I have the post cruise quote. The pricing depends on the number of people we have on the post cruise. It's about 1/3 less than the identical post cruise by RSSC. it's really a spectacular post cruise package. They pick us up in Whittier, take us on two stops. We spend the night at the Grande Denali, take the Denali tour.
Includes all buffet breakfast, Dinner Show the 2nd night Denali. Next day is free for option excurisions before return to Anchorage; All baggage handling included; Night in Anchorage at Hilton. Suite upgrade available $150.00 pp double occupancy. I have a single occupancy price too.

Since Ngaire is on her way back from Africa, I want to wait until she returns to speak to her before I post this.

Thanks Kathy, sounds good.

I still have to review this proposal. It's a wholesale proposal and it's for a Travel Agent not available to the public. I already have a business and in Ca. I have to have a TA license. Since I don't know you all, I could have some liability. I am going to see what that takes. We will save, no matter what I do, about $300 -400. per person over the RSSC price. Identical tour. We need a minimum of twenty people to do this regardless. Give me a few days. I am in the final crunch of tax season.

Could you please post and let me know you are considering this before I spin any more wheels?

Kathy, Frank
Carol
Masaki and Amanda
Pam and Mark?
JoAnna and Tony?
Suzie and her sister?

ChatKat

We are considering post-cruise tour and will probably have 2 other people joining us, for a total of 5.

Thank You,
David

We are definitely onboard. :) Thanks again, Kathy - take your time - I know you must be tearing your hair out about right now. (speaking of which, we need to talk to our accountant -- haven't seen our taxes come back yet) :eek:

Masaki

Kathy, me too! (2)

We might be interested, just can't say for sure right now, but definitely interested in hearing the price and details as you have a chance.

Kathy, Alan and I are considering the post-cruise also. We'll definitely commit once we can review the details. Thanks for all of your efforts especially during such a busy time in your business.

Katya Dearest (no reference to Joan Crawford intended) - (our fellow LCT'ers will understand that I can use such intimate liberties in addressing Kathy because she is the dear auntie of our little cairn terrier, Katyusha, who is the cousin of her little cairn, Daisy, who may be related to Camilla Parker-Bowles...oops, wrong British bloodline) - We are also interested in the post-cruise, depending on details. But, please chill out about it for the moment, Kathy. You are in the middle of your busy season (I mean tax season, not the season of dieting for PIP with the rest of us - I may just give up and resign myself to looking like a purple manatee when I go snorkeling in Bora Bora). Therefore, you should not be worrying about organizing a tour 16 months from now!! Of course, if it amuses you to do so, we are eternally grateful for your efforts. And maybe it makes a nice break from TurboTax Imperial or whatever software you pros use for such things. Keep training Daisy for her starring role in Wizard of Oz (yeah, yeah, yeah, I know that some fools think Dorothy is the star; but what do they know?). Cheers, Fred

My Dearest Uncle Freddie,

My mom is really in multi-task mode. She is training me to play the Cairn role of a lifetime as TOTO, and dieting for the PG (albeit, half heartedly) and trying to work to pay for all of this stuff you do without us CAIRNS, called cruising. As for Alaska, did you ever see a Cairn compete in the Iditirod? Did you know we ate salmon when we were wild in Scotland while we were working to do vermin control? We'd be great cruisers if all there is to do on ship is eat.

Love your little cousin, Daisy aka TOTO!

Kathy, no need to go through all that for the TA issues. USE ME. I can be the front TA for all of this it is no problem at all. Get them to send it to me or do it in my name and I will pass it on to you. Any commission that comes along I will simply pass back to everyone.

I wanted everyone to know that I have learned to not get involved in planning land programs. I used to do it all the time and it eats your lunch time wise. It was hard to say NO to people and those of you who know me well know that I have a hard time saying NO. However at some point you just have to do it.

I found everyone was calling me for all cruises for this land or that land and it became unmanageable. The normal thing is that they hear you did it for someone and then they feel hurt if you dont do it for them as well. If you do it once it never ends. I was tempted to say I would do this for MUSH as it is such a big group and I was escorting but then I have about five or six escorted trips a year and I know from experience every port of call for each of those trips I would be getting requests to do land. Hope you understand that.

These land programs are never as simple as they sound. People all have issues and it ends up being a ton of work. Please be aware of that with Kathy handling this as you go on down the road.

The only place I will do land is St. Petersburg because I know RED OCTOBER so well and it makes SUCH a difference to use them. I have this down pat and yet it always still take a lot of time to pull together.

This is one of the nice things about a group though that you can do these private land arrangements.

Okay, Ngaire and I "chatted" and it's all do-able without too much hassle.

I will have to go through the fine print this weekend and then I will post all the details for you.

Kathy and Ngaire - once again, thank you all for your hard work. But Kathy - remember, this isn't all that important right now time-wise. Take care of what needs to be taken care of and let us know whenever you get a chance. Don't worry, we'll still all be here. :)

Masaki

Oh gosh, we were out of town and I just now saw this; I'm so sorry. Yes, we are IN (for two people).

I have the quote. I asked a few more questions. I will collect the money when it's time and you will even be able to charge it if you want through my accounting business, but, I will have to pass my discount fees on to you. I talked to Ngaire, so she approves and will be the TA of record.

When I get the additional questions answered, I will post the full itinerary. David wants an alternative tour to the Tundra Wilderness Tour. I want info about time from here to there and the train. I know when I post you will have a zillion more questions, so I am trying to think of them first.

It looks like $1075. plus $50.00 = 1125.00 per person( I may be wrong - I have too many numbers swirling in my head) double - with deluxe rooms.

I am home now after a grueling tax season and the stuff is at the office. We have to get 20. It's $425 cheaper than RSSC. Because it will cost me a few dollars to coordinate all of it, I am charging $50.00 per person for my assistant's time to help me put the tour together. I will coordinate everything with them for all of us.

I can't afford to lose any money on this and I am going to make the initial deposit to hold 20 - 30 spaces. They don't include tips, but, I will figure that out with them and then that will be included too. I will host a farewell party or something in Anchorage to end the trip, There is a suite option in Anchorage that is $150 more per person.

It includes pick up at the ship, a guide with us at all times, all luggage handling, breakfast in Denali both mornings, Denali Dinner Theater one night. A stop in Talkeenta, and another one at the Iditerod HQ. Deluxe Train back to Anchorage including dinner and then transfer to the Airport after a night at the Hilton, The all day Tundra Wilderness Tour (and I think lunch goes with that). I should have the rest of my answers by Monday and I will post the whole itinerary. I want a guarantee regarding the hotels we are staying at. Ngaire can add the post cruise to insurance so that will be covered too. We won't share our transportation with others, it's all exclusive to us. We can play games like trivia on board for prizes. Who knows what we will come up with. <img border="0" alt="[beer]" title="" src="graemlins/beer.gif" /> I think this will be so much fun. I am really excited.

Kathy - wow ... wow, wow, wow. I'm so excited for this post-cruise. :) Thanks again and looking forward to the full itinerary.

Masaki

Actually if people are buying RSSC insurance I cant add anything that is not RSSC to the insurance. However, if you are doing Travelex through us or Access America etc independently then you can add the post cruise package to that coverage.

That sounds exactly like the RSSC tour we did, the stop in Talkeenta and the Iditerod, the train etc. It is a nice tour.

Do you recommend Travelex or RSSC insurance in this case? Is the price the same?

Andi, Ngaire is leaving for Egypt, if you want to add the post cruise you have to use Travelex or Access America. You cannot insure via RSSC.

Also, RSSC insurance is cancellable (refundable) if you cancel the trip. Whereas, if you pay for Travelex insurance, you're out the cost of the insurance if you end up cancelling.

Masaki

First of all kiddies.. you should never buy Travel insurance through the cruise line.. ( if they go belly up -you loose).
CSA or Access America are good..
Check out
http://www.insuremytrip.com
to compare prices.. you can add all your extra tours etc. that way..

Laura from the tour company is going to give me a play by play breakdown of our post cruise excursion so that we can start the reservations ball rolling about the time we come back from PIP.

I have a list of questions that they have responded to and then that triggered more questions. Ngaire said this was a lot of work and she knows what she was talking about.

I reserved a block of 15 rooms for now reserved at the Grande Denali and Anchorage Hilton. They do not get hotel confirmation until this summer. We are early to do this on a guarantee.

We have our own transportation. We stop for lunch in Anchorage. If someone did not want to do the Tundra wilderness tour, they will be able to opt out to do optional tours they arrange on their own.

Rooms are single, double and triple with a suite option at the Hilton only.

Can you add us to the list? Thinking it sounds like a great post cruise. We've done Denali but only with Princess. Thanks,Kathy

Great, Jean! Glad you and Clyde are considering this one.

I will call on Monday and find out about the detailed excursion info I am expecting.

Well, we've switched to a British Isles cruise that totally conflicts with the dates for MUSH. So that frees up two spaces.

I'll miss seeing all of you so badly, but we've waited for the British Isles since 2001.

Pam, we will miss you joining our party, but, certainly understand the itinerary issue!

Pam ... say it ain't so! :(

Masaki

Kathy, Clyde and I have decided to forego Denali after all since we have been there before and don't think we'd see much that is new. But we'll be on MUSH and look forward to meeting all of you.

Jean,

We're sorry you and Clyde will not be participating in the post cruise. Thank you for letting us know.

Actually, I spoke to the tour company today. They had a storm that took their internet down for a bit and they are having sporadic service so I have not been able to get the stuff they've prepared for us. It will be here shortly.

Jean - bummed that you and Clyde won't be around for Denali ... but still excited to be cruising with you again at least for MUSH :)

Masaki

Hi All -

I just contacted our Tour Company and I am now waiting for the confirmations for our blocks of rooms for the Denali Post Cruise. Then I will work on the rates for the Pan Pacific for the precruise.

Just think, we'll be half way through our MUSH Cruise a year from now.

(rubbing hands together in anticipation)

Masaki

I've been following up on the Alaska Post Denali and Laura sent me the following:

The season is over this weekend when the last client departs for home, so I will be able to get back into a normal work routine.

I have sent word to the bookings department if we have confirmation of hotel space. I am waiting to hear back. By next week, all staff will be working full tilt for the 2006 season. I will be in touch with details early next week.

Thank you for your patience, while we end our 2005 season.

Could someone let us know the exact dates of the cruise and post cruise? We have to figure out how many days this will be total.

Cruise leaves Wednesday, 30 August, from Vancouver. Cruise ends Wednesday 6 September, in Whittier, AK. Pre and post are various by reading the posts here.

Post Cruise with my group is 4 days and 3 nights (Sept 6-9) Denali - Flights returning home will be on Saturday 9/9. An addditional night in Anchorage is possible, but, I set it up to have people home on Saturday (easier flight day)with an extra day of Sunday to go home and unpack before going back to work if they needed it.