

Pam, please share with all of us! It is okay to post rec's and links to guides on this board. I'm going to Barcelona in October and have a guide for 1/2 and would love ideas!

Pam - Muffin is cute!!

Masaki

Circleboy (steven) and wife (Linda) Live in Michigan and Boca Raton, Fl. Age 55 to 58. Looking forward to Sambuca trip

Welcome Steven and Linda! I read your post on the main board about taking your first Radisson cruise, you lucky dog! I am sure you are going to have a great time.