I'm back - and it's YOUR fault! :)

[dakrewser]

After our Princess cruise last spring, I saw that it would likely be 2009 before we cruised again. We just did a 10-day Italian land vacation, and were planning an extended fly/drive tour of the British isles for next year. So I stopped reading CC.

 

But a number of folks have emailed me privately (I think to make sure I was still breathing!) and the fly/drive was not getting us all that excited. So, while sitting in DFW airport the day before Thanksgiving we decided to, perhaps, look at a cruise instead. By the time we'd finished eating the turkey, we were booked for a Vancouver-Seward cruise on the Volendam, with an add-on tour (#21) to Prudhoe Bay next May.

 

So I guess I'll need to hang around here until then, just to find out what's up with: dining, dress code, children, liquor-smuggling and all those old familiar refrains I've grown to know and love.. :)

 

So - what have I missed in the past 5 months?

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Welcome Back Dave:) I will say that I have missed you. That is so great that you booked another HAL cruise sounds like a very nice one with the cruise tour added on.

Just to let you know not a whole lot has changed, a few new names, definitely a lot of the old ones, and basically the same things happening just a different day;) But definitely good to see you back:)

[jhannah]

Hey, Dave. Great to see you again. What have you missed? Oy vey! Scan a bit when you have time. There have been a couple of "doozie" threads of late. But things are pretty much the same.

 

I want to go to Prudhoe Bay, too, some day.

[cruisinjudy]

Welcome back! You just couldn't stay away!

[RuthC]

Glad to "see" you, Dave! Welcome back. :)

So, what's been happenin', you ask? Not much---things are quiet, like usual. ;)

[grannynurse]

Welcome back, Dave

I've certainly missed your posts...please dive back into the melee.

GN

[Copper10-8]

Dude, welcome back! Way too quiet and non-controversial here w/o you!:rolleyes:

Btw, Kings beat the Sharks again in the tank last night. Wish we could play all our games there;)

[jtl513]

Welcome back Dave!! :D I think the biggest brouhaha you've missed is all about how "terrible" HAL has been to impose a fuel surcharge for people already booked! Big whup! :)

[Bill S]

HI DAVE! WELCOME BACK! We have missed you, so it is a pleasure to see you posting again!

For one thing, you have missed the updates on the new HAL ship, the Eurodam. Check out the neat blog at www.eurodamnews.com

Coincidentally, we flew back from Italy the day before Thanksgiving, but our US gateway was JFK. We did a 14-day cruise on the Millenium. I have yet to post a review but will get to it soon. As nice as the cruise was, we missed being on a HAL ship.

I hope you can find your way up to Las Vegas soon, so we can have another dinner!

[kakalina]

Dave!!! Welcome back my friend, glad you decided to join us again. We missed you wit and wisdom.

[BigBearLady]

We haven't met yet, since I am pretty new around these parts:) But welcome back.:D

[Sage]

Dave, welcome back. We sure have missed your input around here.

[intandemNV]

Welcome back. I'm rather new at this but I have to say I love this board. The people are smart, funny and hardly ever mean. I just wish there was more to read!;)

[hammybee]

Missed your spark. Welcome home.

[Cruising-along]

We haven't "met" either, but I notice that you live in Sunnyvale. I lived in Los Gatos from '65-'70. Welcome back!

[SDHALFAN]

Welcome back Dave:

 

I rarely visit this main board any more since we have quite a thread going on the Oosterdam board (Yummer Cruise). That thread has turned into more of a "family" thread. Hardly any of us have met each other in person yet but we are all geared up to have a great cruise next February. Too bad it's only a 7-day cruise but we are already talking about a reunion cruise in 2009:D .

 

Once again, welcome back - you have been missed. I look forward to reading more of your pithy remarks;) .

 

Valerie:)

[cruisinbulldog]

So - what have I missed in the past 5 months?

 

No.. Its what we have missed!!;)

 

Bulldog

[prescottbob]

Ahoy!

 

Mi amigo, you have missed inconsequential debates over policies that 'we' have no control over (fuel taxes, dress code implimentations, and the omnipresent smoking bug-a-boo's).

 

You've missed rather well written reviews of various cruises that have provided both objective and subjective points of view (the current 'crisis' is the A/C and plumbing problems of various HAL ships and menu changes).

 

You've also missed the current service charges / costs for drinks, laundry and wine cards (no big changes these past 5 months IMO).

 

And, of course, you've missed some of the idle chit-chat that overshadows the human experience.

 

I look forward to your posts. Don't know you from 'Adam' but as a fellow traveler I look forward to your revitalized input and opinions. Be well mi amigo.

 

Bon Voyage and Good Health!

Bob:)

[RevNeal]

YEAH, Dave!

Welcome back!

You have been greatly missed!

[Aussie Gal]

Welcome back Dave and I too have missed your posts.

 

I am so glad you have booked another cruise. We too did a land trip of Ireland and Italy in September/October and we cannot wait to get back to the ocean again.

 

Jennie.

[dakrewser]

Thanks ever so much everyone, it's nice to see your shining avatars once again!

 

Now what's all this nonsense about adopting the Princess dining scheme??

 

:)

[CDRMark]

Nice to see you Dave.

Cheers

Mark

[the2ofus]

Dave, you and your particular/peculiar brand of humor have been sorely missed around here. Welcome back!! Glad to see you have another HAL cruise booked.

[cruzinnluvinit]

After our Princess cruise last spring, I saw that it would likely be 2009 before we cruised again. We just did a 10-day Italian land vacation, and were planning an extended fly/drive tour of the British isles for next year. So I stopped reading CC.

 

But a number of folks have emailed me privately (I think to make sure I was still breathing!) and the fly/drive was not getting us all that excited. So, while sitting in DFW airport the day before Thanksgiving we decided to, perhaps, look at a cruise instead. By the time we'd finished eating the turkey, we were booked for a Vancouver-Seward cruise on the Volendam, with an add-on tour (#21) to Prudhoe Bay next May.

 

So I guess I'll need to hang around here until then, just to find out what's up with: dining, dress code, children, liquor-smuggling and all those old familiar refrains I've grown to know and love.. :)

 

So - what have I missed in the past 5 months?

Welcome back. I haven't seen many smuggling threads lately. Do you believe it? I'm sure someone will start one soon. Enjoy that cruise.

 

Linda

[photodoodle]

I believe in '08 the Volendam is doing the same itinerary we did on the Statendam this summer. I had a wonderful time and I bet you will too. The Alaska board was very helpful in planning shore excursions, fyi.