Hey all you PANDEES!!

I'm flying solo this trip (completely solo, not even with Suzette!!) and I'd love to make dinner plans with any and all who are brave (or crazy) enough to dine with me.

One night in particular (October 2) is my birthday and I'd love to have a table at Signatures for all who care to join me...let me know and I'll make the appropriate reservations.

It's coming up soon; I can't wait :banana: <img border="0" alt="[vhappy]" title="" src="graemlins/icon_vhappy.gif" />

Lauri, too bad we're not on PANDA or we'd join you in Signatures for your b-day dinner. My birthday is Oct. 3rd and we could celebrate together.

We'll be sure to toast to you Marcie!

Lauri - we'd love to join you on October 2nd in Signatures for your birthday! Any excuse for a party ... :D

Masaki

Lauri, add me to the list if there is still room!

So happy to have you!

Lauri - add Ken and I to the list. Love to celebrate your birthday. That would make six people - they can take eight maximum.

OK, I think I'll do a table for 8 just in case more new friends would like to join us!

I'm really looking forward to this!

Bert and I would love to join you if there is still room. Always happy to celebrate happy occasions!

Wonderful!! We now have a fantastic looking table for 8 :app: <img border="0" alt="[vhappy]" title="" src="graemlins/icon_vhappy.gif" />

I just thought of something...we come back from Beijing that day. I'm not sure what time we get back or sail and we all probably want to relax and freshen up a bit...so I'm thinking reservations around 8 pm? Later?

Just let me know your thoughts

Ngaire would know best, but 8 PM sounds fine to me.

8 PM or so sounds good to me. Time for a short nap before dinner. ;)

Masaki

Sounds fine. 8.00 pm will work great. I will wear my NEW pearls that I plan to buy at the Pearl Market.

I'm hoping my knees will still be working after that trek to the Great Wall!

Ooooh, I'm thinking self-birthday gift ;) as if the cruise and dinner aren't enough of a present to myself! But pearls too....almost too good to pass up; and I have to bring home some souvenier right?

Alrighty, when reservations open, I'll make them

I wonder if some or all of those on PANDA might want to try and select a night to all dine at Latitudes together as we did on MUSH? I thought that was great fun. We don't have a large enough group to take over the restaurant, but we could have 3 or 4 tables to wander between. Maybe someone with more experience could help us select an appropriate night that won't interfere with those special dinners in Compass Rose we shouldn't miss.

Great idea Mitch! Ngaire would probably be able to pick a good night.

I dont have my contract yet that shows all the nights that have the functions listed. If we pick a country club casual night in the middle or towards the end of the trip that will probably be pretty safe.

Last time, didn't we just decide on a date and make reservations separately? (and sort of fill the room?)

Actually on MUSH we had the restaurant reserved but that normally will not be done. The way to do this is to pick a date and then people make reservations as normal but on the same date.

How about the last night Tuesday October 9th? It looks like ther are 33 of us so if others are interested, 6 of us could each try to reserve a table of 6 and we could make last minute adjustments from there.

Actually, Peggy (pwolftx) and I were chatting and decided on October 7, last night out of Shanghai, as it appears from the schedule that we are leaving at 1 p.m. that day. Plenty of time to get ready for this grand event, and next day is a sea day. Sorry to disagree with you here Mitch, but last night before disembarking, people are sometimes distracted with packing and stuff..

Remember Olivia a lot of people will be off the ship in Shanghai doing the Xian excursion. In fact most people.

Last night is always a packing night I agree with that.

How about October 3, it is informal but since the next night is Formal they wont have a big event on the night before a Formal night so we wont miss anything in Compass Rose, like Rack of Lamb or Dover Sole!! Not being a fan of Latitudes I am coming for the company not the food!

For those of us still onboard on the 7th and 8th, anyone interested in getting a large group together at Compass Rose or La Verandah? I know my folks will be in Xian as will be many others. The rest of us can have a pretty good party.

We'd love to join in the Latitudes dinner.

Cheers, Anne

Olivia, believe it or not, you aren't the first person to disagree with me! October 3rd would be great! We'll see how many are interested then 5 or 6 of us can reserve tables. Ngaire, I hear they will serve lamb that night. Whatever they serve, we'll have fun.

October 3 sounds good to me as well.

October 3 is OK for us too. Who's going to reserve the tables? Mark, we'll be on the ship Oct. 7 & 8, so count us in for the Compass Rose parties on those nights.

Count us in for the Latitudes dinner and also the Oct 7/8 festivities...

Dena

How about if Dena, Peggy, and Laurie reserve tables of 6, and Anne and I each reserve a table of 8 for October 3rd in Latitudes? That should accommodate everyone and we can always down-size.

Mitch - I'm pretty sure the largest table in Latitudes is for 6.

Cheers, Anne

If everyone is interested, we may need 6 tables so we will need one more volunteer to reserve a table! Any takers? Thanks, Anne.

I'll make mine for 6 as soon as the reservations open up. October 3 correct? No specific time because Latitudes is just one seating, right?

Mitch - I may be mistaken. Mariner's Latitudes & Voyager's Latitudes are set up a bit differently. If Mariner will accept a reservation for 8, I'm glad to make it. We'll know soon enough.

I am quite sure the max on Voyager is 6 people.

Cheers, Anne

OK, I will make a reservation for Latitudes for 6 for October 3. I will try, at least - I may be jinxed as my dinner reservations on MUSH didn't "take." Now I know to look for a confirmation ASAP upon boarding!

Dena

Good point Dena, I've actually never made reservations ahead of time before. I suppose we get an e-mail "confirmation" and just follow-up once on-board?

Since we're on the previous segment, I've already made reservations in Latitudes for that segment. They only have tables for up to six people. It will also let me make reservations up to the 30th on this segment, but not past that. Wonder why???? Anyway, Dena, when you make the reservation, they give you a confirmation at that time plus you'll also have one in your cabin when you get on the ship. One more detail--what time do we want to have dinner -- 7:30, OK? Or later?

Isn't Latitudes just one-time seating?

Lauri - I don't think it's a one-time seating. Peggy, 7:30 sounds good to me! Dena, we'll get the LCT juju working for your reservation. You should see a confirmation once you've made it.

Reminder: reservations open 28 days prior. That means we still have a few days to wait.

Supposedly, gold, platinum and titanium members get a priority on reservations. We're gold; I think Peggy & Jerry and Betty and Al are also at that level or higher.

In the unlikely event there's a run on reservations for Oct. 3 in Latitudes, please post ASAP. We'll find a friendly gold or higher to help us out!

Cheers, Anne

I will also make a reservation for Latitudes for the 3rd at 7:30. I don't know if we will all be able to get that same time but hopefully we can "adjust" once we are on board.

Marc, you and Arlene are at the gold level now, right?

Have you got your cabin # yet? We're in 966.

Cheers, Anne

Yes, Gold. Cabin 947.

I have yet to figure out what "priority" reservations mean. I imagine it only applies to onboard and not advance reservations as I am sure they keep some in reserve.

Anne, thanks for the juju, I may need it. I got the online confirmation for MUSH, and we showed up at Signatures at the appointed time, and the maitre'd (Veronique?) nicely said that, ahem, the online reservations don't always work, and if you don't get the confirmation card upon boarding, you are unfortunately out of luck...my printed online confirmation did not sway her steadfast resolve to send us away...lesson learned and we enjoyed a nice dinner in Signature on another night.

We are not gold, so by all means the golds and above should go for it.

Dena

Dena - that's really disappointing to hear! We will be sure to look for the confirmation card.

Off topic - do we have word on the Formula One day?

Cheers, Anne

Anne, let me check with the Formula One Guru and Excursion Leader. He is not quite as devoted as I am to planning every detail months in advance ;)

Dena

I'm only silver, so if a gold "member" (OK that sounded bad/name of a cheesy movie) could make the Latitudes reservations it would be fine by me. Either way is fine by me.

I really thought that Latitudes was one seating per night; or maybe it used to be that way. Anyway, if I need to make reservations I will do it for 7:30.

Count us in for October 3rd as well! (we're also silver as of this segment so we're no help with getting tables, sorry) :(

Masaki

Count us in for October 3rd also.

--------------

Eugene and Gail

We are lowly bronze members, but if we all reserve tables of 6 at 7:30 and cancel out last minute, maybe we can take over the entire restaurant! :D

Does anyone know how many Latitudes seats?

Read over on another site that Latitudes holds 82 persons Signatures holds 100.

One other related thought: I don't remember what the table arrangements are like for Mariner's Latitudes restaurant. Do any of you MUSHers remember if they have 6 tables for 6?

Cheers, Anne

I can't remember from MUSH but the deck plan on the web-site looks as if 6 tables of 6 exist.

Thanks for the legwork, Lauri!

Cheers, Anne

I am stepping in here a bit late. The last time I read this thread Lauri's table was full. If I am reading this correctly, are we trying to book multiple tables for that night? If so, my parents and I would love to come, and I can book one too. That would leave three available seats at our table. I am gold, whatever weight that carries. :D I don't know, as I have never booked a table ahead.

Let me know if you want for me to try for a table.

Sheri

There are actually two dinners we are talking about. I have a table for 8 in Signatures for my birthday (October 2), which is currently full. If there is interest, we could add another table. The more the merrier! So Sherri, please come with your parents! We can always change it to two tables of 6 if no one else is interested.

The other dinner is in Latitudes on October 3. We're trying to get enough seats for all the PANDEES who want to come. Since there are about 36 of us, the thinking is that 6 tables of 6 would be about right. It seems Gold passengers get some priority over silver or bronze, so if you can make a reservation for 6 at Latitudes, please do.

There is also talk of a group dinner while some of us are away on the Xian trip. I haven't really kept up with the details on that one.

Oh, okay! :) I will definitely try to grab a table for the 2nd night. If there is interest for a second table on your birthday, please let me know and we would love to join you on that night too! As you said, the more the merrier. :3smile:

Hey, all you PANDEES who have not responded, let's not leave Sheri and her parents out of a party. C'mon join us in Signatures on October 2 for a birthday bash!!

(Marc, Arlene, Dena, Grant...yes I'm looking at you!!) ;)

Of course, all of you I have not met are just as welcome

Will love to join the October 3rd. PANDEES party in Latitudes. Looks like few "LIBRA" are on board as my birthday is October 4.

Doris,

Please join us in Signatures...we can share a birthday dinner!

Lauri,
Thanks so much for the invitation. I didn't want to intrude... but that will be fantastic. The more the merrier!!!! Another table must be added as your table of 8 is already full. Let's see how many more will like to join the bithday girls...

Doris, never feel like you are "intruding" on anything LCT/BK related! That is how this group of travelers has grown so, over the years. Always nice for new faces to join in!

Can't remember if I responded or not -- it's that overly-mature brain thing! But yes, we'd like to join in on the Latitudes evening. If it's any help or it makes any difference, we're platinum. We'll also be onboard from 9/12 on.

Betty

Thanks so much for the welcoming feeling....
Looking forward to meet the LCT/BK PANDEES.

Betty, can you make a reservation in Latitudes for October 3 now? For some reason, it's not letting me do it--only through Sept. 29. I was able to make a reservation in Signatures for the second segment though. If you can do it now, let us know -- at least we'll know we have one table reserved.

Doris-we all look forward to meeting you. I think my wife Roberta burned her "Libra" in the 60's!

Doris, mine is Oct. 3rd....I'd love to be with all you Libras but wasn't meant to be this year....youngest daughter is getting married Oct. 27th so we're BUSY BUSY!!

Funny Funny Mitch......Show Bert that post!

No luck. It goes up to Sept 30th, then there's a message:
We are not ready to accept your dining reservations yet. We apologize for the delay.

So we'll keep trying! It almost sounds like a glitch in their reservation system. If we can't make reservations no one else can either, so we should be safe.

Betty

The website says 28 days prior .. so we've got 4 more days to wait.

Cheers, Anne

This is Sheri's mommy! :D

Just checking in to see if everyone is behaving themselves!! I certainly HOPE not!!!

This board is such a nice idea. I wish I would have registered a long time ago!

Looking forward to meeting all of Sheri's friends. I have heard so much about all of you!

Martha

Welcome, Martha! We're looking forward to meeting you, too. Safe journey to Japan; then get ready for PANDA-monium!

Cheers, Anne

Hi, Martha -- looking forward to seeing you and Bill again.

I believe I have Peggy's twin Panda in my profile!

Has anyone seen this...I apologize if it's a repeat, but I am sitting at my desk laughing out loud!!!

Panda bloopers

How cute, Sheri!

Wanted to say "Hi Sheri's Mom"! Welcome to LCT! Glad you decided to join in our cruise talk.

Hi Sheri's Mom!!

We're looking forward to meeting you!!

It looks like we have enough people to take over two tables at Signatures for Birthday celebrations (yay Doris!!). I'll make one for 8, can someone make another...try for 8, I'm sure we can fill it up :ch: :woh:

Martha, looking forward to seeing you once again onboard! We were together, as I remember, on the Black Sea cruise a few years ago on the Diamond!

Hi Martha! Looking forward to meeting you!

Sheri - video was too cute!

Masaki

You can count on us for the PANDEES party in Latitudes.

Jack and Bonnie

The PANDA video is so funny! Thanks Sheri :app:

Looks like we now have 13 for Signatures on October 2. If we get two tables for 8, we have room for at least 3 more...more if we get another table.

As I said before...the more the merrier!!

The tables for 8 will be at opposite ends of Signatures. I think they only have 2 of those. You may do better getting 2 tables for 6 and seat 7 at one of them. We've done that before on the Voyager so maybe they'll let you do it on the Mariner as well so your tables can be next to each other.

Yes we learned a six table can accommodate 7 just fine - we have 7 on the B2B next May and so glad Marcie figured this out from all her WC travels! We did it on Fjords with her and it was fine!!!

Good idea, thanks for the tip Marcie

Olivia (jhp)
Thanks for the invitation. Felipe & I will love to join the three of you for dinner on the 26th.

Stay at 13 Lauri. Tables of 6 are a perfect size for conversation. The 8 tops in Signatures are long and it is harder to talk to everyone. This way we can have them close together as well. Easy to do a 7 that can be the birthday girls table more people to celebrate with!!

OK Ngaire,will do. It's going to be fun! <img border="0" alt="[vhappy]" title="" src="graemlins/icon_vhappy.gif" />

Looks to me like we are having fun already!!Can't wait. :banana:

Hi everyone -- I've been lurking and LOVE the panda videos that keep popping up on LCT. Ron and I are psyched for PANDA and the chance to catch up with old travel friends....and make new ones! We would love to join everyone on October 3rd in Latitudes. Can't wait to see you all!

Well, reservations did not open at midnight EDT. Maybe they will open at midnight CDT (Omaha). Hopefully those of you staying up later can get the reservations for Latitudes.

Weird! At 10 pm our time (midnight CDT) I could access restaurant reservations, but only dates through September 30 are showing as available for booking. I'll check again in the morning for Oct 3.

Dena

Well, all weekend there was a database error trying for any restaurant reservations. Then today it was working, but as others have said only up to 9/30. I'll keep trying!

Betty

I tried and could only access reservations up to 9/30. Hopefully they'll fix the glitch in the system soon.

Reservations for Signatures on Oct. 2 will be taken care of for the 13 that want to go.

I and Sheri will each make reservations for Latitudes for 6 on Oct. 3. So, we just need 4 more to make the Latitudes reservations (when they become available!!).

I have info from above that the "Sept. 30 but not beyond" is an issue that RSSC knows about. PATIENCE was what was sugested <img border="0" alt="[bang]" title="" src="graemlins/banghead.gif" />

My (im)patience has been rewarded. I was able to make reservations for Signatures on October 2 and Latitudes on October 3. :app:

That is great! :app:

I also reserved a table for 6 at Latitudes, October 3, 7:30. That makes 2 tables down, 4 to go.

Dena

I made one too -- now we have three tables on Oct. 3 at 7:30

I just made a reservation also, but only had a maximum table size of 4-Maybe they are all out of six tops! 4 it is at 7:30.

Just booked at table for 4 as well on Oct. 3 @ 7:30. We've got 3 tables for six and 2 tables for 4 = 26 seats.

OK, let's keep booking!

Cheers, Anne

I reserved one for 6.

I reserved a table for four but requested in the comments a table for six.

Sheri also got two for 4 in Latitudes. So now we have 38 seats; that should cover us right?

The two tables for 6 in Signatures are all set.

Looks like Lauri is set for her birthday dinner and all of us are set for Latitudes on Oct.3. After we're all on the ship, somebody really ought to tell them that we're all together so they'll put us all on the same side of the room. That would be good so we can all be closer together, but also so we don't bother the other people in the restaurant as much. It's possible we'll get kind of loud . Maybe we should ask our fearless leader, Ngaire, to do that -- she's probably got the most "persuasive power".

I think we're all set for reservations in Latitudes. Well done, fellow PANDEES!

I'll volunteer to talk with the Latitudes maitre d' once we board to get the table arrangements worked out. We may also find we've got less than 100% attendance. We'll have to ascertain that, again, once we are onboard.

Cheers, Anne

Us get loud?? How could you possibly think that? ;)

Anne, thanks for following up with the Latitudes maitre d'. One of the reasons I wondered how many Latitudes sat was so we wouldn't overwhelm others. I think we'll be OK if we sit together and are mindful.

I'll talk with the Signatures maitre d' so the birthday revelers can sit close together and not bother anyone else.

Thanks, Anne. See you soon!

Safe travels, Peggy and Jerry!

Cheers, Anne

Lauri;
As noted... the tables for the "birthday party" in Signatures is all set.
Thanks a lot.

You're most welcome my fellow b-day gal!

Lauri...

I have made reservations for 6 in Signatures with our travel partners (not on panda) Dr. and Mrs. John Ham (from Dallas) and Mr. and Mrs Ron Roland (from McKinney) on Oct. second. We will be wishing you a wonderful birthday.
jack

Wow, a buch of Texans!! Including some from my hometown...what a coincidence! Please do stop by to enjoy the festivities to the extent you'd like, all are welcome.

Well, go away for a few days, change PCs, and look what you miss!

Pat and I would be delighted to join amy and all for whatever dinners, including especially the celebration in Latitudes October 3rd, if there is still room. We are in 821, and our e-mail address is in the profile.

Working on my dinner plans and see we have 38 seats for Latitudes on October 3rd. There are 43 BK guests and also some that are LCT that are not BK clients that probably want to participate.

That considered I may bow out of Latitudes to make room for others. I did not make a table reservation was on PUBS when this opened up.

I know you will have fun but that is not my favorite restaurant anyway so it is not a problem for me at all.

Just thought I would let you know.