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I can't believe it- pinch me!!!!
We just won a 12 day Oceania Cruise!!! Exactly the itinerary I was planning to do in 2008
Istanbul to Greece this coming June!!!!
Oh my G-d!!! Includes EVERYTHING.

A travel agent donated tickets and they had a raffle - we bought a tickets and we WON!!!
Yippeee Yippeee Yippeee! WHOOO HOOO

WOW! Congratulations!!! Can't wait to hear more about it.

Congrats Kathy! r/wes

how wonderful!

Wow... What a great experience. Makes up for missing Denali! I gather it also covers air?

Wow!!! Congrats Kathy!!! Gosh, this is so amazing.

Nancy

Yes, it covers Air, visas, transfers. Istanbul to Athens. It was for an B1 - Veranda but they are letting us upgrade to Concierge. I can barely work. The dog sitter is available and Frank just sent our passports to be renewed last week. oh and a shore excursion or two. I cannot believe it.

Kathy, from what I've heard from several people that have cruised Oceania, you do want to upgrad to the Concierge room. I'm very excited for you and Frank.

Nancy

Congrats Kathy!!!!! I love it when nice things happen to nice people!!

Jacki

Wonderful news, Kathy! I know you've been interested in Oceania for awhile now, and here's your chance to try it for free! :banana: :banana:

Kathy,

WOW!!!!! Congratulations!

Congrats, Kathy! Now if Claudia is on your sailing, you will have really hit the jackpot!

Enjoy!

I am having lunch with her tomorrow - she doesn't even know yet...maybe she will join us!

Kathy...how WONDERFUL!!!!

It doesn't get better than that. Can't wait to see it posted on your cruise list!

That's great news, Kathy. Can't wait to hear more about it. Congrats!!! :app: :app:

CONGRATULATIONS, Kathy!!! That is fantastic news!

Well, we decided to upgrade to PH so we will even have a butler, not that I will need one - but then it will be more like a Regent experience for us. Frank is reminding me that it's not free now (lol)

Thanks Margo - will have to add it to my signature!

Kathy,

We did the Oceania Istanbul to Athens in October it is a great cruise, I think you will like Oceania its not Regent but close. Enjoy!

How WONDERFUL, I just know you will love it. We met the musical director for Oceanica on the Voyager holiday cruise, he and his wife put on two great shows.

Congrats Kathy & Frank!! That's great!

Kathy - :app: :app: :app: How fantastic for you. CONGRATULATIONS!!! Guess you know what your 2008 itinerary is now. Good idea to upgrade and pay the difference between the B and PH, you will be truly glad that you did, I promise!!! We did a PH last Feb and I am so glad that we did. While the ship was in MIA, they had a bunch of TA's onboard for inspection and lunch, so Frank and I went thru several of the cabins - we had a PH, so we knew what that was like, we toured the OS on our deck and the Concierge room next to it looking out over the stern, and they were nice, but small, and if I were going to be in Concierge, it would defintely be one on the stern, since the deck is larger and thus makes the room feel larger - but in reality wouldn't do less than a PH on Oceania. Of course the OS was really really really nice.

Whoohooo - great itinerary. I think you will be plesantly surprised. What is the date????? We are looking for one too, but we do have our family beach trip to work around.

JoAnn - it's 2007 - We still have 2008 to plan!

Congratulations Kathy - and Frank!!

Kathy, all I can say is WOW! How great for you. Congratulations! Can't wait to hear more, and see the itinerary.

I was thinking that we have a lot of lucky people on this board... Denise won a river cruise, another poster won a Navigator cruise ( sorry, I am not sure who it was. Maybe Sue?) and now Kathy!!!

Kathy, after JoAnn's comments, I say go for OS! Then you would really be in business! Hey, it's 12 days for a cruise you already wanted to book!


Of course the OS was really really really nice.

Mazel Tov, ChatKat!!! How EXCITING!!! And Serindipidous!!!

WOW!!!!!!! :3smile: How cool for you!!!!

Kathy/Frank -

Congrats.

Tina

Kathy, I second Olivia's comment about upgrading to an Owner's Suite. I'm sure the penthouse rooms are very nice, I believe they're 322 square feet including the balcony. I might be wrong about the balcony being included in the square footage. Just go for it!!!

Nancy

That's great! Congrats
Lynn

Congratulations, Kathy! You've had a very good day :app: .

Kathy, that's incredible!

You'll only have to pay taxes on the part you actually won, is that right? I get confused on stuff like that, but I know you are totally on top of it.

Kathy, that's amazing! What's the itinerary? How are you going to fit it into your vacation schedule?

Good plan to upgrade to a PH I think, from what I've heard. You lucky guys, I'm very happy for you.

A few months back, Frank's Rotary Club was recipient of a donation of a cruise in an effort to raise money for their club projects. For those who aren't familiar with Rotary International, their main mission is to irradicate Polio - which has pretty much been accomplished. They do a lot of other good things too. Anyway, each member was supposed to sell tickets at $100 each with a minimum and Frank decided to buy his allotment - those who know him would agree that a salesman he's not! I teased him when they announced it. They hoped to have sold 300 tickets - they came short a bit, but, they did raise a fair amount of money from this. They are using the proceeds for a variety of regular things - Coats for Kids that can't afford them, shoes, wheelchairs for those in need in Honduras, Housing for some kids who are 18 just out of the Foster Care System with nowhere to go; Books for libraries and schools - you get the idea. His club sponsors an orphanage in Mexico and just bought a hook and ladder truck for a fire department there too and a favorite of mine, a place called Haven Hills, which is a battered woman's shelter.

Here is the itinerary:
Ship: Nautica Sailing Date: June 20, 2007

Day Port Arrive Depart

1 Istanbul, Turkey
2 Istanbul, Turkey 11:00PM
3 Cruising The Dardanelles,
4 Kusadasi, Turkey 8:00AM 6:00PM
5 Rhodes, Greece 8:00AM 6:00PM
6 Delos, Greece 8:00AM 12:00PM
6 Mykonos, Greece 2:00PM 10:00PM
7 Santorini, Greece 8:00AM 6:00PM
8 Katakolon, Greece 12:00PM 6:00PM
9 Corfu, Greece 8:00AM 6:00PM
10 Dubrovnik, Croatia 8:00AM 6:00PM
11 Cruising The Ionian Sea,
12 Athens (Piraeus), Greece 8:00AM
13 Athens (Piraeus), Greece

The tips are even included for us. We're still in shock - I think it will take a few days to really sink in. It's a great time for us to go.

We did decide that we'll be just fine in a Penthouse - actually, we'd have been fine the the Concierge class Veranda. We won a Veranda room and we already have CROSS booked and a short HAL Cruise too. And, laughingly, we do have the tax thing under control.

This will be our first non-LCT cruise since 2002 when we did Celebrity. So for 4 years we've always "known" someone on board with us.

I guess I have some port and ship research to do. Any suggestions would be welcome! And Frank thinks I could come home the the usual Turkish rug from Istanbul! He insists that I go on a Donkey ride in Santorini. I hope several of you will help me plan!

Congratulations, Kathy and Frank! How exciting for you guys!

Congratulations Kathy! This is such exciting news for you and Frank and such a perfect itinerary. WAY TO GO GIRL!

Kathy and Frank, you lucky dogs!!! That is such exciting news and you are going to my favorite spots in Europe!!

Oh, don't worry Kathy, I will help you plan, since I'll be with you vicariously! We hope to revisit that part of the world in 2008, so thinking about your trip will help me keep my spirits up during 2007!

How exciting for you Kathy and Frank! :app:

What a wonderful way to win a cruise by having a raffle that does such great things for many who are less fortunate!!!! :)