Welcome new LCT members! So good to have you join us! Hope you will all post and cruise often!

JCM7, You mentioned you were going to the Baltics soon. When would that be? There are several of us cruising August 6th. Would you happen to be sailing with us? That would be great if you were.

Welcome Roo Roo and Franco.
Franco you are going to get the snorkle experience of a lifetime. The water is so beautiful and lots of fishies!
Even better if you dive

D/M/D

Formally D / M / D - (Don / Marge / David)
haven't been here for a while and forgot password

Additional info can be found above

David

Hi All,
Thanks to Claudia (Fish) I found this board a few days ago and have been avidly reading about everyone ever since..I know many of you from other boards but have never been introduced like we are doing here..we are Jan and Stu and no ages will pass my lips, but we have been married for over 50 years and have been on over 50 cruises..
Stu and I met the first day in college and I went home and told my parents, I met the man I was going to marry and sure enough we were engaged in 60 days and married in 6 months..
I have been in the travel business since 1970 and I remember the first Saturday I had to work in the office alone someone came in to ask about a land trip to Mexico..since I had just come back from my first cruise on Sitmar and knew nothing about Mexico..I sold them a cruise..shaking the whole time and that was the start of our cruising adventures..we have been on too many cruise lines to mention..but we were on 4 Radisson trips..2 on Navigator (our favorite ship of all times) and 2 on the PG..LOVE Tahiti
We came back from a months cruise on Oceania in February of 05, and stopped in Florida to visit friends when Stu had a massive heart attack..he was given 1% chance to make it..and I am happy to say we are finally back (in CA), he is better than ever and even started driving again today..so of course we have planned a couple of cruises..One word of advise I must give..always take insurance..I cant even imagine what I would have done if I hadnt had it !!
We have 3 daughters and 6 grandkids from 13 to 20 and just enjoy our life together here at the beach and feel so lucky to be getting a second chance....
Since we have been around so long, I could go on..but now you know us and I feel like I know each and every one of you..

Thanks,
Jan and Stu

Welcome Jan! I'm glad you found us. That is a remarkable story about Stu! What a relief for both of you. Welcome aboard!

Welcome Jan!! :) That was a close call for Stu - glad he's doing so much better!

Masaki

Jan,

I enjoyed reading your intro. Your's is a great story. Continued luck and best wishes to you and Stu, and welcome to LCT!

Betty

Hi Jan
It is me Jim B
We have e-mailed a number of times and
we have talked on the phone once.
All talking about Oceania Cruise Line.
Glad to see you on board here at LCT.

Hi Jim,
I remeber you very well..Thanks for the welcome..I am excited about being here where everyone is so well travelled and pleasant..

Denise:

We are traveling the Baltic on the July 23 Cruise out of Stockholm. Too bad it is not the same date. We are looking forward to the trip, especially St. Petersburg.

Regards,

John

Welcome to the fun people board Jan.

It's a mermaid not a fish ( by the way)

Gosh Claudia, I guess I was thinking of myself when I said fish...LOL
Love,
Jan

Just found and joined this site. I will be retiring this September on my 55th birthday and my wife and I intend on doing a lot of traveling while we are both young and fit enough to enjoy it.

We went on our first Silversea cruise last October and immediately decided this was the only way to fly, err cruise. As a result, we have scheduled Silversea cruises in October from Monte Carlo to Athens and December from Singapore to Sydney. We intend to try to book one cruise at least every three months as long as we are able to cruise with other short trips in between. Hopefully, we will get a chance to meet many of you in the future. It's always nicer to have other folks to share the travel experience with.

Welcome aboard...
cruising every three months is a very good thing!

I will not even try to say your name, but welcome you aboard, and ask that you can give a little shortcut to identify you! I have cruised on the Silver Shadow, but mostly find my fun on Radisson. I am willing to go on either line, and others that have balcony cabins!

Welcome to both Jancruz - my neighbor! I am just south of you off the 101. What a story, Jan. I am sorry you had to experience that fear during your travels.

And to our New Ptero????? Congratulations on retirement.

We love to hear cruising stories and experiences.

Welcome, Jan/Stu, John and Pterostyrax! So good to have you joining us on LCT!

Jan, I had communicated with you several times, a few years ago, in regard to cruising Oceania. I enjoyed reading your intro. How wonderful that Stu had such a miraculous, full and complete recovery from such a terrible and life- threatening health issue. I wish him continued good health.

Pterostyrax, Congratulations on your upcoming retirement. Enjoy all the travels you have planned.

John, Sorry to hear you are not sailing with us. Have a wonderful time and enjoy the Baltics. I'll be very eager to hear about your experiences, when you return.

After reading Marcie’s post “Just a reminder to newer members here.....” I think I better introduce myself.

My name is Jack, and my wife’s name is Bonnie. We live in STL and PSP. I am a retired airline pilot (Ozark/TWA/American). We are on segment seven of the Mariner’s Grand Circle Pacific Voyage. We will be traveling with three other couples, two retired Delta pilots, a Doctor and their wives. One Delta couple will be on segment six also.

This will be my eighth cruise and Bonnie’s ninth. Her first was on the QE2 and mine was on the Norway. This will be our first on RSSC.

This board and Cruise Critic’s board have been invaluable. I have learned so much. Everyone here seems so nice…..I look forward to being able to contribute a few tidbits myself.

jack
www.smilinjack.com



This picture was taken on my last flight on my way to Maui. Doesn't my wife of 27years look cute?

Hi Bonnie and Jack - what a great picture - Bonnie is doing just what I like to do on a flight - have a glass of wine and read People magazine -

Jack, welcome aboard! Your wife Bonnie is lovely; maybe after a cruise on Radisson she will want to be Mrs. Smiling Jack and join in the fun!

I still go to cc to help others, but this is where the "fun" is to meet others and get a little more off-topic on so many areas, in an appropriate area that doesn't get in the way of those just interested in information on cruising. Visted your website. Cute son! You will find many computer geeks (not a bad word, but I'm not one) on this board!

What website????

Hi Jack & Bonnie! It's great to have you with us. Sounds like you've got great travel plans. This group will certainly keep you planning those cruises. I've learned that making plans at least a year (and usually more!) in advance is common around here. Welcome to LCT!

Michele

I guess you have to click on the link he provided.

Got it

Thanks for the intro, Jack!! And welcome to Bonnie too!

Masaki

Wow…..I posted my intro then we went out to dinner…..came home and all these posts of welcome…..how nice……thank you all.

By the way…my wife has a sign in the kitchen that says that the only reason we have a kitchen is it came with the house….hence , we eat out every night. Guess what….I signed her up for the Le Cordon Bleu Workshop. I think she will enjoy it……she says I am abusing her.

We have fun…..

jack

Hi Jack and welcome! What a fun introduction and great picture of you and Bonnie!

Jack,

Thanks for your intro. Welcome to LCT.

Betty

Jack you have just been elevated to sainthood - a man who takes his wife out to dinner most nights - what a guy!!!! I still have to cook but Tony does iron - long story posted somewhere but he fell in love with the Rowenta steam irons on the Radisson ships and now is the ironer of our house - I'd prefer it if he took over the kitchen

Jack:

Welcome aboard!

You've got a neat website and I bet you can spin a host of interesting yarns covering your travels with the airline industry.

Hope our paths cross sometime in the future.

Cheers! Ray

Welcome Jack and Bonnie too. Hope you'll have fun participating around here!

We subscribe to the eating out daily routine too - but only because Frank can't cook and I am too busy working and creating havoc (See post under Toto in Off Topic) with all kinds of projects.

The Cordon Bleu Workshop was a highlight of our Panama Canal Cruise and I would do it all over again!

Welcome Jack and Bonnie! I too am in awe of eating dinner out every night! My Dad was a pilot for American Airlines for 37 years (based in Tulsa and Los Angeles) so I can really appreciate the great travel benefits afforded to you all! ENJOY!!!!

Welcome aboard! BTW, Smilin Jack is the perfect name for you!!
P.S. You wouldn't happen to know Dennis Collmar (AA pilot based in Dallas) would you?

Yes Marcie was daughter of pilot, wife of wittiest guy you'll ever meet, mother of two dolls, and was Peter Pan at Disney in CA (I forget how many yrs ago) and she'll wish I had not posted this but ... I say to people "I have this neat friend and she was Peter Pan blah blah blah" sorry Marcie - introductions right???

Karen…..Thanks, I was born in BuBois, Pa. and lived in Brockway until I was 13.

Joanna, Betty…..My wife Bonnie tells everyone that I am her guest….she loves to iron and has three Rowena’s.

Ray….I love to tell stories. Am looking forward to telling you a few, and hopefully to hear a few from you. By the way…I graduated from Parma Senior High in 60’ .

Kathy…..I told Bonnie that we can have her certificate from the Cordon Bleu Workshop framed then hang it in our kitchen…I think it would look good there.

Peter Pan….I don’t know Dennis….American bought TWA just a year before I retired.

jack

Welcome to LCT Jack. Hope you and Bonnie enjoy your first Radisson cruise. Enjoyed your introduction.

Jack:

I know Parma/Parma Hts. well. I go to State Street Meats for fresh kielbasa, Polish cheese & ham and smokeys. Yummmy stuff! They speak Lithuanian there and have all sorts of imported foods from Eastern Europe.

I also stop in at a Lithuanian Church in Parma to get hand-made pierogies that the elder ladies of the Church make as a fund-raiser. I do enjoy all the ethnic groups that make up this city.

We moved from Baton Rouge to Cleveland in 1985 while I was still in railroad freight sales. Our bio in somewhere in the archives.

Until our bows cross......Cheers! Ray

Marcie,
You were Peter Pan? Well I am very impressed!

Welcome to the board "smilin" Jack!

I forgot to include our dog....Bailey. She is a six year old Havanese.




jack

Big Welcomes to Jack and Bonnie. (and to Bailey too!) Now that Oceania is an official section here, I'll probably be around more. Though I hope to get onto a Radisson one day.
Though I do cook, we're big fans of eating out and when we travel seeking out great dining spots is one of my passions. One of the reasons we like Oceania is that they often stay overnight in ports allowing us to have dinner in local spots.

Jan and Stu, my dear, wonderful friends, great to see you here. And I'm thrilled that Stu can get behind the wheel again. The tears and the prayers for Stu were a constant in our lives this winter. Tony and I can't wait to cruise with you two again one of these days!

CJ