Thanks, Todd and Marcie, for posting the latest! So good hearing that you are all having a great time!

Keep 'em coming, please!

Todd's Cosmos are, indeed, heaven...and they pack quite a whallop!

Thanks, y'all for your great posts. Wish I could be there to enjoy all the fun. Keep filling us in on all the shinnanigans!

Thx, Beth

You all are way too much fun for those of us left behind.
I hope there is a group picture of everyone in their finery.
And we need pole dancing photos as fast as someone can post. Suzanne, so glad you brougth it out of storage for the MINTers to see. Now post the pictures!!!!!

PS: Marcie, I hope you can get Tom's wardrobe better organized for BAIL. No tux shirt would be a major tragedy on that cruise.

My first post from onboard. I don't remember ever having more fun on a cruise, and we have not yet found a port, nor have we had sun, as you usually do in sunny Mexico. Just hard to describe the people onboard this ship who are really what turn it into a true experience. I will post later to explain, but for now I am really tired, and impaired from all that wine in Verandah from the party Ngaire hosted tonight. Let me tell you, we have great "new blood" on this board in the form of the Masaki's, and the "Queen of the Hop" Paige, who is Anthony's beautiful wife. She is an Alabama girl, and oh what a dancer! I think Suzanne has serious competition here! We are having so much fun, more than I ever thought possible in 2 days of my life! My Joanna has embraced this group so well, and tonight at dinner, she connected with them far better than me when they were trying to think of old songs, movies, etc!

Todd, I'm so sorry I missed your cosmos on our PG trip...they made my mouth water.

Thank you Ngaire and Marcie for your great reports. Sounds like VOF on steroids!!!

We have to look forward to ROAR to spend time with many of you....anticipation!!!! <img border="0" alt="[bounce]" title="" src="graemlins/ubbbounce2.gif" />

Claudia, Si, por favor mandeme mas fotos....

Marcie, Masaki, Ngaire, Olivia & Cosmo Man,

Thanks for taking the time to post...the Mint
cruise sounds purrfect...r/wes

Thanks, Olivia!

I think all of you will need a vacation after you return from this one! How great is that???? The people sometimes really do make the cruise!!

It's been said over and over...We wish we were there!!

Sounds like way too much fun!

Loving the posts - thanks!

R

Thanks for checking in - though it makes us even more jealous NOT to be on MINT! Can't wait for a full report!

You are all having so much fun!!! We really are happy for you - honest!! :D :D :D :D Keep reporting when you can. Love to hear all about it.

Cyndi

Brief note before I toddle off to bed - Mazatlan was overcast and not very sunny overall but we succeeded in having a great time. Did our van tour with Mazatlan Frank that Olivia had arranged (standing ovation for Olivia!) - great to see the various parts of Mazatlan, the surrounding areas, and the people that inhabit it. We all had wonderful fun looking for "exquisitely tacky" gifts for the gift exchange coming up on the final night - Todd helped Amanda and I quite a bit in our search!

This was all culminated with a close game of Scattergories in the library with Ana Luisa, Peter, Elizabeth (Peter's sister), Lawrence, Marcie, Suzanne, and Sheri! And then followed by the Seven Seas Society reception with caviar (yummmmmm - though it always helps to get the mother-of-pearl spoon for the caviar BEFORE you sit down :rolleyes: ) and then followed by dinner in Signatures with Suzanne, Olivia, JoAnna, Sheri, Todd, and Gil. Next table to us were the Mondaes, the Matassas, Lawrence, Ray and Penny, and Julie. We closed the restaurant down! (though it may be more true that they kicked us out after a while).

We're off to swing in the canopies tomorrow in Puerto Vallarta - let's hope that we don't all come back with hernias!

Masaki

Thanks Masaki, for the Mazatlan update. Sounds like the fun is continuing. Keep the MINT Reports coming.

Beth

Sorry, but I am GREEN about all this, not Rad, but this site. What is MINT all about?

McKeever

Hi McKeever - MINT is an acronym for a group cruise. This particular one is MarIner November Twelfth (MINT). Think of this thread as a real-time cruise review written by several of the LCT members who are aboard.

If you look in the "cruise rollcall" section and do a search under "MINT", you should see a long list of our fellow LCT members who are aboard. Hope that helps, and welcome to the board. Cheers, Anne

Glad you're having a terrific time! I think (from his picture) that Todd is an expert here!

Great hearing that you are all having such a wonderful cruise together!

McKeever,

There are over 50 LCT'ers on this cruise, many who are active posters on this board.

There are a really friendly group of compatible people here and we try to meet when we can. Every so often there is a cruise that has broad appeal and so it becomes "targeted" so many do go on it. The next "BIG" one is next May when many of us are going on the Paul Gaugin to Tahiti. We call that one PIP

Piling on to say that it is hotter than heck today in Puerto Vallarta. We had to roll the clocks forward another hour last night (brutal!) yet the canopy swingers, minus moi, went off on time this morning.

We're all at tables with officers tonight, should be fun. I almost feel sorry for them. They may not be the same once we are done with them.

We're having a great time.

MarnaLou

MarnaLou, did the sun finally come out? It looks like a nice day on the webcam!

Hello Gang.

No one is more sorry they couldn't be on this cruise then I am. :( (Ok maybe Gil is just as much as me.) I'm happy though to hear how you're all taking such good care of Gil. :D

I understand he's become quite the nighttime party guy with his harem. Please do me a favor though, and don't tire him out too much? ;) :rolleyes:

and aren't those ear massages great? can't wait till I get one Saturday night.

enjoy the rest of the cruise folks,
Arlene

OH and i almost forgot, mazel tov to Masaki and Amanda.

Arlene - thank you! ;)

Had a great day in Puerto Vallarta yesterday - finally sunny! The canopy tour was amazing - if anybody is interested in doing it, you should. We've got plenty of photos from there though it's difficult to operate digital cameras through thick leather gloves that you're not supposed to take off.

Went to Liars Club yesterday for the first time - our team might have won if it wasn't for a disagreement between Amanda and I about the definition of a word. Oh well ... such it is. Yesterday was our officer's dinner and our table consisted of Amanda and myself, Ray and Penny, Joy (oceandancer) and Bill (Joy's husband), as well as Marcel, the hotel director. He tolerated our antics very politely and was a pleasure at the table. He did confirm a few things for us - the Mariner is not traveling at full speed at this time secondary to a propeller problem suffered while in Alaska. This is scheduled to be fixed while in drydock in December. Also, while in drydock, some of the suites onboard will have their bathrooms converted such that the tubs will be removed and showers installed in their place, getting rid of the head clearance issue with the shower height. Marcel states that this will be an experiment - if successful, they will consider expanding this to more suites.

After dinner, many of us wandered over to Stars Club again and spend the night partying until the wee hours of the morning. Needless to say, many more blackmail photos were taken - we'll need to post some of them when we're back home to our regular computers. For some reason, everybody on board knows Suzanne - I wonder why? As soon as you mention pole-dancing ... ;)

Lazy beginning to today. Woke up around 8 am, went to La Verandah to get breakfast and sat out on the open deck in the sun with the ocean breezes ruffling my hair while sipping fresh-squeezed orange juice. Ah, this is the life. Ran into Marty, Erika, George, Gretchen, JimB, and Jan while up there. Headed down for a bridge tour afterwards (first time getting one while on a cruise ship).

Busy day though - lunch plans at noon, massage at 3 pm, tea and trivia at 4 pm, galley tour at 5 pm, cocktail party in Todd's at 6:30, dinner with Anthony and Paige at 8 pm, and karaoke late at night. It's a tough job but somebody's got to do it. :)

Masaki

Masaki, thanks you quenched our fix, we were
in withdrawals, dts. Sounds wonderful, keep posting...r/wes

Oh, and I also forgot to mention - welcome to Arlene!! Gil is doing his best to behave despite our wicked ways. :)

Masaki

Hi guys! Today is a sea day so I had a chance to check in. Yesterday in PV we went on the Canopy trip....what a fun experience!! Our excursion consisted of me, Tom, Masaki & Amanda, Todd, Jim and Jan, Anthony & Paige. This is such an great experience! It's pretty scary on the first zip line but we all caught on quick enough and the rest was just great! We rode up into the jungle (1 hr ride)in the back of an open-air truck. I'm sure we looked like a pack of day labors off to work the fields.

Last night (after attending Liar's Club) we ate at the Captain's table. He is very nice, good sense of humor. Our table was me, Tom, Olivia, daughter Joanna, Lawrence, Joanna & Tony, Jean & Clyde (they won the prize for the most nights on Radisson!)and Muriel, the cruise coordinator. We had ordered Dover Sole and Grand Manier (sp) Souffle for last night the day before and so glad we did. It was out of this world! After dinner we opted for the disco rather than the casino. Met up with most of the MINTERS there and as usual...had lots of fun dancing. Suzanne did a lap dance (literally) for Clyde (89 years old) :eek: I was happy that all 3 doctors (Anthony, Masaki and Amanda) were watching too in case any resesitation was needed! Jean was a good sport about it all....as was Clyde (who appeared to be loving every moment of it!)Another Conga line but instead of Tom starting it, Anthony started it. The crew seems to adore all the MINTERS...I think our group has made it a fun week for them too.

Tidbits: yesterday our team won Trivia (Anna Louisa, her husband Peter, her sister-in-law Elizabeth, me, Lawrence, Suzanne. BTW, Anna Louisa's tequilla demonstration was wonderful. She sure knows her stuff! We actually did tasting of 3 different kinds, followed by Margarittas. Not sure if anyone else has posted this yet or not but Amanda is pregnant!! This is such exciting news. We found out night before last in Signatures when they were sitting at the large table of 8 next to our large table of 8....all sorts of cheering going on!! We are all so thrilled for them and feel like their baby already has dozens of Aunts and Uncles!
Also. at Signatures...both tables (16 of us) toasted Karen on her Birthday and sang Happy Birthday too! (we all of course sang later at the table too)

Today is warm and I'm going to go join Tom up by the pool. This morning we had Bridge tours and this afternoon we're going on a tour of the galley.
It's hard to imagine such a wonderful week drawing to a close. :mecry: I wish this had been a 10 night cruise like yours Pam! Tomorrow night we're eating dinner with Ngaire and Ken and Anne, I know this will be a ROAR! Also, tomorrow night is our final Cosmo party with our master Todd in Ngaire & Ken's large suite. We also have our tacky gift exchange (Katie bar the door for what gifts may show up :eek: )

Well....all my usual rambling but just writing things as they pop into my mind.
Pam, Ruth the 3 card poker dealer says "HI"...she really does have a phenominal memory!
Bye!

I am tired Marcie.....too much fun!!!!

Wow all.. sounds like you have really had a blast this week..
Congratulations to Amanda and Masaki..what's in that cosmo Todd? LOL

Marcie, Thanks so much for taking the time to share and special LCT Congrats to Masaki and Amanda for the great news. r/wes

Congratulations Amanda and Masaki! What wonderful news! Glad to hear what a great time you all are having! Not surprised in the least, of course - what else could happen with such a wonderful group?

Now Arlene's "Mazel Tov" makes sense! Congrats to Amanda & Masaki.

Thanks to all of you for keeping us posted.

Congratulations , Amanda & Masaki! What great news!
Thanks, Marcie for your report. Too much fun going on!

Betty

Masaki, I understand that Gil has paid you off not to show his pics? I'll double whatever he's paying for you to post them. ;) <img border="0" alt="[jump]" title="" src="graemlins/jumpjoy.gif" />

thank you for the welcome. Somehow from what i've heard his best isn't quite 100%, but i'm glad he's enjoying himself.

Masaki, I understand that Gil has paid you off not to show his pics? I'll double whatever he's paying for you to post them. ;) :banana:

Well, this certainly explains why PIP is not on Amanda and Masaki's cruise plans - we can call it PIPsqueek for them! Now it makes sense why Amanda was saying how much fun it was to work in Family Practice with all the little babies! Only Virgin Cosmo's for you, Amanda!

Congratulations to you both! Thanks to you for the MINT update!

Congratulations to Amanda and Masaki!!!

I'm so glad y'all are having fun.

Thanks for the update! Sounds like you are all having a fantastic time. AWESOME news A & M! Congrats!

R

I am so excited for you, Amanda and Masaki!! :app:

Thanks to all for the great reports; we are waiting anxiously for All the details and pictures!!

Finally, I have some time to post.

Arlene, Gil is being very good and having a wonderful time. We have had him up dancing and he had so many offers for dinner the other night he did not know which way to turn. I will tell you that I have never seen Gil happier and it is a delight to behold.

Paige and Suzanne make quite a team in stars and certainly add to the whole ambiance of stars. Everyone has been participating and Ray and Penny barely sat down the first night. Yes, we have taken over that room as our very own.

It is so much fun travelling with LCT people and Ken and I really love this group. The ship does too they say it is wonderful to see people having such a good time. It always amazes me how compatible a LCT group can be. When you think there are so many of us aboard and so many are meeting for the first time it is incredible the comaraderie that exists in the group.

For us one of the greatest pleasures is meeting the newcomers, Masaki and Amanda such a beautiful couple and sharing with us their exciting news, Jean and Clyde (I have adopted Jean as my Mother)are about as delightful a couple as you can imagine, George and Marna Lou are great and there is Aunt Ruth who is a very independent spirit who is dancing the night away with the dance hosts and announced to me that she had the "best" gift for the gift exchange. Anna Luisa was a hit with her great Tequila 101, she is a very good speaker. WE had dinner with Anna Luisa her husband Peter and sister Elizabeth last night and enjoyed that very much. Elizabeth rescued a small bird that hit her balcony window and took it to shore in PV and the bird was taken to the island that is a bird reserve.

Marty, our Silver White Knight is always a hit of course and he has bought along some great friends. Of course Paige and Anthony fit in instantly - super nice and with Paiges ability to challenge Suzanne - wow what a team. So nice to meet Mary Ellens Mom too and Joanna, Olivias daughter.

Two other people Frank and Carla who dont post much, mostly lurkers, have been around in the disco at night and what is nice is that people can participate as much or as little as they like and that is the beauty of a cruise. Participate in what you want to particpate in and do only what you want to do.

I hope I have not forgotten anyone, just ate a big lunch and it is close to "nap" time.

Then seeing all our wonderful friends again is also such a joy. Olivia always goes to bed right after dinner. Not this trip she was almost Suzanne like one night taking strangers onto the dance floor. So nice to see her having such a great time. She now realizes all the fun she has been missing. Olivia's daughter JoAnna has also just fit right in and I am so glad she is coming to ROAR. Nice to have such a lovely young person in the group.

I wish the cruise was longer there just is not enough time.

The ports have been fine with our tour with Olivias vans being quite fun. Tom broke down and bought a picture from one of the children in a small town and then it was the attack of the picture children. They came from everywhere. If you want a picture drawn by a child contact Tom he has plenty available.

Puerto Vallarta Ken went canopying with George. We forgot to sign up and at 8.30am George called and said Marna Lou was not going if he wanted to go. He was in bed, not brushed his teeth or done anything. He was up and out of their in about 2 minutes - pausing just long enough to give me some money.

Suzanne, Sheri, Julie and I went into town and wandered around and ended up in a cafe upstairs drinking Margeritas. Well the girls ordered LARGE drinks and I being the goody two shoes (with matching shoes by the way) that I am ordered a small drink. The contrast in the sizes was pretty incredible. We took a picture of the contrast. If I had drunk one of those large ones they may have had to take me back to the ship in a stretcher. They were good but NOT as good as those Anna Luisa did which were really incredible. I said "tiny" for me please just to taste but after tasting I went back and got a FULL size of Anna Luisas brew. It was SO good.

Tomorrow we do our gift exchange as we gulp down more of Todds cosmos (yum yum) and that is always a highlight of the trip. Since we are having it in our suite it will be private so we can be as noisy as we want to be. The first night Todd was making so many cosmos as people just loved them and were having three or four or five. Needless to say after the affects of those cosmos I dont think we will have people drinking as many tomorrow.

The officers tables last night were fun. I really think some of the officers were a little overwhelmed. Usually the guests dont know each other so it is a more staid affair, but several of the officers told me how much fun it was because everyone at the table was so happy and comfortable with each other. ONe told me it was like we were hosting "him" rather than the other way around.

Okay I have rambled enough. Pictures will tell the story.