Nautica Impressions HKG to ATH

[fjdelrio]

Glad you said YES!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Call me next week and let's decide together what cruise is best.

 

Congratulations.

I know you'll be a big hit.

 

FDR

[wildduck]

Congratulations Jack. I have a wonderful idea. It would be great if you could return to Nautica and the same cruise next year. Maybe I am being selfish because we will be on that cruise. Your experiences and information would be welcomed as we take this amazing cruise and hopefully Ty would get to enjoy the journey with you.

Judy

[LHT28]

I am speechless! Both posts from FDR have been better than Santa Clause. First he gave me free Internet so I could post to all of you live from Nautica and now the chance to meet more Oceania passengers as a lecturer and cruise FREE. WOW!!

Jack

 

WOW is right!!

Glad you accepted FDR's generous offer

 

All the best in your new career!! :)

 

topic could be : How I went on an Oceania cruise and changed my career!! :D

 

Look forward to reading about your next adventure

 

Lyn

[Kruzin Again !]

Hi Jack: We enjoyed reading your posts each day that you published them. As many have said, you have an amazing gift for storytelling/writing. Your insights and descriptions made us feel we were right there with you in each port with you as 'we' viewed the sights.

 

We are taking our first Regatta trip this coming spring and are eagerly awaiting it.

 

Congratulations on accepting FDR's offer to become a lecturer. We're sure it will be a win-win-win for you, the Oceania passengers, and hopefully readers of the future posts you send from your cruise. Let us know what cruise you decide to take.

 

 

If more of your journals become available, can you please let us know?

 

Karen & Warren

[Twiga]

As I read Mr. Del Rio's post all I could say was Wow! Wow! WOW! What a great idea and generous offer. Let us know, Jack, when you will be sailing so we can look forward to more postings.

 

I just returned from our first Oceania cruise on the Nautica, Athens to Istanbul, and the Nautica was everything Jack said it was. We had a wonderful cruise of the Greek Isles. We will definitely take another Oceania cruise.

 

Jack, pick any chapter from your book and there you have a great lecture! All of us Oceania cruisers want to hear about other ports and other people's experiences and suggestions. Just look at the CC message boards. We are greedy for information. Whatever you choose to speak about will be entertaining and informative.

 

Have a great cruise with Ty!

 

Nancy

[Aussie Gal]

Jack,

 

I have just returned from a trip to Tasmania and had missed reading any of the C.C. topics so am just catching up today.

 

Congratulations on becoming a Guest Speaker on Oceania. Mr. Del Rio couldn't have chosen a better person for this position. You have a gift with words and I know you have the confidence to put them together and give a wonderful lecture on whatever you choose to speak about. I too, would love it if you happened to be on the Nautica next year for our voyage to Athens.

 

Fate would certainly have stepped in and we would finally meet up after chatting for so long all those months ago.

 

What an exciting experience it will be for you and perhaps the start of a new career.

 

Jennie

[magicnelly]

Jack, I've got tears in my eyes for you! Way to go!

 

Just tell the stories the way you told them on here.......and relax.

 

BTW, don't forget the "talcum powder" story.....that one had me laughing so hard I cried! LOL!

 

Do what you think and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind. Richard Bach

 

Let me know what trip you'll be on......hubby and I are planning our vacations for late next year and 2009.

 

FDR - CALL IT "JACK'S CRUISE" AND YOU'LL BOOK IT UP QUICK!

 

I would love to hear you speak.

 

Penny

[hezzy]

Jack, I have to tell you that I have thouroughly enjoyed your blog. It reads beautifully and I am happy for you to be honored by Oceania. My husband and I are taking our first cruise in April, 2008, Rome to Athens, and the experiences that you have write about are so reassuring to us. We believe that Oceania will fulfill our expectations and our holiday will be as memorable as yours.

 

I also wanted to tell you that I have so much respect for your relationship with your family, I lost mine when I was only in my early thirties. Nothing takes the place of the memories you make with your loved ones.

 

Thank you for a great read and making us even more excited and anxious for our cruise. Good luck and maybe we will see you on our SECOND cruise.

[cruzagain]

WOW to JackfromWA

What an amazing job offer from FDR. "CONGRATULATIONS, Jack. I thoroughly enjoy reading your travel experiences. Where can I get your book so my husband can read it. We are booked on Oceania Rome to Singapore Nov 2008, hopefully it will be one of your "assignment" to lecture on that cruise. Wonder if FDR reads this thread regularly????

[cathi]

Another WOW!!!! Jack you just may not have time for your "job" when everyone gets to hear which cruise you guys agree on!!! But I sure hope it means more books!!!! Talk about career changing. Reminds me of the quote I use quite often - Life's what happens while you are making plans. You just never know what turn you are going to make next! Have fun and enjoy the ride!

Cathi

[loulou942]

Hi Jack

Mr. Del Rio made a fine choice.

 

I was on the same cruise andit was fabulous.

 

We are booked on the Nautica Feb 6th 2009 from Sydney to Banghok and then to Beijing in the 27th.

 

Any topic you choose Jack would be great

 

Louisa

[scdreamer]

Wow, Jack! You're a celebrity!

 

Congratulations to you, and all best wishes for you an Ty to have a great time. (I know the passengers on the cruise will enjoy any topic!)

 

Leslie & Wayne

[JLSchutt]

Jack, for months I had been planning to read the account of your Nautica cruise, but other activities kept getting in the way. Finally, on October 20, literally two hours before my wife and I left the house to fly to Istanbul, I printed all of your comments on the thread (but not any replies from others in the interest of saving a few trees) and packed the resulting stack of 44 sheets of paper in my carry-on. I read part of your account on the trip to Istanbul and finished reading it during the first two or three days aboard the Nautica on our cruise to Athens. Very informative and entertaining! I'll be looking forward to hearing more from you in the future.

 

--Jim--

[seasoned]

I was in Mongolia last month when I got an email from Jack with his exciting news that FDR has invited him to speak on an upcoming cruise.

 

I've been in touch with Jack recently, and things are developing to make that actually happen.

 

Be sure to stay tuned to this thread!

 

-Sukey-

[JackfromWA]

Hi All,

 

For everyone in the US I hope you had a great Thanksgiving weekend. Ty and I had dinner with my mom and dad. We had a great time—three days later I still feel like I over indulged.

 

I am excited to share that Oceania has arranged for me to come on the 2008 Hong Kong to Athens cruise. It will be wonderful to meet so many of you that I know are on this voyage. Although Oceania offered to let me take the entire 35 days, I have an obligation the last week of April, so they graciously worked around my schedule and have allowed me to join the ship from Hong Kong to Singapore.

 

The Far East is one of my favorite parts of the itinerary and I look forward to enjoying Hong Kong, Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore again. Needless to say I am extremely grateful to Frank Del Rio for offering this and to all of you for encouraging him to ask me to come on board. I will be giving four lectures while on board—it is humbling to plan what to say to a crowd as educated and diverse as the passengers on Oceania—and I hope to share some of my experiences from the cruise last year with many of you personally.

 

Best wishes to everyone in the coming holiday season and I can’t wait to meet some of you in April!

 

Jack

[KruiserKat]

:D :D Glad to meet you in person in April! Hope you are as fascinating in person as you are in print!

[JackfromWA]

KruiserKat,

 

I hope you (and others) find me as interesting in person as you did online too! I don't want to let FDR down. Although it won't be easy to live up to all the online acclaim at least I know we'll all be having a great time on Nautica.

 

Jack

[Aussie Gal]

Jack,

 

I have just read your posting on our Roll Call and am thrilled that you will be on our cruise. We are indeed the lucky ones to have you on board for your inaugural lectures.

 

We look forward to meeting both you and Ty and please pop by our Roll Call more often now that you are going to be our "travelling companions".

 

Jennie

[scdreamer]

Congratulations, Jack!

 

If you weren't such a nice guy, I would be harboring feelings of envy - instead, I am very happy for you. I fervently hope someday to be able to take that trip, and I know the passengers onboard will enjoy hearing you speak.

 

You will be keeping a journal ... right?

 

Leslie & Wayne

[cathi]

YAHOO!! Glad you're joining us for even part of our journey! I will definitely be one of those at your lectures! Looking forward to meeting you!

Cathi

[cruiseyguy]

Do well with lectures, Jack, and maybe you can become Oceania's "Jared."

(Jared has been Subway's "everyman" spokesman for years).

[tak2]

That's very good news for everyone. I remember reading how you wished you had Ty there to share those moments with you.

 

Since you're a lecturer, the cruise line can fly you in and out of whatever city that makes sense. For example, you can do Singapore to Salalah, then Salalah to Athens at subsequent cruisings. I'm booked on 2009 and would love to listen to your lectures.:)

[JackfromWA]

Cruisey Guy: You made me laugh out loud—just like when Jared started appearing as a Subway spokesperson I am trying to lose weight too. I definitely feel like an “every day” passenger. The most challenging aspect of being asked to lecture on Oceania is knowing how educated, talented and experienced my fellow passengers are.

 

SCDreamer: Yes, I will post. But not as much as last time. I am only on for 12 days and this time I am sharing a cabin with Ty. I wish I got a chance to meet you—hopefully our paths will cross someday. I will post about the lectures—good or bad (as will my fellow cruisers I am sure)

 

Tak2: Thanks for the words of encouragement. I need to furnish Oceania the titles of my 4 lectures by the end of the week and I am stumped. It helps to know you’d like to hear me.

[seasoned]

While Jack is mulling over topics on which to speak, how about some ideas and inspiration from others on this thread? What would you like to hear Jack talk about? (This ought to be fun…)

 

-Sukey-

[cruiseyguy]

I think it would be enjoyable to hear Jack's impressions of the ports to be visited, based on his posts on CC last year (perhaps with some researched updates). Not a substitute for the excursion director's talks nor a fact-based travelogue. Just his own individual impressions and experiences.