Thanks Eugene! Ngaire put me on the waiting list this morning, so we'll see what happens. Looks like a good pre-cruise to me.

Don & I have taken the plunge and are going with you wonderful people on PANDA. We are in #767. We booked a while ago but were waiting & waiting for our daughter to set her wedding date....well, no wedding date YET so PANDA, here we come!

Oh Michelle that's wonderful news!! So glad to hear it!!

Thanks, Andrea! Keeping my fingers crossed for all this to work - daughter's wedding date, church schedules, etc. etc. Oh well, sure makes life exciting :)

Wonderful news, Michele! And welcome to Doris and Felipe!

Michele, great that you and Don will be joining us. We're right next door in 765!

Dena

Thanks, Olivia & Dena. Looking forward to seeing you all again. Can't believe it's already time to book flights.

Welcome to PANDA, Michele and Don!! Looking forward to finally meeting you!

Masaki

Thanks, Masaki! It will be great to meet you & Amanda too!

Well, I'm off to find flashing PANDA pins! Stop by my cabin 762 and pick one up! This is almost another ROAR reunion :app: <img border="0" alt="[vhappy]" title="" src="graemlins/icon_vhappy.gif" />
So happy to meet old friends again and make new ones! Masaki and Amanda, I finally get to meet you!

No way!!! Suzie, how awesome!! <img border="0" alt="[bounce]" title="" src="graemlins/ubbbounce2.gif" />

Wonderful news, Suzie and Marilyn!

OMG! Picture this:

The sistahs
Our NEXT DOOR NEIGHBORS
The Pearl Market
The Hong Kong Jade Market
The Great Wall

This is one for the record books!

I am very happy to learn our friends are coming along for the fun and sights.

Cheers, Anne

Suzie and Marilyn, welcome aboard!!! We are your next door neighbors in 760.

This is going to be a fun cruise!!!!!

I lucked into a groovy neighborhood! :D Who could ask for better neighbors? Anne & Gary, I may have to lock the credit cards in the Captain's safe when we dock in Hong Kong :eek:

Right on, sistahs! So glad you're aboard! We're takin' this party to Asia! (This could end up being a shopping extravaganza!) :3smile:

I think Don's going to have to grow a third arm between now and then to carry the shopping bags! The two he has got quite a work out in Africa!

LOL, Olivia. You've touched upon a joke in our family - Don carried 2 heavy boxes of silverware (100+ pieces each) from Asia 20 years ago for us - 1 set for his place & one for mine. He always laughs that THAT's when he thought we should get married...
:D

Well, Michele, I'm sure he is thanking his lucky stars today that he found you! And that is why he is the BEST shopping bag carrier I've seen in a long time!

PANDA is becoming more and more fun. Can't wait to cruise (and shop!) with everyone! Don, can you help Masaki carry stuff for us too? :)

This is going to be such a great group - love that I finally get to meet the sistahs!! :D

Masaki

Chitlin'! I have Ms. Merlot to schlep for me :D

Don is already telling me this isn't a "shopping" trip. Ha! (Don't think he's thanking his lucky stars anymore.) Amanda, I'm sure he would rather help you guys than have me indulging in anything. (I'll just tell him it's all your things!) I have a feeling that on this trip the best shopping may be the small stuff. :D Ms. Suzie, Ms. Merlot is a very good schlepper, too! <img border="0" alt="[bounce]" title="" src="graemlins/ubbbounce2.gif" />

Now wait a minute.

Ever heard of the PEARL MARKET in Beijing.

However, before the men have a heart attack a choice might have to be made depending on how the tour schedule turns out to be offered. We wont know that until the last minute, maybe even on the ship as the plans can change. Choice of The Pearl Market or The Great Wall. That may be the question!! A very HARD question.

I am going to the Pearl Market FOR SURE. So if the ladies want to come with Ken and me then the men can go to the Great Wall.

Ngaire,

Is Ken ready to schlep for ALL of us shoppers?? I know those firefighters stay in shape, but this may be asking too much!

Not a hard choice for me -- I've been to the Great Wall!

Betty

What???? I might have to make a choice between the Pearl Market and the Great Wall? I'm working out so I'll be able to climb those stairs!

I'll work on getting Gary (a/k/a One Dollar Warrior) to coordinate the pre-cruise boot camp conditioning exercises for the manly men. If they stick to the plan, they tackle the Great Wall trek (no self-respecting manly man will use the gondola head-start option!) to capture world-class photographic evidence of this feat. They will easily double-time it back to the Pearl Market in time to carry all our wonderful buys back to the hotel.

I will help coordinate translating your English names into Chinese. It's so very helpful when talking with the locals. For an added fee, we'll arrange to get your very own Chinese name chop!

Ngaire, I will be at the Pearl Market with y'all. Point me back to the bomb shelter-cum-Rolex-sales-office. I have also run out of Barbie & Ken wine bottle covers, so we'll need to get at least a gross this time. :D

Cheers, Anne (for purposes of this trip, jest call me Monkey Business)

I have to see The Great Wall! W-h-h-a-a-a :mecry: Is it possible to do both? or I could bribe Gary to snap some pic's on MY camera to show certain people at home this was the main reason to book PANDA? oh what a tangled web we weave......they sell Rolex! Help me

Go all that way & not see the Great Wall? (haven't seen it) Well, there go the pearls for moi....

We will have to see how the tour lays out ladies to make a decision. It is an action packed tour program so something will have to give.

Unfortunately the Pearl Market does not open very early in the morning or stay open late at night. I left the Radisson tour at Forbidden City by cab and made it over to the Pearl Market on my first trip. The poor Radisson tour guide was pretty concerned we were wandering off on our own. I had her write down "Pearl Market" and "Shangri La Hotel" in Chinese. Got in about 2 hours shopping. The taxis are metered and we had no problem. That is always a possibility.

As a side note if we stay at the Shangri La Hotel they have one of the best buffets you can imagine for dinner. Really outstanding food so we have that to look forward to also.

I'm wondering the questions of Suzie and Michele. Have to see the Great Wall. Would love to go to Pearl Market, too. Ngaire, are there evening shopping opportunities? How about pearls in Kyoto! I thought the best pearls in the world are from Japan? I have to look at the box that holds mine to see where they come from! They were a gift from my former MIL!

I'm with you, Michele - have not seen the Great Wall so I'll join you and the manly men there! May opt to skip the "boot camp" and take the gondola option :)

Ngaire, as we are a group will they put us on the same bus and same hotel for Beijing? I hope so!

Dena

The Pearl Market is not just pearls.

It is like a huge department store selling all kinds of things. Has about five levels. I bought a coat there that I have worn and worn and worn. Often the quality is not too good but this coat has been fantastic. It used to be filled with "knock offs" but the government has cracked down on that now so it is actually not quite as good as it used to be.

These are not the top quality pearls like the Japanese pearls, although they do have those on the top floor. Many are just fresh water pearls that are inexpensive and fun.

Everything in Japan is probably pretty expensive. China is full of bargains. Not much time for shopping there is so much to see and you do not want to miss the sights of Beijing.

We would all be in the same hotel and it can be arranged to be on the same bus I am sure. I will have to arrange that once on board with the tour office.

Sigh, I'm with Dena. If I had to choose between the two, I have to go to the Great Wall. We can ride up the gondola together while the manly men sweat it out!

Save 2 seats on the gondola!

I didn't know there was a gondola. Oh well, I need to keep working out anyway!

Actually the Regent tour normally does not go to the Gondola end. It can take a while and there can be lines and it is some distance from the main area of the wall that they use. They dont like to split up the group. If there are enough of us I can see if anything can be done about this but just wanted you all to know that.

Keep working out! Ya never know - we may find ourselves involved in an "amazing race" to the Wall then to the Pearl Market. :D

So Ngaire, if we choose to climb the wall, will you take shopping lists or bags to fill with pearls with you? I can't believe Ken is going to miss the opportunity to take pictures of all of us struggling along.
;)

Good news from award travel land...I was able to extend my outbound flight reservation this morning for an additional 2 weeks. Now I just need to get the return from HKG.