Althought ZVS says our Visa's will be delivered to us by Dec. 19th for our SA cruise I will be so glad and relieved when it finally gets here!

I'm supposed to pick ours up from the Brazilian Consulate on Monday. Fortunately, it is located half a block from my office here in DC and the process was relatively painless--and relatively cheap.

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Eugene

Eugene,
You are so lucky to be near a Brazilian consulate! I am amazed at how much it is costing us for 2 days in Rio. Can't imagine how Brazil will handle all this for the Olympics if they don't change their requirements.

Sally

My understanding is that Brazil does this because we do it to Brazilian citizens visiting the United States. I haven't checked this out, but that's what I was told. Also, the visas are good for 5 years, so if you're going back within that period, you don't have to go through this all again.

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Eugene

Dear friends - It is indeed an issue of reciprocity. Brazil charges the same fee for its visa as the U.S. does for Brazilians coming to the states. I am certainly not at all patient with the preposterous situation wherein the Brazilian consulates across the U.S. use different forms and have totally varying timetables for processing visas. However, we should bear in mind that it is far more onerous for a Brazilian to obtain a visa to visit the U.S. than it is for us to visit Brazil. All things considered, our few days in Rio prior to boarding Voyager were delightful and emphatically rendered any lingering annoyances we'd harbored concerning the Brazilian visa process as mere white noise. Rio is indeed "a cidade maravilhosa", the marvelous city!! Tchau, Fred

Thanks for the info - I had no idea.

I don't know about everyone else but things are really starting to come together on our Llama cruise for Ron and I. ZVS said we should have our passports/visas in hand this Saturday, Ker&Downey said they will be sending our detailed itinary for pre-cruise Machu Picchu trip in a week, our flights from Atlanta to Lima and return flight from Rio to Atlanta look to be only about half full all that is left is our cruise docs!

Got our cruise documents and visa's - don't know about everyone else, but we are really excited!

We are doing the doc dance - we got our documents today also. Yea

Carolyn and Don

:banana: :banana: :banana:

To all on this cruise, hope you will remember your friends back home when you are on the cruise! Since you don't have to deal with the boot room and excursions in Antarctica, I hope all will send along their pictures and tell us what you do aboard without Zodiacs!

Also send pics of the Chilean Fjords, my first cruise with Ngaire and Ken. I think you will have warmer weather than we did.

Enjoy the doc dancing. Can't wait to read about this cruise.

Are Dixiechick and us the only ones that have received our docs. I hope all of us on LLAMA are doing a doc dance tonight on New Years Eve.

Great picture, Carolyn :)

Paul and I have our docs, but no visa yet. :eek: Because Paul had a business trip where he needed his passport, we were only able to send ours in about 10 days ago. Supposedly we will have them back by 1/18--cutting it very close. I will be hyperventilating between now and then.

For you previewing pleasure, the LLAMA pin :)

Love, love, love it. I have a poncho that looks just like the one on the pin. From the 60's.

Carolyn

That is a great pin! The B&K folks get better and better with the pins!
Is it too late to sign up....I love the pin!!! LOL

Looks great. Can't wait to wear it. Starting to think about what to pack for this itinerary, including a pre-cruise to Machu Picchu.

In the Big Apple for New Years, which is always an experience. Seeing a couple plays and saw "Avatar" in Imax 3D--visually extraordinary.

Happy New Year everyone.

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Eugene and Gail

We get on the Mariner January 10 along with Jan and Fred. Looking forward to seeing everyone. We'll warm up the ship and keep the light on for you. See you in Lima!

Olivia, we never wished you a Bon Voyage! Glad you made it safely to Rio. I know you'll have a great time cruising from Rio to FLL. I guess this is kind of a post Llama cruise ??

Send seamail if you have a chance. So happy you'll be with Peggy & Jerry too. Happy Cruising!! :bv:

Olivia,
I think Jan & Fred and Jan & Harry are still on the Mariner.
Jim

I guess we have to call it Post-Llama now since most of our fellow Llamas have abandoned ship. There are a few of us left (Jan and Harry, Rich and Ann, Linda and Chris and June) and the good news is, we've added Olivia to the group. We had a nice warm day in Rio yesterday--some would say it was hot. We met Olivia up on the pool deck and then went back there later to watch the spectacular sail away out of Rio.
The interesting new happening onboard is the two dance troups--one from Brazil and one from Argentina. They'll be turning Horizon Lounge into Club Copacabana at night as long as we're in Brazil. We had an eyepopping Samba show in there last night--girls with long hair and longer legs--not to mention other attributes! The Argentine Tango group will be performing at this segment's verson of Dinner and a Show in Signatures. Lots of fun to look forward to, but we already miss our Llama friends: Jan, Fred, Don, Carolyn, Ngaire, Ken, Susan B, Paul, Gail,Eugene, Mary Elaine, David, Sally, Ron, Susan W, John--hope you all had an easy trip home.

Boy can the Brazilians dance...I remember seeing them in the past and they sure put on a show. Thanks for reporting in Peggy.

There you are, Peggy! :bv: , Olivia - have a great cruise!

Kristin, the Fort Worth weather in January and February is the reason we're in South America :cool: We had a nice day in Salvador de Bahia today. Olivia, Jerry and I just walked around a bit and then came back to the ship. Now we have a couple sea days before an overnight in Fortaleza. The ship has a special event there--I'll let you know how it is. There's the big barbeque on deck tonight, so we'll probably have Compass Rose to ourselves. (I can do buffets at home--NOT!) We will go up on deck and watch the Brazilians after dinner though.

Peggy, you sound just like us - we avoid buffets like the plague. And love it when we have a nearly empty, quiet restaurant to dine in.

Enjoy those sea days - I am so envious!!!

Checking in now, very late at night, as I have a tour early tomorrow. Yes, Peggy and I avoid buffets like the plague! Others love them. Glad we have our choices on the ship. Nice to have Peggy on this ship....been on since 2/23 and haven't yet walked into Verandah until early dinner tonight before a ballet dance show off the ship.

Oh my, it has been HOT! I think weather makes such a difference in anyone's cruise experience if they take long excursions in ports when it is hot and have one thing or another physically that limits them. The day Peggy was talking about, I was on my way down on an elevator to get on the bus and some lady said she was going down for the "waitlist group". Pulled out my ticket and said "TAKE MINE!" She was happy, I was happy, and Regent was happy to have someone to fill that seat they paid for. I went with Peggy and Jerry and a couple of others, on the H.Stern shuttle. One lady bought a nice piece, so we didn't feel badly taking it down again!

Aside from my complaints about HOT (and that continues everyday, just like COLD on ICE) this has been a wonderful cruise on the first 5 days I've been here. Mariner is in TOP condition for me, from service to food....already know the ship itself. I got on thinking I only knew 2 people aboard, Peggy and Jerry, two of my favorite lct people from many cruises together.....the friendship went beyond that. Anyway, Peggy has introduced me to so many people,...she has a great "gals" team for trivia, they won again today! But none of us won at Bingo yesterday

I think I am the only lct person that just got on this cruise after LLAMA. Of course, Peggy and Jerry still aboard. I'm going to post more as we move along, but have to get up early tomorrow and it is late here

Great to hear from you, Olivia, and , just think, you could be freezing at home! I am SO sick of the cold, LONG winter, for here, that I've been tempted to go somewhere warm, and I don't like heat either, having grown up in Miami!

Hope you will enjoy the rest of the cruise!

Hi Olivia so nice to hear from you.

I found the Mariner to be really running well and enjoyed the food. I am in Lobster withdrawal right now.

Have fun with Jerry and Peggy - Bloody Marys before lunch I am sure.

Kathy, believe me, this is one happy camper. I have slept so much (hey, this is my first 21 day cruise, longest ever.) Who cares if they leave that thing on the door that you need to call for service ("We value your privacy") once the cabin stewards are on break.

Ngaire, honestly, I am going to bed now....but did you ever hear about those Brazilian "fanny ladies" that come onboard for this cruise? I swear, eyeballs dropping out of all the men. Then the Brazilian men come on, same thing for the ladies. These groups have absolutely filled the venues in Horizon and the whole pool deck. I am loving this cruise. No wonder Marcie puts the full SA cruise right up with her WC's as so special.

Hi Olivia,

Sounds great that you're relaxing so much!! But, DO tell more about the Brazilian "fanny ladies" and MORE about the men!! Having followed several "virtual" SA cruises, don't think I've heard those terms before!

Hi Olivia, Glad you're enjoying yourself.If you think it's hot now, just wait for the Amazon and Manaus.
We did this 2 years ago and really enjoyed it.
In Manaus I took the "Meeting of the Waters" tour and really enjoyed it. Those giant lily-pads are something else.
Poor Ray took the "Jungle Trek" and was very dissapointed in it. It teemed rain....he was covered in mud...the only animal he saw was when they "found" a cobra off the path.
So the next day he took a taxi to the local zoo.
Don't think we did anything in Fortaleza, been there before...too hot to do that much.
Continue to have a great time.

Kathy, the "fanny" ladies are the Brazilian ladies I talked about earlier who have long hair and longer legs (plus other attributes both high and low :D ) They perform in Carnival type costumes that include thongs and five inch platform shoes(you get the picture!). Both the Brazilians and the Argentines give dance lessons in the afternoon and sometimes before dinner (whatever latin dance you like... samba... tango...???). Tonight we go to the "Dinner and a Show" in Signatures. We'll have Samba dancing before dinner and Tango after dinner plus tomorrow is a sea day. Life is good!

Hi Olivia, Peggy and Jerry,

Glad you are having such a great cruise. Also, good to hear Mariner is in great shape.

I am putting the SA cruise on my to do list!

Enjoy!

Thanks. Peggy; that's quite a visual! :eek:

GREAT visual, but pictures would be even better! <img border="0" alt="[naughty]" title="" src="graemlins/naughty.gif" /> :D

Kristin, how I wish I had one or two pictures of those ladies to share :eek: , I have been worse about taking pictures on this cruise than ever before. Today we did Highlights of Fortelaza, and we visited a church, a theater (same one many went to last night for the ballet) and a crafts market. Grandbabies give you another new reason to shop when you have tired of it for yourself, especially girls! The little dresses in this craft market today, all hand made, were absolutely gorgeous, so much pretty embroidery and lace.

Tonight, we celebrated an anniversary for Peggy and Jerry in Signatures, with the Dinner and a Show night. Early dinner, then on to Horizons for a special Tango show with a group called the "Pampas Devils" from Argentina, two couples. They were wonderful, but good lord, I don't think lessons in this dance are in my future! Looked like choreographed advanced dance aerobics to me! Back to Peggy and Jerry, I asked him HOW MANY YEARS? Love to pose that ? to men. Well, he didn't know He said about 11 at his last count. They were married on Leap Day, I think 46 years ago! Anyway, dinner was great.....set menu with enough food to feel an army leading up to main course choice of halibut or filet mignon. I am still stuffed.

Tomorrow is a sea day. I have a massage at 11. The other day they had a $99 special for a facial if you came early or late, and I bit on that. At CRanch prices, once you have spent your cabin credit (goes quickly), it is easy to complain and wish for earlier times and spa prices. Hey, supply and demand and what the market will bear. But on this cruise for me, I had choices, nothing sold out on sea days when it is usually so busy.

Funny about those 100% single supps. Today, I booked a cruise, and said to Brian O'Brien, "do you think that awful 100% single supplement will go away for this one? He said, "no 100% on this one." He gave me a rather long list through the year of cruises with reduced ssups that when I left were not on the website, so I guess I missed the update. Who knows, maybe they just jacked it all up to make us singles feel grateful when in fact they raised our prices another 10% above what couples pay per person. I'm a grinch about this, but promise not to beat a dead horse.

Editing to add another comment about the excursions. All inclusive does not include tips for the tour guides, and I have watched people just get off and don't do it. Ngaire has been clear about this with her clients, but it is now noted on the in-cabin channel about excursions. I hope those guides aren't suffering a lot from this. New cruisers may be unaware. They do a good job, no different now from when we paid R for excursions! But their tips are NOT included in the fare.

Olivia, Good to have a newsy seamail for Llama-extension. Glad you are having a good cruise. That is an interesting part of the world.... and hot~hot~hot. Sad to hear that some passengers are short changing the tour guides. They do work hard. Thanks for posting.

WOO HOO Olivia good to hear from you!!!! Peggy and Jerry's night must have been special - congrats P&J!! Oh how Tony loved those dancers - keep enjoying, I think 21 nights is perfect - and I loved the $99 specials (facials for me) - we have yet to book a "free" excursion but always tipped on paid ones - can't imagine not tipping on free ones :rolleyes: :rolleyes: glad the non tippers are being educated ... ENJOY you lucky woman :hug: :hug: