Does anyone know when RSSC will begin posting the 2010 Itineraries?

Great question, Mia - we'll be celebrating our 20th anniversary in June 2010 and need something special to book!!!

My guess not until early 2009!

Hope they have a great cruises sometime in March ...I'm having a special bithday that year....ok...I'll spill the beans ...I'll be 21...finally legal...hehehehe

My wish list. A Regent cruise around the tip of South America, NZ/Aussie cruise or river cruise. Egypt river cruise. Well I can dream can't I.

Actually I have people quite a few people requesting a Australia/NZ cruise and also quite a few requesting the Voyager Fall Grand Crossing. Both of these are bound to be on the 2010 schedule. They are always at the exact same time. Cant do both.

I am hoping for a NZ/Australia cruise in the 2010 March/April time of the year on an itinerary similiar to the Ring of Fire. The 2009 Ring of Fire bypasses N.Z. completely and the only good itinerary is on the Mariner on the Grand Asia Pacific cruise in November.

Silversea does a N.Z./Australia trip in the Feb/March time frame so that may be what I do instead.

When the time comes I will do a poll to see how many want the Crossing and how many want N.Z./Australia - LCT majority rules. Such a shame they are at the same time.

Carolyn the RIVER cruise in September will be a reality. I have a LONG waiting list for that and will decide which line after my trip in August to visit all the leading ships on my radar.

Oberoi has moved into the Nile River and the Triton is also a fantastic ship. Might be up for that again at some time in the future. I enjoyed Camel so much I might like to do that region again as well with more time in Jordan and visiting Abu Dabi.

Ngaire, do you have any interest in leading a river cruise in China? Are you considering trying out the new Silversea ship in Antarctica? Maybe in 2010?

Antarctica in 2010 is not in my plans at this time. More likely South America or N.Z.at that time of year.

Everything depends on the numbers of people who want to do a River cruise in China. I have not done the Yangtze myself so that does interest me. The pearls in Beijing are always calling me!!

I also see some other River cruises in Portgual/Spain and Moscow to St. Petersburg that may be very appealing also. However probably want to do the key group in September 2010 and see how it all works with a group first, so these may be put off until 2011. Group River cruising is still an unknown until you actually do a group. So I prefer to take that a little slower intially.

I have to hold off on all my decisions on River Cruises for 2009 until I do all my inspections in August of this year. Right now the leading contenders are Amadeus, Avalon, and Scenic Tours. There are others though that may surprise me once I visit the ships.

Ngaire, we would be interested in joining you for the Jordan, Abu Dabi cruise. Also, the escorted Australia/NZ trip sounds wonderful.

So many choices! :app:

Susan

I should add, also South America is waiting for us. I did say so many choices.

Susan

Ngaire, I'm sure your 2010 schedule will have us wanting to do it all (like always). Portugal/Spain and Moscow/St. Petersburg are appealing itineraries. At least you give Alan and me something to talk about :D .

2010 may be the year we decide to do a world cruise so hopefully the LCT's will do at least one segment. Will be more ready to commit to that long a time after we do Koala.

We're going to do something special in 2010, health and pocket book willing! It will be our 30th anniversary that year. In fact I'm starting a spreadsheet of possibilities, don't even know what time of year it would be yet. Lots of non-Regent possibilities as part of this:

- a great crossing with a land trip thrown in
- Norwegian fjords (probably Hurtigruten)
- South America, Rio-Valparaiso or reverse, probably Oceania
- ??

By 2010, we'll have met all of our travel dreams and wishes (and then some--we've been working hard at that the last few years). So we'll be looking at going back to some of our favorite places in 2010. I'm sure Ngaire will have at least one group going to a favorite place, so we'll see what she comes up with. If there's choices, I'd vote for a Nile cruise, Tahiti-South Pacific, or South America (mainly North from Chile or Peru to LAX). We're also looking forward to whatever river cruise she picks.

Peggy, how great is that! I'm always torn between going new places and going back to my faves for more exploration. We're doing the Marquesas in 6 months on the PG, and it will be our 4th trip. I would love to go back to Greece, Portugal, Scotland, Norway, Central America. I could go back to the Med. every year.

Wendy and Peggy, I hear you about going back to favorite places. Everywhere we go, I say to Alan, "I want to come back and do this again one day." There are very few places that I wouldn't want to see again. Of course, we still have lots of items on our wish list so it's hard to take justify a repeat. So far it has sort of happened once. We took Voyager from LA to Sydney and Mariner from Auckland to LA/both were basically French Polynesia ahd I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Wendy - a spreadsheet? I like the way you plan.

Ngaire,

Ring of Fire 2009 does stop in Auckland and Bay of Islands on March 21 and 22. Not much, I agree but but a bit - just before you all get off in Sydney.

Peggy

I really call that bypassing N.Z. not technically correct, just how I see it.

Although I am getting off in Auckland on the 09 Ring of Fire, rather than going onto Sydney so I am glad they are doing that. It is not what I would call a N.Z. cruise though.

The Mariner does the full 2 weeks Australia, NZ cruise that is what I hope they do in Spring of 2010, but it is unlikely.

A Nile cruise has been on Carol and my list for a long time. If it helps we would do that in a heart beat. Time of year is always an issue with us but as long as it is not in May or late Oct. early Nov. we would do it for sure.

Actually, I agree with you although I had good walks in both Auckland (Parnell back to the ship plus some of the way up the main street) and in Bay of Island.

There is so much more to see in NZ.

Dag was unhappy to miss the Sounds . . .

I also would love a NIle cruise. Two days in Luxor was not enough. Of course we just love to travel so most places would get our vote.

Actually when the time comes we may do a poll this way it shows where the key interest lies. Ken and I are really up to anything that the group wants so we are pretty flexible.

We have spent 2 weeks in Beijing and then 3 weeks touring China including a river cruise....not the most exciting boat I've ever been on....beds were oh SOOOO hard.

Our pick is to go back to Egypt and do a Nile cruise...Shades of Agatha Christie's "Death on the Nile".Hey!!! now that could be a great theme,but I'd change the title to "Love on the Nile"

South America...Santiago to Buenas Aires(or reverse) preferably on the Voyager or Navigator.

A riverboat cruise on the Danube,but would prefer more than 7 days on the riverboat,maybe 10-12? Spain/Portugal boat tours sound good too(haven't been there).wow are we actually looking at 2010 already?

Where ever you decide to go will be wonderful.

Wow, Egypt would be great, a Nile cruise! What time of year would be logical for that?

Hi.

A Nile cruise sounds terrific! I would absolutely do that.

Marcia

http://www.bkafrica.com/E_Cairo.htm

Usually dont post links here but there is a very basic B&K website on Egypt at this address. Simple information, full of Ken's pictures. Some of you may not know I have that website up.

There is a new ship from Oberoi on the NILE that is certainly worth considering as well. Not sure when I will get that on the web so many other things to do first.

Here is the link to the climate.
http://www.bkafrica.com/Q_Climate_Egypt.htm

Just thought you might like to see this.

Wow, looks like chartering the Triton would be great, eh? Looks feasible if you had around 40 interested parties.

We were there in march 2006 and it was great weather.

Gee those photos make it even more enticing to go back and do a Nile cruise all the way to Asswan Dam....I can see it all now,laying on a chaise lounge....sipping a chilled wine.... two handsome men waving fans over me.....OOOOOPS....darn I guess I fainted...

Anyway I think a Nile cruise looks better and better.

We did Ngaire's trip last February and it was wonderful. Met all our expectations. We were with another couple & the egypotologist who accompanied us the entire 11 days was extremely knowledgeable. We flew into Cairo for a few days, then flew to Luxor. We then boarded the Triton (the Salacia was not avilable at that time) and sailed to Aswan. From there, we flew to Abu Simbal & back to Cairo.

We combined this with an independant trip to India & the entire 5 weeks were magical with a very high learning curve. I highly recommend this trip.

We are just back from a marvelous experience on CAMEL. I'm working on the video at this moment. We took this trip thinking this would be the first and last time we visited Egypt and Jordan. On our first day in Luxor we resolved to return. So a Nile trip would be on the money for us. Pat

And Abu Simbal and Aswan ... Jackie, so glad you enjoyed the trip! Pat and Fred, it's a must return kind of a trip.

Jackie - was Meged the Master of all things Egyptian the Egyptologist on your tour?

We loved the Triton!

Cheers, Anne

Oh that sounds great! Would love an Australia/New Zealand port intensive cruise for 2010......not just one port in each country like on some of the crossings. We'll be celebrating our 40th anniversary then too.
Pat

Anne, the Triton is the one you had all to yourselves through BK/KD, right?

Pat, editing to say I enjoyed a very port intensive segment of the WC in 2005 from Aukland to Sydney. It was great, so much to see, so little time. I did come in early and do the Coramandel(sp?) Peninsula through Regent. I usually never book for them pre- or post- because of the pricing, but this one went out of the city, and I had no choice. It was great, and there were only 7 of us in a van. We were well taken care of. Then on the ship, went with Tom and Marcie one night off the ship to Queenstown, a definite do not miss place where you have to get off the ship. We had such a good time on the shallow river runners!

Yep, the Triton did turn out to be our exclusive home for four nights. Jackie, our tour went the other direction - flew to Cairo for 4 days, then Abu Simbel and Aswan. We had two overnights in Aswan (late March - and I wouldn't go later in the year due to temperatures) at the Old Cataract Hotel. That's where Agatha Christie wrote much of "Death on the Nile". Aswan was such a pleasant surprise. The fellucahs along the nile are delightful, the night market was a lot of fun, the hotel was lovely (especially the pool area). Our trip was the better for having the visit to Aswan before the trip to Luxor and all the wonders of the ancient Egyptian civilization.

After that, we had four nights on the ship to Luxor. One morning, I just had to lie on the chaise & re-read Agatha Christie's classic. It was much more satisfying to read it right in all the places she so vividly described.

CAMEL just whetted my appetite for another return to Egypt, Jordan, etc. Gary still has other new frontiers to conquer .. and, hey, if I tell him the airfares work best if we have to stop back in Egypt for a week first, why not scratch both of our itches? He's lusting after a weekend at the Hyatt in Sharm el Sheik ...

Cheers, Anne

Anne, yes, Megded was our egyptologist and he always had a detailed explanation for any question. We were the only 4 on the ship. The Nubian crew were extremely thoughtful & friendly. We liked Egypt every much as Petra.

Ngaire, We are also very interested in a river cruise. Russia would be great and so would Egypt. Keep us up to date on plans so we get jump in. Judy & John

We are interested Egypt or New Zealand/Australia....

Ngaire,
I would definitely be interested in St. Petersburg to Moscow river especially in 2010.
However, I would never count out any of the above suggestions.
Lynn

Russia will not happen as an escorted cruise in 2010. We have the RIVER cruise between Budapest and Prague in September 2010. That is a definite. Russia will probably come later, 2011 perhaps. They are still getting better ships in Russia so to wait a few years may be a good thing.

The sept river cruise sounds great...I know if I were to do Jordan, Egypt etc, I'd also want to do Israel again.