Discover 7 Continents with Bill & Mary Ann as we sail on the 2012 World Cruise

[windsor26]

Thanks for the links but I think I must have the wrong one for Sandra as I have not read anything on the 2 pages I got that was critical really Have I missed a lot or have they been removed?:confused:

[SooNet]

I haven't posted on this thread before but have followed the board for this cruise and last years cruise. I do enjoy reading the adventures of all of the cruisers on this world cruise as this is something I would truly love to do one day if I could be so blessed. In the meantime I will follow the blogs of others.

 

As for Sondra and Bill this is the link to their blog

 

http://www.worldcruise2012-legallyblonde.blogspot.com/

 

and if you haven't noticed the negativity in the posts it is probably because some of the worst posts have been removed. Like the comments regarding the food choices and the tablemates suggesting to her that she should perhaps choose the Lido for meals. There are a few comments through the posts regarding meal times and the fact that there is no night life. Really I am not sure what she expected for this cruise. There is a list of other bloggers on the Roll call for this cruise - I believe I am following 9 total.

[momatibm]

I, too, have been reading Sondra's blog and am amazed at all the negativity. They are enjoying Moorea but still have complaints about numerous things. How sad to go through life like that.

 

 

If I read correctly, she has only been on 2 cruises, for a total of 11 days, a 7 day Mexican riveria and a carnival cruise(that she didn't like) === she is probably a person who doesnt;t have a life outside her profession (which I did for years) but now that I have retired I can explore different opportunities that I couldn't years before. I am sorry that she cant' see the opportunities.

[momatibm]

Thanks for the links but I think I must have the wrong one for Sandra as I have not read anything on the 2 pages I got that was critical really Have I missed a lot or have they been removed?:confused:

 

Sandra has been complaining because the activities are not to her liking -- and is not willing to try something new. === between her and Jeff the world cruise seems to be a bad trip== but not according to the other bloggers.

[whogo]

Sondra's blog is a hoot.

[cruiseman111111]

Sondra just likes HOT food, soft bread & GOOD TASTE...

 

Me Too=Jim

 

Thanks for the links but I think I must have the wrong one for Sandra as I have not read anything on the 2 pages I got that was critical really Have I missed a lot or have they been removed?:confused:

[Scrappy cruiser]

http://worldcruise2012-legallyblonde.blogspot.com/2012/01/dining-and-entertainment-aboard-ms.html

 

Here's a link to her review of dining and entertainment on the Amsterdam.

[Aussie Gal]

I believe the real reason that Sondra is not enjoying the World Cruise is that she is so much younger than most of her fellow passengers. How many people can afford to go on a World Cruise in their forties? For a start most people cannot take off over 100 days in leave and secondly not many can afford the cost. I think Sondra mentioned 33K for each of them which is a huge amount for most people who are bringing up children.

 

I gather that neither Sondra or her partner have children and good luck to her that she is able to afford the cruise but most people can only go on a World Cruise when they retire and then if they are lucky enough to have enough the money to do it. Hence, most of the cruisers would be around 70 years and that is what she is complaining about.

 

She is finding the activities to be too tame and there is no night life for her age group. I do think she has chosen unwisely. She should have done what a lass on Princess has done and that is spent 100 days of 10 day cruises around the Caribbean from November to February to avoid the winter. Reading her blog is so refreshing and you can tell both her husband and herself are having a wonderful time, albeit in an inside cabin for the 100 days.

 

I think that Sondra has done the right thing by getting off the ship for a time and having a break from the day to day life on board. I do not agree with her complaints about the food as I think HAL does a wonderful job feeding over 1000 people every day.

 

Perhaps Sondra would never be happy or perhaps she should have chosen a cruiseline like Silverseas where the food is a notch better than HAL but then again, the average age would still be high and there is definitely no nightlife on Silverseas.

 

She does mention RCL and the wonderful food on that line so perhaps she should have done a few BtBtB cruises instead of the one long cruise on the Amsterdam. Anyhow her blog certainly gives a completely different perspective of the cruise from everyone else.

 

Jennie

[WCB]

Report # 51 February 19, 2012 Sunday Pago Pago, American Samoa

 

Well, today was a far different visit from what we had expected. First of all, we were supposed to have arrived to this port yesterday, Saturday. But, if you remember, the itinerary had to be adjusted and chopped to make the scheduled docking in Sydney, Australia. Anyway, being here on a Sunday meant that not much was opened. And our tour was cancelled, due to the fact that the locals will not perform the ava ceremony on a Sunday. Period. Come to think of it, we did not study the events of this tour too well. It would have involved a kava ceremony, which meant that you are expected to partake in the drinking of a vile-looking liquid created from the root of a plant. Consumed in large amounts can be intoxicating or worse, we have heard. So they did us a favor there, and we have some extra shipboard cash. The other change today was that the length of our stay was cut back by three hours. All aboard time was 12:30pm.

 

We awoke with the aroma of smoke in our room. That was the first sign that we had arrived to the port of Pago Pago, American Samoa. Even though it was very early in the morning, the island fires were going strong. To be truthful, we are not sure if these fires are from cooking or the process of burning garbage. Since it is Sunday, we prefer to think it was food-related, such as a pig in the ground. We have been here before, but couldn't remember exactly when. Doing some research on our laptop, we figured out it was on the 2007 world cruise. We never did have a chance then to explore the town, so that was our plan for later this morning.

 

But first, we had breakfast in the dining room. Groups were going off for short 3 hour tours, and we were glad we were not part of that today. There are no buses here as we know them in other parts of the world. Here they use an island-type wooden bus that is really made for children we think. They are not built for tall people, as we recall. We had to bend over to avoid banging the tops of our heads. Knowing we should not laugh, do you know how many folks forgot this concept on our last tour here? There had to be a lot of headaches that afternoon 5 years ago, and probably will be today as well.

 

The settlement of Pago Pago is small with only around 4000 people. At one time, this island of Tutuila was used as an American base with tuna packing as its main industry. These have since moved to Indonesia, so island life has gone back to catering to the hospitality services. With only a few banks, shops, churches, and food stores, this is truly a relaxing tropical paradise for those who wish a quiet setting. The natives are remarkably friendly, and one of the nicest features is that their money is the US dollar. English is their number one language too.

 

We gathered our stuff to go off the ship for a few hours. One important item was a bottle of water, and two umbrellas would have been a good idea too. Sure, the sun was out hot and heavy, but from the looks of the tropical hillsides, they get a whole lot of rain here. One thing we forgot to take were our wallets....duh. One of us ran back to the room, right about the same time as the CEO and his entourage were arriving to board the ship. Good thing they were busy being greeted by Henk, our hotel manager and Captain Mercer, or else it would have taken forever to get back to the room. Gerald B., the Mariner fellow, did recognize Mary Ann, and said hello with a hug, but have to give him credit for remembering us since we ate dinner with him recently on January 5th.

 

The souvenier tents were loaded with people, so we decided to check them out when we finished our walk. Passing the museum, the one two-story mini mall (closed on Sunday), a gas station, a McDonalds (also closed), and the Sadie Thompson Inn, we reached the end of the colorful Pago Pago Harbor. One disappointment was the amount of trash left everywhere by the locals. Saturday night must be party time, because piles of empty soda cans and food wrappers were piled high alongside the road. With a few exceptions, it appears that no one works on a Sunday. Many crew members passed us carrying clear bags of food items. They search for the same items we do.....snack foods like chips and dips. We had passed one store that looked like a minimart, so that was a must-see place on our way back.

 

As in many islands, church is the number one activity on Sunday. And that is a treat to see and hear. Services were in progress as we walked by a large Catholic church. You could hear the wonderful music long before you reached the building. Later on, we saw the parishoners dressed in white shirts, blouses, pants and skirts. All the ladies wore different styles of white hats. The remainder of their day probably involved relaxing and eating. Samoan people must like to eat, since they are robust and happy. Nothing wrong with that in a world that can be full of everyday stress. If that exists here, you sure don't feel it. Even the kids of all ages were friendly. Truckloads of them waved with greetings as they drove by all of us tourists. You just don't see that in other places, so it is nice.

 

Time was getting away from us, so we headed back towards the dock. The skies had turned dark, and with the breeze getting cooler, we knew rain was coming. By the time we reached the food store, it started drizzling. Any of you that know tropical rain, a few drops means....RUN. The minimart was full of crew and passengers either browsing or buying stuff. We went straight to the chip aisle, and found our favorite bags of corn and tortilla chips. Yeah, we know they are not exactly healthy, but we have to have some vices. In moderation, they are a nice treat with healthy salsa and cheese. We have been having Mexican food withdrawals, and crave the spicy stuff we love to eat at home.

 

It was a good thing we were close to the ship, because once we left the store, the sky opened up big time. Our timing was bad however, since a dozen of those wooden buses pulled up as we got to the gate. All the folks were piling out, bent in half of course. That did slow them down a bit, and gave us the chance to dive under the awnings of the souvenier tents. We thought it couldn't rain harder, but it did. How those tents held up under that deluge was beyond our imagination. Our one umbrella really did not keep us very dry. The problem was the water dripping off of the perimeter of the tents. We were troopers anyway, finding some t shirts, a rayon pareo (they last forever), and a jewelry set made from the pretty paua shell. Many of the trinkets being sold were obviously from elsewhere, but the shell jewelry items were not. They did cost a bit more, but the vendors were perfectly happy to bargain. And it was close to 12:30pm, and the all aboard time was now. Good for us, and also for them. By the time we boarded, many ladies were running back with flowers given away for free. Very nice.

 

Because of the heavy showers, the sailaway had been moved to the promenade deck. We went to the aft pool deck anyway, because by then, the rain was gone, and the sun was out again. Wondering if there would be chicken tenders served at this sailaway, we were disappointed to see they were not. Even with the CEO's boarding, the food has not returned to the sailaways. Darn.

 

Leaving the small container port, the Amsterdam sailed out of the scenic bay, presenting us the views of the Flower Pot Rock, the Governor's Mansion, many shoreline resorts, and the airport. The tugboat operator tooted his horn, which was followed by the Captain tooting his bigger horn. Too bad we had to leave early, as this was a really nice place to walk or take taxis to see the rest of the island.

 

The build for the special party tomorrow was in full action. Many crew members and dining room staff were busily getting contraptions set up for a Mardi Gras celebration. Most of the framing was being done around the Lido pool, but too early to tell what it will be. Side stalls were being constructed to house feeding stations. A description in tomorrow's newsletter hinted that the theme and food will be a New Orleans-style extravaganza. Whatever it will be, it appeared that the staff was having fun doing something different for a change. You will only see this type of party on a world cruise, as far as we know.

 

Dinnertime brought us company....a couple from Australia. Since they sat between Ellen and Martha, we had a hard time hearing their conversations. They seemed to enjoy themselves and the food, which was good tonight. As for us, we are enjoying the entree salads. If we order them a few times a week, it should help us keep the calories down, while still enjoying chicken, shrimp, or even steak slices on a generous bed of greens and veggies.

 

The entertainer tonight was TV and motion picture writer Marty Brill. We do recall going to his show on past cruises, and also remember his witty and edgy humor. Since it was a long day with lots of sun and walking, we opted to call it a night, like that is a surprise. Will report on Marty's show through our friend's eyes tomorrow.

 

Speaking of tomorrow, we will cross the International Dateline tonight. This means we lose Monday. It will not exist for us. Now if we were traveling from let's say Australia, crossing the line from that direction (west to east), we would have two days with the same date, thus gaining a day. Isn't that wild??? You might think we got tricked out of one whole day, but as we continue to sail in a westerly direction, we will gain that day back one hour at a time until we reach a total of 24 hours. That happens when we get back to Florida in April.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Aussie Gal]

Mary Ann & Bill,

 

You sure didn't miss not having Kava. We have had it quite a few times in Fiji and it is vile! No other word for it but one must take a sip as it is impolite and one should observe the custom of the country whilst there.

 

Jennie

[MMDown Under]

Bill and Mary,

 

Pleased to read that you had an enjoyable morning in Pago Pago. It is still on my wish list for a visit, which includes a Sunday, so I can attend church to listen to those glorious Samoan voices.

 

Jennie,

 

I agree Sondra's young age makes her outside the demographics for a world cruise. However, she said she had befriended Erika (32), who had adapted to the environment.

 

However, I can understand how Sondra feels about the world cruise and I'm retirement age.

 

It is such a pity to visit a new port, which you are unlikely to revisit, for only half a day, (or a short day if it is a place which becomes alive at night).

 

I think they were very smart to break the many sea days with some independent land travel to get a real feel for the places. Just think of the stories they'll have to tell, refreshed by their experiences, on their return, better able to appreciate the luxury of cruising.

[Aussie Gal]

Marion,

 

My sentiments exactly. They will return to the ship refreshed after spending time on land and seeing so many new sights. I believe it was a great idea of hers to do that.

 

Jennie

[kalliekae]

I believe the real reason that Sondra is not enjoying the World Cruise is that she is so much younger than most of her fellow passengers. How many people can afford to go on a World Cruise in their forties? For a start most people cannot take off over 100 days in leave and secondly not many can afford the cost. I think Sondra mentioned 33K for each of them which is a huge amount for most people who are bringing up children.....................

 

She does mention RCL and the wonderful food on that line so perhaps she should have done a few BtBtB cruises instead of the one long cruise on the Amsterdam. Anyhow her blog certainly gives a completely different perspective of the cruise from everyone else.

 

Jennie

 

 

I agree and I think Sondra's blog gives a different perspective to the World Cruise. Many of us on here would like to do a WC in the future, but that future will usually entail "retirement age" for the majority of us. We won't necessarily want a big nightlife on board when we are in our 70's and 80's. Right now, I would probably be as bored as Sondra especially since there seem to be very few day activities on sea days. I do agree with Sondra that RCL's food is better than HAL and you can't beat RCL nightlife. However, Sondra should not have expected that type of cruise when booking a WC on HAL.

 

I am also enjoying the other blog that was posted here about the 30 year old gal who is traveling with her Mother. She has such enthusiasm and is also giving a different perspective on this same cruise. She doesn't seem to be bored at all which shows that a young person with the right personality can do just fine on this cruise. However, I do think she is the rare passenger in all demographics for this cruise.

[2552phxcrzr]

IMHO ... more than age, it has to do with whether you can entertain yourself -- with hobbies new and old -- or whether you need to be entertained by others. Erika falls into the first category; Sondra seems to be in the latter category.

[candbgirl]

I am enjoying all of the blogs. I think part of the reason Erika is so happy is that she has been adopted by several groups of people, including the Captain and his wife. Erika, I think, went for all of the right reasons. Sondra went to spend her big settlement. Her sort of bad experience began when she wasn't upgraded to a bigger cabin. I am glad she has the resources to jump ship and visit some other places. Hopefully she'll come back with a happier attitude.

As always Bill and Mary Ann and John and Diane are telling amazing stories. And Jeff's pictures are wonderful. I was surprised to read up above that Jeff isn't enjoying his cruise. I haven't gotten that feeling at all.

[Rowsby]

As always Bill and Mary Ann and John and Diane are telling amazing stories. And Jeff's pictures are wonderful. I was surprised to read up above that Jeff isn't enjoying his cruise. I haven't gotten that feeling at all.

 

I totally agree and have enjoyed reading all of their blogs....

 

The only negativity from Jeff was his frustration with the internet....something that has been a problem for all of them.....

[cruise_rima]

I have been following blogs as well, but do not know of the one for John and Diane. Would someone provide the link please?

 

 

I know I will never do a WC, buy only because I could not imagine myself away from home for that long. I have been cruising for 25 years and always find a way to entertain myself.

[RuthC]

I have been following blogs as well, but do not know of the one for John and Diane. Would someone provide the link please?

John & Diane are doing a thread on CC. Just scroll down this page, and you will surely spot it.

[down_by_the_sea]

Here is the link to John & Diane's blog. I am thrilled that so many people are blogging from this fantastic cruise. They all have a different outlook and information to share with all of us!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1526939

[WCB]

Report # 52 February 21, 2012 Tuesday Mariner Appreciation Day

 

What a day we had. It started out normally, except that the aft pool area was over-flowing with strange people. Actually, it was more like strangers, since the middle pool was closed for the decorations to get finished for tonight's party. That drove the Lido pool regulars outdoors to bake in the sun. We can guarantee that many folks will be sunburned later on.

 

At 2:30pm, the CEO of HAL, Stein Kruse, gave a talk in the Queens Lounge about the company's latest news. He and his wife had flown to Pago Pago from Seattle for a 48 hours stay prior to joining the ship yesterday. Since the island was fairly small, he indicated that 48 hours was ample time to visit there. He thanked Captain Mercer for getting us to this point safely, which drew applause from the audience.

 

He spent about the first 20 minutes reviewing this cruise, which is 46 days into its sailing already. He stated that we have put on a whopping 17,500 nautical miles so far, and we are not even halfway through the trip yet.

 

Continuing on, Mr.Kruse talked about the state of business with HAL. He boasted that 3% of Americans and also 3% of Canadians take a yearly cruise, the highest of all other countries. Even though the Carnival stock recently had a downturn, it quickly recovered and the company is financially solid.

 

The Seabourn Line has recently come under the supervision of Mr. Kruse. He told a story about the captain of the Seabourn's Odyssey, rescuing three fishermen who had been stranded off the coast of Samoa. They had been adrift for three weeks. That is drama at sea for sure. We wondered at this time if he was going to bring up the incident of the Costa Concordia. That would come later.

 

A short video was shown about Chef Bernie, Rudi Sodamin, and his new group of famous chefs who have created new food items for us to enjoy. Bernie has been a favorite chef of the world cruise for several years now, and responsible for the extra pounds we might gain.

 

In 2013, HAL will be celebrating 55 years of world cruising, not to be confused with the 50th world cruise, which by our calculations will be in 2014. Next year's itinerary was presented, which we already know. They are bragging that over 1000 passengers are booked for the entire 115 day trip. Of course, the real numbers will be evident when the final payment is due next fall. That is when the trip will be considered as "sold out" or not.

 

Finally, safety at sea was the next subject. A 4 minute video was shown, that was recently made to address the concerns of passengers after the accident of the Costa Concordia. Extensive training programs for all personnel was portrayed, as well as drills that are currently taking place constantly. Mr. Kruse reassured us that the ships are safely built and maintained. He stressed the positives, and spent as little time as he could on the accident. Someone asked a question later regarding lawsuits against Costa and the parent company of Carnival. He answered this by saying that 1/2 to 1 billion dollars will be paid out in damages, all covered by insurances of many types.

 

Gerald B, the Mariner Club expert and employee of HAL for 27 years, was up next. He talked mostly about the online convenience of accessing information in the Mariner Magazine. He acknowledged the several bloggers that have been keeping people updated on this particular cruise. He requested trip photos that we could submit to the magazine. It was about then that many guests began leaving the upper balcony, because they felt Gerald was giving a marketing speech. We had waited for this moment for him to announce some updates to the perks for the Mariner members, but it did not happen. He had promised to do this when we last dined with him in Ft. Lauderdale in January, but there was no follow through. What was stressed was that we would NOT be getting free internet.

 

That led to the Q and A session of the speech. Captain Mercer, Mr. Kruse, and Henk Mensink, hotel manager, took the stage to answer pre-asked questions. There were three of them. The number one question concerned the internet and the poor service we get onboard. The explanation was that satellite service is not directed to wide open spaces with no population, like the expanses of the oceans. Fair enough. Even though HAL is charged $30,000. a month for the Amsterdam's internet alone, the existing bandwidth is a problem. For this reason, they are blocking Skype, UTube, and some of the smaller personal devices people have brought onboard with them. Faster speed may come in the future, but the service will never be ideal. The final word was that there is no magic solution. So, we pay our money and shut up. That's as good as it gets. Period. We doubt that HAL is losing money with what we are being charged for this service.

 

The second question was about smoking onboard. Ninety-three percent do not, while 7% do. The new restrictions on smoking will go into effect after the world cruise on April 28th. There will be no smoking allowed in the cabins, but there will be designated areas on the ship to smoke. Stronger ventilation systems are being installed fleetwide. Eventually, Mr. Kruse predicted that the ships will be smokefree.

 

The third question was about the Mariner Club program. We got no specific answers here either. We all know there are four levels now, with the President's Club at the top. There are no steps from 200 days to 1400 days sailed. The last word on this was that they are "ready to look into revising it". We thought they were much closer to announcing changes, but guess we were wrong. Very disappointing.

 

Some time was allowed for audience questions, which surprised all of us. Someone asked about the brushoff of the H. Stern jewelers that sailed with us while we were in Brazil to Buenos Aires. Henk addressed this by saying that HAL had severed its partnership with H. Sterns, and even though the reps were onboard with us, they were not promoting their sales. Why? We still did not get an answer.

 

A lady asked if there would ever be single cabins available at single pricing. The answer was NO. The best they could do was offer the singles to put their names on the "share" program, where two people would room together to save money. Sometimes it work, and sometimes it does not.

 

Someone asked if the Prinsendam would be let go. The answer was also NO. HAL has put too much money into the retrofit, and people seem to like it. And like it enough the pay lots more per diem. She is making money with exotic cruises.

 

Why do we only get FOX News now? Because we are out of range of the English speaking CNN group of stations. It will come back.

 

Will we ever be able to combine our ship day credits with the sister companies in the Carnival family? A big No, not yet, or not ever.

 

Some asked about enforcing the dress code on formal night. Henk said this is not a police state on the ship. They try their best to intimidate people with the Dining Room Manager and his staff greeting the guests on both dining room levels. Some slip through anyway. Mr. Kruse mentioned that this is a complicated issue, since dress codes are becoming more casual everywhere. He sees the cruise industry will move in that direction.

 

We got the feeling that Captain Mercer may be coming back as captain next year. He made a remark regarding the difficulty of landing in Easter Island recently. Now he sees it is on the itinerary next year and in 2014, adding he was nervous about that. Wish someone would have asked if he was invited back.

 

Later on while at the Mardi Gras party, Bill cornered Gerald and asked once again about the announcement of new perks for the Mariner Club members. Remember, he promised to tell us some good news today. All he could say was that there will be three tiers of 4 star members (200 days sailed). They will be 4 star silver, gold, and platinum. Gerald admitted they were stuck on what the perks will be for these levels. He added that perhaps they will be announced sometime this year. Hmmmm, we heard that somewhere before didn't we?

 

The Mardi Gras Party Afloat started well before 5pm in the Lido pool area. We took the elevator to deck 8 to find a solid wall of people crammed solidly from one end of this deck to the other. This could be a major disaster if, God forbid, there happened to be a fire on this deck. There has to be a better way to do this in the future. Good grief! We did not see many of our elderly buddies, since they were wise enough to stay away from this melee. Those that attempted getting their full plates of food, had a very hard time negotiating their way to a table or even the stairwell. Too many people, not enough room!

 

The staff was dressed in wild costumes and lined up with their arms full of purple, green, and gold strings of beads to hand out to all. In the pool was an elaborate facade of a paddlewheel boat, the sides of the boat actually railed decks with tables and chairs for dining. Twinkling lights ran the length of the decks. Two stacks were blowing "smoke". The King and Queen (did not recognize them) were greeting guests, while a tarot card reader, a balloon maker, a card shark, and an artist creating funny faces surrounded the boat. A New Orleans Jazz Band played some authentic music and well we might add. A woman singer came on the stage a little later.

 

Food stands were set up on the perimeter of the large room. They were serving Lido-type food, but all in the New Orleans style. If you did not want the spicy stuff, Bernie's Dogs, a hotdog stand with all the trimmings was offered at the Pool Grill. There must have been all 1000 passengers at this affair. It was hot, steamy, and claustrophobic with little place to sit and enjoy your food. However, it did not stop those who indulged in the free offering of unlimited drinks of your choice. Need we say more?

 

We stayed about one hour, taking photos, visiting with friends, and sipping on diet Cokes. When the fake Mardi Gras coins and beads were being thrown, as well as the food and drinks being spilled, we left for cooler and safer areas. Deck nine was the best, because we could look through the opened roof to get even better pictures of the crazy activities down below. The wind outside was divine.

 

Our plan was to meet up with Barbie, Terry, and Ellen in the dining room at 8pm. There was a number of us that preferred to dine in peace and quiet instead of the whirlwind of noise and confusion at the wild party. Ellen never did show up, which was not a surprise. But the four of us had a wonderful and delicious hot dinner with good conversation and perfect service from our own waiters. They took good care of us as usual.

 

And, we got to put the clocks back one hour tonight, which was most welcomed. By the way, we heard Marty Brill's show last night was hilarious. However, our source told us she could not stay awake through the whole thing, so maybe he was not that funny........

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[cccole]

Bill and Mary Ann, I really enjoyed your post on Pago Pago. I have not been there but researched it last year for a trip for our young adult children. The Sunday church music must be absolutely beautiful.

 

Can't wait to hear about the Mardi Gras party. The build-up to the special night has been intense, and the suspense is killing me. Hope you have (or had) a great time.

 

Thank you again for letting me cruise with you. Cherie

[startwin]

Thanks for such a full and interesting report, and for taking the time to fill us in on the Q&A session.

[Aussie Gal]

Mary Ann & Bill,

 

A big thank you for filling us in on the Q&A program with the CEO. Your post gave us lots of answers including the fact that Prinsendam will still be around in the near future. That is our favourite ship and we are looking forward to cruising again on her.

 

Jennie

[MMDown Under]

Thanks for providing such an interesting detailed report on Mariner Appreciation Day.

[steeragelady]

Marty Brill is hilarious! My husband and I had the pleasure on a Grand Voyage of seeing him perform and also sharing time at lunch with him.

 

Enjoying another one of your informative blogs.