Tony and I just got computer hook up in our cabin and boy it is nice. The computer room is so crowded and busy all the time - Tony even brought a portable key board so I can type - I can't type well on a laptop - I will not attempt to post like Marcie - she's too good - we spent two days in Sydney and it is a drop dead gorgeous city and we had great weather. Had dinner with Marcie, Tom and Olivia both nights in Sydney and had the BEST time! When I think that we meet Tom and Marcie in Jan 2004 and Olivia June 2004 and I consider them all to be great friends - Our flight over was 14 hrs in bus class - nice but still good to get off the plane. Couple seated across from us were very nice and I told Tony I thought they might be on Radisson - right I was and just saw them at the pool. I will tell you things as they pop into my head. People are extremely friendly, 140 new ones got on in Sydney and I think younger than many of the original cruisers - we met two fun couples last night in the bar (where else?). As we were waiting to board the ship on the 7th I saw a guy walking across the pavement and recognized him - Paul! He is a sweetheart and we sat at the pool for awhile today - and I sat at the pool yesterday and I am baked!!!It is very windy, sunny and hot- we ate at Compass Rose Monday night and La Veranda last night as it was formal night and we had no interest in getting dolled up - too tired - I had steak both nights - wonderful - today I decided to "cool it" with the food so had fruit for b'fast, chilled strawberry soup for lunch and at 3:30 today I was ravenous so ordered a pizza for the room and washed it down with a yummy Pinot - I will take a nap and then we meet 3 other couples for dinner in CR at 7:30 - won't be a late night as we signed up for jazz brunch on the reef and we leave at 8 am tomorrow - I can tell you that I think there are a thousand stories on this ship - we have some real characters, and I have told so many about LCT that I am afraid people will recognize themselves and I don't want to get sued - so best I e-mail you when I get home - but, trust me, I think by the time I get off I will be able to write a book - our precious room stewardess is from Poland and gets off in Hong Kong I will miss her she is so sweet and so helpful - I went to trivia with Marcie today at noon had fun and our group didn't win but who cares? I did win the "pot" yesterday for the slot tournament and Tony won the blackjack tournament - we have our matching t-shirts - the Catholic priest is a hoot - great personality - I told him I had left his flock and was now on the side of his competition - an Episcopalian - when I pass him in hall I say "Bless me Father, for I have sinned" he laughs and laughs - so I will end this for today - I missed LCT and all of you so much - oh the Captain plays water volleyball every afternoon in the pool - he looks like a movie star...as a matter of fact, I think i told him that last night in the bar - oh well atleast I didn't insult anyone - Joanna


Edited by Karen at the request of the lovely Joanna :)

Good to hear from you, Joanna! I love these "slice of life" reports!

Masaki

Great reports, Joanna. Can't wait to hear more. (Can I be on the email list of stories?) By the way, my sister-in-law has a major crush on the Capt. She salivates when he's around the pool in his speedo! I won't divulge her age (my luck, she will read this). Glad you're having a good time.

Joanna, thanks for taking the time to post, wonderful post full of rich detail, keep m' coming...r/wes

Sounds fantastic so far. Keep us posted - you've certainly been busy thus far. Take care of that sunburn.

JoAnna,

It was great reading your post. You have a wonderful way of expressing yourself and it makes for such fun reading! I can tell, you are having such a good time. Hope I will be on the e-mail list for all the really good stuff. ;) Keep having fun, and please keep posting!!!!!

Betty

Just wanted to say I am sooooooooo enjoying all of the posts the worldcruisers and segment cruisers are sending. Thanks for taking the time--I really do appreciate it.

Jacki

JoAnna!

Thanks for posting and for the scoop. Can't wait for the next installment. Say hi to the rest of the cruisers for us. We miss you here - it's pretty quiet! We are all just hanging out waiting for your reports.

Joanna, love the way you write, so interesting and fun to read. Don't forget us report starved LCT'ers...keep 'em coming!

Hi Joanna! Glad you are off to such a good start. Keep it comin! Cheers, Anne

Joanna, thanks so much for your post. Keep on having a great time and continue to keep us posted. Nancy

Another question. Who is the hotel director? Is it by chance Andreas Noehammer? It will be good to see Dana and Jamie Logan again. Docs arrived this morning.

Joanna....I want to be on the email list - bet those passenger stories will be good!

Glad you're off to a good start, enjoy!!!

Joanna, I'd print the gossip. Unless you see people headed to the computer room on droves to read and then asking where the ship's lawyer is.

Your not going to get sued. Don't forget this gossip is helping all of us land locked survive not being on a world cruise this winter. You lucky dog you.

Hi Joanna! Yeah, post the gossip and just change the names to protect the not-so-innocent. <img border="0" alt="[naughty]" title="" src="graemlins/naughty.gif" /> Sounds like you are having tons of fun!

Kathy's right, things are pretty quiet with you gone!

I'm hoping with you and the Snake on board Marcie will take more photos of the nightlife :banana: !

Doug, I think the hotel director is Lars Olsson. Andreas was on board the Mariner for MINT in November.

Suzanne, the HD is Lars--see the world news
press release on the other thread..r/wes

Yes yes, please post gossip -- now that I'm no longer working, I don't have access to any dirt! ;)

Thanks for the report. As today is Ash Wednesday and I am fasting, any reports on food are greatly appreciated. I can salivate with the best of them.

Just you wait, my girl, until I get you back home!
I had better be regaled with all kinds of gossip and other good stories. The four of us miss your face and not talking with you. Have a great time,
but don't forget to come home - we miss you.
Marty

Doug, indeed Lars is the hotel director, Fausto Mazza is Staff Captain. Jamie is assisted by the lovely Elda Pauluzzi, and Patrick Lescourte is the Dining Room Manager. The concierge is Robert Kinhorst, who had the unpleasant task of tracking down our luggage on VJ7 that was five days late. He remembered me well, as I was a daily visitor to his little desk back then. Every time I walked by he would give me a friendly smile and a nod.

Loving all stories! I'm on your email list, don't forget ;)

Where do we sign up for the e-mail??

Great report Joanna; eagerly awaiting more!

Joanna
Just his once you are allowed to save all the gossip for the post morteum, but we are living for your who has been in the gutter. Has the WC found its own special "mile high club" nook? Do tell?

Joanna,

What a great report. I always enjoy reading your posts, as you always say it like it is. Unfortunately, you are unable to say everything like it is! But, I'm patient and can wait until you return!

Miss you, lots, my friend. Hugs to you all!

BTW, please give a hug to Elda for Alan and me, as well. We've cruised with her all three times we've sailed with Radisson and she is our favorite!

We had another fun dinner last night and, again, ended up in Voyager Lounge till midnight - so much for going to bed early so we could get up at 6:30 this morning. We left the ship around 8:30 am for barrier reef and I will let Marcie explain why the conditions were bad - strong currents, winds, etc. We took the submarine ride once we arrived and there was no air conditioning and we saw few fish as the seas were all churned - frankly, it made me almost sick to my stomach from the heat. Back to the ship at noon, bumpy ride back, and I am thrilled to be "home" - taking a book and planting myself in the shade at the pool and I will await the arrival of the Capt for his afternoon game in the water - I keep my sunglasses on so no one realizes how much I stare at him!! Met more colorful folks in the lounge last night - we have met one great couple from Chile - I think they are largest importers of Chilean wine into US - fascinating couple and fun - it seems that when the conversation gets to whether people are retired or not the answer seems to be "yes I just sold my company" and "we take 3 or 4 cruises a year when we're not on our 77 foot yacht or 101 foot yacht"...never said in a bragging way just the way it is - and these couples are not old - all extremely nice and fortunate to be leading such lovely lives. I sense some loneliness with some of the older single woman and they are very protective about their onboard friendships - cannot wait to tell you people to ignore, etc, when the reality is they just want you to themselves - I don't mean ME just people they meet - met a couple from Michigan and turns out he and I attended a wedding together in Bloomfield Hills, MI 37 yrs ago! We both knew the groom but not each other - small world - tonight we are eating with Paul and another guest I haven't met and Tom and Marcie - the couple from Chile want to hire a driver and do Shanghai on our own and i told her to make the plans and count us in - another couple from Reno and Florida (big boat) will host cocktail party in their suite for the lounge lizards - thank God we are "true" lizards. The second marriage stories are always so interesting - did you meet him after he was divorced or while still married? Of course this question is never asked and you have to wait till the late hours in the lounge to get the real scoop - loose lips - there is NO white Sambuca on the ship only black which we all hate - I think lack of it has helped my "reporting" duties in the lounge - I do substitute but miss our favorite drink with expresso - they say they'll have it onboard after next port - and then I may have loose lips - more later

Oh my, is it safe for Marcie to go that long without her medicine? <img border="0" alt="[drinker]" title="" src="graemlins/all_coholic.gif" />

Joanna, you updates are so entertaining! Keep up the good work!!

Now, if I add some black sambuca to a cafe au lait, does it become cafe au noir? but if I add white sambuca, does it become cafe au blanc de blancs? curious minds want to know. Jeff

Joanna, Your reports are just filled with great stories!!! You sound like you are having a ball!!! Can't wait to read the book :)

Hi Joanna, It sounds like your trip is one continuous party. What fun!!! Continue to enjoy yourself and post often to give us updates.

Just awakened from my siesta - this will be a sketchy story as I really do not know what is going on - we heard a request for a stretcher to be brought to deck 3 - the afternoon barrier reef tour was returning - they took someone off on a stretcher and then about half of the people got off but I think the seas got rough and they had to attempt another way to get remaining passengers off - we are watching all of this from our balcony - we are in some cove right now - boat disappeared around the front of ship maybe taking them off on other side? Looked like they were lowering one of those red boats attached to the ship - we met our next door neighbor, Frances, a delight from Calif, probably mid 80's and what a personality!! She was hanging over her balcony too. She said she had just taken a shower so please excuse her looks but she was clean from head to toe! Hate to leave you hanging but we are too lazy to walk upstairs and find out what exactly is going on - maybe Marcie will have the full and correct report - I just heard Tony tell Frances "something is not right Frances" but he is an alarmist - moving back to the passengers we have a Sandra Dee look a like onboard but this Sandra is still caught in a late 50's time warp but she must be pushing 70??!! There are several women with the time warp problem...tight faces but loose everything else - long long hair usually bleached to the Sandra Dee color - you get the pix - the more I look at her hubby he reminds me of Bobby Darin I will have to get Marcie's opinion - well Tony just called T and M and the rumors are a man had a heart attack, a heat stroke, fainted - all speculation - it is 5:45 pm here and the night is young - I hope no one is seriously ill!!! Oh the lady who brought the 38 gowns onboard and had them in wardrobes in her room - night of bad storm one fell on her leg she got out from under it and second one fell right on her bed - so much for bringing 38 ball gowns - she was not hurt at all- oh boy I met an older, opinionated, bossy woman today - we are friends after chatting for an hour - I know better than to tell Tony I like her as he'd say, of course you do, she's just like you!!! Joanna

Semi update - they are tendering out to the ship that took passengers to reef and bringing them in in small groups by small groups - it is now 6:10 pm and I think this group was due back at 4 pm OH I am so happy we went this morning!!!

Joanna - hope everybody's OK.

Olivia, Joanna - so Patrick Lescourte's off the Navigator and on Voyager now?

Masaki

Joanna - glad all turned out well on the reef trip, or so it seems. Your gossip stories are a hoot!! Keept them coming, it cheers those of us up who are sitting here green with envy at all of you World Travelers. :app: :app:

Joanna, wonderful posts--you're a natural--Dominic Dunne is to Vanity Fair, like Joanna is to LCT...keep up the great work..r/wes

Joanna,

Girl, your reports are a hoot. I love the 38 gowns and the Sandra Dee stories.
I hope the person that they took of the ship is o.k.
Please, keep reporting! These posts, from you and Marcie are the highlight of my day!!!!

Betty

Joanna,

Your reports are so wonderful and entertaining. I love all "people" stories.

Nancy

Joanna....keep dishing the dirt - inquiring minds want to know!

Thank goodness they wired Joanna's room!

This is wonderful. I love the news. I had heard about the ball gowns but never thought they'd be a hazard. I didn't see any of the Sandra Dee types on the holiday cruise but there was one on the PG a few years ago. I'd rather age gracefully and naturally.