Some people plan cruises years in advance, but others like me do it weeks in advance.

I'm so excited to say that Mona and I will be sailing with you on MUSH. We're looking forward to meeting in person all of the people on the board that we only know through postings.

And it will be great to sail with JoAnn and Frank again as well as Fred and Pat.

We get into Vancouver a couple of days early and we'll be staying at the Four Seasons. I know most of you are at the Pan Pacific but the Four Seasons was actually less expensive with my company's discount. Please keep us in mind for any pre-cruise get togethers.

Unfortunately, we won't be able to do anything post cruise. We have to head back to DC when we get to Anchorage.

Just a little more than two months away. Can't wait to see everyone. Tom.

Welcome to MUSH, Tom and Mona!!

Congrats, Tom! You are joining a FAB group of people. Have a great time.

Great Tom - will look forward to seeing the two of you, I'm so glad it worked out.

Hope your Mom is doing better, and thanks a bunch for dinner the other night it was yummy!!!

See you soon!

Karen - should we move this over to the MUSH board?

Tom - what is your cabin number? So Karen can update the MUSH list, if she hasn't already, since she is so totally efficient!!

I can move it there and yes Tom, if you have your room number, let me know!

That is great news Tom and Mona!!! We have great memories of DC, although, many many yrs ago - Tony worked on Connecticut between L and M, and we lived in Reston - great 5 yrs - sure I would not recognize the area (s) today!!! Joanna

you got that right Joanna - we've lived here 20 years now and its changed so much I don't even recognize it most of the time!!!! I mean like you go out to go somewhere and suddenly there is a new road, or a new bridge or a new housing development where you use to drive to the market!!! :banana: :banana:

Tom and Mona, so glad you are joining us! I'm on with lots of family. Hope to have some time to meet you!

I don't have a cabin number yet. I'll let you know as soon as I get it.

Joanna, I've worked for the last 23 years just off of Connecticut Ave between L and M Sts.

I'm glad you enjoyed your time in DC and, you're right, it's very different now, much more developed. Tom.

Tony worked for economic consulting firm ...I just asked him "are they still there?" He thinks they are all deceased - (kidding) - we paid a lot, we thought in 1971, for house in Reston a pittance compared to today's prices there(Joe Theismann a neighbor) - our kids adored living there - memories... :ch: :ch: :ch:

WooHoo!

After going around the world in eight days, keeping up with this group will:

1) be a piece of cake

2) keep me on my toes

3) render me, tender me, surrender me

4) make me ask what the penalties are for cancelling

Great, Tom! Looking forward to finally meeting you!

Masaki

Glad to hear that you are joining the Party! We'll look forward to meeting you onboard (or before!)

Tom - What excellent news indeed that you & Mona will be joining the festivities on MUSH. It will be good to see you both again - we can have a mini-reunion for our Voyager Baltics cruise a couple of years ago. However, you must be prepared for the frantic phenomenon that is an LCT cruise. It will be an interesting (thrilling, shocking, delightful, appalling, appealing, criminal) contrast to the fairly calm and dignified atmosphere of the Baltics cruise.

As I noted in one of my posts from WAVE recently, we received some good inside dope from the Asst. F&B Mgr., Franck Galzy, who just left the Mariner. MUSH is already being discussed among the management staff. Franck knew that our little band of banditos and raucous revelers was scheduled to take over Deck 7. It seems that they are doing a few things in anticipation of our week aboard Mariner, as follows: They will be doing a series of sensitivity training for all members of the staff to show them how to gently guide MUSHers who have overindulged back to their cabins with the least disruption to the rest of the passengers. The provisioning people will be ordering several extra pallets of Cosmo ingredients (they will use the Conference Room for the extra storage required - sorry, Friends of Bill W. - no meetings on that cruise). Finally, the bartenders will be receiving from the Gurkha security staff some special training in self-defense to prepare them for Suzette.

So you see, Tom, that this will not be your father's Alaska cruise.

Cheers, Fred

PS - Sorry to repeat a paragraph from a previous post; but it is more relevant to MUSH than it was to WAVE.

Fred,

You can say that again! Wave was the warm up!

Tom, so glad you and Mona will be joining us on MUSH!!

Freddie, when we were on the Mariner SA trip (and since returning via email) we've made sure that Rogerio, Franck and all knew about MUSH. They really are ready for us and looking forward to it (so they say!) Hope they don't regret it...LOL! Sure wish Franck was going to be with us.

Hi Fred. Looking forward to seeing you again too, and meeting Marcie, Kathy, Joanna and Masaki and especially Suzanne.

"thrilling, shocking, delightful, appalling, appealing, criminal"

Sounds like what I experience working every day in Washington.

We'll try our best to keep up. Tom.

Tom, so glad you will be with us! You will never keep up with Suzanne. No one does! I long ago stopped trying,. She is intelligent, classy, and has a great wit. You will love her! Having experienced those Washington people myself, I will tell you, you are in for a treat! (okay, without the "criminal")

I'm looking forward to meeting Fred, too! We are going to dance! Oh gosh, I am bringing on family on both sides for a first cruise, 9 of us. I sure hope everyone likes it. I have talked forever about RSSC. I am doomed if they don't have a great time.

We were at cocktail party last night and a couple who had rejected Mush, initially, had a change of heart - I think the wine helped - they just booked!!! so we have 11 folks coming from here - I am still working on the 12th - Joanna :ch: :ch: :ch: :ch:

Scary, Joanna! At the rate you're going, your group could take up 1/4 of the deck by itself! :)

Masaki

Maskai: Yes, scary, as none of them are the shy retiring type :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: