Thanks for the much anticipated seamail, Karen, Betty and Phyllis!

Sounds like a very fun time, despite the rocking and rolling! Hopefully, smoothe seas ahead!

Congrats on your winnings, Phyllis!

Don and I are here in Club.com. I just uploaded some photos. I will have to edit the post to insert them. Marcie, I never did anything with my MUSH photos. I've been too busy with work. I am doing some photography professionally and I haven't had much time with my day job keeping me ultra busy.

Pre Cruise Dinner at Bimini BoatYard

Don and Russ at Kareoke last night

Debbie and Russ going to Grand Turk

Dinner at Portofino

There they are. Now that didn't take long did it? LOL

Even inspite of the weather, this has been a fantastic cruise. Last night was the absolute best. We had such a great time meeting everybody last night at the B&K reception. Then we headed to Portofinos for the LCT group dinner and had so much fun. And if that wasn't enough, we then headed to Karaeoke.

Today we were late getting into San Juan, but what great weather we had today. Hopefully, the wind will die down some and we won't have rough seas tonight. We set sail at 11pm for St. Thomas.

Tomorrow I have a two tank dive and Diana is going to do some shopping. It may be the most expensive dive trip I have ever taken! LOL

More later.

I'm so glad y'all are having a great time!

Is it just me, or are those pictures so tiny they are impossible to really see? I can't tell who might be whom.

Kathy, do you suppose we'll ever get to see your MUSH pictures? I know everybody was waiting for them.

Okay, now that I've done my job as unoffical LCT Photographer (These are Don's photos)I can report in.

This is the perfect cruise - great people, incredible crew, and the ship is tip top. If only the weather would cooperate but we booked the ship as our destination and we couldn't ask for more.

We played trivia with TallShip and Don and Diana and we're having dinner with them tonight. We're in Puerto Rico late so everyone is off and the ship is very quiet. We came in late to avoid weather. Don and Diana and I went on a taxi tour of Puerto Rico for a few hours. Pretty scenery and a very low key afternoon. Tomorrow we're on the photographer's excursion in St. Thomas. I brought a number of lenses and my pack must weigh 50 lbs. I took lots of people photos, but I've been having too much fun to process them.
I promise I will upload them to my website and send a link. I am working on my portfolio for portraits, so new avatars for all the Sandie's who want them!

Anyway, time to get ready for dinner. More later

Pam,

Those photos were pretty large. You can see them by going to my photobucket site if you like:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v287/ChatKat/

They are in the Alaska 2001 album, I think.

I'd love to see them, but there's a password problem.

It's asking me for a password too?? Help Kathy!

Thanks for posting the pics, Kathy. Good to see LCTers having a wonderful time on this cruise!

I'm with you Pam. You need one of those big Sherlock Holmes type magnifying glasses to view them :(

These pix are in your Alaska album Kathy, or the MUSH pix? I also need a password...

See you are used to Ken posting BIG pictures. Fussy bunch arent we - any picture is better than no picture though.

My son Clay called today and said "what a great bunch of people". He has a couple of friends with him he does not get to spend much time with so I am surprised he is even socializing that much to know. They have a four year old son and need this break. Clay has "of course" been on many cruises and he said this was about the roughest he has experienced. Even his wife got seasick and she never gets seasick. I sure hope it settles down soon that is such a shame.

Ngaire, some of us are at "the age" that we really need to have Ken-sized pictures.

I do hope the water levels out! We had one rough day on Navigator in January, but only to the point that we felt like ping pong balls as we walked down the hallway (kind of like on Rovos).

Wow your trip sounds wonderful, but for the seas. The weather back in South Florida has been awful. My turn on the Navigator is on Monday when this group returns. I, for one, am looking forward to meeting Guissepe and Captain McNeil! Are either of them single? I am a single mom traveling with my kids and my entire family, all are paired off but me, making me the 13th wheel. I sure hope the seas have calmed down for you guys and you feel great the rest of the week!

Melinda

No, Melinda, they're not single. And neither are the ladies doing all the swooning! They're just enjoying the view. They're only human.

Enjoy your trip with your family, you'll have a fantastic time, don't worry about being a "13th wheel".

Boy, am I ever behind...it seems like it was just a few days ago that I asked Karen when she was leaving, to which she relied, "Sunday"...well, I apparently lost a whole week, because I thought they were leaving this COMING Sunday!! :eek:

Here's a very belated Bon Voyage...and a thank you to Karen for relaying my hug to the handsome Sheik! :hug:

Karen, I hope you and Mark are feeling better!

Oh, how I wish I could be there! Thank goodness for LCT and seamail! :D

Hi Gang!!
In St. Thomas today. The sun is out...slight breeze...perfect!!!! We went ashore and did a little shopping. Well, someone had to do it!!!!
Had the most DEEE...lightful dinner last night!! Arnold took good care of us. (Thanks, Ngaire for the clue!) The food, overall, on this cruise IMO has been exceptionally good!!!
After dinner, we joined a few people in Galileo's and enjoyed a beautiful sail away, from San Juan!
This is the first time we have sailed with John Barron & Lynsay (cruise directors). What a lovely couple. Captain McNeill is a very personable man, also!
Now the sad news.....our cruise is half over! :(

I just had some exciting news that even Debbie does not know yet, she is of course on SAND right now so let her know Sandies if you read this. This is why I am posting this here.

Ken and I will be on the Mariner sailing 12/3/07 Auckland to LAX that docks in Papeete on December 12th. Ken and I are disembarking in Papeete. Debbie is escorting the PG on December 12th departure.

Since both ships will be in port on the same day we have been trying to think about doing something special for those BK guests on the Mariner and those about to embark on the Paul Gauguin. Debbie and I have been working on this together.

We have put together a complimentary one night hotel package for the night of December 11th at the Radisson Hotel for Brown and Keene guests on the December 12 sailing of the Paul Gauguin. Also a transfer from the hotel to the Mariner the morning of December 12th to arrive at the Mariner in time for a SPECIAL BK AND LCT REUNION LUNCHEON for all BK guestS on both ships.

The morning of December 12th we will have a morning cocktail reception and then lunch on the Mariner for all the Paul Gauguin guests and Mariner guests.

Then the PG guests can walk over to the PG an have special early boarding on the PG as the Mariner sails at 2.00 pm. That will be neat too to be the first on board. Since Ken and I are disembarking the Mariner we will come over to the PG as well.

I think it will be so much fun with both groups coming together in Tahiti. It will be the first time we have been able to do something like this. I am pretty excited about it. It will be the first reunion of LCT cruisers from two trips aboard a Regent ship.

The ships are not in port together that much so it just seemed like such a fun and neat thing to do.

WOW Ngaire. What a fun & exciting thing to you. Just another reason why you & everyone at B & K are the best.
Makes me want to book one of those cruises.

Shoot - we'll miss all the fun - we embark the PG day you disembark 12/22.....

Hmm .. any captain who drops his kilt MUST be noteworthy! LOL.

Sounds like you've finally hit a good patch of weather and seas. Wishing we could be there with you!

Cheers, Anne

You are truly amazing, Ngaire.

Jan B and I are going to take a serious look at the PG 12/12/07 cruise while on board the Mariner.
This might be the perfect one for "on board" booking discount.

Ngaire, I am sure that somebody else has already told Debbie, but if not, I will make sure to pass the message along.

What a wonderful day today in St. Thomas. Weather was sunny and warm and beautiful. Diana went shopping while I got a couple of dives in. The water is so clear and the visibility was awesome. Our first dive was the wreck, the Senor Castanza, in about 65 feet of water. Saw a moray eel, some barracuda, and some sea turtles. The next dive was a reef dive, called Rye Reef. We had six other divers from our ship and about 19 from the Constellation.

Just got through playing trivia. Our team came in second today. We got 13 correct out of 15. I even came up with the correct answer for where the Navigator is now registered. It actually helps to read the lettering on the back of the ship sometimes! LOL

Got our onboard booking discount in place. I guess we are now official Society members now!

Comparing SS to RSSC, the differences are so minute! The service and the food onboard have been very good. A few things we like the way SS does better and a few things we like the way that RSSC does better, but none are deal breakers either way. I will post a more detailed comparison when we return.

I will say that I think the staff onboard has really gone out of their way to check on everybody to make sure that they are having a good time and seem to be much more accessable than on SS, but maybe that is just me, or maybe because we are sailing with such an elite bunch of RSSC sailors! LOL

The girls are off playing BINGO right now and tonight is the Society party and is Informal night. I do like that there is no formals nights onboard. Makes for a much more relaxing cruise.

Tomorrow is a day at sea and I have booked my massage for in the morning. Should have smoother sailings on the way back to Ft. Lauderdale. The captain says that we have a tail wind heading back and it should be much gentler, which is good news to all onboard.

More later...

Hi Texas Don,

Good hearing your day went so well! Sounds like you had some wonderful dives. Hope Diana made a significant dent in the credit card!

Enjoy tonight's Society party! Smoothe sailing and continued fun times!

I stopped at the casino and lost $60 in 5 minutes on the slot machine so I thought I better come and post so I would stay out of trouble!

Yet another delightful dinner, tonight we dined Marty and Erika at Guissepi's (sp) table so you know fun was had by all!! Guiseppi is just tickled pink that his soon to be bride, (if she says yes, he is going to pop the question next week) and his gorgeous baby son Lorenzo are coming aboard in two days. I think I have never seen anyone more excited!!

Tonight was also the SSS party and Marcie, you have a new goal to strive for, they are going to add a new tier level to be named titanium, I believe it was 400 nights or more. The perks that go along with titanium are "just about any thing you want"!

Tomorrow is a sea day and tomorrow evening is another dinner with Betty and Larry, I am really looking forward to eating with them again, Mark and I adore them!

Well, I better go check my email, I forgot to do it last time I was here.

PS
We are at sea full speed and no one is throwing up around me, lol, so we must be in calmer seas! Those last two days were the most brutal I have ever spent at sea, I am not as seasoned as I thought I was!
I will check back in tomorrow
xoxo

SOOOOO good to hear from you!!! Boy have you been missed!!!! Please tell Marty and the harem I miss them and I hope to cruise with Betty and Larry some day - Betty K has always been an LCT "super" gal :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug:

Hi, Karen - So glad the angry seas have subsided: unforgiving wind & white-capped waves VS glassy seas & balmy breezes = the agony OR the ecstasy. [Been there; done both of those... ] A toast to smooth sailing the rest of the trip! Our best to You, Mark, Betty, and Larry... and have a great dinner, you guys!!! Mia & Mark

Oh, what fun! Glad to hear that the seas have calmed - somebody on board please say hi for me to the Sheik!

Ngaire - I echo Mitch's comments - you are amazing. :)

Masaki

HI Karen, great to hear from you and glad everyone is feeling better. Please send my regards to Betty and Larry...they are so nice and lots of fun. Have a great rest of the time.

Nancy

Sounds like in spite of the rough seas earlier in the week you'all have managed to have a great time. Thanks Karen, Betty, Kathy, Don and Phyllis for keeping us updated and please say "hi' to Debbie and Russ for us.

Keep having fun and enjoying your last two days.

So good to hear from you guys and happy the seas are calmer!!

Ngaire, I love you PG/Mariner idea! How fun is that going to be!!

Tell John and Lynsay hello for Tom and me.

Hi!
Sense "All I Want For Christmas Is a Real Good Tan", this is the cruise for me!!! Lots of sunshine today!!
We are heading for Nassau today. The seas have improved considerably. I heard the Capt. explaining that it's because going south, we were cruising into the wind, now we are going with it!
Marcie, Larry & I had dinner with Lynsay last night. We did talk about you and Tom. All good, of course.
Looking forward to our dinner with Mark & Sweet Karen tonight.
Julie just stopped by and asked me to say hi to all of you.
Off now, to scout out a deck chair...
Later........

Thanks so much for posting, Karen and Betty!
Wonderful news that you are sailing on calmer seas!

Karen/Mark, Betty/Larry,

Have a terrific and memorable dinner together tonight. Hopefully, one day, Alan and I can join the four of you, cruising and dining!

Enjoy Nassau, LCTers!

Glad the seas have calmed, making SAND an even more wonderful cruise! Sounds as if everyone is have such a great time. Thanks, all, for posting so we landlubbers can live vicariously, dreaming of being onboard.

Here's to a fantastic finish!

Weather is Sunny Skies and 81 degrees and seas are smooth. We're somewhere between Grand Turk and the Bahamas. The usual sea day activities are happening.

We did the photo excursion yesterday in St Thomas and right from Paradise Point over the view of the harbor was a spectacular rainbow. The rest of the excursion was geared to camera newbies and the scenery less than I would have aimed my lenses at so we were disappointed. It was so different than the photo excursion in Tahiti. Tomorrow in the Bahamas, we will be wandering on our own so we can take photos.

During the sail away, Capt. McNeill played his usual bagpipe music and got into a horn blowing competition with the Holland America ship in port. That was really fun and the weather was perfect for it. Giuseppe and Lyndsay came by to visit with Diana and I who were taking it all in before we headed in for the daily Tea Trivia and Bingo Session. Oh - and Diana won (all of $15.00 if I might add)

I played blackjack with Brooke and Clay last night. Ngaire, you sure did something right and your son is a chip off the old block. Very delightful.

This morning we treated ourselves to Hot Stone Massages in the spa - heaven! We had lunch in CR but most everyone is doing Tex Mex by the pool. I am having a cocktail party in my room and I created a slide show of past cruises that I am sharing with the gang on board who cruised with me.

For full size photos, try using the guest password "LCT" on my photobucket link above. It took Don and me over an hour to get those few photos up and linked, so you will just have to accept that as the best we could do for this week. Either that or I could direct you to a website that sells reading glasses and all the photography on it is mine. (My first pro photo job) We kept crashing when we tried Kodak Gallery.

Well, Mark is trying to get a crew of card players for a Texas Hold'em game going. I hear the sound of cards shuffling and chips clinking and I have a blackjack tournement at three follwed by Tea, Trivia and Bingo. Ah, this is the life!

Oh, I did forget that Mr. Bean did his Cabaret show last night in Gallileo's. And he did mention Luxury Cruise Talk in his banter. He's definitely my favorite cruise director and Capt Dag and Capt Knute have an awful lot of competition! (and Capt. McNeill IS single, ladies)

Hi all,
Thank goodness we've stopped rockin' and rollin'. We are having a wonderful, lazy sea day. Tex mex lunch by the pool was fun. I played in the blackjack tournament for the second time and won, for the second time! Maybe I should play for real :D
The weather has been perfect. We had a lovely meal in our suite last night with Diana Krall on the CD player and the balcony door open.....
Tonight is Krew capers.
More later...

Another wonderful day today in paradise. The ship was rocking a little this morning but has pretty much flattened out this afternoon.

We had a very relaxing day at sea and a very nice lunch on the verandah of Portofino's looking out and just taking it all in. Hardly anybody out there at all.

Tomorrow is Nassau and hope the weather stays as nice as it was today.

More later...

Ngaire, I let Debbie know last night. That is sooo exciting and a great thing to do. I wish we could do both CROSS and the PG in December! Sure peeked our interest!

Julie, Don, Kathy, Karen....thanks for posting guys! You know we love seamail!!

No one has mentioned Wendy or Claudia?? They are there right?