JohnG

I think the others have covered most everything. We sailed in August and in September. August that year was warm, shirt-sleeve weather in Juneau and comfortable in Skagway and Ketchikan. Ketchikan is the rainiest place in Alaska, they claim. The glaciers are cold while viewing due to the ice and icy water. Layering clothes is the best, and carry a small foldable poncho for rain when it does come. The first year we rented cars in the ports and drove around for our excursion, as we had our two teens with us. By the way, they spend the day in the hot tub on deck while we were in Glacier Bay! We did do a Salmon Bake in Juneau this year, and rode the tram up Mt Roberts to take hike. If you've never been to Alaska, I strongly recommend you read James Michener's Alaska before you go to understand the place better. I'd say that if money is an issue, do the inside cabin and enjoy the sights from public rooms and on deck. I think either the balcony or the inside. By the way, on a southbound trip, the port side balconies or windows would be the best views.

Just got back yesterday from our MSC Orchestra cruise (our agency advisory board conference onboard...a working vacation). Enjoyed it and will get a review done this week. I'm two behind, the Pride and the Orchestra. We enjoyed how many people danced on the Orchestra. An international mix of passengers and types of music. On lots of ships Karen and I are some of the only dancing in the evening. I was home just in time for Andrea and Debbie! The 2C and 2B cabins in our allocation are now gone. 2C's are completely sold out on this sailing. But we still have inside, oceanview, and 1 2A balcony left, at our original prices. Next?

There is no use relying on me to warn Celebrity about the run on the martini bar. I'm one of their steadiest customers! Bombay Saphire martini, up, with olives. And i love the way they shake and pour. The bartenders are like something out of the movie "Coctail". I loved the Martini Bar and bartenders on the Summit.

Let me add what the current price differentials are between what is still available until April 20 for CruiseCrazies and what the current price is: We don't have any more Cat CC cabins left in our allocation. Our price was $2,061.92 per person, and they are currently going for $2,602.94 complete. Cat 2A Veranda CruseCrazies 1861.92 per person, couble occupancy, including taxes. $2,492.04 for the public. Cat 2B Veranda CruiseCrazies $1,811.92, and $2,352.92 for the public Cat 7 Oceanview Cruise Crazies $1,501.92, and $1,742.94 for the public Cat 9 Inside Cruise Crazies $1,381.92, and $1,622.94 for the public Cat 11 Inside Cruise Crazies $1,301.92, and $1,542.94 for the public. And these all include $100 per cabin shipboard credit, and the public prices have no shipboard credit. Those are some substantial savings. If you know of someone who might be interested, let them know of the great prices they can have by cruising with the CruiseCrazies. They can contact me at 1-888-470-6787 or jgawne@cruisesinc.com for more information.

Karen just plays the slots. I like to watch the blackjack games. I'm not much of a risk taker. Slots is about all the risk I do.

Let me add what the current price differentials are between what is still available until April 20 for CruiseCrazies and what the current price is: Cat 2A Veranda CruseCrazies 1861.92 per person, couble occupancy, including taxes. $2,492.04 for public. Cat 2B Veranda CruiseCrazies $1,811.92, and $2,352.92 for the public Cat 7 Oceanview Cruise Crazies $1,501.92, and $1,742.94 for the public Cat 9 Inside Cruise Crazies $1,381.92, and $1,622.94 for the public Cat 11 Inside Cruise Crazies $1,301.92, and $1,542.94 for the public. And these all include $100 per cabin shipboard credit, and the public prices have no shipboard credit. Those are some substantial savings. If you or someone you know might be interested, let them know of the great prices they can have by cruising with the CruiseCrazies. Contact me at 1-888-470-6787 or jgawne@cruisesinc.com for more information.

Karen is up at the crack of dawn and walks 5 miles in the morning while I sleep in, then we have breakfast. We do the show after late dinner, if there is one, and the casino slots on formal nights. Karen likes to do the casino in formal wear.

It was newer than Century and they rehabbed Century 2 year ago to bring her up to date. I think it is more a case, as stated, of introducing the new ones, Solstice and Equinox that led to this, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Century go, too. RCCL, owns Pulmantur and this joint venture with TUI, as well as Celebrity and RCL, and they interchange as necessary. The two ships that are now Azamara Journey and Quest were with Pulmantur and they brought them over and sent Horizon to Pulmantur.

Bon Voyage! Hope you have a great time, in a warmer climate.

I wish I could read it. It will not me visit that site as I am a canadian. Airline Fee ChartPublished October 28, 2008 ................................................................................ ................................................................................. ..................................................................... Use this airline fee chart to find out who’s charging what. From baggage handling to seat selection to food and beverages—know additional airline flight costs before you book. And since policy changes are becoming more frequent, be sure to check back each time you fly. U.S. Domestic Carrier Checked 1st bag Checked 2nd bag Preferred seat selection Other AirTran $15* $25 $6–$20 • Beverage/Snack $6 • Oversize/Overweight bag $39–$79 • Travel w/ pet $69 • Unaccompanied minor $39–$59 Alaska Airlines No fee $25 No fee • Beverage/Snack $5 • Oversize/Overweight bag $50–$75 • Travel w/ pet $100 • Unaccompanied minor $75 American Airlines $15 $25 No fee • Beverage/Snack $3–$6 • Oversize/Overweight bag $50–$150 • Travel w/ pet $100–$150 • Unaccompanied minor $100 Continental Airlines $15 $25 No fee • Oversize/Overweight bag $50–$150 • Travel w/ pet $125 • Unaccompanied minor $75–$100 Delta $15** $25** $5-$25 • Beverage/Snack $3–$8 • Oversize/Overweight bag $90–$175 • Travel w/ pet $150 • Unaccompanied minor $100 Frontier $15 $25 No fee • Beverage/Snack $3–$7 • Oversize/Overweight bag $75 • Unaccompanied minor $50 Hawaiian Airlines $15 $25 No fee • Oversize/Overweight bag $25–$100 • Travel w/ pet $60–$225 • Unaccompanied minor $35–$100 jetBlue Airways No fee $20 $10–$20 • Beverage/Snack $3–$5 • Oversize/Overweight bag $50–$100 • Travel w/ pet $100 • Unaccompanied minor $75 Midwest Airlines $15 $25 No fee • Beverage/Snack $6–$11 • Oversize/Overweight bag $50–$80 • Travel w/ pet $100 • Unaccompanied minor $50–$100 Northwest Airlines $15 $25 No fee • Beverage/Snack $3–$10 • Oversize/Overweight bag $50–$100 • Travel w/ pet $80 • Unaccompanied minor $75 Sun Country Airlines $12 $25 No fee • Beverage/Snack $1–$5 • Oversize/Overweight bag $75 • Travel w/ pet $75 • Unaccompanied minor $50 United Airlines $15 $25 $14–$109 • Beverage/Snack $3–$9 • Oversize/Overweight bag $125–$175 • Travel w/ pet $175 • Unaccompanied minor $99–$150 US Airways $15 $25 $5–$30 • Beverage/Snack $2–$7 • Oversize/Overweight bag $100–$200 • Travel w/ pet $100 • Unaccompanied minor $100 Virgin America No fee $25 $15–$50 • Beverage/Snack $8 • Oversize/Overweight bag $50–$100 • Travel w/ pet $100 • Unaccompanied minor $75 International Flights Carrier Checked 1st bag Checked 2nd bag Preferred seat selection Other AeroMexico No fee $15 No fee • Oversize/Overweight bag $100–$200 • Travel w/ pet $75 • Unaccompanied minor $60 Air Canada No fee No fee $15–$22 • Beverage/Snack $2–$6 • Oversize/Overweight bag $75–$100 • Travel w/ pet $105–$270 • Unaccompanied minor $100 Air France No fee No fee No fee • Oversize/Overweight bag $50–$150 Alaska Airlines No fee $25 No fee • Beverage/Snack $5 • Oversize/Overweight bag $50–$75 • Travel w/ pet $100 • Unaccompanied minor $75 American Airlines No fee No fee No fee • Beverage/Snack $3–$6 • Oversize/Overweight bag $50–$150 • Travel w/ pet $100–$150 • Unaccompanied minor $100 British Airways No fee No fee No fee • Oversize/Overweight bag $50–$150 • Unaccompanied minor $50 Continental Airlines No fee No fee No fee • Oversize/Overweight bag $50–$150 • Travel w/ pet $125 • Unaccompanied minor $75–$100 Delta No fee No fee No fee • Oversize/Overweight bag $90–$175 • Travel w/ pet $150 • Unaccompanied minor $100 Frontier $15 $25 No fee • Beverage/Snack $3–$7 • Oversize/Overweight bag $75 • Unaccompanied minor $50 jetBlue Airways No fee $20 $10–$20 • Beverage/Snack $3–$5 • Oversize/Overweight bag $50–$100 • Travel w/ pet $100 • Unaccompanied minor $75 Lufthansa No fee No fee No fee • Oversize/Overweight bag $50–$200 • Travel w/ pet $50–$200 • Unaccompanied minor $50–$100 Mexicana No fee $15 No fee • Oversize/Overweight bag $50+ • Travel w/ pet $90 • Unaccompanied minor $95 Northwest Airlines No fee No fee $5–$35 • Oversize/Overweight bag $50–$100 • Travel w/ pet $150 • Unaccompanied minor $120 Sun Country Airlines $12 $25 No fee • Beverage/Snack $1–$5 • Oversize/Overweight bag $75 • Travel w/ pet $75 • Unaccompanied minor $50 United Airlines No Fee No Fee $89–$109 • Oversize/Overweight bag $125 • Travel w/ pet $100 • Unaccompanied minor $99–$150 US Airways $15 $25 $5–$30 • Oversize/Overweight bag $65–$200 • Travel w/ pet $100 • Unaccompanied minor $75 Fees are per flight unless otherwise noted. Please note that fees for your flight are determined by the airline you check in with and may change at any time. Fees are provided here for informational purposes only. *Effective Nov. 12 customers who purchased AirTran tickets for traffic on or after Dec. 5, will be charged $15 for the first checked bag. **Effective immediately, for traffic on or after Dec. 5, customers flying within the U.S. will be charged $15 for the first checked bag and $25 for the second checked bag when traveling domestically. Customers who purchased Delta tickets on or before Nov. 5, and who are traveling on or after Dec. 5, will be charged $50 for a second bag, but will be permitted to check their first bag without charge based on Delta's previous policy.

Will you have at least one dinner in specialty dining? Cruisetarp - definately once, most likely more Elfed JoeyandDavid, yes once possibly twice JohnG - Maybe once. We like the main dining room food, with no surcharge. lashl PatJud PaulaW Rat Rogue SailingRose Zebra

A breakdown on airline fees: http://www.expedia.com/daily/flights/airline-fees.asp

Sorry I haven't checked in over the weekend. My newest granddaughter was christened over the weekend and we had a big family get-together yesterday. It is a long story, but 13 years ago, a year out of college, she was diagnosed with leukemia, and underwent four bouts of chemo. She survived, but was told she'd never have children. She now works as a blood drive marketing director of Red Cross in Virginia, met someone she went to HS with, and got married. Surprise! She just had a little girl. Welcome Paula! Looking forward to meeting you. Karen is like Judson and his spouse. She would have looked at home in the Titantic era with trunks full of shoes. Tough to get her to hold it to 2 large bags and a carryon. She plans clothes weeks in advance, and jewelry. I pack the night before we leave. No real budgeting here. We don't do a lot of excursions, just take out on our own normally. I like to snorkel and Karen likes the sun but doesn't swim. I don't normally dress for the specialty restaurant, just the resort casual style every night except on formal nights. Karen on the other hand likes to dress up for dinner every night. Has to have some way to use all those pairs of shoes. I think she studied under Imelda Marcos.

I can't find the email from them because I had a computer crash in early 2008, but as I recall it was about $120 per person. It is about 6 hours and includes lunch, beverages, and equipment if needed. We've treated each other to it twice as a December anniversary present.

I have been on Carnival Tropical, Fantasy, Sensation (twice), Imagination, Jubilee, Destiny, Triumph and Victory twice each, Legend, Conquest, Valor, Liberty. And we sail on Pride Mar 1. That is out of 46 cruises. We have had some of the best meals at sea and the best shows on Carnival, and we love the supper clubs, especially on the Spirit class (Spirit, Legend, Pride, and Miracle). The large Conquest ships are a bit less neon and Vegas, and have additional dining choices. The minimum cabin size is 185 sq ft inside, and is much larger than the 120-140 sq ft on many RCCL ships. The average age of a Carnival passenger is 47. The frat boys grew up. This is not the cruise line of the Tropical and other older early Carnival ships. On any cruise line you will get more first timers and party people on short 3-5 day cruises. On a Carnival 6 or 7 day cruise it is a more experienced crowd. The children's programs on Carnival are among the best at sea, and the teen programs have gottent the most attention, as they were ones most cruise lines did not pay enough attention to. It is still a "fun" experience, and they do sing and dance in the dining room, which some people don't like. Fine. Sail on someone else. It is all about choices. The price point on Carnival is often the best of any, and they offer the most military discounts of any line. The past passenger program, once you get over 10 cruises is VIP treatment, with special embarkation, a special line at the purser, a ship tour only for VIP's, and more. That is why I continue to sail on Carnival, along with all the other lines. And I recommend them. However, some folks who say "anything but Carnival", when I ask them when they last sailed on them, reply: Never, I've just heard that, or about 15 years ago. Another thing is that in the summer the other cruise lines don't have ships in the Caribbean. They are all in Alaska or Europe. Carnival still has year round presence in the Caribbean and Mexican Riviera, when the others don't. That is why we still sail Carnival. It doesn't mean it is the right line for David. But it is not the stereotypical cruise line that many people have the impression it is.

that looks great!! I think the yacht holds 6 guests is that right John? Any couple want to do this ?? That is correct, 6. And it doesn't have to be a group of 6. Karen and I have just called and booked ourselves.

To get to St John, USVI from St Thomas, you don't really need an excursion. Take a taxi from the pier to Red Hook, where a ferry leaves about every 30 minutes for the short ride, about 20 minutes. In Cruz Bay, St John, where the ferry lands, take a taxi to the beach you prefer: Trunk Bay which is National Park with all the facilities, Cinnamon Bay which is usually a bit less crowded, or others along the way. There are taxis at both of those to take you back to town when you are ready to take a ferry back. Check the schedule when you arrive so you know when you need to catch your ferry to get back. The later you get to Trunk Bay, the more crowded it gets with excursion people. Also, after riding the ferry back to Red Hook, allow enough time for heavier afternoon traffic to get back to the ship. The whole trip for 2 people costs less than the fare for 1 on an excursion. Info on St John and beachs is at http://www.divestjohn.com/beaches.html Something else we have done twice in St Thomas is http://www.sailwinifred.com/

I just realized that one of those sippy cups would be great for carrying a martini without spilling!!!

Mary Lou, Yes, we might be interested in the St Lucia tour. The last time I was down there we went on one very similar that was a new one the cruiseline added. We enjoyed the itinerary and scenery.

ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES LTD. SUSPENDS FUEL SUPPLEMENT MIAMI December 5, 2008 Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. today announced the suspension of its fuel supplement for Royal Caribbean International®, Celebrity Cruises® and Azamara CruisesSM sailings that depart on or after January 1, 2009, anywhere in the world. The decision reflects the recently sustained lower price of fuel. Effective Monday, December 8, guests making new bookings for sailings that depart on or after January 1, 2009, will not be charged the fuel supplement. Guests already booked on sailings that depart on or after January 1, 2009, will receive a refund of any fuel supplement paid, as follows: Guests with existing bookings for sailings that depart on or after January 1, 2009, and who are now paid in full, will have the supplement automatically refunded to them in the form of an onboard credit during their sailing. Guests with existing bookings for sailings that depart on or after January 1, 2009, and who are not yet paid in full, will have the supplement automatically removed from their outstanding balance. The company reserves the right to reinstate fuel supplement charges if the price of West Texas Intermediate fuel exceeded $65 per barrel, on the quarterly milestone dates mentioned in the company¿s October 24, 2008, press release. The company announced on October 24, 2008, that no fuel supplement would be charged for new bookings made on or after November 10, 2008, for sailings that depart on or after January 1, 2010, unless there is an upturn in fuel prices. Today's announcement does not affect those previous terms.

ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES LTD. SUSPENDS FUEL SUPPLEMENT MIAMI December 5, 2008 Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. today announced the suspension of its fuel supplement for Royal Caribbean International®, Celebrity Cruises® and Azamara CruisesSM sailings that depart on or after January 1, 2009, anywhere in the world. The decision reflects the recently sustained lower price of fuel. Effective Monday, December 8, guests making new bookings for sailings that depart on or after January 1, 2009, will not be charged the fuel supplement. Guests already booked on sailings that depart on or after January 1, 2009, will receive a refund of any fuel supplement paid, as follows: Guests with existing bookings for sailings that depart on or after January 1, 2009, and who are now paid in full, will have the supplement automatically refunded to them in the form of an onboard credit during their sailing. Guests with existing bookings for sailings that depart on or after January 1, 2009, and who are not yet paid in full, will have the supplement automatically removed from their outstanding balance. The company reserves the right to reinstate fuel supplement charges if the price of West Texas Intermediate fuel exceeded $65 per barrel, on the quarterly milestone dates mentioned in the company¿s October 24, 2008, press release. The company announced on October 24, 2008, that no fuel supplement would be charged for new bookings made on or after November 10, 2008, for sailings that depart on or after January 1, 2010, unless there is an upturn in fuel prices. Today's announcement does not affect those previous terms.

Donna, Welcome! I've only spoken with James. Great to hear form you. This will be our longest, too, in 43 cruises. We did do a 12 day and 1 day post-cruise hotel last summer when we took our daughter on a cruise in the Mediterranean for her high school graduation. Before that 10 days was our longest. But we love the longer cruises. My wife, Karen, is a banker and has bit more difficulty getting long vacation breaks.

Remember that the crew's compensation is most heavily based on gratuities. If the ship isn't full, the crew doesn't get paid fully. To avoid that, they adjust prices as necessary to get the ships filled. As they can't just add and drop people who are on 6 month contracts for a particular sailing, the crew onboard remains pretty constant.

Glad to see you here! Welcome! Haven't heard from you in some time. Look into our group cruise Connie Goes Crazy. I know, it isn't HAL, but it will be a great one. John

December 1992 for our 4th anniversary aboard the Sun Princess to the Caribbean. A tiny inside cabin. A local DJ promoted it. Got us hooked, and it is now 43 cruises later.