Hi Arlene. Fred and I leave Bermuda on Dec. 6th...16 more days....and fly through to LAX. We are supposed to meet friends there. On the 8th, we fly to Papeete, arriving at 7:30pm, and then over to Moorea right away that evening. We arrive back to Papeete on the 10th, about 5:30pm. We will be sipping some sort of tropical libation when you arive. I am so excited, that I am already just about packed. Its been a long time since we were last there. I have booked quite a lot of excursions already through the ship, more for the convenience of it. We are booked with Patrick on the 11th for a full day tour, but this is also the same day as drinks and dinner on the Mariner, so not sure. We are also trying to figure out which cruise to book onboard for next year! I know that I was born to travel, and I have the passport, and poor Fred has the receipts to prove it. He actually loves it as much as I do. Can't wait to meet everyone. Most of you know each other already it seems. What a fantastic way to bond with others. Any suggestions as a first timer on PG?

Ruth

It's our first time on the PG also. My advice? Have fun! LOL. I'm looking forward to meeting you and Fred.

Arlene, we can't wait to meet you and Gil as well. Right now my cat, a very spoiled persian, sees the luggage out. He is totally ignoring me....totally. :ohmy: Just a few more bits to put in the bags. Trying to decide if I want a new camera.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. It's not a holiday here in Bermuda, but our family is very thankful,so we always celebrate.

As soon as I finish my Christmas shopping I will be sooooooooooo excited and ready for this cruise. Tomorrow is D-day for the shopping and hopefully I will finish it.

We have not yet made our reservations for the 2 resturants on board.

We haven't made reservations for the restaurant either. I haven't even finished my Hannukah shopping and that starts on Tuesday. :ohmy:

You guys are good! I'm coming back on the 21st from my Caribbean jaunt, and I don't intend to Xmas shop until then (may do some shopping while I'm in port.) Luckily I come back on a Friday so we have the weekend to: get a tree purchased and decorated, get our fridge stocked, buy and wrap presents (we may just wait for the Boxing Day sales instead.) We don't really celebrate the religious holiday, just a secular celebration of the solstice, and it's only the three of us, so no big deal. David and I often don't even buy each other gifts, and if we do, it's just a book or a shirt or something.

Wandra, I'm with you. We don't get back until the morning of the 23rd, and will be jet lagged I'm sure for a day or two. Our cruise is our family present to ourselves - we don't have much in the way of extended family, so we decided this year no tree, no presents, very little home decoration. Only cards out to a few who live far, or whom we seldom see.

We may either go out for Christmas dinner, or try one of those meals from Whole Foods, Gelsons, or Bristol Farms you read about - got good reports on the ones from Whole Foods.

We are not at all religious, so the Christmas Holidays are just a way for us to reconnect with family and try to enjoy each other. Like every other holiday (especially Halloween!), Christmas has been sentimentalized and commercialized beyond tolerance. There is a new movie documentary I want to see, called "What Would Jesus Buy?" - its about a musical troop that travels the country pointing out the crass commercialization of Christmas. So I'm "bah humbug" this year....and glad to have an excuse to bail out of all of the preparations and rampant materialism....

Other than that, Happy Holidays!!

Ho Ho Ho!

We did have a nice Thanksgiving though.....

What is everyone doing about the restaurant reservations? I assume that sometime during the cruise we'll be dining as a group? Debbie Tate where are you? LOL.

Tommorrow I mail my gifts out to my sister's family and then I am done! She and I have decided that next year we are calling a holt to the gift giving for the adult "children" who are married with their own families. I have something for the grandkids.No gifts for either of us.

I would like to know too since we would not want to schedule a reservation if we will be eating together one evening.

Sue when are you getting to Tahiti?

Well, its an early start to PEARLS for Fred and I. We start out tomorrow so that we can visit friends in South Cal. We cannot believe that it is here for us already. We are looking forward to meeting everyone.....mind you, the fact that many of you are long-time companions can be a little intimidating. We have long day ahead, but we are so excited that it does not matter. We arrive in Tahiti on the 8th and then go right over to Moorea prior to the cruise. Thanks so much for all your support over the months. We really have learned so much from all of you. Thanks for all the patient answers. Just waiting now to board the ship. Arlene, thanks for starting this thread. Looking forward to meeting you and Gil. This will be quite a birthday! See you all in Tahiti :woh:

Ruth

The clothes are packed and ready to go. We have negociated with our driver to let us stop for coffee before heading out to LAX tomorrow morning so we will be properly caffinated. We look forward to meeting all of the Pearls once we are all in Tahiti. It will be GREAT.

Have a great time, Ruth! Hope you PEARLS people will keep in touch!

Carol, we're right behind you. :D

Bon Voyage Pearlies! Wishing you calm seas, sunny skies and lots of laughs with your fellow pax.
Pat

Have a great time you guys, I'll have to catch up on seamail when I get home, since I'll be leaving on the 13th for Voyager.

Good luck with the weather--it's looking kind of iffy right now, but you never know, weather can be fairly local out there.

I've been watching that too, Wendy - hopefully it clears up nicely for the PEARL'ers!

Have a great time, everyone, I can't wait for your seamail!