Good Morning family! Sorry I haven't had a chance to post for a few days....it's been very busy! Since I last posted from Tahiti, we've traveled to Moorea, Bora Bora and now we're in the Cook Islands. It's been a whirlwind! We've had GREAT weather and this morning was the first rain we've seen. It only lasted about 10 minutes and now it's all cleared up. Tahiti was the most humid place we've been. Although Moorea and Bora Bora seemed humid to us Californians, everyone raved about how dry it was for this time of year. We've really lucked out in the weather department!

We had a lot of fun on the Paul Gaugan in Papeete meeting people. I can understand why everyone loves the PG...very intimate! They let the open house between the 2 ships go into the very late hours since everyone was having so much fun running back and forth between the two ships. Most of us went to the "O Tahiti E" show so didn't go to the PG until after that.

In Moorea we went on a GREAT excursion for an afternoon of snorkeling and feeding the sting rays. It's amazing how you can be so far off shore and still be able to touch the ocean bottom. The water colors are so amazing, something you have to see for yourself! On Sunday we were in Bora Bora where there was a Motu island day as well as excursions offered. We loved the Lagoonarium and I'd highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys snorkeling. The fish are actually fenced into large pools and you can snorkel for hours seeing such a variety of fish...including quite a number of sharks and sting rays. It's an amazing feeling to have 6 and 7 feet sharks swimming around you! We had a ball! We capped off the evening with a quiet dinner at Signatures followed by a very profitable evening in the casino. It was one of those evenings where I couldn't do anything wrong and got amazing cards at 3 card poker. I went to bed up $850. for one night, not bad huh?
I insisted that all the drinks were on me! LOL

Yesterday was a desperately needed sea day. I caught up on laundry and we just lolled around until tea time (all flambé and beyond magnificent) and trivia in the afternoon. BTW, we've yet to win trivia. We've tied for first twice but lost the 2nd tie-breaking question. There are some very bright players. I desperately miss Anna Luisa and Peter's knowledge. Last night I actually won a token at the bean bag toss. It was funny...done about 11:00pm outside of the Voyager lounge; guess you can imagine how this played out!

A bit of gossip here at "Peyton Place Voyager" (PPV) with no names mentioned to protect the "very guilty". There were 2 men who got booted off (or "asked to leave" as Jamie puts it). This was a pretty twisted, disruptive couple...a man in a wheelchair who apparently had been in a train accident and came into big bucks. He was accompanied by his caregiver (definitely more going on here than just a caregiver relationship), Anyway they complained about everything! Unbeknownst to Radisson they brought on their own large bed. Radisson knew nothing about this and than they had the nerve to complain that their cabin wasn't ready in a timely manner! HELLO....it takes time to move the existing bed out. Then they complained that there wasn't enough room to maneuver around the cabin with the wheelchair and wanted to be moved to a larger suite! Of course the ship is full so this was not possible. The stewards removed the couch and re-arranged their furniture....then they complained and wanted the couch moved back in. Well this kind of thing went on for days and days! They complained about the food, the service, the everything! Then they would drink waaaaaay too much and according to the poor little stewardess get so wild! The next morning she'd find liquor bottles thrown against the wall and just a total disaster. Well, these 2 guys disembarked in Bora Bora and word has it they were going to stay there a few days then fly on to Paris. Good Riddens!! I'm sure Radisson is thrilled to have them GONE!

Marcie, it sounds like you are having soooo much fun! I laughed about the humidity, my hair was never any frizzier than it was on my PG cruise!

Marc's jewels are are very blingish!!!

I was wondering what had happened to you, Marcie. I'm glad you checked in. Great photos.

So great to hear from you Marcie! I've been missing your reports.

Karen, I think we have to invent a new word; "blingish" doesn't quite seem adequate. Liberace was downright conservative in comparison! :D

Marcie,

I loved seeing your photos. You got some beautiful shots.
WOW!! That bling bling is quite impressive!!!
So happy you are having such a wonderful time, and thanks for taking us along, via your happy posts!

Betty

That's a great story. I never thought of that one where someone wins big bucks in a lawsuit and the first thing they do is go on a world cruise. I always wondered what one would have to do to get thrown off a cruise ship. Sort of like the Beverley Hillbillys situation.

Hi Marcie! We met Mark and Harry on the Voyager Panama Canal last April. They are amazing, aren't they? And the jewelry .. well, you've got to see it to believe it. Give them our regards, please. Mark and Gary got to know each other during the bocce ball tournaments (I can't remember if they were on the same team or not). We are loving your reports. Cheers, Anne

Great pictures Marcie!

Marcie - Wonderful pictures! Sounds like you are still ahving a wonderful time - thanks for checking in!

How I wish I was there with you! Woke up this morning to 15* temp. Great pictures and having worked with diamonds for 18 years I know my "Blings"!

Marcie, Thanks for the terrific post & photos..Tom
and you are having a blast--we get to share--thanks so much...keep the great reports coming..r/wes

Hi Marcie!

Great photos, and yes, that bling is, er, something else! My my...

Thanks for posting!

Oh Marcie, thanks for the updates. Those guys sound like 2 that were on the canal cruise. I never met them but Paul did, I think. They were supposed to be on for the whole world cruise but 3 days out they apparently wanted to get off in LA since nothing was up to their standards. One was in a wheelchair but I think they had a larger suite. Can't be the same two, could it?

Colleen, they are they same ones. I met them shortly after boarding on several occassions. Luckily, each time I was around them they seemed OK but they were real jeckel and hydes. Our day in Rarotonga is being interupted with some lousy weather...hit and miss rain. We're back in the cabin. Tommy's sound asleep and it's a good day for me to play on the computer. Something I've done VERY LITTLE of since boarding. I'll try and catch up on LCT posts here...I've really been out of the loop! It sounds like there's an Alaskan trip brewing...

Colleen, you must have met Marc and Harry too...great, fun guys! They provide some of our daily entertainment! Anne, I will give them your regards as I did to Dana & Jamie too!

Editing to add: so sorry I don't have photos of Sandy & Dennis or Irving & Maria...I'll take care of that soon. I never did get any photos of Betty or Al either!

Marcie!!

Hey, don't worry about not posting frequently, it makes for good reading when you let it build up!! I sorely wish I was with you on this cruise and playing trivia, I should have sent you a Chococat mascot for good luck and to add to your vitual pet menagerie!!!

Marcie,
Loved the photos. One can actually follow your trip from your postings and now with the photos. I noticed the doggie that you were feeding and then another dog photo. They are so cute!
I am glad you took a photo of the bling. You are doing a fabulous job of capturing the moments! The Radisson hotel and the Ritz Carlton look cool!
Enjoy your PPV stories. Great.
Jan

There I was the other day saying I was a quick learner! Tried to find Marcie's photos but keep getting my own. HELP!!

Lee,

You have to sign out, then sign back in as Marcie using the username/password she gave:
username: cruise@yahoo.com
password: cc

To sign out, look at the top of your screen on the right, the tiny words right below where it says "Welcome".

Beautiful photos, Marcie! Thanks so much for sharing!

Claudia

Hi Marcie!

As much as I miss a day without your posts, my friend, I am so happy to see that you are busy enjoying yourself and simply don't have the time.

I am making my way to your photos now.

Continue on with the excitement and post when you can!

Hugs from us to you and Tom!

Edited to add -

INCREDIBLE photos! Now I am beginning to wonder about going to Tahiti! Magnificent!

Great photos. I do belive Marcie you are the first to post photos from a ship. Live. Something everyone should do. It still never ceases to amaze me that we can do all this. The virtual world cruise with Marcie as host.

Wow, what an update! That truly was some bling. Of course, I noticed the beautful chocolate globe and the desserts. Poor mama dog must have been so grateful to you. She was so thin.

You and Tom looked wonderful during your dinner at Signatures!

Continue to enjoy yourself and post when you can. Remember, you're on vacation!

Marcie, your posts are great. Love the stories. You must be having so much fun. Thanks for taking the time to tell us about your trip. The pictures do a great job of showing the story of your journey. Yes, first thing I noticed was the chocolate globe. Now I must make my way to the diet thread over in Off Topics! Second thing was that huge red bling bling around your friend's neck. Isn't it fun to meet such interesting people? Looking forward to your next post.

Marcie, what a story about that "couple"! Can I have their cabin for the next cruise since it is more mid-ship? Probably not, since it is "above" my level.

I have been so excited about joining you and Tom but NOW I AM REALLY EXCITED - sounds like cast of characters and that suits me fine - pixs are great - so boring around here waiting to fly to LA on 2/2 - see you in about two weeks - Joanna

Great photos Marcie!

Haven't decided which I like more - the jewellery or the desserts!!

Great pictures Marcie. Loved seeing those. I met Marc last year on the world cruise. Yes he DRIPS with jewelry. When we went into Beijing he left it all behind. He did not look the same!!! That ring he has from the Doris Duke estate will knock your socks off.

I want to meet Marc and try that ring on just for fun - Joanna

Does Marc have a black eye, or is his makeup smearing? That is too funny, and the pics are great!

When we were on a PG cruise a few years ago there was a honeymoon couple who got kicked off. They had a big fight and ruined their stateroom. As I remember he threw all of her clothes overboard.

Marcie,

Wow! The photos are wonderful. Makes us want to hop on a plane to join you. Those of us on PIP are getting all the more excited to get to Tahiti. What a great time you are having. And the Cast of Characters have to make it all the better. Thank you for sharing this with us!

Hysterical stories, Marcie! We had a weird couple on all of our cruises from NY...oops that's us!

We only had one weird couple...she was a school teacher and he was a drunk. He pushed her down the main staircase and screamed at her. Someone took her into another room for the rest of the cruise, as he was abusing her. It was really a Jerry Springer moment. I don't remember if he was asked to leave..

Marcie...what great photos. Your seamail makes me feel like I'm cruising right along with you. Can't wait for your next installment.

It's great that you have your internet connection in your suite - makes surfing so much easier. So glad you got that laptop! Have fun and keep sharing those stories!

WOW great photos Marcie - you are sure having a wonderful time!!! Thanks for taking the time to post and share photos with the rest of us so we can close our eyes and believe we are there with you!

Love your stories! I want to be there to see it all!

Marcie, You really made me laugh this morning! i can imagine that guy bolting a safe to the floor in his suite. And, the guy in the wheelchair! What a hoot. Keep writing Marice, we love hearing from you! Love, Judy

There was a guy I shared a table with. He was nice enough at dinner but wouldn't give you the time of day if you saw him anywhere else. He was always holding a drink even in the morning, I thought it was water at first but it was gin. Straight gin as I found out later. All day long. The story was he bought a case at each port. Kept it in the couch on ice in his stateroom, where they keep the life jackets.

He thought he was God's gift to the ladies and the ladies did not feel the same way. He was the laughing stock of the whole ship by the time the cruise was over.

Great Pics, brings back some great memories. We were on the PG at this time last year.

Great pictures, Marcie. It looks so beautiful there. I really loved the picture of the mother dog with her bag of kibble. You're a lady after my own heart. :)

Have a great rest of the trip! I'm loving touring the world with all of you.

Kathy

We also met Marc on the Voyager Panama Canal Cruise April of 2004. He was quite the dancer on that trip! His presence is not easily forgotten!! Thank you so much for all of the posts.
Gail and Rich