This will be brief as our cocktail party starts in 5 minutes. All having a great time, perfect weather and the day at the motu today was wonderful. We made lots of noise, the group ran the floating bar out of liquor and we have some really great pictures. Suzanne is up to form and has the staff dancing and there are some great dancers here on the PG. Tomorrow Bora Bora. Will post details later just a post to say PARTY IN PARADISE is in full swing.

Thanks for checking in! We were wondering how the gang was doing.

I am so glad you are having a good time, I can't wait to hear the details!

Wishing you all a great time! Hope to hear about PIP, pics and all, very soon!

PIP sounds like so much fun. Can't wait for the pictures and more reports. Glad you are having such a good time!

Thanks for checking in. Give us more details when you can!

Looking forward to more blackmail photos! :)

Masaki

Oh....to be in Bora Bora.....just wishing.

Have fun PIPsters!

I woke up this morning thinking about our friends partying in paradise and remembering that yesterday they were on Motu Mahana and that they'll be in Bora Bora today and tomorrow. Ngaire, thanks for reporting in yesterday. Margo, thanks for the beautiful visual of Bora Bora!

I can't help but wonder what are the obvious changes since the take-over by Grand Circle Travel. Is everything still up to Radisson quality? What is the cost of the internet?

So nice to hear from you Ngaire. I thought about you all yesterday spending the day on my very favorite place on the entire planet. Party on!

Thanks for the update! Can't wait for more details. Party on!!

Hello to all Pipsters.

Is anyone sober enough to read this???
I know everyone is having a grand time & am so happy to hear Suzanne is being true to herself. Keep on rockin' Suzanne and I hope no one has a bad sun burn, yet.

They're having too fun and can't find the time to write to us - drinking, sunning, swimming, drinking, partying, etc etc - sounds wonderful -

The week that we spent on the PG was one of our favorite vacation weeks. We love that area.Give me the warm weather and warm water any day. I prefer that over busy cities.We loved the ship too of course.

I'm so dying to do the PG. I can't wait to read more details! I know you all are having a blast. Party on!

LeeAnne, you and me both! I so wanted to be on PIP. Maybe Ngaire will do PIP II?

We highly recommend the PG itinerary. It was an idyllic vacation. If you haven't treated yourself, do.

Hi From Paradise.
All I can speak for is that I am stone cold high from doing the Aqua Safari and I am on the way to the AMEX Party.

We are all having an incredible time. Yes, this is a definite must do cruise. A few have noticed a few minor things but nothing to make you not take this cruise. Mostly a decline in food quality. Service is EXCELLENT and the scenery worth it all.

BTW. Have camera will blackmail. I wonder how much they will pay me not to post those photos of them (he he he)

I think I hear the cocktail department paging me!
Maururu!

Kathy - oh, do post the pics! We're DYING to see the pics. :) Thanks for checking in with us and hoping to hear more details!!

Masaki

Continue the partying! Glad to hear that you all are having a great time, not that that was ever in doubt!

Another day begins (I've lost count as to which it is). This is one spectacular trip. McKeever, the internet charges are as follows: pay as you go $.75/minute; 100 minutes for $55 or 250 minutes for $100. No credit for unused minutes; no upgrading of plans once you've bought them. Speed is medium.

We did the waverunners with Mark & Arlene yesterday. It was great until we turned the first corner around the island. As Emirel says: WHAM! We got pounded with all kinds of salt spray and bouncing up & down in the waves. I couldn't keep my eyes open with all the salt water. Then it dawned on me .. was Gary driving with his eyes shut? HOOYAA. We've named it the "Radar Love" excursion. Lots of fun and lots of laughs.

I noted a bottle of champagne going by our room with a note that said "We sincerely regret the inconvience". I figured there had to be a story to go with it. One of our neighbors was regaling his friends about being stuck in the elevator on the previous day for about 35 minutes. He was obviously OK, thank goodness. As the clock ticked on, he was pondering whether he would have to climb through the escape hatch in the ceiling. They did get manage to get him out through the main doors. As Suzanne so aptly noted, we should have heard the "Ship Photographer to Deck 6" call when that took place. The irony, of course, was running into him waiting for the elevator later that evening.

I've been recovering from the sinus tsunami (no better way to describe it) that hit about three days before I left. Can't taste a thing so am perfectly happy with the food. Have been asked to serve as the opening act for the mimes on board. Heck, if you're going to be recovering, what better place than here?

We've got Captain Zupan on board (from Croatia) who is very friendly and runs a good ship. Steve Lewis is the cruise director; he's taking vacation starting June 11. Phillipe Peirod (? sp) is the hotel director and is fantastic.

I asked Steve about changes since GCT took over. The biggest one, in his view, was they are selling so much space the ship is running very full. He thinks it's pretty much sold out for 2005 and will continue to sell well in 2006.

That's about it for now. Time to start my chemical combat solution (champagne, coffee, sudafed) and head out to the shark & ray feeding expedition. Cheers, Anne

Glad to hear everyone is having a great time. Like Masaki said, please post the pictures!

Anthony

Anne,
Is that Captain Rajko Zupan? If so, we had him as captain on Orient Lines' Crown Odyssey in the last quarter of 2001 for a 45-day trip from Barcelona to Singapore. It was a last minute reroute around Africa of a previously scheduled trip through the Suez Canal. If you ask him about it I am sure he will remember it. We had a loooong stretch at sea when he decided it was too rough for tendering at St. Helena! We thought his mid-day announcements were funny. Glad to hear PIP is going well and sorry to hear that you are not feeling too well. Hope you feel better soon, Debbie

Excellent updates! Thanks. Yes, do post some pics - SOON!!!

Hi from Bora Bora!

Having dinner with the Captain tonight thanks to Ngaire arranging for all pipsters to dine with officers. Also at our table is Wendy (Wandra) and David and Marc and Arlene.

We went to the Lagoonarium today. Weather is windy but great temp of about 80. Quiet afternoon for us. Just had the French lunch.

Too slow to post our photos so you will have to wait until we are home but by then maybe I can arrange some better blackmail ones. HA!

Kathy,
Thanks for taking the time to remember we left-at-homers. Glad you are having fun! Looking forward to those photos!!!!!

Betty

I agree with Betty - thanks for remembering us Kathy!!! Joanna

That's a shame about food quality. The breakfasts were not as good on the PG when we went as on the Mariner or Voyager, but all the other meals were excellent.

Has anyone bought pearls? How is the entertainment? Where did you waverun...Bora Bora or Moorea? What has been your excursion?

Great to hear from all of you! Sounds like you are all having a wonderful time together.

Anne, I hope you're feeling better very soon!

Continue to enjoy - And report!

With all that wind, don't forget that you still need hats and sunscreen in that 80 degree weather!

Looking forward to the photo's.

Trish

Anne - hope you feel better soon. What a shame that you can't taste anything!

Masaki

Anne - I also wish you a speedy recovery from your sinus trouble. Please tell Steve Lewis that Kathy and Bill from the back to back last August/September are sorry that we'll miss him when he goes on vacation June 11th (our embarkation date). Wish him a happy vacation from us.

Anne

I hope by now you are feeling better. I had to laugh at your chemical combat solution. Sounds good to me.
Has Suzanne been near a pole yet?

Last day, almost packed. We have to be in lounge by 0525 tomorrow for our transfer to airport. We have our gift exchange followed by fairwell party followed by group dinner followed by more frolicking in the lounge before a quick shower and then off to airport.

Trip has been wonderful!

Will report more upon our return (almost out of minutes on this very expensive computer)!

Thanks very much for all of the good wishes for recovery. I finally tasted the cajun wahoo last night, so a complete recovery can't be far behind!

We've had a fairly bouncy trip; the winds were pretty high on Tues, Wed & Thurs. It's calmed down today and has been perfect. The water platform activities have been fully booked to make up for a restricted schedule the last few days. You pick up your snorkeling gear down there and they run kayaking and water skiing activities for passengers (weather permitting) in the afternoons. The dives with the ship's dive masters also leave from the marina platform. It's a great option in addition to the shore excursions. One of the tender drivers was surfing in the wake of the tender in a kayak this morning. Very easy on the eyes .. :hyper:

The snorkeling yesterday was more or less a repeat of the shark & ray feeding excursion in Bora Bora. I enjoyed both of them immensely. I got the coolest "Shark Boy" t-shirt in Bora Bora. Today we drove around Mo'orea this morning ($60 for 4 hours from Avis; air conditioned manual shift car, could hold 4, no mileage charge) and got one of the black pearl pendant necklaces. Lots of good choices next to the tender in the US$10 to $20 range. Even better choices in the shops for lots more than $10 to $20. One of the shops had a champagne tasting from 5 to 7 pm yesterday for passengers who wanted to look at & purchase pearls on board. You do NOT have far to go to find a drink on this ship.

This isn't new information but just to reiterate - it's expensive here. The fees to exchange US$ cash for French Polynesian francs in the ports have carried a $5 to $7 exchange fee so minimize the number of exchanges you need to make. Today's rate was 91 XFP = US$1. The crew is happy the US$ is a little stronger; their payroll in Euros has gone up the last few weeks.

Kathy, I'll give Steve your best regards. Debbie, we are talking about the same Capt. Zupan. I'll give him your regards this evening.

That's about it for now. Cheers, Anne

Great to hear from you and that you are feeling better, Anne. Sounds like everyone had a terrific time.

Wishing you all a safe journey home from Paradise.

Glad to hear that you're feeling better, Anne. You are a trooper not to let illness ruin your PG experience!

Yes, no questions to know that Anne was a trooper the entire cruise. While she might not have been sipping the vintage of the day, she was certainly up and about making the best of things. She and Gary were a real delight to spend time with.

Yes Please post pictures I was there but I want to see pictures! It was awesome!

Kathy: I agree - Gary and Anne are great people and such fun to cruise with - Joanna (Hope you are well Anne)