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zebra, Thanks for taking the time to answer all of our questions. It's amazing that you can keep us informed and still enjoy your cruise. Enjoy the Panama Canal!

schatje, Thanks for the photo info. I would not have been surprised if you told me that you took the picture. You do such a great job.

frostyboy64, Welcome back. It sounds like you had a great time all around. I look forward to reading your review.

stingray, Bon Voyage and have a great cruise. May you have smooth sailing.

JoAnne1254, Bon Voyage and have a great cruise. May you have smooth sailing.

sailingrose, I enjoyed your photos very much. They made me long to be at sea. I must say that when I saw the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbour on the return of the ship, I realized that my cruising world was coming to an end. It was with a bit of regret that I returned. It's time for me to see if I can book something before April.

PrincessOne, Thanks for your review of Disney Wonder. It sounded like you had a moderately good time. I thought it was really funny when your 4 year old daughter said she wanted to go on Carnival next time. You had mentioned having two bad experiences with the cruiseline booked excursion. Can you elaborate? I'd be very interested in knowing what happened. It's great that you hit the ground running. You are already contributing to the board. I look forward to hearing more from you.

Thank you all for your responses. I felt pretty much the same way that you all felt and thought that I just did not understand the concept. I suspect that after the young folks who do EasyCruise discover what it's like to cruise on a regular cruise line they'll abandon the do it yourself route. jacketwatch and Keith & Rita, I thought I was the only one who got up to go to breakfast just to relax and be served. :grin: :grin: :grin: If I'm still hungry, which is rare, I'll shoot up to the Lido Deck to get something else. I also love making friends with the crew, that is, the wait staff and the stewards. It's really great to see them on other ships and have them remember you. The crew also gets a kick out of your remembering them. Thank you all for confirming what I believed.

zebra, Thanks for the information on the Splenda and the free internet. That last shore excursion to the rain forest in Costa Rica sounded really exciting. I'm glad you decided to stay on the bus and that you got out of there after that torrential rain. Did you feel the bus was going to be washed away? Did it seem that the hotel and shop folks were used to the flooding and mud slides and were they o.k. or was this an anomaly where they had to do a major clean up after such an event? Were you frightened at all? That seems like an experiential shore excursion.

Keith & Rita, I knew you would find some purpose for that pole. :grin: :grin:

schatje, Enjoy your land vacation. You deserve a great rest after all you've done on the board. Is the photo in your signature one of your own creations? It looks really professional.

PrincessOne, Welcome to Cruise Crazies. It's nice to see you posting. We encourage you to post often and join us in the Ongoing Games Forum. I know how you feel about waiting for a cruise. Let us know if we can be of help or let us know about some of your cruise experiences. You can also let us know about what's happening in the world or your world in general in the General Discussion Forum. So start posting away!

PrincessOne, To Cruise Crazies.

CruisingDadO, To Cruise Crazies.

sailingrose, I don't know why expected the cruise to win out. Enjoy your New Year's cruise. It sounds like an exciting holiday for you.

I have been looking at the EasyCruise website and am having difficulty appreciating the concept. The price is great, but you don't seem to get much for the base price. You can pay extra to have someone clean your room and get fresh towels. I know EasyCruise is marketed for young people but I'm willing to try any type of cruise once if I feel I'll appreciate it. I'm just a little spoiled when it comes to having a cabin steward to do my room, 24 hours of food, a few different lounges to pass the time, and spectacular shows. I don't know what I'll find ashore on my own. If I don't like a particular dish ashore I can't easily ask for something else. Can someone convince me to try EasyCruise?

Bette and Bill, Bon Voyage and have a great cruise. May you have smooth sailing.

The Skipper, I'm glad you're having a great time. Is your internet connection complimentary?

blacksatinfox, To Cruise Crazies.

PrincipalCruiser, To Cruise Crazies.

Alsgal, To Cruise Crazies.

mlk1959, To Cruise Crazies.

Charbie, To Cruise Crazies.

Thank you all. Keith & Rita, If you ever get to New York, please let me know. I would love to meet you.

I'm with Dan. I always put them on before I leave the house or as soon as I complete the packing (I stay packed to I can leave on a moment's notice. :grin: :grin: :grin: ). I also take the extra tags in my carry on in case something happens to the originals. Nothing ever as happened to the originals. If they're intact, it's just one less thing I have to think about during the embarkation process. Sometimes getting off a bus and having the baggage handlers right there, can be a little stressful so I like to be ready.