Hi Randy! My husband and I live in Tustin, so we are practically neighbors. I grew up in Fullerton. Good to have another from "The OC" on board! I'm in my early 40's too.

About your picture - if you send a digital photo to KarenS, she will set you up with an avatar, the little photo by your name.

Lots of us are going on the Mariner to Alaska this summer, so I'm sure you will have lots of advice to offer. Better yet, come along and join us!

Welcome!

Dena

Randy:

Welcome aboard!

Full-time job and a caregiver. Your parents are sure are fortunate to have you; however, am glad to read that you also see the need to get away have some fun once in a while.

Best wishes!

Cheers! Ray

Hi Randy!!! Welcome!!!!

Betty

Welcome Randy :app: :lct:

Hi Randy,

We are "neighbors" as we live in Tustin.

Welcome! Hope you post often and we have the opportunity to meet you at one of our SOCAL gatherings, and, of course, cruising!

Welcome Randy! I'm only about 80 miles north of you, so in the big scheme of things, we're neighbors too. But I have family in Costa Mesa so that makes me an unofficial Orange Countian. (is that a word!)

In Off Topic there are quite a few of us on Eldercare watch, so we can be a resource there for you too.

Welcome Randy to LCT!! :)

Masaki

Welcome Randy :)

Also a neighbor, go by Anaheim every week.

David

Hi Randy & welcome to LCT. I agree that you’re in the right place if you’re a “newbie” and want to voice an opinion. I’ve been shooting my mouth off since I’ve been here (out of “Lurk Mode” that is) and haven’t been reprimanded yet! Although my ears have had that burning sensation on several occasions. Don’t go back into “Lurk Mode” yet, stick around and post……I need all the moral support I can get! I live in Florida now but I work out of the San Pedro/ Long Beach area so we’re part time neighbors. I look forward to reading your posts.
Ralph

Welcome, Randy!
This is a very welcoming board (I'm a newbie, also) and generous in sharing information. I also look forward to reading your posts.
Peggy

Randy.

I hate going over to CC any more. If their servers got any slower we could send replies by real mail and receive answers sooner... :eek:

So check the Silverseas forum, I will be doing my first SS cruise in around 60 days.

Randy, welcome aboard! I have to agree with Blackbird, not only have I been unable to get on cc, it is being reduced to a sparring game, not an exchange of experiences. Please stay here with us as you plan your cruises!

Hi All,

I'm another lurker coming out of hiding. Found this board from a reference on CC. Everyone seems so nice so I thought I'd finally make myself known to you all.

Husband and I are in our 50's. Hmm, ahh well actually mid-50's. Our first cruise ever was on the PG several years ago, so we were spoiled from the get-go. Have also been on the Song of Flower, Diamond and the Navigator. We are also booked on the KIWI cruise this coming Nov. on the Mariner, which we are really excited about. Now we only need to find something on the Voyager to have hit all of the RSSC ships.

I am not extremely verbose, so will probably not post a lot, but occasionally I'll add my 2 cents worth.

to you all!
Susan

Welcome to LCT - we love to have our new members post, so please put your two cents in. We have some other members up in the Seattle area.
There are a few of us going on some Voyager cruises this year and there are some nice sailings.

Glad you are here - thanks for saying HI!

Yes Yes.
jan b has finally signed up and is a LCT'er!
:app: :nw: :hug:

Welcome Susan and Jan!!! :)

Masaki

Hi Y'all -
I have been reading and learning from the LCT site for many months and what a wealth of information is offered. Finally made myself sit down and intorduce myself as I have so enjoyed learning about each of you.

Hi anaclaire and welcome! Do you have any cruises in your future? What part of the world are you posting from?

The computor is doing some crazy things but I will attempt to continue this log.

I am a travel nut like the rest of this board and have always wanted to see the world. We were generally "land people", except for bareboat charters, but the last several years cruising has looked more and more enticing. We did a NCL Hawaii cruise that was very disappointing and then last summer we took a family cruise to Alaska on the Mariner and I was hooked. A group of 10 friends will be on the Baltic Cruise from Dover to Copenhagen in June and I am sooo-- excited. Now to get my husband as enthusiastic,

We live in Lake Charles, La. - site of Hurricane Rita - and our community is still in the midst of recovery. Everyone had damage - mainly from trees - but we were very lucky compared to Katrina. My husband is a lawyer and still practices part time and I'm a little like Marcie - a 25 yr. realtor, but I bet one house for her in Southern California was a year's worth for me. I was so glad to finally retire I agreed to go along with my husband's dream and buy a 42' trawler for a 1 years cruise from La. to Montreal, Canada and back. How's that for a cruisin*** When I think that we could have been on the Radisson World Cruise for the same $$ it makes me sick - but that would have never happened. It really was an adventure -either terrifying or thrilling. We did 122 locks, were docked at the foot of the Twin Towers 1 week before 9/11 and had many glorious weeks in Florida. Wish I had known some of you Floridians then. Other than the year on the water, we have bareboated the Caribeean,(my favorite cruising grounds), done Morocco by Jeep, a marvelous French barge cruise, a Catamaran in French Polynesia, beautiful New Zealand, Thailand, Egypt, Russia in the snow and most of Europe by car. I really am a frustrated travel agent. Now all I want is to sit on a wonderful cruise ship and watch the world go by.

We have 2 grown daughters - both Texans - and the light of my life 3 precious grandchildren. How blessed we are to have had such a wonderful life and I thank you for all your great information. Happy Crusin -- Jan

Jan, what a fascinating travel history! Your year on the water is just amazing, it's fascinating enough to be a Travel Channel show!

Hi Anaclare!..Wow - Your travels sound facinating.
Thanks for posting. Welcome to LCT!

My former neighbor and friend (a realtor) built a house in Lake Charles when her husband took a job there two years ago. You are right about the housing prices. They sold here just before a big jump in prices and now they can't afford to move back here. Rita took out all their new windows and landscape.

ChatKat - Who is your friend? I've been out of real estate for about 5 years now, but LC is small - I might know her. Small world isn't it..Sorry about their damage - it sounds like they had water which is the worst.

Jan

My friend is Cathy Jacoby - she's "retired" too. Her husband, Jim works for Citgo, I think.

We really miss them.

A warm welcome to our new LCT friends! Hope to hear from you all often!

Jan, you've had some remarkable travel experiences! Hope you will share a lot of your travel information with us!

Jan - welcome to LCT! That's an amazing trip that you took!

Masaki

Welcome Susan and Jan!!!
You will be very pleased to find a lot of generous advice on this board. CC has been helpful also, but this board is somewhat smaller & more welcoming - sort of close-knit group who are very interested in helping each other(I'm a newbie also).
Jan, I am in BR & my husband's best friend is Beau Radford (Radford Buick/Mazda) in LC.
Look forward to corresponding with you both!
Peggy

Susan & Jan – I’ve been away from the LCT boards now for a few days but still wanted to get in my belated “WELCOME” to you both. I’m a newbie here also but I feel completely at home. I hope to meet you both & most, if not all of the friendly people here at some time or another on a cruise, but in the meantime if you’re ever coming to Florida again give me a call!
Ralph

Just bringing this to the top to see if you are still out there, franco? The months are flying by!!! Hope you are still planning on being on our cruise, PG June 21.

Hi Everybody!

Since I finally came out of "Lurkdom" yesterday, I thought I would post a proper introduction!

My name is Jen and my husband is Joe. We live with our nine (yes, you read that right) kids in North Idaho. Joe and I "do" ebay for a living and for the most part it is great. Joe is home most of the time, which is ok most of the time too, except ocassionally he kicks the laundry pile around and complains about not having clean socks! @@ So neways...My hobbies are collecting dustbunnies and kids...lol...but seriously...

My first cruise ever was back when I was 16 years old on Sitmar. My parents took me and my brother on a 12 day trip to Alaska with my elderly great aunt and uncle and my cousin. I had a good time, but totally was unable to appreciate Alaska. Hey, what can I say, I was 16, it was summer and I was cold! I grew up in So. California! I came back from that trip thinking that it was a total crock that bald eagles were on the endangered species list and that there was no such thing as the "world's tallest, oldest, whatever totem pole! But, I knew I wanted to cruise more because the sea days were so awesome! To heck with shore excursions! Fast forward oh about 20 years...My dh and I took our first cruise on...Carnival with my bil and sil. We went to the Mexican Riviera. We had a great time, but we didnt' know any better! In November 2004 Joe and I took our first (and only so far) Radisson cruise to FP on the PG! Now that was a CRUISE! OMG! So we got back and I have been planning our next cruise, but not knowing what we were going to do. We did a land trip to Europe with the kids last Easter time (3 weeks) so that kind of blew the vacation budget for 2006! 2007 is what we are planning and I was sooo glad when the schedule came out a few days ago! Anyway, thats us and I am so glad that this site is here! I have learned so much in the time I have been reading!

Jen

Welcome aboard Jen. I think I lurked on another board 6 months before my first post, and now you can't shut me up. Wow 9 kids. I thought 4 were a circus! How old are they, and do they cruise with you?

Hi Jen,

Welcome To LCT from a Southern Californian! Where'd you grow up? I am from LA - Westside and Valley - you do know that some Angeleno's consider Northern Idaho to be a suburb of LA, there are so many transplants there (lol)

We hope if a crossing is in store for you and Joe, you consider our Fall 2007 Voyager crossing. And we hope you'll post often.

Welcome, Jen, to LCT! Thanks for the intro. You will enjoy this board. Hope you will post often!

Betty

Olivia - I lurked for a lot longer than just six months! LOL As for the kids, we have 5 girls and 4 boys! The oldest is 18 and a senior in hs. The youngest is 6 mo old We haven't taken them cruising...yet!

Kathy - I grew up in Irvine. My parents moved there in '71 when there was only a single traffic light on Culver and practically nothing but orange groves and fields betweeen the 5 and 405! We moved up here in '95. We are practically considered old timers! Our beautiful area sure has grown! I am considering the fall crossing for sure!

Betty - Thanks for the welcome!

Jen

Jen, I have seen your name so often in the "who's online" list, I am so glad you are finally posting! Welcome to the board :)

Welcome to Jen, Susan, Jan and all the recent posters.
This is a wonderful board for gleaning great cruise information, and meeting future cruisemates!
Cheers, Pam

Jen - welcome to LCT! Hope to see lots of posts from you! Wow ... 9 kids? I can barely handle the one that I have ... LOL

Masaki

Olivia, Jen lurked so long, we need to update her name! ;)

Karen - NO KIDDING! LOL
Masaki and Pam - Thank for the welcome! I hope to post alot too!
Jen

Welcome, Jen!

We live right on the Irvine border (off of Walnut), in Tustin! Irvine and Tustin have grown very substantially since you lived here. It's a small LCT world!

Good to read your intro! I hope you post often on LCT!

Hello everybody,
This is Jill. My husband John and I will be taking the PG cruise June 3rd. This will be his first cruise ever and my second cruise ever. I took a RCCL cruise about 10 years ago with a friend and loved it.
Jim B was kind enough to guide me here when I posted a question on CC and has been giving me some awesome advice!
I am 38 and a skincare consultant with a computer programming job on the side to support me until the skincare business builds. John, my husband, is 40 and teaches Computer Science at our community college. We have no children, but 2 rescued dogs complete our family.
I have been learning so much reading everything here and I feel that we will be in good shape preparing for our trip, thanks to all of you!