Well we are somewhere off the coast of Spain. Great time in Nice. Hotel and tour company to recommend upon return. Met Cathy and Frank at LAX. Have since met Wendy and David; and, Mary Ellen and Bruce. Have also linked up with Vivian and Woody. Mary Ellen, Bruce, Woody and Vivian will join the 3 of us for private tours in both Bordeaux and Normandy Beaches. All seem to be having a wonderful time...I know we are. Highlight for Gretchen and Cheryl has been the Staff Captain on Voyager is Jean Pierre (forget last name) the same Staff Captain that they drooled over on our Auckland to LA sailing. Anyway, just wanted to say "Hi!" thank everyone for their good wishes and help researching this cruise. Now off to get ready for first formal night.

:lct:
Greg

Hi Greg,

Thanks for checking in with us. Glad that you're off to a good start!

Can't wait to hear more. Thanks Greg for checking in, and plese keep us updated when you have a chance.

Thanks for checking in! Give our best to everyone. I am wishing all of you wonderful port visits and a great cruise. Cheers, Anne

So good to hear from you, Greg. Have a wonderful cruise!

Greg,

Thanks for your post! So glad you are having a good time. Keep having fun and tell us about it, when you have time!

Hi Greg,

Just playing catch-up on the seamail. Good hearing from you and that you are all having a great time! Our best to you and Gretchen and the rest of the WAVErs.

Thanks Greg - keep having fun and sea mailing - Joanna

We are now heading toward Lisbon. Passing by Gibraltar last night (it is illuminated) was one of the most fantastic sights I've seen at sea. If you ever go that way, regardless of time of day, do go out and take a look.

We met a very nice couple at Signatures the other night (Susan and Mark). The 5 of us will go into Lisbon tonight (we dock at 1700) for the Feast of St. Anthony. It is supposed to be a Carnivale type experience. We're looking forward to it.

Greg

PS Rack of Lamb in Signatures was excellent.

Hi Greg,

I am enjoying your seamail. Thanks for the updates. No other WAVErs are posting. Are you the designated poster? :D

The Feast of St. Anthony sounds terrific! Have a fantastic time and share your experiences with us, please!

Thanks for reporting in, Greg. Where's everybody else? Must be having good times!

Thanks for the updates, Greg! Yeah, where are the other WAVErs?

Waiting for reports, where are all of you?

Fred said things were great. Food wonderful, service terrific,he sounded like a very pleased and content guy. He said he was to say he was sorry but he was having TOO GOOD A TIME to post.

Having too good a time is the only excuse that should be accepted when someone is not sending seamail!

Yeah,

Ok, slowly backing away from the computer screen...

Well Lisbon was wonderful! I read Lisbon has a population of 500,000 or so. I thnik about 100,000 were in the parade and the rest watching. WHAT A STREET PARTY! St. Anthony is the patron Saint of Lisbon and each of the neighborhoods/burroughs has a team of band, dancing group and hand held floats. Each picks a theme from one of the symbols of Lisbon (fish, Guitar, potted plant, carnation, etc.). The carnation was a favorite as it also harkens back to a bloodless coup at the end of the Salazar regime (1976, I think)when the people stuck carnations into the gun barrels of the soldiers.

Yesterday we had "Cathy's Excellent Adventure." The driver/tour guide she had arranged bungled the reservation and did not show up. When Cathy called they said it would take an hour to get a driver to the ship. Cathy was ever the consumate professional and much cooler than I would have managed. Anyway she politley told them "no thanks." We arranged a tour "on the spot" to Sintra and along the Estoril Coast. It was wonderful!!! Sintra was beautiful and we got in some shopping. A bit of a warning. Some of the "tea towels" and similar we bought in Sintra were half a euro cheaper at the shop on the dock. Sintra had a wider selection though.

Last night was the repeaters reception (420 of 680 pax are repeaters). Today Gretchen and Cheryl will get a tour of the bridge with the Staff Captain, Jean Paul Ravanant. I hope they don't drool on his uniform! His wife and kids are on board this trip. We met his wife (Sara) coming back from the street party in Lisbon. Very nice lady (she's from Tasmania). If you saw the movie "March of the Penguins" Ravanant helped re-supply the French Antarctic Research Station where the film makers were based and has met both of them (as he says, "before they were famous."). For those of you on BLISS she is staying on board through Copenhagen (the kids get off in Honfleur to spend time with Grand Mama). Cheryl and Gretchen already want to find out when he gets his first Regent ship and pre-book a reservation on his first command.

Internet connectivity has been spotty. I know Cathy has had trouble checking her work email. I think Wendy swore of technology for the cruise. As a third party report Wendy, David, Frank, Cathy, Freddie and Patrick all had dinner with the pianist from the PG (Hal - I forget the last name) last evening.

Again, thanks to everyone for your help with research prior to this cruise.

Greg

Greg - the festival in Lisbon sounds like a blast! Glad the spontaneous tour worked out well for all of you.

How great Hal Fraser is onboard! That's a real treat.

Looking forward to your impressions of Santander.

Cheers, Anne

Weather report: 25 ft seas, winds 50 gusting to 65 mph, 60F and overcast. The doctor is busy. Another beautiful day in the North Atlantic.

Ohhhh..buckle up, kids, and let's hope it passes when you round the corner of spain.

Cheers, Anne

Really appreciate your posts, Greg. So glad your day at the street party was so much fun. I am hoping our timing will be in sync for that fair next year, when we visit Lisbon.

Will want the name of the tour guide who bungled your plans so I can avoid using them next year! Glad to hear all turned out well despite the mishap.

Hope there isn't too much rocking and rolling going on. Ginger or Bonine, anyone?

Take care. Our best to all!

Finally!!! the Internet is UP!!!!! Twice now , I've written whole long posts only to have them disappear into the no-man's land of the internet with that horrible message that says No Dice!


Yes, the seas have been a bit choppy since yesterday! Enough so that when my Rack of Lamb arrived at the table, I retreated to the room - the green herb crust was not appealing and I was not hungry. We were dining with Hal Fraser, Wendy and David, Fred and Pat.

Greg told you of our adventure to Sintra, so when I get back, believe me, I will advise you all to avoid Tours for You in Lisbon!

Wendy, David, Greg, Gretchen are here behind me having viewed the LCT Logo! They say HI and yes, we're having FUN!!!

Several of us are in the Cordon Bleu program, and we are having a great time cooking, eating and drinking! the Executive Chef is Cornel, and our Cordon Bleu instructor, David lots of fun.

They had a night of Dancing under the Stars the other night and Fred and I danced quite a bit! He's ever the best dancer!

Signatures is a good as ever. Cinnamon Ice Cream on today's menu in Compass Rose!

Today is the day the ship is in the Dual Ports of Vigo and La Coruna for those who went to Santiago de Compostela. We opted to all stay on board and rest. Tomorrow is Santander.

Lots of the crew are familiar - Adorable, Maria at Reception from Navigator and PG, Laurent, Marco - too many to mention. Kenny Smiles in on Navigator for the Presidents Cruise but will be back next cruise on Voyager for Bliss.

I came in third in the Slot Machine Contest and the Blackjack dealer has been very generous too.

Off to the spa for an SSS Ultimate experience. Same esthetician as I had on the PG for the Satin Skin treatment and last Saturday's massage

The ship is quiet today and we have been having a great time.

Kathy, I am glad you checked in, we were getting worried!! It's good to hear that you are having a good time.

Hi Kathy,

Thanks for checking in. I know you are taking the most detailed of notes to share with us!

Hope you all continue to have a wonderful time!

Hi Kathy,

Thank you for reporting in and so glad you are having such a good time. I am so disappointed you had trouble with "Tours for You" in Lisbon. We loved our guide Josue and he was at the pier as booked. Glad to hear Greg made alternative arrangements that worked well for you. I am so happy that Kenny Smiles will be back for BLISS. We love his shows, especially the attire ;) .
Cheers, Pam

Hi Kathy,

So good to hear from you! I do hope that the seas calm somewhat, for you. Keep having fun! Love the SeaMail!!!

Hi Kathy and the rest,

Sorry about your experience with the tour guide but glad you still made the most of your stop there. Keep enjoying your cruise!

Hi Kathy, Greg, Wendy! Glad you're having such a good time.

Kathy, So sorry about Tours for You in Lisbon. I can hardly believe that. We had such an excellent day with Josue. He was waiting for us as we walked off the ship and terrific in every way! You're the first problem I've heard about and I've recommended him to many.

Keep having fun. Send us seamail when you can!

Just to clarify; Kathy made the alternate arrangements. All the while keeping her cool. We just sat back and enjoyed.

Greg

Kathy - good to finally hear from you - I was wondering if you had missed the ship. <img border="0" alt="[vhappy]" title="" src="graemlins/icon_vhappy.gif" />

Glad you are having a good time. We too stayed on the ship between La Carona and Vigo and just had a relaxing day onboard. I'm not surprized to hear you came in third in the slot tournement, you always do well in those!! Last time we sailed with you you were first if I remember!!! Same with Blackjack, you always do well. Sigh..... :rolleyes:

Keep having fun - see you on MUSH!

Okay, okay, please be patient with those of us who have been too indolent, exhausted from dancing, busy with cooking classes, hung over, or all of the above, to post. As Greg and Kathy have posted, all is going marvelously. Captain Knute is managing to keep the ship in more or less the right direction to get us to the next destination every day (it was a bit of a challenge today with the Force 8 winds).

The Cordon Bleu cooking classes are wonderful (and once we start pouring the wine, quite lively). Tonight, we have a Cordon Bleu dinner at La Veranda with some of the chefs. The gala graduation dinner is Sunday in Signatures, with a special menu designed by our Cordon Bleu instructor in cooperation with Cornel, the Executive Chef for the ship, and Michael, the new executive chef for Signatures. By the way, there will be a new Signatures menu next week. It is being designed this week. BLISSers will get to try out several new items.

Sandra Bowern is on board with her fantastic and enthusiastic (she makes the Energizer Bunny seem lethargic) lectures. They are not to be missed. She is looking forward to next week's Baltic cruise. (Ngaire, it turns out that Sandra did the Hanseatic itinerary very similar to ours on PENGUINS-POP several years ago and found it to be one of the best travel experiences of her life.)

At this moment, we are docked in La Coruna for a half hour or so to pick up the devoted people who made the pilgrimage to Santiago del Compostela today. I hope they don't all have bloody knees from crawling the last mile or so of the pilgrimage. That would make an unpleasant situation for the poor laundry folks and the ship's doc.

We read in the Directory of Passengers that Susan Wempe and her husband are on board but have not run into them.

Tomorrow, the six of us from PIP (Kathy & Frank, Wendy & David, and Pat & I) are going with a private guide to see Santander and Santillana del Mar and have a good tapas lunch. On Friday, the PIP Six will have a guide to St. Emilion.

Saturday is another sea day (Yippee!! We can start drinking even earlier than usual...). On Sunday, we'll be in lovely little Honfleur and plan to just wander about the town.

I am amazed that I have been able to stay on line this long to write this note. Now, the great mystery: will it post? The internet connections the last few days have been dreadful and provided a powerful excuse for those of us who prefer drinking & dancing to typing to give up quickly in our attempts to get online and stay there. In any event, we send good thoughts from this beautiful ship.

Cheers, Fred

PS - Kathy may have won the slots tournament; but Freddie left the casino $450 ahead last night thanks to a very hot slot machine. I almost hated to abandon it, since it had been so kind to me.

Fred you are a riot! (but you already suspected that, right?) :D

Thanks for the great post Fred - am looking forward to meeting you one of these days - are you doing MUSH?

Hope you find that great place for Tapa's that we ate at last year in Santillana del Mar - wish I knew the name of it, it was open to the outside, with the bar as you walk in on the right, and some tables on the left (no outside seating though, just big doors that were open) and the best thing we had was the "stuffed pimento peppers with cheese" yummmm!! As you are walking down the hill from the church, its on the right, thats all I can tell you - but it was good!

Give Kathy a big hug for me (well Frankie too for that matter). That 10 days sure does go fast doesn't it?

Thaqnks for checking in and reporting! I was getting woried to.

Fred, your posts are always the best! Keep your dancing feet for me on MUSH! (god, I hope I can follow his lead!)

Susan and her husband are on a vacation so I told her she did not need to "host" the BK clients. She did say she wanted to meet some of the LCT'ers. Not heard from her since she boarded. She did tell me before she left that she really wanted to meet you Fred. Track her down, she is a LOVELY person. You know what she looks like a very classy, very attractive smiling, always happy person.

Of course she is the ONE that calls you for all for that big final payment, maybe if you find her she will ask you for money!!!

Shark diving in South Africa last week; the Voyager this week. I guess I made a bad career choice sometime back. :D

Ngaire, I figured that. Everyone is entitled to private time. If it were me, I would leave her ALONE on her own private vacation. Yes, you love your clients and your business, but hey, let's get away once in a while on our own. Just the way I see it. Not even her business!

Different Susan. Shark diving Susan Walsh, Voyager Susan Wempe. Linda leaves for Israel on Friday. It is a moving target at our office, they work VERY hard and they deserve the benefits of the job. Susan Walsh was still in the office when I left tonight at about 7.30 pm and she has an hour to an hour and a half commute.

We have total cross training so when people are out no one should experience that any drop in service for staff being gone.

Debbie is coming on MUSH by the way, she and her husband Russell were on party. My plan is to bring Debbie and her husband on ROAR 2 to have an escort with both groups, she will stay at Leopard HIlls and I will stay at Madikwe Hills. The only one that has not been to South Africa yet, they are very excited. Great couple. She was actually a client and travelled with me about 3 times. So glad I called her and hired when I needed to expand the staff. Great lady.

Julie is coming on TUSK. Eventually everyone will meet all the staff!!!

Thanks for checking in, everyone, love the sea mail! And yes, JoAnn, Fred is definitely on MUSH! :)

Masaki